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)

Apoptosis plays an important role during neuronal development, and defects in apoptosis may underlie various neurodegenerative disorders. To characterize molecular mechanisms that regulate neuronal apoptosis, the contributions to cell death of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase family members, including ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase), JNK (c-JUN NH2-terminal protein kinase), and p38, were examined after withdrawal of nerve growth factor (NGF) from rat PC-12 pheochromocytoma cells. NGF withdrawal led to sustained activation of the JNK and p38 enzymes and inhibition of ERKs. The effects of dominant-interfering or constitutively activated forms of various components of the JNK-p38 and ERK signaling pathways demonstrated that activation of JNK and p38 and concurrent inhibition of ERK are critical for induction of apoptosis in these cells. Therefore, the dynamic balance between growth factor-activated ERK and stress-activated JNK-p38 pathways may be important in determining whether a cell survives or undergoes apoptosis.
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PMID:Opposing effects of ERK and JNK-p38 MAP kinases on apoptosis. 748 20

The P-450 side chain cleavage (CYP11A1) gene encodes the enzyme that catalyzes the initial step in steroid biosynthesis, resulting in the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone. Expression of the CYP11A1 gene is increased by hormones, such as adrenocorticotropin and luteinizing hormone, as well as by a number of growth factors, suggesting that its promoter may contain regulatory elements that respond to multiple signal transduction pathways. Using transient expression assays of the ovine CYP11A1 promoter in JEG-3 placental cells, distinct regulatory elements were found to mediate transcriptional stimulation by cAMP and epidermal growth factor (EGF). The cAMP response was mediated through a GC-rich sequence localized between -117 and -92. In contrast, EGF induced CYP11A1 transcription through an adjacent but distinct sequence (-92 to -77 base pairs) that was shown previously to bind nuclear proteins in DNase I footprinting reactions. This EGF-responsive element (EGF-RE) resembles an activator protein-1 (AP-1) site and was also required for transactivation by co-transfected c-Jun. A point mutation within the EGF-RE impaired stimulation by both EGF and c-Jun, suggesting that these pathways converge on a common regulatory element. Transfer of single or multiple copies of the EGF-RE upstream of an heterologous promotor conferrd EGF and c-Jun responses, providing further evidence that this element is sufficient for both responses. Transfection studies employing mutant c-Jun proteins confirmed a requirement for its DNA binding, leucine zipper and amino-terminal domains, each of which are required for activation of a classical AP-1 reporter. Gel shift studies demonstrated that protein binding to the CYP11A1 EGF-RE was competed specifically by a canonical AP-1 site, and the addition of an anti-JUN antibody confirmed the presence of AP-1 proteins. Consistent with the possibility that EGF may act in part via c-Jun, EGF stimulated the activity of a chimeric GAL4 c-Jun protein, indicating that JUN can serve as a potential target of EGF in JEG-3 cells. EGF also induced mitogen-activated protein kinase activity, and a dominant negative mutant of mitogen-activated protein kinase partially blocked EGF stimulation of GAL4 c-Jun activity. We conclude that EGF stimulates the CYP11A1 promoter through an AP-1 like element and that c-Jun is one of the targets of EGF action.
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PMID:Epidermal growth factor and c-Jun act via a common DNA regulatory element to stimulate transcription of the ovine P-450 cholesterol side chain cleavage (CYP11A1) promoter. 762 50

R7 photoreceptor fate in the Drosophila eye induced by the activation of the Sevenless receptor tyrosine kinase and the RAS/MAP kinase signal transduction pathway. We show that expression of a constitutively activated JUN isoform in ommatidial precursor cells is sufficient to induce R7 fate independent of upstream signals normally required for photoreceptor determination. We present evidence that JUN interacts with the ETS domain protein Pointed to promote R7 formation. This interaction is cooperative when both proteins are targeted to the same promoter and is antagonized by another ETS domain protein, YAN, a negative regulator of R7 development. Furthermore, phyllopod, a putative transcriptional target of RAS pathway activation during R7 induction, behaves as a suppressor of activated JUN. Taken together, these data suggest that JUN and Pointed act on common target genes to promote neuronal differentiation in the Drosophila eye, and that phyllopod might be such a common target.
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PMID:JUN cooperates with the ETS domain protein pointed to induce photoreceptor R7 fate in the Drosophila eye. 852 92

