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)

Nitric oxide (NO) seems to play a pivotal role in the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced endothelial cell proliferation. This study was designed to investigate the role and intracellular signal pathway of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation induced by VEGF. ECV 304 cells were treated with VEGF(165) and then cell proliferation, eNOS protein and mRNA expression levels were analyzed to elucidate the functional role of eNOS in cell proliferation induced by VEGF. After exposure of cells to VEGF(165), eNOS activity and cell growth were increased by approximately two-fold in the VEGF(165) -treated cells compared to the untreated cells. In addition, VEGF stimulated eNOS expression at both the mRNA and protein levels in a dose-dependent manner. Phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI-3K) inhibitors were used to assess PI-3K involvement in eNOS regulation. LY294002 was found to attenuate VEGF-stimulated eNOS expression. Wortmannin was not as effective as LY294002, but the reduction effect was detectable. Cells activated by VEGF showed increased ERK1/2 levels. Moreover, the VEGF-induced eNOS expression was reduced by the PD98059, MAPK pathway inhibitor. This suggests that eNOS expression might be regulated by PI-3K and the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. In conclusion, VEGF(165) induces ECV 304 cell proliferation via the NO produced by eNOS. In addition, eNOS may be regulated by the PI-3K or mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.
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PMID:Expression and regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase by vascular endothelial growth factor in ECV 304 cells. 1196 Dec 97

Monocyte Chemoattractant Proteins (MCPs) form a distinct, structurally-related subclass of CC chemokines. They are major chemoattractants for monocytes and T lymphocytes. The MCPs bind to specific G-protein-coupled receptors, initiating a signal cascade within the cell. Though the signal transduction pathways involved in MCP-1-mediated chemotaxis have been studied, the signalling pathways through which MCP-2, -3 and -4 trigger cell migration are not established. In this study, we examined the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation elicited by the MCPs (1-4) and its specific role in chemotaxis. Within 2 min, the MCPs (1-4) elicited a rapid and transient activation of MAPK in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in HEK-293 cells expressing CCR2b. U0126, an inhibitor of MAPK-kinase (MEK) activation, not only prevented extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) activation but also significantly inhibited the MCP-mediated chemotaxis. PI3K inhibitors Wortmannin and LY294002 also partially inhibited the MCP-induced chemotaxis. However, these compounds did not significantly inhibit ERK1/2 activation. As PI3K inhibitors partially inhibit the MCP-mediated chemotaxis but do not significantly effect ERK1/2 activation, these data suggest that co-ordinated action of distinct signal pathways is required to produce chemokine-mediated chemotaxis.
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PMID:Leucocyte chemotaxis: Examination of mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphoinositide 3-kinase activation by Monocyte Chemoattractant Proteins-1, -2, -3 and -4. 1196 59

To investigate the molecular mechanism(s) of insulin action on the expression of the angiotensinogen (ANG) gene in kidney proximal tubular cells, we constructed a fusion gene, pOGH (hANG N-1064/+27), containing the 5'-flanking regulatory sequence of the human ANG gene fused with the human growth hormone (hGH) gene as a reporter and stably integrated the fusion gene into the opossum kidney (OK) cell genomes. The level of expression of pOGH (hANG N-1064/+27) was quantified by the amount of immunoreactive hGH secreted into the medium. The addition of a high level of D(+)-glucose (25 mM) or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA, 10(-7) M) stimulated the expression of the fusion gene in OK cells. The stimulatory effect of glucose (25 mM) was blocked by insulin and tolrestat (an inhibitor of aldose reductase). Tolrestat also inhibited the increase of cellular DAG and PKC activity stimulated by 25 mM glucose. While insulin did not affect the cellular DAG and PKC activity, it did block the stimulatory effect of high glucose (25 mM) and PMA on the expression of the fusion gene. Finally, PD98059 (an inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)) enhanced the stimulatory effect of high levels of glucose and blocked the inhibitory effect of insulin on the expression of the fusion gene as well as on the phosphorylation of MEK and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). In contrast, Wortmannin (an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase) did not block the inhibitory effect of insulin on the ANG gene expression. These studies demonstrate that the action of insulin, blocking the stimulatory effect of a high level of D(+)-glucose (25 mM) on the ANG gene expression is mediated, at least in part, via the 5'-flanking region of the ANG gene and MAPK signal transduction pathway.
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PMID:Molecular mechanism(s) of insulin action on the expression of the angiotensinogen gene in kidney proximal tubular cells. 1196 9

