Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.11.25 (MEKK1)
 1,856 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The serine-threonine protein kinase Raf-1 is an important signal transducer in mitogenesis, phosphorylating and activating mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase. Raf-1 activation in vivo is dependent on Ras, but the mechanism of Raf activation is unknown. The ability of preparations of plasma membranes to activate exogenous (His)6-Raf-1 was studied. Plasma membranes of v-Ras-transformed NIH 3T3 cells, but not parental cells, enhanced MAP kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) activity dependent on addition of (His)6-Raf-1 and ATP/Mg. Treatment of membranes with concentrations of Bacillus cereus phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C that activated Raf-1 in vivo failed to enhance MAPKKK activity in vitro. Activation of (His)6-Raf-1 in vitro by membranes was dependent on binding to Ras. Membranes from v-Src-transformed cells also activated (His)6-Raf-1 and synergized with v-Ras membranes. Serum-treatment of NIH 3T3 cells stimulated the ability of membranes to activate (His)6-Raf-1. Activated (His)6-Raf-1 could be recovered on Ni(2+)-agarose, and this methodology was used to demonstrate that activation by membranes was ATP dependent. These findings demonstrate Ras- and ATP-dependent step(s) for Raf-1 activation by plasma membranes in vitro.
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PMID:Activation of (His)6-Raf-1 in vitro by partially purified plasma membranes from v-Ras-transformed and serum-stimulated fibroblasts. 793 2

Mitogen-activated/extracellular response kinase kinase (MEK) kinase (MEKK) is a serine-threonine kinase that regulates sequential protein phosphorylation pathways, leading to the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), including members of the Jun kinase (JNK)/stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) family. In Swiss 3T3 and REF52 fibroblasts, activated MEKK induces cell death involving cytoplasmic shrinkage, nuclear condensation, and DNA fragmentation characteristic of apoptosis. Expression of activated MEKK enhanced the apoptotic response to ultraviolet irradiation, indicating that MEKK-regulated pathways sensitize cells to apoptotic stimuli. Inducible expression of activated MEKK stimulated the transactivation of c-Myc and Elk-1. Activated Raf, the serine-threonine protein kinase that activates the ERK members of the MAPK family, stimulated Elk-1 transactivation but not c-Myc; expression of activated Raf does not induce any of the cellular changes associated with MEKK-mediated cell death. Thus, MEKK selectively regulates signal transduction pathways that contribute to the apoptotic response.
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PMID:Signal transduction pathways regulated by mitogen-activated/extracellular response kinase kinase kinase induce cell death. 862 25

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are activated through the kinase cascades of MAPK, MAPK kinase (MAPKK) and MAPKK kinase (MAPKKK). MAPKKKs phosphorylate and activate their downstream MAPKKs, which in turn phosphorylate and activate their downstream MAPKs. MAPKKK proteins relay upstream signals through the MAPK cascades to induce cellular responses. However, the molecular mechanisms by which given MAPKKKs are regulated remain largely unknown. Here, we found that serine-threonine protein kinase 38, STK38, physically interacts with the MAPKKKs MEKK1 and MEKK2 (MEKK1/2). The carboxy terminus, including the catalytic domain, but not the amino terminus of MEKK1/2 was necessary for the interaction with STK38. STK38 inhibited MEKK1/2 activation without preventing MEKK1/2 binding to its substrate, SEK1. Importantly, STK38 suppressed the autophosphorylation of MEKK2 without interfering with MEKK2 dimer formation, and converted MEKK2 from its phosphorylated to its nonphosphorylated form. The negative regulation of MEKK1/2 was not due to its phosphorylation by STK38. On the other hand, stk38 short hairpin RNA enhanced sorbitol-induced activation of MEKK2 and phosphorylation of the downstream MAPKKs, MKK3/6. Taken together, our results indicate that STK38 negatively regulates the activation of MEKK1/2 by direct interaction with the catalytic domain of MEKK1/2, suggesting a novel mechanism of MEKK1/2 regulation.
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PMID:Negative regulation of MEKK1/2 signaling by serine-threonine kinase 38 (STK38). 1790 93