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

We have shown previously that caspase-6 activity is lethal to human neurons (LeBlanc et al., 1999; Zhang et al., 2000). Here we find that 17-beta-estradiol but not 17-alpha-estradiol prevents caspase-6-mediated neuronal cell death. 17-beta-estradiol-treated neuronal extracts directly inhibit recombinant active caspase-6, caspase-3, caspase-7, and caspase-8 in vitro. We conclude that 17-beta-estradiol induces a caspase inhibitory factor (CIF) that is preventing neuronal apoptosis. The induction of CIF occurs within 10 min of 17-beta-estradiol exposure to neurons, does not require de novo protein synthesis, and involves mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. The effect is antagonized by the estrogen receptor antagonist tamoxifen. In contrast, 17-beta-estradiol does not induce CIF or prevent caspase-mediated cell death in cultured astrocytes. CIF does not act through oxidation of the caspase active site. CIF activity copurifies with proteins of between 12 and 14 kDa in size. Our results indicate that 17-beta-estradiol induces an inhibitor of active caspases through a receptor-mediated nongenomic pathway and provide an additional mechanism for the neuroprotective action of 17-beta-estradiol that is likely highly relevant to the understanding of the role of estrogen against Alzheimer's disease.
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PMID:17-beta-estradiol induces an inhibitor of active caspases. 1158 6

The effects of vinorelbine and paclitaxel on the activity of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase2 (ERK2), a member of MAP kinase, and its role in the induction of bcl-2 phosphorylation and apoptosis were evaluated in MCF-7 cells. We demonstrated that ERK2 was activated rapidly by vinorelbine, and was inhibited by either paclitaxel or estramustine. A 3-fold increase of ERK2 kinase activity was observed within 30 min when MCF-7 cells were treated with 0.1 microM vinorelbine. In contrast, the same treatment with paclitaxel resulted in a significant decrease of ERK2 kinase activity. We also demonstrated that elevated bcl-2 phosphorylation induced by vinorelbine is paralleled by decrease of a complex formation between bcl-2 and bax, cleavage of poly (ADP) ribose polymerase (PARP) protein, activation of caspase-7, and apoptosis. The levels of bcl-2 phosphorylation, bax, and PARP were not significantly affected by 2'-amino-3'-methoxyflavone (PD 98059), an ERK kinase specific inhibitor. Thus, our data suggest that the apoptosis induced by vinorelbine in MCF-7 cells is mediated through the bcl-2 phosphorylation/bax/caspases pathways, and that activation of ERK2 by vinorelbine does not directly lead to the drug-mediated apoptosis. Since decrease of PARP occurred quickly following the treatment of MCF-7 cells with either 0.1 microM of vinorelbine or paclitaxel, this protein may serve as an early indicator of apoptosis induced not only by DNA damaging agents, but also by antimicrotubule drugs.
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PMID:Differential effect of vinorelbine versus paclitaxel on ERK2 kinase activity during apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. 1172 Apr 82

A vast variety of naturally occurring substances have been shown to protect against experimental carcinogenesis and an increasing amount of evidence suggests that kaempferol may have cancer chemopreventative properties. However, the precise underlying protective mechanisms are poorly understood. To elucidate these mechanisms, we challenged human lung cancer cell line A549 with kaempferol and investigated its effects upon cellular growth and signal transduction pathways. Treatment of A549 cells with kaempferol resulted in a dose- and time-dependent reduction in cell viability and DNA synthesis with the rate of apoptosis equivalent to 0.9+/-0.5, 5.2+/-1.5, 16.8+/-2.0, 25.4+/-2.6, and 37.8+/-4.5% on treatment with 0, 17.5, 35.0, 52.5, and 70.0 microM kaempferol, respectively. Concomitantly, kaempferol treatments led to a 1.2-, 2.7-, 3.3-, and 3.4-fold increase in Bax. Similar elevations were also observed in Bad which increased 1.2-, 3.3-, 3.7-, and 4.7-fold, respectively, as compared to control. Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression were inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion. While the Akt-1 and phosphorylated Akt-1 were inhibited, the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) was activated upon kaempferol treatment. Kaempferol induced apoptosis was associated with the cleavage of caspase-7 and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). Inhibition of MEK1/2 but not PI-3 kinase blocked kaempferol-induced cleavage of caspase-7, PARP cleavage, and apoptosis. The results suggest that inactivation of Akt-1 and alteration of Bcl-2 family of proteins are not sufficient for kaempferol to induce apoptosis and activation of MEK-MAPK is a requirement for kaempferol-induced cell death machinery in A549 cells.
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PMID:Kaempferol-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in A549 lung cancer cells is mediated by activation of MEK-MAPK. 1294 47