The Ras guanylnucleotide exchange protein SOS undergoes feedback phosphorylation and dissociation from Grb2 following insulin receptor kinase activation of Ras. To determine the serine/threonine kinase(s) responsible for SOS phosphorylation in vivo, we assessed the role of mitogen-activated, extracellular-signal-regulated protein kinase kinase (MEK), extracellular-signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), and the c-JUN protein kinase (JNK) in this phosphorylation event. Expression of a dominant-interfering MEK mutant, in which lysine 97 was replaced with arginine (MEK/K97R), resulted in an inhibition of insulin-stimulated SOS and ERK phosphorylation, whereas expression of a constitutively active MEK mutant, in which serines 218 and 222 were replaced with glutamic acid (MEK/EE), induced basal phosphorylation of both SOS and ERK. Although expression of the mitogen-activated protein kinase-specific phosphatase (MKP-1) completely inhibited the insulin stimulation of ERK activity both in vitro and in vivo, SOS phosphorylation and the dissociation of the Grb2-SOS complex were unaffected. In addition, insulin did not activate the related protein kinase JNK, demonstrating the specificity of insulin for the ERK pathway. The insulin-stimulated and MKP-1-insensitive SOS-phosphorylating activity was reconstituted in whole-cell extracts and did not bind to a MonoQ anion-exchange column. In contrast, ERK1/2 protein was retained by the MonoQ column, eluted with approximately 200 mM NaCl, and was MKP-1 sensitive. Although MEK also does not bind to MonoQ, immunodepletion analysis demonstrated that MEK is not the insulin-stimulated SOS-phosphorylating activity. Together, these data demonstrate that at least one of the kinases responsible for SOS phosphorylation and functional dissociation of the Grb2-SOS complex is an ERK-independent but MEK-dependent insulin-stimulated protein kinase.
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PMID:Insulin stimulation of a MEK-dependent but ERK-independent SOS protein kinase. 855 85

E-selectin expression by endothelium is crucial for leukocyte recruitment during inflammatory responses. Transcriptional regulation of the E-selectin promoter by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) requires multiple nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) binding sites and a cAMP-responsive element/activating transcription factor-like binding site designated positive domain II (PDII). Here we characterize the role of the stress-activated family of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases in induced expression of this adhesion molecule. By UV cross-linking and immunoprecipitation, we demonstrated that a heterodimer of transcription factors ATF-2 and c-JUN is constitutively bound to the PDII site. TNFalpha stimulation of endothelial cells induces transient phosphorylation of both ATF-2 and c-JUN and induces marked activation of the c-JUN N-terminal kinase (JNK1) and p38 but not extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1). JNK and p38 are constitutively present in the nucleus, and DNA-bound c-JUN and ATF-2 are stably contacted by JNK and p38, respectively. MAP/ERK kinase kinase 1 (MEKK1), an upstream activator of MAP kinases, increases E-selectin promoter transcription and requires an intact PDII site for maximal induction. MEKK1 can also activate NF-kappaB -dependent gene expression. The effects of dominant interfering forms of the JNK/p38 signaling pathway demonstrate that activation of these kinases is critical for cytokine-induced E-selectin gene expression. Thus, TNFalpha activates two signaling pathways, NF-kappaB and JNK/p38, which are both required for maximal expression of E-selectin.
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PMID:Tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced E-selectin expression is activated by the nuclear factor-kappaB and c-JUN N-terminal kinase/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. 900 14

