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)

Human diploid fibroblasts (HDF) immortalized by hTERT and simian virus 40 (SV40) early region (ER) exhibit a limited degree of transformation upon the expression of activated H-RAS (H-RAS V12) compared with rat embryonic fibroblasts (REF) immortalized by SV40 ER. Here, we identified FRA1 as a determinant for this difference in RAS-induced transformation. FRA1 was not induced by H-RAS V12 in the immortalized HDF, in contrast to its marked accumulation in the immortalized REF. Ectopic expression of FRA1 significantly enhanced anchorage-independent growth of various HDF expressing hTERT, SV40 ER, and H-RAS V12. More importantly, FRA1 could induce anchorage-independent growth as well as nude mice tumor formation of the immortalized HDF in the absence of H-RAS V12. The results of an in vitro kinase assay clearly showed that the RAS-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation, which is responsible for FRA1 induction, was markedly attenuated in the HDF compared with that in the REF, despite no obvious differences in the phosphorylation status of ERK between the species. Our results strongly suggest that HDF negatively regulate the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)/ERK pathway more efficiently than REF, and consequently express less malignant phenotypes in response to H-RAS V12.
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PMID:FRA1 is a determinant for the difference in RAS-induced transformation between human and rat fibroblasts. 1656 92

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I receptor activation leads to enhanced proliferation and cell survival via the MAP kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-signaling pathways. Upon stimulation by IGF-I, the Hdm2 oncoprotein is phosphorylated by AKT, leading to its rapid nuclear translocation and subsequent inhibition of p53. We now show that IGF-I stimulation regulates the nuclear export of Hdm2 and p53 via the MAP kinase pathway. Inhibition of p38 MAPK or MEK via pharmacological means or expression of dominant negative proteins inhibited the cytoplasmic accumulation of Hdm2 and increased Hdm2 and p53 protein levels, whereas constitutively active p90Rsk promoted the nuclear export of Hdm2. Expression of constitutively active p90Rsk with E1A, oncogenic H-Ras, and hTERT resulted in the anchorage-independent growth of normal human fibroblasts. Our findings link p90Rsk-mediated modulation of Hdm2 nuclear to cytoplasmic shuttling with the diminished ability of p53 to regulate cell cycle checkpoints that ultimately leads to transformation.
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PMID:Hdm2 nuclear export, regulated by insulin-like growth factor-I/MAPK/p90Rsk signaling, mediates the transformation of human cells. 1662 5

The telomerase complex is responsible for telomere maintenance and represents a promising neoplasia therapeutic target. Recently, we have demonstrated that treatment with a G-quadruplex-interactive agent, telomestatin reproducibly inhibited telomerase activity in the BCR-ABL-positive leukemic cell lines. In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms of apoptosis induced by telomerase inhibition in acute leukemia. We have found the activation of caspase-3 and poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase in telomestatin-treated U937 cells (PD20) and dominant-negative DN-hTERT-expressing U937 cells (PD25). Activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and MKK3/6 was also found in telomestatin-treated U937 cells (PD20) and dominant-negative DN-hTERT-expressing U937 cells (PD25); however, activation of JNK and ASK1 was not detected in these cells. To examine the effect of p38 MAP kinase inhibition on growth properties and apoptosis in telomerase-inhibited cells, we cultured DN-hTERT-expressing U937 cells with or without SB203580. Dominant-negative-hTERT-expressing U937 cells stopped proliferation on PD25; however, a significant increase in growth rate was observed in the presence of SB203580. Treatment of SB203580 also reduced the induction of apoptosis in DN-hTERT-expressing U937 cells (PD25). These results suggest that p38 MAP kinase has a critical role for the induction of apoptosis in telomerase-inhibited leukemia cells. Further, we evaluated the effect of telomestatin on the growth of U937 cells in xenograft mouse model. Systemic intraperitoneal administration of telomestatin in U937 xenografts decreased tumor telomerase levels and reduced tumor volumes. Tumor tissue from telomestatin-treated animals exhibited marked apoptosis. None of the mice treated with telomestatin displayed any signs of toxicity. Taken together, these results lay the foundations for a program of drug development to achieve the dual aims of efficacy and selectivity in vivo.
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PMID:Telomerase inhibition with a novel G-quadruplex-interactive agent, telomestatin: in vitro and in vivo studies in acute leukemia. 1665 54

Expression of the telomerase catalytic subunit (TERT) is the rate-limiting determinant of telomerase activity in most human cells. In this work, we examined the participation of protein kinase C (PKC) in the regulation of hTERT expression in human T lymphocytes. Transient expression assays using luciferase reporter plasmids containing hTERT promoter showed that overexpression of PKC theta, but not the other PKC isoforms, could activate the promoter activity of hTERT in resting T lymphocytes. Among the PKC theta-activated signalings, we presented evidence that the expression of hTERT is mediated through NFkappaB but not through MEK or c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathways. Analysis of the hTERT promoter occupancy in vivo using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, however, did not detect an increased binding of NFkappaB to the hTERT promoter in the activated T cells, although an increased binding of cMyc and Sp1 was detected. Together with the observation that inhibition of NFkappaB eliminated the induction of cMyc in activated T cells, these results suggest that PKC theta-activated NFkappaB signaling regulates the expression of hTERT via cMyc in human T lymphocytes.
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PMID:A major role of PKC theta and NFkappaB in the regulation of hTERT in human T lymphocytes. 1714 Dec 25