In this study, we examined the effects of isoform-specific functional inhibitors of lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (LPAAT), which converts lysophosphatidic acid to phosphatidic acid, on multiple myeloma (MM) cell growth and survival. The LPAAT-beta inhibitors CT-32176, CT-32458, and CT-32615 induced >95% growth inhibition (P < 0.01) in MM.1S, U266, and RPMI8226 MM cell lines, as well as MM cells from patients (IC(50), 50-200 nM). We further characterized this LPAAT-beta inhibitory effect using CT-32615, the most potent inhibitor of MM cell growth. CT-32615 triggered apoptosis in MM cells via caspase-8, caspase-3, caspase-7, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Neither interleukin 6 nor insulin-like growth factor I inhibited CT-32615-induced apoptosis. Dexamethasone and immunomodulatory derivatives of thalidomide (IMiDs), but not proteasome inhibitor PS-341, augmented MM cell apoptosis triggered by LPAAT-beta inhibitors. CT-32615-induced apoptosis was associated with phosphorylation of p53 and c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK); conversely, JNK inhibitor SP600125 and dominant-negative JNK inhibited CT-32615-induced apoptosis. Importantly, CT-32615 inhibited tumor necrosis factor-alpha-triggered nuclear factor-kappaB activation but did not affect either tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation or interleukin 6-triggered signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 phosphorylation. Finally, although binding of MM cells to bone marrow stromal cells augments MM cell growth and protects against dexamethasone-induced apoptosis, CT-32615 induced apoptosis even of adherent MM cells. Our data therefore demonstrate for the first time that inhibiting LPAAT-beta induces cytotoxicity in MM cells in the bone marrow milieu, providing the framework for clinical trials of these novel agents in MM.
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PMID:Antitumor activity of lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase-beta inhibitors, a novel class of agents, in multiple myeloma. 1467 6

Dietary phytochemicals have been shown to be protective against various types of cancers. However, the precise underlying protective mechanisms are poorly understood. In the present study, we report that treatment of A549 cells with quercetin resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in cell viability and DNA synthesis with the rate of apoptosis equivalent to 1.2 +/- 0.8, 6.3 +/- 0.9, 16.5 +/- 1.5, 36.4 +/- 2.6 and 42.5 +/- 5.8% on treatment with 0.1% dimethylsulfoxide, 14.5, 29.0, 43.5 and 58.0 micro M quercetin, respectively. Concomitantly, quercetin treatments led to a 1.1-, 1.1-, 2.5- and 3.5-fold increase in Bax. Similar elevations were also observed in Bad, which increased 1.1-, 2.1-, 2.2- and 2.3-fold, respectively, as compared with control. While Bcl-2 was decreased by 30%, Bcl-x(L) was elevated in a dose-dependent fashion. Quercetin also induced the cleavage of caspase-3, caspase-7 and PARP (poly ADP-ribose polymerase). While Akt-1 and phosphorylated Akt-1 were inhibited, the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) was phosphorylated following quercetin treatment in a dose-dependent fashion. Phosphorylation of ERK and c-Jun occurred at 3 h and was sustained over 14 h. Phosphorylation of MEK1/2 was increased in concordance with ERK activation. Quercetin-induced phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and cleavage of caspase-3 occurred 6 h after quercetin exposure and before cleavage of caspase-7 and PARP was detected. Inhibition of MEK1/2 but not PI-3 kinase, p38 kinase or JNK abolished quercetin-induced phosphorylation of c-Jun, cleavage of caspase-3 and -7, cleavage of PARP and apoptosis. Inhibition of caspase activation completely blocked quercetin-induced apoptosis. Expression of constitutively activated MEK1 in A549 cells led to activation of caspase-3 and apoptosis. The results suggest that in addition to inactivation of Akt-1 and alteration in the expression of the Bcl-2 family of proteins, activation of MEK-ERK is required for quercetin-induced apoptosis in A549 lung carcinoma cells.
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PMID:The role of activated MEK-ERK pathway in quercetin-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in A549 lung cancer cells. 1468 22

