Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.11.24 (mitogen-activated protein kinase)
 95,810 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In yeast, the pheromone alpha-factor acts as an antiproliferative factor that induces G1 arrest and cellular differentiation. Previous data have indicated that Far1, a factor dedicated to pheromone-induced cell cycle arrest, is under positive and negative posttranslational regulation. Phosphorylation by the pheromone-stimulated mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase Fus3 has been thought to enhance the binding of Far1 to G1-specific cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) complexes, thereby inhibiting their catalytic activity. Cdk-dependent phosphorylation events were invoked to account for the high instability of Far1 outside early G1 phase. To confirm any functional role of Far1 phosphorylation, we undertook a systematic mutational analysis of potential MAP kinase and Cdk recognition motifs. Two putative phosphorylation sites that strongly affect Far1 behavior were identified. A change of serine 87 to alanine prevents the cell cycle-dependent degradation of Far1, causing enhanced sensitivity to pheromone. In contrast, threonine 306 seems to be an important recipient of an activating modification, as substitutions at this position abolish the G1 arrest function of Far1. Only the phosphorylated wild-type Far1 protein, not the T306-to-A substitution product, can be found in stable association with the Cdc28-Cln2 complex. Surprisingly, Far1-associated Cdc28-Cln2 complexes are at best moderately inhibited in immunoprecipitation kinase assays, suggesting unconventional inhibitory mechanisms of Far1.
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PMID:Pheromone-dependent G1 cell cycle arrest requires Far1 phosphorylation, but may not involve inhibition of Cdc28-Cln2 kinase, in vivo. 963 50

The oncogenes RAS and RAF came to view as agents of neoplastic transformation. However, in normal cells, these genes can have effects that run counter to oncogenic transformation, such as arrest of the cell division cycle, induction of cell differentiation, and apoptosis. Recent work has demonstrated that RAS elicits proliferative arrest and senescence in normal mouse and human fibroblasts. Because the Raf/MEK/MAP kinase signaling cascade is a key effector of signaling from Ras proteins, we examined the ability of conditionally active forms of Raf-1 to elicit cell cycle arrest and senescence in human cells. Activation of Raf-1 in nonimmortalized human lung fibroblasts (IMR-90) led to the prompt and irreversible arrest of cellular proliferation and the premature onset of senescence. Concomitant with the onset of cell cycle arrest, we observed the induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors p21(Cip1) and p16(Ink4a). Ablation of p53 and p21(Cip1) expression by use of the E6 oncoprotein of HPV16 demonstrated that expression of these proteins was not required for Raf-induced cell cycle arrest or senescence. Furthermore, cell cycle arrest and senescence were elicited in IMR-90 cells by the ectopic expression of p16(Ink4a) alone. Pharmacological inhibition of the Raf/MEK/MAP kinase cascade prevented Raf from inducing p16(Ink4a) and also prevented Raf-induced senescence. We conclude that the kinase cascade initiated by Raf can regulate the expression of p16(Ink4a) and the proliferative arrest and senescence that follows. Induction of senescence may provide a defense against neoplastic transformation when the MAP kinase signaling cascade is inappropriately active.
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PMID:Senescence of human fibroblasts induced by oncogenic Raf. 976 2

DNA topoisomerase II (topo II) is an essential nuclear enzyme required for chromatin condensation and chromosome segregation during mitosis. Forced overexpression of topo IIalpha was found to cause morphological changes in recipient cells associated with apoptosis. This induction of apoptosis required nuclear localization of topo IIalpha, yet was independent of the DNA cleavage-religation activity of the enzyme. Apoptosis mediated by topo IIalpha deregulation was blocked by overexpression of crmA, a specific inhibitor of certain caspases, but not by bcl-2. topo IIalpha-induced apoptosis was also blocked by overexpression of a dominant-acting mutant of stress-activated protein kinase kinase (SEK1/MKK4) but not by the overexpression of its normal counterpart. Furthermore, apoptosis was blocked by coexpression of a dominant-negative form of the cyclin-dependent kinase cdk2 but not by dominant-negative cdc2. These results provide a rationale for the tight regulation of topo IIalpha levels through the cell cycle in that deregulation of topo IIalpha expression results in apoptotic cell death.
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PMID:Induction of apoptosis by deregulated expression of DNA topoisomerase IIalpha. 978 93

