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)

The Drosophila yan gene encodes an E twenty-six (ETS) domain nuclear protein with a transcription repressor activity that can be downregulated through phosphorylation by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Before photoreceptor precursor cells commit to a particular cell fate, Yan is required to maintain them in an undifferentiated state. We report here identification of tramtrack (ttk) mutations that act as dominant enhancers of yan. We show that ttk synergistically interacts with yan to inhibit the R7 photoreceptor cell fate. Since ttk products are nuclear proteins with zinc-finger DNA-binding motifs, yan and ttk represent two nuclear regulators essential for the control of cellular competence for neural differentiation. Reduction of either yan or ttk activity suppresses eye phenotypes of the kinase suppressor of ras (ksr) gene mutation, which is consistent with the involvement of yan and ttk in the Ras/MAPK pathway.
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PMID:Repression of Drosophila photoreceptor cell fate through cooperative action of two transcriptional repressors Yan and Tramtrack. 938 57

Determination of the involvement of MAP kinase cascades in signaling cell growth or differentiation is aided by the use of the inhibitors PD 098059 [2-(2'-amino-3'-methoxyphenyl)oxananphthalen-4-one] and U0126 [1,4-diamino-2,3-dicyano-1,4-bis(2-aminophenylthio)butadiene], believed to be MEK-specific kinase inhibitors. We report here that the activity of kinase suppressor of ras (KSR-1), a kinase upstream of raf-1, is inhibited by both these compounds at concentrations similar to those that inhibit MEK-1. Further, in HL60 cells induced to differentiate with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) raf-1 and p90RSK, but not ERK1/2, are coregulated, and their expression as well as monocytic differentiation is inhibited in parallel by PD 098059. Thus, in this system raf-1 is phosphorylated by KSR-1, and PD 098059 as well as U0126 inhibits this phosphorylation. This suggests great caution in the interpretation of experiments that utilize these pharmacological inhibitors of kinase activity as evidence for a role for the MEK--ERK module in ras or raf-1 signaling.
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PMID:Phosphorylation of raf-1 by kinase suppressor of ras is inhibited by "MEK-specific" inhibitors PD 098059 and U0126 in differentiating HL60 cells. 1147 55

The Raf-1 kinase is the entry point to the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK-1/2) signaling pathway, which controls fundamental cellular functions including proliferation, differentiation, and survival. As such, Raf-1 is regulated by complex mechanisms that are incompletely understood. Recent results have shown that release from repression is an important event that facilitates the interaction of Raf-1 with the Ras activator and its substrate, MAPK/ERK-1/2 kinase. A number of distinct activation steps contribute in a combinatorial fashion to regulate and adjust Raf-1 activity. The efficiency of downstream signal transmission is modulated by protein:protein interactions, and new data consolidate an important role for kinase suppressor of ras (KSR) as a scaffolding protein. KSR is a dynamic scaffold whose function and localization is regulated by phosphorylation.
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PMID:Untying the regulation of the Raf-1 kinase. 1212 63

In Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans, kinase suppressor of ras (KSR) positively modulates Ras/Raf-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. The precise signaling mechanism of mammalian KSR1 and its role in Ras-mediated transformation, however, remain uncertain. To gain insight into KSR1 function in vivo, we generated mice homozygous null for KSR1. ksr1-/- mice are viable and without major developmental defects. However, an unusual disorganized hair follicle phenotype manifest in epidermal growth factor receptor knockout mice is recapitulated in ksr1-/- mice, providing genetic support for the notion that epidermal growth factor receptor, Ras, and KSR1 are on the same signaling pathway in mammals. Furthermore, ksr1-/- mice allow for the definition of KSR1-dependent and -independent mechanisms of c-Raf-1 activation. In embryonic fibroblasts, epidermal growth factor and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate activated the MAPK cascade to a similar extent, yet only c-Raf-1 activation by epidermal growth factor depended on KSR1. Moreover, whereas the genesis of polyomavirus middle T antigen (MT)-driven mammary cancer appears independent of KSR1, KSR1 is obligate for v-Ha-ras-mediated skin tumor formation. The growth of MT-driven mammary tumor was moderately slowed in ksr1-/- mice, however, consistent with a decreased rate of proliferation of ksr1-/- cells (T cells and embryonic fibroblasts). Nonetheless, all ksr1-/- animals succumbed to mammary cancer. In contrast, papilloma formation in Tg.AC mice, resulting from skin-specific v-Ha-ras expression, was completely abrogated in the ksr1-/- background. Hence, MT-driven mammary tumor genesis, which is signaled through src and phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase, appears KSR1 independent, whereas v-Ha-ras-mediated skin cancer, signaled through the Raf-1/MAPK cascade, requires KSR1. These results suggest KSR1 may represent a therapeutic target for Ras/MAPK signaling of human tumorigenesis.
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PMID:Deficiency of kinase suppressor of Ras1 prevents oncogenic ras signaling in mice. 1287 31

