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)

The current study investigates the activation in vivo and regulation of the expression of components of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway during gonadotropin-induced formation and development of the rat corpus luteum, employing a sequential PMSG/human CG (hCG) treatment paradigm. We postulated that the p38 MAPK pathway could serve to promote phosphorylation of key substrates during luteal maturation, since maturing luteal cells, thought to be cAMP-nonresponsive, nevertheless maintain critical phosphoproteins. Both p38 MAPK and its upstream activator MAPK kinase-6 (MKK6) were found to be chronically activated during the luteal maturation phase, with activation detected by 24 h post hCG and maintained through 4 days post hCG. The p38 MAPK downstream protein kinase target termed MAPK-activated protein kinase-3 (MAPKAPK-3) was newly induced at both mRNA and protein levels during luteal formation and maturation, while mRNA and protein expression of the closely related MAPKAPK-2 diminished. Two potential substrates for MAPKAPKs, the small heat shock protein HSP-27 and the cAMP regulatory element binding protein CREB, were monitored in vivo for phosphorylation. HSP-27 phosphorylation was not modulated during luteal maturation. In contrast, we observed sustained luteal-phase CREB phosphorylation in vivo, consistent with upstream MKK6/p38 MAPK activation and MAPKAPK-3 induction. MAPKAPK-3-specific immune complex kinase assays provided direct evidence that MAPKAPK-3 was in an activated state during luteal maturation in vivo. Cellular inhibitor studies indicated that an intact p38 MAPK path was required for CREB phosphorylation in a cellular model of luteinization, as treatment of luteinized granulosa cells with the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB 203580 strongly inhibited CREB phosphorylation. Transient transfection studies provided direct evidence that MAPKAPK-3 was capable of signaling to activate CREB transcriptional activity, as assessed by means of GAL4-CREB fusion protein construct coexpressed with GAL4-luciferase reporter construct. Introduction of wild-type, but not kinase-dead mutant, MAPKAPK-3 cDNA, into a mouse ovarian cell line stimulated GAL4-CREB- dependent transcriptional activity approximately 3-fold. Thus MAPKAPK-3 is indeed uniquely poised to support luteal maturation through the phosphorylation and activation of the nuclear transcription factor CREB.
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PMID:Developmental regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated kinases-2 and -3 (MAPKAPK-2/-3) in vivo during corpus luteum formation in the rat. 1132 54

Most of the members of the superfamily of mammalian small heat shock or stress proteins are abundant in muscles where they play a role in muscle function and maintenance of muscle integrity. One member of this protein superfamily, human HSP27, is rapidly phosphorylated on three serine residues (Ser(15), Ser(78), and Ser(82)) during cellular response to a number of extracellular factors. To understand better the role of HSP27, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screen of a human heart cDNA library for HSP27-interacting proteins. By using the triple aspartate mutant, a mimic of phosphorylated HSP27, as "bait" construct, a protein with a molecular mass of 21.6 kDa was identified as an HSP27-binding protein. Sequence analysis revealed that this new protein shares an overall sequence identity of 33% with human HSP27. This protein also contains the alpha-crystallin domain in its C-terminal half, a hallmark of the superfamily of small stress proteins. Thus, the new protein itself is a member of this protein superfamily, and consequently we designated it HSP22. According to the two-hybrid data, HSP22 interacts preferentially with the triple aspartate form of HSP27 as compared with wild-type HSP27. HSP22 is expressed predominantly in muscles. In vitro, HSP22 is phosphorylated by protein kinase C (at residues Ser(14) and Thr(63)) and by p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (at residues Ser(27) and Thr(87)) but not by MAPKAPK-2.
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PMID:HSP22, a new member of the small heat shock protein superfamily, interacts with mimic of phosphorylated HSP27 ((3D)HSP27). 1134 57