We previously reported the generation of a library of hydrophobic oxazole-based small molecules designed as inhibitors of phosphatases involved in cellular signaling and cell cycle control. One member of the targeted array library, 4-(benzyl-(2-[(2, 5-diphenyl-oxazole-4-carbonyl)-amino]-ethyl)-carbamoyl)-2-decanoylami no butyric acid (SC-alphaalphadelta9), inhibited cell growth in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. To investigate potential mechanisms for SC-alphaalphadelta9 antiproliferative activity, we have used mouse embryonic fibroblasts transformed with simian virus 40 large T antigen mouse embryonic fibroblasts as a model system for a malignant phenotype that depends on overexpression of cell cycle regulators and autocrine stimulation by insulin-like growth factor-1. Structure-activity relationship studies with SC-alphaalphadelta9 and four library congeners demonstrated that antiproliferative activity was not a result of overall hydrophobicity. Rather, SC-alphaalphadelta9 decreased insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor tyrosine phosphorylation, receptor expression, mitogen-activated protein kinase activation and levels of the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdc2. Less toxic congeners only partially affected receptor expression, receptor tyrosine phosphorylation and Cdc2 levels. Thus SC-alphaalphadelta9, which is structurally distinct from other known small molecules that decrease intracellular Cdc2 levels, has profound effects on intracellular signaling. Furthermore, SC-alphaalphadelta9, but not vanadate or okadaic acid, selectively inhibited the growth of simian virus 40 large T antigen mouse embryonic fibroblasts compared to the parental cells. These results suggest that overexpression of Cdc2 and increased dependence on insulin-like growth factor-1 autocrine stimulation are responsible for the increased sensitivity of simian virus 40 large T antigen mouse embryonic fibroblasts to SC-alphaalphadelta9. The SC-alphaalphadelta9 pharmacophore could be a useful platform for the development of novel antisignaling agents.
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PMID:Disruption of insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling and down-regulation of cdc2 by SC-alphaalphadelta9, a novel small molecule antisignaling agent identified in a targeted array library. 980 13

The p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is required for progression through meiotic M phase in Xenopus oocytes. This report examines whether it also plays a role in normal mitotic progression. MAPK was transiently activated during mitosis in cycling Xenopus egg extracts after activation of the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdc2-cyclin B. Interference with MAPK activation by immunodepletion of its activator MEK, or by addition of the MEK inhibitor PD98059, caused precocious termination of mitosis and interfered with production of normal mitotic microtubules. Sustained activation of MAPK arrested extracts in mitosis in the absence of active Cdc2-cyclin B. These findings identify a role for MEK and MAPK in maintaining the mitotic state.
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PMID:Requirement for MAPK activation for normal mitotic progression in Xenopus egg extracts. 981 94

p21(WAF1) inhibits cyclin-cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) complexes, causing cell cycle arrest. p21(WAF1) contains p53-binding sites in its promoter and expression of p21(WAF1) is induced by functional p53. In the present work, we have studied the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in the induction of p21(WAF1) and show that induction of p21(WAF1) expression can occur by activation of PKC in cells having no p53. Human ovarian carcinoma cells, SKOV-3, lack p53 protein and PMA, a potent activator of PKC, did not induce p53. PMA increased the expression of p21(WAF1) mRNA both in these cells and in other cells which do not contain p53 (THP-1 and U937). Treatment of human embryonic fibroblasts, WI38, with PMA also induced the accumulation of p21(WAF1) without affecting p53 levels. However, PMA did not increase levels of p21(WAF1) mRNA in cells where either the PKC or the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway was blocked. Furthermore, treatment of cells with various phorbol ester derivatives which activate PKC resulted in the induction of p21(WAF1) in SKOV-3 cells. In contrast, phorbol esters which do not activate PKC failed to induce p21(WAF1) expression. PMA increased the transcriptional rate of p21(WAF1) and activated the transcription of a luciferase reporter gene, controlled by the p21 promoter, in SKOV-3 cells with or without a p53 consensus-binding sequence. By contrast, PMA markedly stabilized p21(WAF1) mRNA; the half-life (t1/2) of p21(WAF1) in PMA-treated cells was >8 h compared with <1 h in untreated cells. These findings provide evidence that the PKC pathway induces expression of p21(WAF1) independently of p53. Our present study also suggests that the accumulation of p21(WAF1) transcripts by PMA occurs mainly at post-transcriptional level.
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PMID:p21WAF1 expression by an activator of protein kinase C is regulated mainly at the post-transcriptional level in cells lacking p53: important role of RNA stabilization. 989 8