The activity of kinase suppressor of ras (KSR), a kinase or a molecular scaffold upstream from Raf-1, is involved in the MEK/ERK MAP kinase cascade which can signal cell growth, survival, or differentiation, depending on the cellular context. We provide evidence here that KSR is upregulated in HL60 cells undergoing differentiation induced by low (0.3-3 nM) concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25D(3)), and an antisense oligo (AS), but not a sense oligo, to KSR inhibits this differentiation. The inhibition of differentiation by AS-KSR oligo was less apparent when the concentration of 1,25D(3) was increased, suggesting that at the higher concentrations of 1,25D(3) KSR is not essential for the signaling of the differentiated phenotype. The reduced differentiation of HL60 cells exposed to AS-KSR was paralleled by reduced phosphorylation of Raf-1 Ser 259, and of p90RSK, used here as read-out for MAPK cascade activity. Conversely, ectopic expression of Flag-tagged wild type KSR potentiated the differentiation-inducing effects of low concentrations of 1,25D(3). Additional data suggest that the kinase activity of KSR is required for these effects, as transfection of a kinase inactive KSR construct did not significantly increase the 1,25D(3)-induced differentiation. Enzyme assays performed with KSR immunoprecipitated from 1,25D(3)-treated cells showed kinase activity when recombinant Raf-1 was used as the substrate, but not when the 1,25D(3)-treated cells were pretreated with AS-KSR oligos. Taken together, these data suggest that KSR participates in signaling of monocytic differentiation by augmenting the strength of the signal transmitted through Raf-1 to downstream targets.
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PMID:Kinase suppressor of RAS (KSR) amplifies the differentiation signal provided by low concentrations 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. 1475 38

Kinase suppressor of ras (KSR) and MEKK3 (MAP kinase kinase kinase) are integral members of the MAP kinase pathway. We have recently identified a new isoform of the KSR family named human kinase suppressor of ras-2 (hKSR-2), and demonstrated that hKSR-2 negatively regulates Cot, a MAP3K family member which is important in inflammation and oncogenesis [P.L. Channavajhala, L. Wu, J.W. Cuozzo, J.P. Hall, W. Liu, L.L. Lin, Y. Zhang, J. Biol. Chem. 278 (2003) 47089-47097]. In this report, we provide evidence that hKSR-2 also regulates the activity of MEKK3 (another MAP3K family member) in HEK-293T cells. We demonstrate that hKSR-2 is a negative regulator of MEKK3-mediated activation of MAP kinase (specifically ERK and JNK) and NF-kappaB pathways, and concurrently inhibits MEKK3-mediated interleukin-8 production. We find that while hKSR-2 blocks MEKK3 activation, it has little to no effect on other members of the MAP3K family, including MEKK4, TAK1, and Ras-Raf, suggesting that its effects are selective.
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PMID:hKSR-2 inhibits MEKK3-activated MAP kinase and NF-kappaB pathways in inflammation. 1603 90

Nm23-H1 significantly reduces metastasis without effects on primary tumor size and was the first discovered metastasis suppressor gene. At least three mechanisms are thought to contribute to the metastasis-suppressive effect of Nm23-H1: (a) its histidine kinase activity toward ATP-citrate lyase, aldolase C, and the kinase suppressor of ras, with the last inactivating mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling; (b) binding proteins that titer out "free" Nm23-H1 and inhibit its ability to suppress metastasis; and (c) altered gene expression downstream of Nm23-H1, particularly an inverse association with the lysophosphatidic acid receptor endothelial differentiation gene-28 (EDG2). Most metastasis suppressor genes, including Nm23-H1, affect metastatic colonization, which is the outgrowth of tumor cells in distant locations; therefore, they are of high translational interest. A phase II trial is ongoing to test the hypothesis that a compound, high-dose medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), used as an unconventional gluocorticoid, will stimulate breast cancer cells to reexpress Nm23-H1 and limit subsequent metastatic colonization.
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PMID:Clinical-translational approaches to the Nm23-H1 metastasis suppressor. 1869 18