Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.11.26 (GSK)
 6,788 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), the mammalian equivalent of bombesin (BBS), is an autocrine growth factor for neuroblastoma; its receptor is up-regulated in undifferentiated neuroblastomas. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) is a critical cell survival pathway; it is negatively regulated by the PTEN tumor suppressor gene. We have recently found that poorly differentiated neuroblastomas express decreased PTEN protein levels. Moreover, overexpression of the GRP receptor, a member of the G-protein coupled receptor family, down-regulates PTEN expression, resulting in increased neuroblastoma cell growth. Therefore, we sought to determine whether GRP or BBS activates PI3K in neuroblastoma cells (BE(2)-C, LAN-1, SK-N-SH). GRP or BBS treatment rapidly increased phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3beta in neuroblastoma cells. Inhibition of GRP receptor, with antagonist GRP-H2756 or siRNA, attenuated BBS-induced phosphorylation of Akt. LY294002, a PI3K inhibitor, also abrogated BBS-stimulated phospho-Akt as well as its cell cycle targets. GRP increased G1/S phase progression in SK-N-SH cells. BBS-mediated BrdU incorporation was blocked by LY294002. Our findings identify PI3K as an important signaling pathway for GRP-mediated neuroblastoma cell growth. A novel therapy targeted at GRP/GRP receptor may prove to be an effective treatment option to inhibit PI3K in neuroblastomas.
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PMID:Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulation of gastrin-releasing peptide-induced cell cycle progression in neuroblastoma cells. 1737 15

Inositol phospholipids phosphorylated on D3-position of their inositol rings (3-phosphoinositides) are known to play important roles in various cellular events. Activation of PI (phosphatidylinositol) 3-kinase is essential for aspects of insulin-induced glucose metabolism, including translocation of GLUT4 to the cell surface and glycogen synthesis. The enzyme exists as a heterodimer containing a regulatory subunit and one of two widely-distributed isoforms of the p110 catalytic subunit: p110alpha or p110beta. Activation of PI 3-kinase and its downstream AKT has been demonstrated to be essential for almost all of the insulin-induced glucose and lipid metabolism such as glucose uptake, glycogen synthesis, suppression of glucose output and triglyceride synthesis as well as insulin-induced mitogenesis. Accumulated PI(3,4,5)P(3) activates several serine/threonine kinases containing a PH (pleckstrin homology) domain, including Akt, atypical PKCs, p70S6 kinase and GSK. In the obesity-induced insulin resistant condition, JNK and p70S6K are activated and phosphorylate IRS-proteins, which diminishes the insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-proteins and thereby impairs the PI 3-kinase/AKT activations. Thus, the drugs which restore the impaired insulin-induced PI 3-kinase/AKT activation, for example, by suppressing JNK or p70S6K, PTEN or SHIP2, could be novel agents to treat diabetes mellitus.
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PMID:Role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activation on insulin action and its alteration in diabetic conditions. 1782 8

Prostate cancer is initially dependent on androgens for growth; hence, recurrent prostate is treated with androgen ablation which may result in progression to androgen independence characterized by a resistance to such therapy. Androgens bind to and activate the androgen receptor (AR), a member of the nuclear steroid receptor family of transcription factors, which regulates prostate cancer cell proliferation and survival in androgen-independent, as well as -dependent, tumors. Another pathway regulating proliferation and survival is the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. Here we analyze reports in the literature indicating that these two pathways cooperate to regulate prostate tumor development and progression. Studies show that AR transcriptional activity and expression are regulated by Akt. In addition, androgens regulate the Akt pathway by both genomic and non-genomic effects. This explains why prostate tumors subjected to androgen ablation experience an increase in Akt phosphorylation, and suggest that the tumor compensates for the loss of one pathway with another. Different modes of interaction between the two pathways, including direct interaction, or regulation via downstream intermediates, such as the wnt/GSK-3beta/beta-catenin pathway, NF-kappaB, and the FOXO family of transcription factors, will be discussed. In addition, we will discuss the role of Akt in the interaction of the AR with upstream regulators of Akt phosphorylation, such as receptor tyrosine kinases of the EGF and IGF-1 receptor families and the tumor suppressor PTEN.
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PMID:Cross-talk between the androgen receptor and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway in prostate cancer. 1789 24