Although it is well established that endothelin-1 (ET-1) has not only vasoconstrictive effects but also mitogenic effects, which seem to be implicated in vascular remodeling, little is known about the molecular mechanisms by which ET-1 induces cell-cycle progression. In this study, we examined the effects of ET-1 on the cell-cycle regulatory machinery, including cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk), and cdk inhibitors in NIH3T3 cells. ET-1 increased cyclin D1 protein (5.1+/-1.9-fold increase, 8 hours after stimulation, P<0.05), cdk4 kinase activity (2.8+/-0. 5-fold increase, 12 hours after stimulation, P<0.01), and cdk2 kinase activity (2.1+/-0.4-fold increase, 16 hours after stimulation, P<0.05) in a time- and dose-dependent manner. ET-1-induced increase in cyclin D1 protein, and cdk4 kinase activity was not significantly inhibited by an inhibitor of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1/2, PD98059, nor by the protein kinase C inhibitor calphostin C, whereas ET-1-induced upregulation of cyclin D1 protein and cdk4 kinase activity was significantly inhibited by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002. In contrast, ET-1-induced activation of cdk2 kinase was significantly inhibited by PD98059, calphostin C, and LY294002. ET-1 increased 3H-thymidine uptake in a time-dependent fashion (0 hours, 4216+/-264 cpm per well; 8 hours, 5025+/-197 cpm per well; 16 hours, 9239+/-79 cpm per well, P<0.001 versus 0 hours). ET-1-induced increase in 3H-thymidine uptake was significantly inhibited by PD98059, calphostin C, and LY294002. These results suggest that ET-1-induced cell-cycle progression is, at least in part, mediated by the extracellular signal-regulated kinase, protein kinase C, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and that those pathways may be involved in the progression of the cell cycle at distinct points.
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PMID:Molecular mechanisms of endothelin-1-induced cell-cycle progression: involvement of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, protein kinase C, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase at distinct points. 1008 82

Ras mutations are common in lung adenocarcinomas and squamous-cell cancers, which are non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). However, small-cell lung cancers (SCLCs) rarely have ras mutations, suggesting that ras activation may not confer a growth advantage in these cells. In one SCLC cell line DMS53, activated ras expression induced increased neuroendocrine differentiation and decreased cell proliferation. We show here that DMS53 cells undergo differentiation and G1-specific growth arrest in response to ras/raf/ mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway activation. To assess the consequences of activating the raf/MEK/MAPK pathway downstream of ras, we transfected a DMS53 cell line with DeltaRaf-1:ER, an activatable form of c-raf-1. DeltaRaf-1:ER activation suppressed cell proliferation and cloning on soft agar by 90% without evidence of apoptosis. Cell cycle analysis showed a reduced proportion of cells in S phase, and was associated with induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) inhibitor p16(INK4). Expression of the cell cycle-specific proteins pRb, Rb2/p130, p107, cyclin A, cdc-2, and E2F-1 was decreased after DeltaRaf-1:ER activation in DMS53 cells. The activity cdk4 and cdk2 was also reduced, as consistent with cell cycle arrest in cells with activated DeltaRaf-1:ER cells. In addition, DeltaRaf-1:ER reduced the expression of neuroendocrine markers, gastrin releasing peptide, and ret gene in DMS53:DeltaRaf-1:ER cells. These results provide further evidence that activation of the raf/MEK/ MAPK signaling pathway, which is associated with transformation in many circumstances, can reduce the growth of SCLC cells, and suggest that activation of this pathway might be clinically efficacious in some settings.
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PMID:Raf-1 causes growth suppression and alteration of neuroendocrine markers in DMS53 human small-cell lung cancer cells. 1010 Sep 84

