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)

Genomic instability during hepatocarcinogenesis causes changes in signal transduction network. Strategies for identification of new markers/therapeutic targets include discovery of early molecular changes during hepatocarcinogenesis, relevant to preneoplastic lesions progression to full malignancy in rodent models, and evaluation of these changes in human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). Activation of ERB receptor family, MAPK, JAK-STAT, beta-Catenin cascades, c-Myc targets, iNOS-IKK/MAT1A-NF-kB axis, Ornithine decarboxylase, Cyclins and CDKs occurs in human and rodent hepatocarcinogenesis. This is associated with downregulation of the cell cycle inhibitors p16(INK4A) and p53 and TGF-beta/SMAD signaling. Oncosuppressor genes, including p16(INK4A), E-CAD, and DLC-1 are often hypermethylated in humans and rodents. Moreover, protection of cell cycle from p16(INK4A) inhibition by upregulation of CDC37, HSP90, and CRM1 correlates to HCC progression. A body of evidence indicates that inhibition of key genes of aforementioned signaling pathways by antisense or siRNA approaches or specific inhibitors restraints growth of in vitro cultured or in vivo xenografted HCCs. Efforts are currently dedicated to improve transduction efficiency. HCC cells may escape gene therapy by various mechanisms. Attempts to overcome this difficulty include discovery of new therapeutic targets, gene therapy directed to different molecular targets essential for tumor cell survival and specifically directed to HCC subtypes.
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PMID:Dissection of signal transduction pathways as a tool for the development of targeted therapies of hepatocellular carcinoma. 1847 8

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is the most common mesenchymal neoplasm in the gastrointestinal tract and is associated with mutations of the KIT or PDGFRA gene. In addition, other genetic events are believed to be involved in GIST tumorigenesis. Cytogenetic aberrations associated with these tumors thus far described include loss of 1p, 13q, 14q, or 15q, loss of heterozygosity of 22q, numeric chromosomal imbalances, and nuclear/mitochondrial microsatellite instability. Molecular genetic aberrations include loss of heterozygosity of p16(INK4A) and p14(ARF), methylation of p15(INK4B), homozygous loss of the Hox11L1 gene, and amplification of C-MYC, MDM2, EGFR1, and CCND1. GISTs in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 appear to lack the KIT and PDGFRA mutations characteristic of GISTs and may have a different pathogenetic mechanism. Gene mutations of KIT or PDGFRA are critical in GISTs, because the aberrant versions not only are correlated with the specific cell morphology, histologic phenotype, metastasis, and prognosis, but also are the targets of therapy with imatinib and other agents. Furthermore, specific mutations in KIT and PDGFR appear to lead to differential drug sensitivity and may in the future guide selection of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Activation of the receptor tyrosine kinases involves a signal transduction pathway whose components (mitogen-activated protein kinase, AKT, phosphoinositide 3-kinase, mammalian target of rapamycin, and RAS) are also possible targets of inhibition. A new paradigm of classification, integrating the standard clinical and pathological criteria with molecular aberrations, may permit personalized prognosis and treatment.
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PMID:Genetic aberrations of gastrointestinal stromal tumors. 1867 Dec 47

The extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK-MAPK) is critical in human malignancies. It remained to be established whether DNA methyltransferases (Dnmt) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) involved in DNA methylation during RAF-transformed cell proliferation. The plasmid of constitutively active RAF was used to transfect gastric cell GES-1 and cancer cell AGS. RAF promoted cell proliferation, growth in soft agar and induced cell cycle progress faster than empty plasmid by accelerating G1/S transition in both cell lines, a massive induction of cyclin D1 and PCNA expression was observed, along with reduced expression of p16INK4A, p21WAF1 and p27KIP1. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction and bisulfite sequencing showed that the promoter of p16INK4A was methylated in RAF-transformed cells, treatment with 5-aza-dC or PD98059 restored the expression of p16INK4A, increased p21WAF1 and p27KIP1 partially, associated with upregulation of the activity of Dnmt in RAF-transformed cell GES-1, and also decreased the hypermethylation status of p16INK4A, but not all CpG islands of p21WAF1 and p27KIP1. These data suggest that RAF may induce cell proliferation through hypermethylation of tumor suppressor gene p16INK4A, while the epigenetic inactivation of p21WAF1 and p27KIP1 may be not a key factor in RAF-transformed cells.
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PMID:RAF may induce cell proliferation through hypermethylation of tumor suppressor gene promoter in gastric epithelial cells. 1903 90