Although mast cells accumulate within the mucosal epithelial layer of patients with allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma, the responsible chemotactic factors are undefined. We investigated whether mast cells sensitized with Ag-specific IgE migrate toward the Ag. MC/9 mast cells sensitized with anti-DNP IgE migrated toward DNP-conjugated human serum albumin. This migration was directional, and the degree was stronger than that induced by stem cell factor. IL-3 and stem cell factor-dependent cultured mast cells derived from mouse bone marrow also migrated toward the Ag. Subsequent migration mediated by the Fc(epsilon)RI was significantly inhibited by incubating the cells with Y-27632, a Rho-associated coiled-coil-forming protein kinase inhibitor, or with SB203580, a p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor. Both p38 MAPK and MAPK-activated protein kinase (MAPKAPK)2 were activated following Fc(epsilon)RI aggregation, and activation of MAPKAPK2 was almost completely inhibited by 10 microM SB203580. Wortmannin or a low concentration of SB203580 partially inhibited MAPKAPK2, but did not block mast cell migration. In contrast, Y-27632 did not affect the activation of MAPKAPK2. These results indicate that Ag works not only as a stimulant for allergic mediators from IgE-sensitized mast cells, but also as a chemotactic factor for mast cells. Both p38 MAPK activation and Rho-dependent activation of Rho-associated coiled-coil-forming protein kinase may be required for Fc(epsilon)RI-mediated cell migration.
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PMID:Sensitized mast cells migrate toward the antigen: a response regulated by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and Rho-associated coiled-coil-forming protein kinase. 1149 18

Signal transduction pathways regulate gene expression in part by modulating the stability of specific mRNAs. For example, the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) p38 pathway mediates stabilization of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) mRNA in myeloid cells stimulated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The zinc finger protein tristetraprolin (TTP) is expressed in response to LPS and regulates the stability of TNF-alpha mRNA. We show that stimulation of RAW264.7 mouse macrophages with LPS induces the binding of TTP to the TNF-alpha 3' untranslated region. The p38 pathway is required for the induction of TNF-alpha RNA-binding activity and for the expression of TTP protein and mRNA. Following stimulation with LPS, TTP is expressed in multiple, differentially phosphorylated forms. We present evidence that phosphorylation of TTP is mediated by the p38-regulated kinase MAPKAPK2 (MAPK-activated protein kinase 2). Our findings demonstrate a direct link between a specific signal transduction pathway and a specific RNA-binding protein, both of which are known to regulate TNF-alpha gene expression at a posttranscriptional level.
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PMID:Mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 controls the expression and posttranslational modification of tristetraprolin, a regulator of tumor necrosis factor alpha mRNA stability. 1153 35

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) is a growth factor-activated transforming lipid (and protein) kinase, involved in cell motility and invasion, that has multiple effectors. Relatively little is known about its expression and enzymatic activity in human breast cancer. Since growth factor receptors are amplified in breast cancer, and the tumor suppressor PTEN may be mutated in human breast cancer, it was hypothesized that PI3-K and its downstream effectors would be activated in this disease. In 11 resected tumors analyzed for expression of this kinase, a mean 3-fold increase in protein expression was observed over the corresponding adjacent control tissue. Using an in vitro lipid kinase assay of the immunoprecipitated PI3-K protein, a greater than 2-fold increase in activation was observed. These changes were observed in the absence of an activation of either protein kinase B (PKB, akt1) or p70 S6 kinase (p70 S6K). However, p21-activated kinase (Pak), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2 (MAPKAPK 2) were all overexpressed and demonstrated increased enzyme activity. It may be concluded that aberrant mitogenic signaling in human breast cancer in vivo involves Pak, p38 MAPK and MAPKAPK2 downstream of PI3-K, but neither of PKB or p70 S6K. It is proposed that this pathway may serve as a useful targeting nexus for investigation of small molecule inhibitors in human breast cancer.
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PMID:Dysregulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and downstream effectors in human breast cancer. 1185 99