We have studied the contribution of the individual kinases of the MAP (mitogen-activated protein) kinase family, including ERK (extracellular-signal regulated kinase), JNK/SAPK (c-JUN NH2-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase) and p38, to activation of the HSP27 (heat shock protein 27) kinase MAPKAP kinase-2/3 and to HSP27 phosphorylation in Chinese hamster CCL39 cells stimulated by either growth factors, cytokines or stressing agents. In vitro assays using fractionated cell extracts or immunoprecipitates indicated that only fractions containing ERK or p38, and not those containing JNK/SAPK, had the capacity to activate MAPKAP kinase-2/3. In vivo, however, it appeared that only p38 is an upstream activator of HSP27 phosphorylation after both stress or growth factor stimulation: expression of an interfering mutant of ras, which blocked the activation of ERK by both types of inducers, had no effect on HSP27 phosphorylation and p38 activation; and the cell-permeant specific inhibitor of 038, SB203580, blocked MAPKAP-kinase2/3 activation and HSP27 phosphorylation. HSP27 has been suggested to have a phosphorylation-activated homeostatic function at the actin cytoskeleton level. This raises the possibility that p38 might be directly involved in mediating actin responses to external stimuli. Accordingly, we observed that a prior activation of p38 increased the stability of the actin microfilaments in cells exposed to cytochalasin D. The effect was dependent on the expression of HSP27 and was totally annihilated by blocking the p38 activity with SB203580. The results provide strong support to the idea that activation of p38 during adverse environmental conditions serves a homeostatic function aimed at regulating actin dynamics that would otherwise be destabilized during stress. Its activation during normal agonist stimulation may constitute an additional actin signaling pathway, the importance of which depends on the level of expression of HSP27.
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PMID:Regulation of actin filament dynamics by p38 map kinase-mediated phosphorylation of heat shock protein 27. 905 88

We have studied the role of Jun/stress-activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK) pathway in DNA repair and cisplatin resistance in T98G glioblastoma cells. JUN/SAPK is activated by DNA damage and phosphorylates serines 63 and 73 in the N-terminal domain of c-Jun, which is known to increase its transactivation properties. We show that treatment of T98G glioblastoma cells with cisplatin but not the transplatin isomer activates JNK/SAPK about 10-fold. T98G cells, which are highly resistent to cisplatin (IC50 = 140 +/- 13 microM), modified to express a nonphosphorylatable dominant negative c-Jun (termed dnJun) exhibit decreased viability following treatment with cisplatin, but not transplatin, in proportion (rPearson = 0.98) to the level of dnJun expressed leading to a 7-fold decreased IC50. Similar effects are observed in U87 cells, PC-3 cells, and MCF-7 cells, as well as in T98G cells modified to express TAM-67, a known inhibitor of c-Jun function. In contrast, no sensitization effect was observed in cells modified to express wild-type c-Jun. Furthermore, through quantitative polymerase chain reaction-stop assays, we show that dnJun expressing cells were inhibited in repair of cisplatin adducts (p = 0.55), whereas repair is readily detectable (p = 0.003) in parental cells. These observations indicate that the JNK/SAPK pathway is activated by cisplatin-induced DNA damage and that this response is required for DNA repair and viability following cisplatin treatment. Regulation of DNA repair following genotoxic stress may be a normal physiological role of the JNK/SAPK pathway.
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PMID:The Jun kinase/stress-activated protein kinase pathway functions to regulate DNA repair and inhibition of the pathway sensitizes tumor cells to cisplatin. 916 25