The Akt pathway is one of the most common molecular alterations in various human malignancies. However, its involvement in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tumorigenesis has not been well established. In this study, the status of Akt activation and expression of its upstream and downstream molecules was investigated in 64 NPC and 38 non-malignant nasopharyngeal tissues by immunohistochemistry. The hotspot mutations of PIK3CA, encoding the p110alpha catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), were also determined in 25 of these NPC tissues. No hotspot mutations were found in any of the samples tested. Akt was activated in 27 (42.2%) and 23 (35.9%) NPCs, as indicated by p-Akt (Thr308) and p-Akt (Ser473) immunoreactivity, respectively. PTEN loss did not correlate statistically with activated Akt. However, a positive correlation was observed between activated Akt and phospho-epidermal growth factor receptor (p-EGFR), suggesting that the EGFR signaling might be one of the upstream regulators of the Akt pathway. The phosphorylation of forkhead (FKHR) and Bcl-2 associated death domain (BAD), but not mammalian target of rapamycin and glycogen synthase kinase-3beta, was significantly correlated with Akt activation. This implies that Akt promotes cell proliferation (as estimated by Ki-67) and survival, at least, through the inactivation of FKHR and BAD in NPC. Our data revealed that the EGFR/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is important in NPC pathogenesis and that PIK3CA hotspot mutations are rare in NPC.
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PMID:Overexpression of phospho-Akt correlates with phosphorylation of EGF receptor, FKHR and BAD in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. 1820 77

Functional characterization of signaling pathways that critically control mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) cell growth and survival is relevant to designing new therapies for this lymphoma. We herein demonstrate that the constitutive activation of Akt correlates with the expression of the phosphorylated, inactive form of PTEN. Phosphatidyl-inositol-3 kinase (PI3-K)/Akt or mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibition decreased the growth of both primary MCL cultures and established cell lines and antagonizes the growth-promoting activity of CD40 triggering and IL-4. These effects are mediated by nuclear accumulation of the p27(Kip1) inhibitor induced by down-regulation of the p45(Skp2) and Cks1 proteins, which target p27(Kip1) for degradation. Moreover, Akt inhibition down-regulated cyclin D1 by promoting its proteasome-dependent degradation driven by GSK-3. Intriguingly, mTOR inhibition affected cyclin D1 proteolysis only in MCL cells in which GSK-3 is under the direct control of mTOR, suggesting that different MCL subsets could be differently responsive to mTOR inhibition. Finally, PI3-K/Akt inhibitors, but not rapamycin, induced variable levels of caspase-dependent apoptosis and reduced telomerase activity. These results indicate that Akt and mTOR activation have distinct functional relevance in MCL and suggest that targeting Akt may result in more effective therapeutic effects compared with mTOR inhibition.
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PMID:Distinct functional significance of Akt and mTOR constitutive activation in mantle cell lymphoma. 1833 99

In human hearts, the transition from cardiac hypertrophy to advanced heart failure (HF) is accompanied by a tremendous increase in Akt phosphorylation. In non-myocardial tissue, the cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor celecoxib has been shown to COX-independently inhibit Akt signalling. We studied the effects of celecoxib on Akt signalling and hypertrophic response in myocardium. In rabbit isolated cardiac myocytes celecoxib concentration-dependently (10-100 micromol/L) inhibited the insulin-induced increase in phosphorylation of Akt and its downstream targets, GSK-3beta and p70 S6 kinase, by reducing the phosphorylation level of the upstream regulator PTEN. Inhibition of Akt signalling was accompanied by a significant suppression of characteristic features of cardiac hypertrophy: Celecoxib concentration-dependently suppressed the agonist-induced enhancement of total protein synthesis and BNP mRNA expression. In mice (C57BL/6NCrl) subjected to left ventricular (LV) pressure overload by aortic banding, celecoxib treatment (50mg x kg-1 x d-1) significantly attenuated LV dilation and contractile dysfunction compared with placebo-treated mice. Moreover, celecoxib significantly reduced mortality 8 weeks after banding. Thus, celecoxib can be used to titrate Akt signalling and hypertrophic response in myocardium. It reduces load-induced LV dilation, contractile dysfunction and mortality in vivo. This may have clinical implications for the prevention and treatment of maladaptive hypertrophy and its progression to HF in humans.
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PMID:Celecoxib modulates hypertrophic signalling and prevents load-induced cardiac dysfunction. 1834 21