Phosphorylation of the p53 tumor suppressor protein is one of the key regulatory steps in its activation process. Serine 20 phosphorylation of p53 has been shown to be required for the activation of p53 following UV radiation, but the signaling pathway mediating UV-induced phosphorylation is unknown. Here, we determined the role of MAP kinases in UVB-induced phosphorylation and found that JNKs are directly involved in the phosphorylation of p53 at serine 20. In a mouse JB6 epidermal cell line, dominant negative JNK1 abrogated UVB-induced phosphorylation of p53 at serine 20, whereas dominant negative p38 kinase or its inhibitor, SB202190, partially attenuated the phosphorylation. In contrast, dominant negative ERK2 or the MEK1 inhibitor, PD98059, had no effect on p53 phosphorylation at serine 20. Importantly, UVB-activated or active recombinant JNK1/2, or the p38 kinase downstream target, MAPKAPK-2, but not ERKs or p38 kinase, phosphorylated p53 at serine 20 in vitro. Furthermore, phosphorylation of p53 at serine 20 by UVB-activated JNKs and UVB-induced p53-dependent transcriptional activity were suppressed in Jnk1 or Jnk2 knockout (Jnk1(-/-) or Jnk2(-/-)) cells. Additionally, Jnk1(-/-), Jnk2(-/-), and p53-deficient (p53(-/-)) cells, as well as re-introduction of a p53 mutant with substitution of serine 20 to alanine into p53(-/-) cells, were defective for UVB-induced apoptosis. These findings strongly suggest that JNKs are the major direct signaling mediators of UVB-induced p53 phosphorylation at serine 20.
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PMID:Role of MAP kinases in UVB-induced phosphorylation of p53 at serine 20. 1189 87

Proinsulin C-peptide has been reported to have some biological activities and to be possibly involved in the development of diabetic microangiopathy. In the present study, we examined the effects of C-peptide on the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in LEII mouse lung capillary endothelial cells. Stimulation of the cells with C-peptide increased both p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) activities and activity-related site-specific phosphorylation of the respective kinases in a concentration-dependent manner, but failed to activate c-Jun N-terminal kinase. Stimulation of the cells with C-peptide also induced site-specific phosphorylation of cAMP response element (CRE)-binding protein (CREB)/activating transcription factor 1 (ATF1), and thereby binding of these transcription factors to CRE. Among three CREB kinases tested, phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2 (MAPKAP-K2) was induced after stimulation with C-peptide. The phosphorylation of CREB, ATF1 and MAPKAP-K2 were inhibited by SB203580, a p38MAPK inhibitor, but not by PD98059, an ERK kinase inhibitor. These results indicate that C-peptide activates p38MAPK followed by MAPKAP-K2 to enhance DNA-CREB/ATF1 interactions.
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PMID:Proinsulin C-peptide activates cAMP response element-binding proteins through the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in mouse lung capillary endothelial cells. 1205 84

Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) kinase, the enzyme that inactivates eEF2, is controlled by phosphorylation. Previous work showed that stress-activated protein kinase 4 (SAPK4, also called p38delta) inhibits eEF2 kinase in vitro by phosphorylating Ser-359, while ribosomal protein S6 kinases inhibit eEF2 kinase by phosphorylating Ser-366 [Knebel, Morrice and Cohen (2001) EMBO J. 20, 4360-4369; Wang, Li, Williams, Terada, Alessi and Proud (2001) EMBO J. 20, 4370-4379]. In the present study we have examined the effects of the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) on the phosphorylation of eEF2 kinase. We demonstrate that Ser-359, Ser-366 and two novel sites (Ser-377 and Ser-396) are all phosphorylated in human epithelial KB cells, but only the phosphorylation of Ser-359 and Ser-377 increases in response to these agonists and correlates with the dephosphorylation (activation) of eEF2. Ser-377 is probably a substrate of MAPKAP-K2/K3 (mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2/kinase 3) in cells, because eEF2 kinase is phosphorylated efficiently by these protein kinases in vitro and phosphorylation of this site, induced by TNF-alpha and low (but not high) concentrations of anisomycin, is prevented by SB 203580, which inhibits SAPK2a/p38, their "upstream" activator. The phosphorylation of Ser-359 induced by high concentrations of anisomycin is probably catalysed by SAPK4/p38delta in cells, because no other stress-activated, proline-directed protein kinase tested phosphorylates this site in vitro and phosphorylation is insensitive to SB 203580. Interestingly, the phosphorylation of Ser-359 induced by TNF-alpha or low concentrations of anisomycin is suppressed by SB 203580, indicating that phosphorylation is also mediated by a novel pathway. Since the phosphorylation of Ser-377 does not inhibit eEF2 kinase in vitro, our results suggest that anisomycin or TNF-alpha inhibit eEF2 kinase via the phosphorylation of Ser-359.
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PMID:Stress-induced regulation of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase by SB 203580-sensitive and -insensitive pathways. 1217