The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway plays a critical role in the degradation of cellular proteins related to signal transduction. Cytokine and growth factor-dependent aberrant proliferation has been implicated in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We hypothesized that inhibiting the proteasome function might activate a proapoptotic signal transduction by modulating the cytokine and growth factor related signal transduction pathway. We therefore investigated the effectiveness of a proteasome inhibitor in the treatment of RCC regarding the involvement of Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAP kinases), because MAP kinases are major signal transduction molecules that are known to play a pivotal role in cancer cell proliferation or apoptosis triggered by extra-cellular cytokines and growth factors. A proteasome inhibitor, MG132 inhibited the proliferation of RCC cell lines, 786-O and KU20-01 in a time and dose-dependent manner. 786-O cells have truncated von-Hippel Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene protein due to a one base pair deletion at exon 1, whereas KU20-01 cells have a wild-type VHL protein. MG132 induced apoptosis in both cell lines. The inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathways was confirmed by the accumulation of ubiquitin-tagged proteins. MG132 induced the phosphorylation of ERK at 4 h and thereafter persisted for 8 to 16 h. In contrast, JNK and p38 activation persisted for longer periods and remained enhanced until 24 h. The concomitant activation of effector caspases, caspase-3 and caspase-7 was observed in 786-O cells. The inhibition of the proteasome function can induce apoptosis in RCC irrespective of the VHL protein status. The persistence of JNK and p38 activation may therefore be a unique mechanism underlying MG132 induced apoptosis.
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PMID:Inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway activates stress kinases and induces apoptosis in renal cancer cells. 1528 72

Current treatment options for ovarian cancer, which is one of the most widespread gynecological malignancies, are limited, mainly because patients with advanced-stage disease often develop resistance to chemotherapeutics. In breast cancer cells, several studies suggest that overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) leads to increased resistance against certain, but not all cytotoxic drugs. In ovarian carcinoma, conflicting data on the correlation of HER-2 expression and tumor cell sensitivity exist. In this paper, we explore the role of HER-2 expression and signaling levels pertaining to paclitaxel (Taxol) chemoresistance by applying three different and independent strategies in SKOV-3 ovarian carcinoma cells. Firstly, we show that treatment with the HER-2 inhibitory antibody trastuzumab (Herceptin), which is well established in tumor therapy, results in markedly increased, rather than decreased, cellular paclitaxel resistance. Next, we present two newly developed low molecular weight inhibitors of HER-2 tyrosine kinase activity, D-69491 and D-70166. With both drugs, the decrease in cellular paclitaxel sensitivity upon HER-2 inhibition is confirmed. Finally, for more detailed analysis we stably downregulate HER-2 expression by ribozyme-targeting. Using clonal ribozyme-transfected SKOV-3 cells with different residual HER-2 levels, we establish a 'HER-2 gene dose effect' of paclitaxel cytotoxicity. We show that this effect is due to differential induction of apoptosis and differential cell cycle inhibition by paclitaxel. Finally, paclitaxel- or HER-2-mediated alterations in the phosphorylation of MAP kinases p42/44, Stress-activated protein kinase/Jun-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK), and p38, and effects on the activation of caspase-3, caspase-7, and bcl-2 are discussed. We conclude that paclitaxel cytotoxicity in SKOV-3 cells is 'HER-2 dose-dependent' and identify cell proliferation as one underlying cellular event of this effect.
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PMID:Inhibition of HER-2 by three independent targeting strategies increases paclitaxel resistance of SKOV-3 ovarian carcinoma cells. 1570 Jan 18