The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor VX-745 is prepared rapidly and efficiently in a four-step sequence using a combination of conductive heating and microwave-mediated steps. Its inhibitory activity was confirmed in hTERT immortalized HCA2 and WS dermal fibroblasts at 0.5-1.0 microM concentration by ELISA and immunoblot assay, and displays excellent kinase selectivity over the related stress-activated kinase JNK.
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PMID:Rapid synthesis of VX-745: p38 MAP kinase inhibition in Werner syndrome cells. 1765 71

The oncogenic function of mutant ras in mammalian cells has been extensively investigated using multiple human and animal models. These systems include overexpression of exogenous mutant ras transgenes, conditionally expressed knock-in mouse models, and somatic cell knockout of mutant and wild-type ras genes in human cancer cell lines. However, phenotypic discrepancies between knock-in mice and transgenic mutant ras overexpression prompted us to evaluate the consequences of targeted knock-in of an oncogenic K-ras mutation in the nontumorigenic human breast epithelial cell line MCF-10A and hTERT-immortalized human mammary epithelial cells. Our results show several significant differences between mutant K-ras knock-in cells versus their transgene counterparts, including limited phosphorylation of the downstream molecules extracellular signal-regulated kinase and AKT, minor proliferative capacity in the absence of an exogenous growth factor, and the inability to form colonies in semisolid medium. Analysis of 16 cancer cell lines carrying mutant K-ras genes indicated that 50% of cancer cells harbor nonoverexpressed heterozygous K-ras mutations similar to the expression seen in our knock-in cell lines. Thus, this system serves as a new model for elucidating the oncogenic contribution of mutant K-ras as expressed in a large fraction of human cancer cells.
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PMID:Knock-in of mutant K-ras in nontumorigenic human epithelial cells as a new model for studying K-ras mediated transformation. 1787 84

The nonapeptide oxytocin (OT) mediates a wide spectrum of biological action, many of them related to reproduction. Recently, we have shown that OT exerts a trophic effect on uterine smooth muscle cells and induces dephosphorylation, and thus activation, of the translation elongation factor eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2). The present study was designed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this novel action of OT in the well-characterized human myometrial cell line hTERT-C3. Pathways known to induce eEF2 dephosphorylation are mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and the MAPKs ERK1/2 and p38. Using a panel of chemical inhibitors of specific signaling pathways, we determined that none of these pathways played a role in OT-mediated eEF2 dephosphorylation. Because the OT receptor is a G protein-coupled receptor linked to Galphaq, we tested the possibility that this OT action was mediated via protein kinase C (PKC). PKC activity was blocked by application of the general PKC chemical inhibitor Go6983 or by incubation with the cell-permeable PKC inhibitor peptide myr-psi PKC. With either approach, the effect of OT on eEF2 dephosphorylation was suppressed, indicating that the PKC pathway is essential for this OT action. Consistent with this idea, we also found that direct stimulation of PKC with the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate induced eEF2 dephosphorylation. Moreover, we observed that the stimulatory effect of OT on [(35)S]methionine incorporation into nascent proteins was blocked by PKC inhibition. Overall, these results define a novel hormonal signaling pathway that leads to eEF2 dephosphorylation and activation of protein synthesis.
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PMID:Oxytocin-induced activation of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 in myometrial cells is mediated by protein kinase C. 1794 56

A benzopyranopyridine inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2) is prepared rapidly and efficiently in one step using microwave dielectric heating, whereas a substrate-selective p38 MAPK inhibitor was prepared using conventional heating techniques. The former had MK2 inhibitory activity above 2.5 microM concentration, whereas the latter showed no MK2 inhibition at 10 microM. However, rather than rescuing the reduced cellular growth rate and aged morphology of hTERT-immortalised WS dermal fibroblasts, both induce a state resembling stress-induced cellular senescence, suggesting that these inhibitors may have limited therapeutic use.
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PMID:Synthesis and in vivo activity of MK2 and MK2 substrate-selective p38alpha(MAPK) inhibitors in Werner syndrome cells. 1796 80

Constitutive activation of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling pathway by oncogenic stimulation is widespread in human cancers. With the recently demonstrated links between MAP kinase, histone phosphorylation, gene transcription factors, and hTERT gene promoter activity, abnormal MAP kinase activity is likely to be one of the essential forces that impact on hTERT gene transcription in transformed human cells. Several proteins have been implicated as playing important roles in MAP kinase signaling to hTERT gene, including Ets and activator protein-1 (AP-1). Inhibition of these signaling mechanisms may have a consequential effect on hTERT gene expression and telomerase activity. In this study, we brief the current progress and strategy in molecular targeting to the interface between MAP kinase and hTERT gene promoter in cancer.
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PMID:Inhibition of telomerase by targeting MAP kinase signaling. 1836 23

5-Aminopyrazol-4-yl ketones are prepared rapidly and efficiently using microwave dielectric heating from beta-ketonitriles by treatment with N,N'-diphenylformamidine followed by heterocyclocondensation by irradiation with a hydrazine. The inhibitory activity of RO3201195 prepared by this methodology was confirmed in hTERT-immortalized HCA2 and WS dermal fibroblasts at 200nM concentration, both by ELISA and immunoblot assay, and displays excellent kinase selectivity for p38alpha MAPK over the related stress-activated kinase JNK.
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PMID:Microwave-assisted synthesis of 5-aminopyrazol-4-yl ketones and the p38(MAPK) inhibitor RO3201195 for study in Werner syndrome cells. 1853 26


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