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)

Development and regeneration of the nervous system requires the precise formation of axons and dendrites. Kinases and phosphatases are pervasive regulators of cellular function and have been implicated in controlling axodendritic development and regeneration. We undertook a gain-of-function analysis to determine the functions of kinases and phosphatases in the regulation of neuron morphology. Over 300 kinases and 124 esterases and phosphatases were studied by high-content analysis of rat hippocampal neurons. Proteins previously implicated in neurite growth, such as ERK1, GSK3, EphA8, FGFR, PI3K, PKC, p38, and PP1a, were confirmed to have effects in our functional assays. We also identified novel positive and negative neurite growth regulators. These include neuronal-developmentally regulated kinases such as the activin receptor, interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6) and neural leucine-rich repeat 1 (LRRN1). The protein kinase N2 (PKN2) and choline kinase alpha (CHKA) kinases, and the phosphatases PPEF2 and SMPD1, have little or no established functions in neuronal function, but were sufficient to promote neurite growth. In addition, pathway analysis revealed that members of signaling pathways involved in cancer progression and axis formation enhanced neurite outgrowth, whereas cytokine-related pathways significantly inhibited neurite formation.
 ...
PMID:Kinase/phosphatase overexpression reveals pathways regulating hippocampal neuron morphology. 2066 37

The function of protein phosphatases with EF-hand domains (PPEF) in mammals is not known. Large-scale expression profiling experiments suggest that PPEF expression may correlate with stress protective responses, cell survival, growth, proliferation, or neoplastic transformation. Apoptosis signal regulating kinase-1 (ASK1) is a MAP kinase kinase kinase implicated in cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. ASK1 is activated by oxidative stress and induces pro-apoptotic or inflammatory signalling, largely via sustained activation of MAP kinases p38 and/or JNK. We identify human PPEF2 as a novel interacting partner and a negative regulator of ASK1. In COS-7 or HEK 293A cells treated with H(2)O(2), expression of PPEF2 abrogated sustained activation of p38 and one of the JNK p46 isoforms, and prevented ASK1-dependent caspase-3 cleavage and activation. PPEF2 efficiently suppressed H(2)O(2)-induced activation of ASK1. Overexpessed as well as endogenous ASK1 co-immunoprecipitated with PPEF2. PPEF2 was considerably more potent both as a suppressor of ASK1 activation and as its interacting partner as compared to protein phosphatase 5 (PP5), a well-known negative regulator of ASK1. PPEF2 was found to form complexes with endogenous Hsp70 and to a lesser extent Hsp90, which are also known interacting partners of PP5. These data identify, for the first time, a possible downstream signalling partner of a mammalian PPEF phosphatase, and suggest that, despite structural divergence, PPEF and PP5 phosphatases may share common interacting partners and functions.
 ...
PMID:Protein phosphatase with EF-hand domains 2 (PPEF2) is a potent negative regulator of apoptosis signal regulating kinase-1 (ASK1). 2067 65