Tumor cells with different origins have different threshold to apoptosis. Hematopoietic (Jurkat, NCI-H929) cells and non-hematopoietic (A549, MCF-7) cells were received hyperbaric oxygen (HBO(2)) treatment from 2.5 to 3.5 atmosphere absolute (ATA) of 100% oxygen for 6h, and a significant percentage of apoptosis were shown only in hematopoietic Jurkat and NCI-H929 cells by either Annexin V or TUNEL assay. Oxidative stress was illustrated higher in HBO(2)-treated hematopoietic cells by superoxide fluorochrome detectors. HBO(2) treatment leads to caspase-3, caspase-7 activation and further cleavage of PARP within cells. Furthermore, the increased phosphorylation of p38 MAPK was demonstrated in both Jurkat and NCI-H929 cells.
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PMID:Apoptosis of T-leukemia and B-myeloma cancer cells induced by hyperbaric oxygen increased phosphorylation of p38 MAPK. 1706 67

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL/Apo2L) is a member of the TNF-alpha ligand family that selectively induces apoptosis in a variety of tumor cells. To clarify the molecular mechanism of TRAIL-induced apoptosis, we focused on transforming growth factor-beta-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase kinase, a key regulator of the TNF-alpha-induced activation of p65/RelA and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase/p38 MAPKs. In human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells, TRAIL induced the delayed phosphorylation of endogenous TAK1 and its activator protein TAB1 and TAB2, which contrasted to the rapid response to TNF-alpha. Specific knockdown of TAK1 using small interfering RNA (siRNA) abrogated the TRAIL-induced activation of p65 and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase/p38 MAPKs. TRAIL-induced apoptotic signals, including caspase-8, caspase-3, caspase-7, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, were enhanced by TAK1 siRNA. Flow cytometry showed that the binding of Annexin V to cell surface was also synergistically increased by TRAIL in combination with TAK1 siRNA. In addition, pretreatment of cells with 5Z-7-oxozeaenol, a selective TAK1 kinase inhibitor, enhanced the TRAIL-induced cleavage of caspases and binding of Annexin V. The TAK1-mediated antiapoptotic effects were also observed in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. In contrast, TAK1-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts are resistant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis, and treatment of control mouse embryonic fibroblasts with 5Z-7-oxozeaenol did not drastically promote the TRAIL-induced activation of a caspase cascade. These results suggest that TAK1 plays a critical role for TRAIL-induced apoptosis, and the blockade of TAK1 kinase will improve the chances of overcoming cancer.
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PMID:Blockade of transforming growth factor-beta-activated kinase 1 activity enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis through activation of a caspase cascade. 1717 2

Acrolein, which is a highly reactive alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde generated by lipid peroxidation, can affect cells and tissues and cause various disorders. Increased levels of unsaturated aldehydes play an important role in the pathogenesis of a number of human diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis and diabetes. Acrolein is a highly ubiquitous toxic environmental pollutant. Because of human exposure, there is a need for investigating the mechanisms involved in acrolein toxicity at the cellular and molecular levels. Acrolein can induce cell death by apoptosis, although the mechanisms are not entirely clear. The present study investigates whether mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) play a role in activation of apoptosis by acrolein. Our findings show that acrolein-mediated apoptosis is in fact MAPK-dependent in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The MAP family kinases, including ERK and p38 kinase, and the transcription factor c-Jun were all activated by phosphorylation after 1 h exposure to acrolein. Phosphorylation of ERK and p38 kinases and their blockade by an ERK inhibitor, U0126, or a p38 inhibitor, SB203580, respectively, suggested that activation of apoptosis by acrolein is ERK- and p38-dependent. Thus, blockade of ERK and p38 inhibited chromatin condensation, caspase-7 and -9 activation as well as ICAD cleavage induced by acrolein. JNK and AKT kinases seem to be implicated in survival pathways against acrolein insult, since their respective inhibitors, SP600125 and LY294002/Wortmannin switched the mode of cell death from apoptosis to total necrosis. Finally, acrolein induced phosphorylation of the pro-apoptotic factor p53 which is responsible for transcription of pro-apoptotic factors such as Bax and Fas ligand. These results provide new information demonstrating the implication of MAPKs and AKT in acrolein-induced apoptosis, and this information may be useful for understanding the pathogenesis of a number of tissue diseases and environmental toxicity in response to acrolein.
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PMID:P38 and ERK mitogen-activated protein kinases mediate acrolein-induced apoptosis in Chinese hamster ovary cells. 1719 91


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