Nonredox-type 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) inhibitors such as ZM230487 or L-739.010 potently suppress leukotriene biosynthesis at low cellular peroxide tone. Here, we show that inhibition of 5-LO product formation by nonredox-type 5-LO inhibitors in human isolated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) depends on the activation pathway of 5-LO. Thus, compared with 5-LO product synthesis induced by the Ca2+-mobilizing agent ionophore A23187, cell stress-induced 5-LO product formation involving 5-LO kinase pathways required ~10- to 100-fold higher concentrations of ZM230487 or L-739.010 for comparable 5-LO inhibition. No such differences were observed for the iron ligand-type 5-LO inhibitor BWA4C or the novel-type 5-LO inhibitors hyperforin and 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-boswellic acid. Experiments using purified 5-LO revealed that Ca2+ is no prerequisite for potent enzyme inhibition by ZM230487, and exposure of PMNL to the combination of ionophore and cell stress did not restore potent 5-LO suppression. Intriguingly, a significant difference in the potency of nonredox-type inhibitors (but not of BWA4C) was determined between wild-type 5-LO and the mutant S271A/S663A-5-LO (lacking phosphorylation sites for ERK1/2 and MAPKAPK-2) in HeLa cells. Collectively, our data suggest that compared with Ca2+-mediated 5-LO product formation, enzyme activation involving 5-LO phosphorylation events specifically and strongly alters the susceptibility of 5-LO toward nonredox-type inhibitors in intact cells.
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PMID:Phosphorylation- and stimulus-dependent inhibition of cellular 5-lipoxygenase activity by nonredox-type inhibitors. 1267 Aug 76

Taxanes are widely used to treat malignancies and are known to modulate the transcription of several genes. We investigated the effects of taxanes (docetaxel and paclitaxel) on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) transcription and mRNA stability in human mammary epithelial cells. As reported previously for paclitaxel, docetaxel stimulated COX-2 transcription by an AP-1-dependent mechanism. Treatment with taxanes also enhanced the stability of COX-2 mRNA. To define the mechanism by which taxanes stabilized COX-2 mRNA, transient transfections were carried out using luciferase expression constructs containing the COX-2 3'-untranslated region (3'-untranslated region (UTR)). The stabilizing effects of taxanes were localized to the AU-rich region of COX-2 3'-UTR. RNA binding studies indicated that taxanes stimulated the binding of HuR to the AU-rich region of the COX-2 3'-UTR. Overexpression of antisense HuR suppressed taxane-mediated induction of COX-2 3'-UTR activity. We next investigated the signal transduction pathway responsible for taxane-mediated induction of COX-2. Taxanes enhanced protein kinase C activity; overexpressing dominant negative PKC-alpha suppressed taxane-mediated stimulation of both COX-2 3'-UTR and 5'-promoter activities. Interestingly, ERK1/2, JNK, and p38 MAPKs were important for taxane-mediated activation of COX-2 transcription, but only p38 MAPK appeared to be responsible for the increase in COX-2 mRNA stability. MAPKAPK-2, a known target of p38 MAPK, contributed to increased COX-2 mRNA stability following taxane treatment. SB 202190, a selective p38 MAPK inhibitor, and dexamethasone suppressed taxane-mediated stimulation of the COX-2 3'-UTR and binding of HuR. Taken together, these data indicate that taxanes induce COX-2 by stimulating both transcription and mRNA stability. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first evidence that taxanes can promote stabilization of mRNA in addition to modulating gene transcription.
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PMID:Regulation of cyclooxgenase-2 mRNA stability by taxanes: evidence for involvement of p38, MAPKAPK-2, and HuR. 3190 Mar 74


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