Oncogene-induced senescence is a tumor-suppressive defense mechanism triggered upon activation of certain oncogenes in normal cells. Recently, the senescence response to oncogene activation has been shown to act as a bona fide barrier to cancer development in vivo. Multiple previous studies have implicated the importance of the p38 MAPK pathway in oncogene-induced senescence. However, the contribution of each of the four p38 isoforms (encoded by different genes) to senescence induction is unclear. In the current study, we demonstrated that p38alpha and p38gamma, but not p38beta, play an essential role in oncogenic ras-induced senescence. Both p38alpha and p38gamma are expressed in primary human fibroblasts and are activated upon transduction of oncogenic ras. Small hairpin RNA-mediated silencing of p38alpha or p38gamma expression abrogated ras-induced senescence, whereas constitutive activation of p38alpha and p38gamma caused premature senescence. Furthermore, upon activation by oncogenic ras, p38gamma stimulated the transcriptional activity of p53 by phosphorylating p53 at Ser(33), suggesting that the ability of p38gamma to mediate senescence is at least partly achieved through p53. However, p38alpha contributed to ras-inducted senescence via a p53-indepdendent mechanism in cells by mediating ras-induced expression of p16(INK4A), another key senescence effector. These findings have identified p38alpha and p38gamma as essential components of the signaling pathway that regulates the tumor-suppressing senescence response, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the differential involvement of the p38 isoforms in senescence induction.
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PMID:p38alpha and p38gamma mediate oncogenic ras-induced senescence through differential mechanisms. 1925 1

2-Methoxyestradiol (2-ME2) induces leukemia cells to undergo apoptosis in association with Bcl-2 inactivation but the mechanisms whereby Bcl-2 contributes to protection against programmed cell death in this context remain unclear. Here we showed that 2-ME2 inhibited the proliferation of Jurkat leukemia cells by markedly suppressing the levels of cyclins D3 and E, E2F1 and p21(Cip1/Waf1) and up-regulating p16(INK4A). Further, 2-ME2 induced apoptosis of Jurkat cells in association with down-regulation and phosphorylation of Bcl-2 (as mediated by JNK), up-regulation of Bak, activation of caspases-9 and -3 and PARP-1 cleavage. To determine the importance and mechanistic role of Bcl-2 in this process, we enforced its expression in Jurkat cells by retroviral transduction. Enforcing Bcl-2 expression in Jurkat cells abolished 2-ME2-induced apoptosis and instead produced a G1/S phase cell cycle arrest in association with markedly increased levels of p27(Kip1). Bcl-2 and p27(Kip1) were localized mainly in the nucleus in these apoptotic resistant cells. Interestingly, NF-kappaB activity and p50 levels were increased by 2-ME2 and suppression of NF-kappaB signaling reduced p27(Kip1) expression and sensitized cells to 2-ME2-induced apoptosis. Importantly, knocking-down p27(Kip1) in Jurkat Bcl-2 cells sensitized them to spontaneous and 2-ME2-induced apoptosis. Thus, Bcl-2 prevented the 2-ME2-induced apoptotic response by orchestrating a p27(Kip1)-dependent G1/S phase arrest in conjunction with activating NF-kappaB. Thus, we achieved a much better understanding of the penetrance and mechanistic complexity of Bcl-2 dependent anti-apoptotic pathways in cancer cells and why Bcl-2 inactivation is so critical for the efficacy of apoptosis and anti-proliferative inducing drugs like 2-ME2.
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PMID:Bcl-2 blocks 2-methoxyestradiol induced leukemia cell apoptosis by a p27(Kip1)-dependent G1/S cell cycle arrest in conjunction with NF-kappaB activation. 1944 21