In the present paper we show that the immunosuppressant rapamycin inhibits the induction of apoptosis by didemnin B in human promyeloid HL-60 cells. The mechanism of this inhibition is investigated using FK506, which competes with rapamycin for binding to their common target FK506-binding protein (FKBP)12. The lack of competition for rapamycin-mediated inhibition of didemnin B-induced apoptosis by FK506 suggests that rapamycin inhibits apoptosis through some mechanism other than inhibition of p70 S6 kinase activation. The lack of inhibition of didemnin B-induced apoptosis by inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase further supports the conclusion that rapamycin does not inhibit didemnin B-induced apoptosis through inhibition of the MAP kinase pathway. Furthermore, didemnin B-induced apoptosis is not inhibited by the inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinase, roscovitine and olomoucine. This indicates that rapamycin does not act through inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinases. Together with the lack of competition for the effect of rapamycin by FK506, our data suggest the possible involvement of the FK506-binding protein, FKBP25, which is localized in the nucleus. This interpretation of our data gains support from the fact that didemnin B does not induce apoptosis in enucleated HL-60 cells, which supports the possible involvement of FKBP25 in the inhibition of apoptosis by rapamycin.
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PMID:Rapamycin inhibits didemnin B-induced apoptosis in human HL-60 cells: evidence for the possible involvement of FK506-binding protein 25. 1036 Dec 56

Events accompanying sequential exposure of U937 leukemic cells to the deoxycytidine (dCyd) analogs 1-[beta-D-arabinofuranosyl]cytosine (ara-C) or 2',2'-difluorodeoxycytidine (gemcitabine; dFdC) followed by two protein kinase C (PKC) activators [bryostatin 1 (BRY) or phorbol 12'-myristate 13'-acetate (PMA)] exhibiting disparate differentiation-inducing abilities were characterized. A 24-hr exposure to 10 nM BRY or PMA after a 6-hr incubation with 1 microM ara-C or 100 nM dFdC resulted in equivalent increases in apoptosis, caspase-3 activation, and polyADP-ribose polymerase degradation, as well as identical DNA cleavage patterns. BRY and PMA did not modify retention of the lethal ara-C metabolite ara-CTP or alter ara-CTP/dCTP ratios. Unexpectedly, pretreatment of cells with ara-C or dFdC opposed BRY- and PMA-related induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKIs) p21CIP1 and/or p27KIP1. These effects were not mimicked by the DNA polymerase inhibitor aphidicolin or by VP-16, a potent inducer of apoptosis. Inhibition of PKC activator-induced CDKI expression by ara-C and dFdC did not lead to redistribution of proliferating cell nuclear antigen but was accompanied by sub-additive or antagonistic effects on leukemic cell differentiation. Sequential exposure of cells to ara-C followed by BRY or PMA led to substantial reductions in clonogenicity that could not be attributed solely to apoptosis. Finally, pretreatment of cells with ara-C attenuated PMA- and BRY-mediated activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase, an enzyme implicated in CDKI induction. Collectively, these findings suggest that pretreatment of leukemic cells with certain dCyd analogs interferes with CDKI induction by the PKC activators PMA and BRY, and that this action may contribute to modulation of apoptosis and differentiation in cells exposed sequentially to these agents.
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PMID:Inhibition of protein kinase C activator-mediated induction of p21CIP1 and p27KIP1 by deoxycytidine analogs in human leukemia cells: relationship to apoptosis and differentiation. 1040 25


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