Tumor invasion marks a critical point in cancer progression; it is a harbinger of morbidity and mortality. Thus, the cellular events that enable the invasive phenotype are under intense investigation. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with a number of cancers, including Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and is suspected to contribute to their tumorigenesis. On average, 8% of gastric carcinomas have been shown to carry this virus. To explore whether the presence of EBV in gastric carcinoma contributes to tumor progression in this predominantly invasive carcinoma, we examined a panel of 2 in vitro EBV-infected human gastric cancer cell line sublines and their mock-infected AGS parental control line. We found EBV infection caused a marked increase in transmigration of a Matrigel barrier (415% and 303%, p < 0.05, for the 2 infected lines). This correlated with increased motility of these sublines (233% and 140%, p < 0.05). As this pattern of increased motility leading to a more pronounced enhancement of invasion has been noted in other tumor cells, we explored the roles of autocrine signaling pathways previously implicated in carcinoma motility and invasion. Inhibitors to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) (PD153035), phospholipase C (PLC) (U73122), extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) (PD089035) and PI-3 kinase (Wortmannin) were not informative. These data suggest that EBV increases migration of AGS cells by a mechanism independent of these autocrine growth factor-induced pathways. Instead, we found that the EBV-infected cells presented increased focal adhesion kinase (FAK) phosphorylation. These findings suggest a role for integrin-mediated signaling in promoting EBV-associated invasiveness.
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PMID:EBV-expressing AGS gastric carcinoma cell sublines present increased motility and invasiveness. 1211 96

The lens possesses comprehensive mitogen-activated signal transduction pathways (MAPK), which include the mitogen response pathway (Raf-MEK-ERK cascade), the stress-response pathways (p38 and SAPK/JNK cascades) and also the survival pathway (PI-3K-Akt). To understand the cross-cascade intercommunication among signal transduction pathways in the lens, we used specific protein kinase inhibitors and cultured the lenses under unstimulated, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)- or galactose-treated conditions. Inhibitors included genistein (tyrosine kinases inhibitor), U0126 (MEK inhibitor), SB203580 or SB202190 (p38 inhibitor), FTS (Ras inhibitor), wortmannin (PI-3K inhibitor) or phorbol ester (protein kinase C down-regulator following long-term exposure). The results showed that genistein inhibited the activations of the members of the MAPK superfamily and the activation of PI-3K. FTS suppressed the activation of Raf and PI-3K but stimulated the other members of MAPKs. MEK inhibitor restrained the activations of ERK, SAPK/JNK (under bFGF-stimulated condition) and p38 (under galactose-stimulated condition) while p38 inhibitor suppressed ERK but stimulated SAPK/JNK. Both MEK and p38 inhibitors stimulated PI-3K. Wortmannin had a strong inhibitory effect on Raf but little effect on its downstream target proteins. Down-regulating PKC suppressed Raf and PI-3K but stimulated ERK. Taken together, these data suggest that all the stimuli responses are mediated through phosphorylation and that the signaling among the mitogenic and stress response pathways is integrated through 'cross-talk' to process the most appropriate response. The survival signaling pathway appears to communicate well with the mitogenic and stress response pathways. In addition to Ras, both Raf and MEK emerge to be the diverging or regulatory points for signal integration, amplification, suppression or compensatory action in the lens.
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PMID:Studies of the mitogen-activated protein kinases and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase in the lens. 2. The intercommunications. 1213 63