p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is known to be activated after exposure to endotoxin, osmotic and environmental stress, and, most recently, during ischemia/reperfusion. We investigated whether ischemic preconditioning also causes phosphorylation of the activation sites on p38 MAPK. Three groups of isolated rabbit hearts were studied. Control hearts experienced 30 min of ischemia only. The second group was preconditioned with 5 min of global ischemia and 10 min of reperfusion. Group 3 was also ischemically preconditioned, but in the presence of 100 microM 8-(p-sulfophenyl)theophylline (SPT). Transmural left ventricular biopsies were taken before and during the long ischemic period. Western blot analysis with either p38 MAPK or phospho-specific p38 MAPK (Tyr-182) antibodies showed a decreased phosphorylation during ischemia in non-preconditioned hearts, but phosphorylation was enhanced several fold after 10 and 20 min of ischemia in preconditioned hearts. Furthermore, when protection from ischemic preconditioning was blocked by SPT, increased phosphorylation of p38 MAPK during ischemia was not present. Therefore the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK at tyrosine 182, which is required for the kinase's activation, occurred during ischemia only when protection from preconditioning was evident. In a second study, changes in osmotic fragility were measured during simulated ischemia in rabbit cardiomyocytes. Reduced fragility in ischemically preconditioned myocytes could be completely abolished by the specific p38 MAPK inhibitor SB-203580. In contrast, anisomycin, an activator of p38 MAPK and JUN kinase pathways, was found to be as protective as ischemic preconditioning. We conclude that p38 MAPK phosphorylation correlates with preconditioning's protection, and that its activation may be an important step in the signal transduction cascade of ischemic preconditioning.
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PMID:Phosphorylation of tyrosine 182 of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase correlates with the protection of preconditioning in the rabbit heart. 929 62

The dorsal surface of the Drosophila embryo is formed by the migration of the lateral epithelial cells to cover the amnioserosa. The Drosophila cJun-N-terminal kinase (DJNK) is essential for this process. Mutations in DJNK or the DJNK activator hemipterous (HEP) lead to incomplete dorsal closure, resulting in a hole in the dorsal cuticle. The molecules downstream of DJNK in this signaling pathway have not been established. Here we demonstrate that the basket1 (bsk1) mutation of DJNK causes decreased interaction with DJUN. Expression of decapentaplegic (DPP), a TGF-beta homologue, in the leading edge of the dorsal epithelium, is identified as a genetic target of the JNK pathway. A constitutive allele of JUN is able to rescue the dorsal closure defect of bsk1 and restores DPP expression. Furthermore, ectopic DPP rescues the defects in dorsal closure caused by bsk1. These data indicate that the interaction of DJNK with DJUN contributes to the dorsal closure signaling pathway and targets DPP expression.
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PMID:Embryonic morphogenesis signaling pathway mediated by JNK targets the transcription factor JUN and the TGF-beta homologue decapentaplegic. 932 34

RAS interacts with multiple targets in the cell and controls at least two signaling pathways, one regulating extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation and the other controlling membrane ruffling formation. These two pathways appear to act synergistically to cause transformation. SCH 51344 is a pyrazolo-quinoline derivative identified based on its ability to derepress transformation sensitive alpha-actin promoter in RAS-transformed cells. Previous studies have shown that SCH 51344 is a potent inhibitor of RAS-transformation. However, SCH 51344 had very little effect on the activities of proteins in the ERK pathway, suggesting that it inhibits RAS-transformation by a novel mechanism. In this study, we show that SCH 51344 specifically blocks membrane ruffling induced by activated forms of H-RAS, K-RAS, N-RAS and RAC. Treatment of fibroblast cells with this compound had very little effect on RAS-mediated activation of ERK and JUN kinase activities. SCH 51344 was effective in inhibiting the anchorage-independent growth of Rat-2 fibroblast cells transformed by the three forms of oncogenic RAS and RAC V12. These results indicate that SCH 51344 inhibits a critical component of the membrane ruffling pathway downstream from RAC and suggest that targeting this pathway may be an effective approach to inhibit transformation by RAS and other oncogenes.
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PMID:SCH 51344-induced reversal of RAS-transformation is accompanied by the specific inhibition of the RAS and RAC-dependent cell morphology pathway. 939 43


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