Previous studies of the developing lens have shown that Notch signaling regulates differentiation of lens fiber cells by maintaining a proliferating precursor pool in the anterior epithelium. However, whether Notch signaling is further required after the onset of fiber cell differentiation is not clear. This work investigates the role of Notch2 and Jagged1 (Jag1) in secondary fiber cell differentiation using rat lens epithelial explants undergoing FGF-2 dependent differentiation in vitro. FGF induced Jag1 expression and Notch2 signaling (as judged by the appearance of activated Notch2 Intracellular Domain (N2ICD)) within 12-24 h. These changes were correlated with induction of the Notch effector, Hes5, upregulation of N-cadherin (N-cad), and downregulation of E-cadherin (E-cad), a cadherin switch characteristic of fiber cell differentiation. Induction of Jag1 was efficiently blocked by U0126, a specific inhibitor of MAPK/ERK signaling, indicating a requirement for signaling through this pathway downstream of the FGF receptor. Other growth factors that activate MAPK/ERK signaling (EGF, PDGF, IGF) did not induce Jag1. Inhibition of Notch signaling using gamma secretase inhibitors DAPT and L-685,458 or anti-Jag1 antibody markedly decreased FGF-dependent expression of Jag1 demonstrating Notch-dependent lateral induction. In addition, inhibition of Notch signaling reduced expression of N-cad, and the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor, p57Kip2, indicating a direct role for Notch signaling in secondary fiber cell differentiation. These results demonstrate that Notch-mediated lateral induction of Jag1 is an essential component of FGF-dependent lens fiber cell differentiation.
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PMID:Notch signaling is required for lateral induction of Jagged1 during FGF-induced lens fiber differentiation. 1948 Oct 73

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have been widely studied as a source of primary adult stem cells for cell therapy because of their multidifferentiation potential; however, the growth arrest (also known as "premature senescence") often found in hMSCs cultured in vitro has been a major obstacle to the in-depth characterization of these cells. In addition, the inability to maintain constant cell growth hampers the development of additional genetic modifications aimed at achieving desired levels of differentiation to specific tissues; however, the molecular mechanisms that govern this phenomenon remain unclear, with the exception of a few studies demonstrating that induction of p16INK4a is responsible for this senescence-like event. Here, we observed that the premature growth arrest in hMSCs occurs in parallel with the induction of p16INK4a, following abrogation of inhibitory phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein. These stress responses were concurrent with increased formation of reactive oxygen species (ROSs) from mitochondria and increased p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity. The introduction of Wip1 (wild-type p53 inducible phosphatase-1), a well-studied stress modulator, significantly lowered p16INK4a expression and led to p38 MAPK inactivation, although it failed to affect the levels of ROSs. Moreover, the suppression of stress responses by Wip1 apparently extended the life span of hMSCs, compared with control conditions, while maintaining their multilineage differentiation potential. Based on these results, we suggest that senescent growth arrest in hMSCs may result from activation of stress signaling pathways and consequent onset of stress responses, due in part to ROS production during prolonged in vitro culture.
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PMID:Senescent growth arrest in mesenchymal stem cells is bypassed by Wip1-mediated downregulation of intrinsic stress signaling pathways. 1954 16