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy preliminary localized in the bone marrow and characterized by its capacity to disseminate. IL-6 and IGF-1 have been shown to mediate proliferative and anti-apoptotic signals in plasmocytes. However, in primary plasma-cell leukemia (PCL) and in end-stage aggressive extramedullar disease, the cytokine requirement for both effects may be not mandatory. This suggests that constitutive activation of signaling pathways occurs. One of the signaling pathways whose deregulation may play an oncogenic role in MM is the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-K) pathway. In human growth factor-independent MM cell lines OPM2 and RPMI8226, we show that the PI 3-K inhibitors LY294002 and Wortmannin strongly inhibited cell proliferation, whereas inhibition of the mammalian Target Of Rapamycin (mTOR)/P70-S6-kinase (P70(S6K)) pathway with rapamycin or of the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathway with PD98059 had minimal effect on proliferation. In both cell lines, constitutive activation of the PI 3-K/Akt/FKHRL-1, mTOR/P70(S6K) and MAPK pathways was detected. LY294002 inhibited phosphorylation of Akt, FKHRL-1 and P70(S6K) but had no effect on ERK1/2 phosphorylation, indicating that the PI 3-K and MAPK pathways are independent. IGF-1 but not IL-6 increased phosphorylation of Akt, FKHRL-1 and P70(S6K). Purified plasmocytes from four patients with MM and two patients with primary PCL were studied. In three of them including the two patients with PCL, constitutive phosphorylation of Akt, FKHRL-1 and P70(S6K) was present, inhibited by LY294002 and enhanced by IGF-1. In these patients with constitutive Akt activation, normal PTEN expression was detected. PI 3-K inhibition induced caspase-dependent apoptosis as confirmed by inhibition with the large spectrum caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK and cleavage of pro-caspase-3. Both cell lines spontaneously expressed Skp2 and cyclin D1 proteins at high levels but no p27(Kip1) protein. In the presence of LY294002, cell-cycle arrest in G0/G1 was observed, p27(Kip1) protein expression was up-regulated whereas the expression of both Skp2 and cyclin D1 dramatically diminished. PI 3-K-dependent GSK-3alpha/beta constitutive phosphorylation was also detected in OPM2 cells that may contribute to high cyclin D1 expression. Overall, our results suggest that PI 3-K has a major role in the control of proliferation and apoptosis of growth factor-independent MM cell lines. Most of the biological effects of PI 3-K activation in these cell lines may be mediated by the opposite modulation of p27(Kip1) and Skp2 protein expression. Moreover, constitutive activation of this pathway is a frequent event in the biology of MM in vivo and may be more frequently observed in PCL.
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PMID:Role of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt and mTOR/P70S6-kinase pathways in the proliferation and apoptosis in multiple myeloma. 1224 56

Thrombin activates mast cells to release inflammatory mediators through a mechanism involving protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1). We hypothesized that PAR-1 activation would induce mast cell adhesion to fibronectin (FN). Fluorescent adhesion assay was performed in 96-well plates coated with FN (20 microg/ml). Murine bone marrow cultured mast cells (BMCMC) were used after 3-5 wk of culture (>98% mast cells by flow cytometry for c-Kit expression). Thrombin induced beta-hexosaminidase, IL-6, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 release from BMCMC. Thrombin and the PAR-1-activating peptide AparafluoroFRCyclohexylACitY-NH(2) (cit) induced BMCMC adhesion to FN in a dose-dependent fashion, while the PAR-1-inactive peptide FSLLRY-NH(2) had no effect. Thrombin and cit induced also BMCMC adhesion to laminin. Thrombin-mediated adhesion to FN was inhibited by anti-alpha(5) integrin Ab (51.1 +/- 6.7%; n = 5). The combination of anti-alpha(5) and anti-alpha(4) Abs induced higher inhibition (65.7 +/- 7.1%; n = 5). Unlike what is known for FcepsilonRI-mediated adhesion, PAR-1-mediated adhesion to FN did not increase mediator release. We then explored the signaling pathways involved in PAR-1-mediated mast cell adhesion. Thrombin and cit induced p44/42 and p38 phosphorylation. Pertussis toxin inhibited PAR-1-mediated BMCMC adhesion by 57.3 +/- 7.3% (n = 4), indicating that G(i) proteins are involved. Wortmannin and calphostin almost completely inhibited PAR-1-mediated mast cell adhesion, indicating that PI-3 kinase and protein kinase C are involved. Adhesion was partially inhibited by the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1/2 inhibitor U0126 (24.5 +/- 3.3%; n = 3) and the p38 inhibitor SB203580 (25.1 +/- 10.4%; n = 3). The two inhibitors had additive effects. Therefore, thrombin mediates mast cell adhesion through the activation of G(i) proteins, phosphoinositol 3-kinase, protein kinase C, and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways.
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PMID:Thrombin induces mast cell adhesion to fibronectin: evidence for involvement of protease-activated receptor-1. 1237 Mar 92

Cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana and their endogenous counterparts, exert many of their actions in brain through the seven-transmembrane receptor CB(1). This receptor is coupled to the activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) cascade. However, the precise molecular mechanism for CB(1)-mediated ERK activation is still unknown. Here, we show that in U373 MG human astrocytoma cells, CB(1) receptor activation with the cannabinoid agonist delta(8)-tetrahydrocannabinol dimethyl heptyl (HU-210) was coupled to ERK activation and protection from ceramide-induced apoptosis. HU-210-induced ERK activation was inhibited by tyrphostin AG1478 and PP2, widely employed inhibitors of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF(R)) and the Src family of cytosolic tyrosine kinases, respectively. However, HU-210 stimulation resulted in neither EGF(R) phosphorylation, Src tyrosine phosphorylation, nor increased Src activity. In addition, dominant-negative forms of both proteins were unable to prevent cannabinoid-induced ERK activation, thus excluding the existence of CB(1)-mediated EGF(R) transactivation or Src activation. Wortmannin and 2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one (LY294,002), inhibitors of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway, blocked cannabinoid-induced ERK activation. Likewise, HU-210 stimulated the PI3K downstream targets protein kinase B (PKB), as shown by its phosphorylation in Thr 308 and Ser 473 residues, and Raf-1. Moreover, betagamma subunit release mimicked ERK and PI3K/PKB activation, suggesting that activation of class IB PI3K mediates cannabinoid action. Pro-survival HU-210 action also required activation of both PI3K and ERK signaling pathways. In conclusion, CB(1)-induced ERK activation was mediated by PI3K(IB) and this effect may have important consequences in the control of cell death/survival decision.
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PMID:Mechanism of extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation by the CB(1) cannabinoid receptor. 1243 6

This study was designed to investigate the roles of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), IGF-type I receptor (IGF-IR) and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) in regulating progesterone secretion by pig corpora lutea during the oestrous cycle, and the signal transduction pathways involved in mediating the steroidogenic actions of IGF-I. Corpora lutea were collected on days 4, 7, 10, 13 and 15 or 16 of the oestrous cycle, enzyme dissociated and the luteal cells were cultured for 24 h in Medium 199 with IGF-I (0-100 ng ml(-1)), long R(3)-IGF-I (0-100 ng ml(-1)), anti-IGF-I (Sm 1.2B; 0-10 microg ml(-1)), anti-IGF-IR (alphaIR3; 0-2 microg ml(-1)), or IGF-I signal transduction pathway inhibitors (phosphatidylinositol (PI)-3-kinase: 100 nmol Wortmannin l(-1) and 10 micromol LY 294002 l(-1); MAP kinase: 50 micromol PD 98059 l(-1)) to investigate their effects on IGF-I (100 ng ml(-1)) stimulated progesterone secretion. Pig luteal cells displayed dose-dependent responses to IGF-I and long R(3)-IGF-I on days 4 and 7 of the oestrous cycle, but not on days 10-16. There was no difference in the ED(50) or V(max) (maximal response) values between IGF-I and long R(3)-IGF-I. Neither anti-IGF-I nor anti-IGF-IR had significant effects on progesterone secretion, at any dose or day. Wortmannin and LY 294002 blocked IGF-I stimulated progesterone secretion, but PD 98059 was without effect. Finally, IGF-I (6 microg) infused into the ovary on day 7 in vivo significantly increased progesterone secretion within 45 min of infusion. The conclusions of this study are: (1) IGF-I has steroidogenic actions only on 'young' (days 4-7) pig corpora lutea; (2) endogenous IGF-I and IGFBP are insufficient to modulate progesterone secretion in vitro; and (3) the steroidogenic actions of IGF-I are mediated via PI-3-kinase.
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PMID:Steroidogenic responses of pig corpora lutea to insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) throughout the oestrous cycle. 1257 38

The physiological role of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family of peptides has recently been extended by emerging evidence of their cytoprotective effects. To determine whether CRF-mediated cytoprotection is linked to caspase-dependent apoptosis, the effect of CRF on the activation of caspases was investigated in detail in Y79 human retinoblastoma cells. The results presented here demonstrate that the cytoprotective effect of CRF against the actions of camptothecin (CT) was mediated by CRF receptor subtype 1, but not subtype 2. The observed CRF-mediated cytoprotection involved rapid and pronounced suppression of proteolytic processing and activation of procaspase-3, exerted even when CRF was added hours after the application of the cytotoxic agent. Surprisingly, activation of procaspase-3 preceded activation of the initiator procaspases 2, 8, 9 and 10 during CT-induced apoptosis of Y79 cells. The mechanism of the effect of CRF was examined using inhibitors of signalling pathways such as Wortmannin (Akt), cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), protein kinase c (PKC), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), phospholipase c (PLC), nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaBeta) and c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). The involvement of PKA in the mediation of the anti-apoptotic effect of CRF has been established. Taken together, these results demonstrate for the first time that the cytoprotective effect of CRF involved suppression of pro-apoptotic pathways at a site upstream of activation of procaspase-3.
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PMID:Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) rapidly suppresses apoptosis by acting upstream of the activation of caspases. 1260 31


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