The molecular pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN), the leading cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide, is complex and not fully understood. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta1) plays a critical role in many fibrotic disorders, including DN. In this study, we report protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) activation as a downstream event contributing to the pathophysiology of DN. We investigated the potential of PKB/Akt to mediate the profibrotic bioactions of TGF-beta1 in kidney. Treatment of normal rat kidney epithelial cells (NRK52E) with TGF-beta1 resulted in activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and PKB/Akt as evidenced by increased Ser473 phosphorylation and GSK-3beta phosphorylation. TGF-beta1 also stimulated increased Smad3 phosphorylation in these cells, a response that was insensitive to inhibition of PI3K or PKB/Akt. NRK52E cells displayed a loss of zona occludins 1 and E-cadherin and a gain in vimentin and alpha-smooth muscle actin expression, consistent with the fibrotic actions of TGF-beta1. These effects were blocked with inhibitors of PI3K and PKB/Akt. Furthermore, overexpression of PTEN, the lipid phosphatase regulator of PKB/Akt activation, inhibited TGF-beta1-induced PKB/Akt activation. Interestingly, in the Goto-Kakizaki rat model of type 2 diabetes, we also detected increased phosphorylation of PKB/Akt and its downstream target, GSK-3beta, in the tubules, relative to that in control Wistar rats. Elevated Smad3 phosphorylation was also detected in kidney extracts from Goto-Kakizaki rats with chronic diabetes. Together, these data suggest that TGF-beta1-mediated PKB/Akt activation may be important in renal fibrosis during diabetic nephropathy.
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PMID:Protein kinase B/Akt activity is involved in renal TGF-beta1-driven epithelial-mesenchymal transition in vitro and in vivo. 1849 98

Accumulation of the neurotoxic amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) in the brain is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several synthetic Abeta peptides have been used to study the mechanisms of toxicity. Here, we sought to establish comparability between two commonly used Abeta peptides Abeta1-42 and Abeta25-35 on an in vitro model of Abeta toxicity. For this purpose we used organotypic slice cultures of rat hippocampus and observed that both Abeta peptides caused similar toxic effects regarding to propidium iodide uptake and caspase-3 activation. In addition, we also did not observe any effect of both peptides on Akt and PTEN phosphorylation; otherwise the phosphorylation of GSK-3beta was increased. Although further studies are necessary for understanding mechanisms underlying Abeta peptide toxicity, our results provide strong evidence that Abeta1-42 and the Abeta25-35 peptides induce neural injury in a similar pattern and that Abeta25-35 is a convenient tool for the investigation of neurotoxic mechanisms involved in AD.
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PMID:A comparative study of beta-amyloid peptides Abeta1-42 and Abeta25-35 toxicity in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures. 1868 32

Metastasis is responsible for 90% of cancer patient deaths. More information is needed about the molecular basis for its potential detection and treatment. The activated AKT kinase is necessary for many events of the metastatic pathway including escape of cells from the tumor's environment, into and then out of the circulation, activation of proliferation, blockage of apoptosis, and activation of angiogenesis. A series of steps leading to metastatic properties can be initiated upon activation of AKT by phosphorylation on Ser-473. These findings lead to the question of how this activation is connected to metastasis. Activated AKT phosphorylates GSK-3beta causing its proteolytic removal. This increases stability of the negative transcription factor SNAIL, thereby decreasing transcription of the transmembrane protein E-cadherin that forms adhesions between adjacent cells, thereby permitting their detachment. How is AKT hyperactivated in metastatic cells? Increased PI3K or TORC2 kinase activity- or decreased PHLPP phosphatase could be responsible. Furthermore, a positive feedback mechanism is that the decrease of E-cadherin lowers PTEN and thereby increases PIP3, further activating AKT and metastasis.
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PMID:Metastasis and AKT activation. 1881 26

Alveolar macrophages represent critical effector cells of innate immunity to infectious challenge in the lungs and recognize bacterial pathogens through pattern recognition receptors such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) regulates TLR-mediated cytokine release, but whether HIV infection influences PI3K signaling pathway and alters TLR4-mediated macrophage response has not been investigated. In the current study, surface TLR4 expression were similar but TLR4 activation (lipid A, 10 microg/ml) resulted in lower TNF-alpha release by HIV+ human macrophages compared with healthy cells. Pharmacological inhibition of PI3K (LY294002) normalized TNF-alpha release in HIV+ macrophages and augments ERK1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation in response to lipid A. Importantly, HIV+ macrophages demonstrated increased constitutive phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate formation, increased phosphorylation of downstream signaling molecules Akt and glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) at Ser9, and reduced PTEN protein expression. As a functional assessment of GSK-3beta phosphorylation, TLR4-mediated interleukin-10 release was significantly higher in HIV+ human macrophages compared with healthy cells. Incubation of human macrophages with exogenous HIV Nef protein induced phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3beta (whereas phosphorylation was reduced by PI3K inhibition) and promoted interleukin-10 release. Taken together, these data demonstrate increased constitutive activation of the PI3K signaling pathway in HIV+ macrophages and support the concept that PI3K activation (by HIV proteins such as Nef) may contribute to reduced TLR4-mediated TNF-alpha release in HIV+ human macrophages and impair host cell response to infectious challenge.
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PMID:Constitutive activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling pathway down-regulates TLR4-mediated tumor necrosis factor-alpha release in alveolar macrophages from asymptomatic HIV-positive persons in vitro. 1882 50


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