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) inhibits the proliferation of several tumor cell lines and tumor growth in vivo. We showed previously that HGF induces cell cycle arrest at G1 in a human hepatoma cell line, HepG2, by up-regulating the expression of p16INK4a through strong activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). However, although essential, the activation was not sufficient for the up-regulation of p16. In this study, we examined regulatory mechanisms of p16 expression through a transcription factor, Ets, which has been shown previously to bind to the promoter. The treatment of HepG2 cells with HGF induced ERK-dependent phosphorylation of Ets, which leads to its activation, before the up-regulation of p16, suggesting that another factor suppresses Ets activity. We found that HGF reduces the amount of Id1, which is a dominant-negative inhibitor of Ets, leading to a decrease in Ets associated with Id1. Id1 was down-regulated via transcriptional regulation not via the ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated pathway. Inhibition of the HGF-induced high-intensity ERK activity had a modest effect on the Id1 down-regulation, and inhibition of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway had no effect, showing that Id1 is regulated by ERK-dependent and -independent pathways other than the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway. Exogenously expressed Id1 suppressed the up-regulation of p16 by HGF and the antiproliferative effect of HGF. Knockdown of Id1 significantly enhanced the activity of the p16 promoter coordinately with the activation of ERK. Our results indicated that down-regulation of Id1 plays a key role in the inhibitory effect of HGF on cell proliferation and provides a molecular basis for cancer therapy with HGF.
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PMID:Id1 is down-regulated by hepatocyte growth factor via ERK-dependent and ERK-independent signaling pathways, leading to increased expression of p16INK4a in hepatoma cells. 1956 83

The adaptor protein Crk mediates intracellular signaling related to cell motility and proliferation and is implicated in human tumorigenesis. The role of Crk in the growth of human sarcoma has remained unclear, however. The present study shows that Crk-induced activation of Src and subsequent signaling by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) contribute to the enhanced proliferation of human synovial sarcoma cells. Depletion of Crk by RNA interference markedly inhibited proliferation of the synovial sarcoma cell lines HS-SYII, SYO-1, and Fuji as well as prevented anchorage-independent growth. Conversely, reconstitution with CrkII by authentic small interfering RNA-resistant Crk gene restored proliferation in Crk-silenced SYO-1 cells. Crk-depleted synovial sarcoma cells manifested enhanced transcriptional activity and expression of the p16(INK4A) gene, resulting in their accumulation in G(1) phase of the cell cycle. In response to hepatocyte growth factor stimulation, Crk prominently induced the tyrosine phosphorylation of Grb2-associated binder 1 through activation of Src and focal adhesion kinase, and the Src family kinase inhibitor PP2 almost completely inhibited the proliferation of SYO-1 cells. Crk also induced the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, and SB203580, a p38 MAPK-specific inhibitor, increased expression of p16(INK4A) gene in SYO-1 cells. Furthermore, SB203580 or depletion of p38 MAPK by small interfering RNA suppressed both the phosphorylation of Akt triggered by hepatocyte growth factor and the proliferation of SYO-1 cells. These results suggest that Crk promotes proliferation of human synovial sarcoma cells through activation of Src and its downstream signaling by a novel p38 MAPK-Akt pathway, with these signaling molecules providing potent new targets for molecular therapeutics.
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PMID:Adaptor protein Crk induces Src-dependent activation of p38 MAPK in regulation of synovial sarcoma cell proliferation. 1973 74

Excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a feature of human malignancy and is often triggered by activation of oncogenes such as activated Ras. ROS act as second messengers and can influence a variety of cellular process including growth factor responses and cell survival. We have examined the contribution of ROS production to the effects of N-Ras(G12D) and H-Ras(G12V) on normal human CD34(+) progenitor cells. Activated Ras strongly up-regulated the production of both superoxide and hydrogen peroxide through the stimulation of NADPH oxidase (NOX) activity, without affecting the expression of endogenous antioxidants or the production of mitochondrially derived ROS. Activated Ras also promoted both the survival and the growth factor-independent proliferation of CD34(+) cells. Using oxidase inhibitors and antioxidants, we found that excessive ROS production by these cells did not contribute to their enhanced survival; rather, ROS promoted their growth factor-independent proliferation. Although Ras-induced ROS production specifically activated the p38(MAPK) oxidative stress response, this failed to induce expression of the cell-cycle inhibitor, p16(INK4A); instead, ROS promoted the expression of D cyclins. These data are the first to show that excessive ROS production in the context of oncogene activation can promote proliferative responses in normal human hematopoietic progenitor cells.
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PMID:Ras-induced reactive oxygen species promote growth factor-independent proliferation in human CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells. 2000 4


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