Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.11.27 (AMPK)
 6,299 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The role of c-Kit in the development of melanoma was studied in line 304/B6 of RET-transgenic mice, in which melanoma spontaneously develops. In Wv/Wv-RET (304/B6)-transgenic mice, in which c-Kit function was severely impaired, development of melanoma was strongly suppressed. Although 31 of the 44 original RET-transgenic mice died of rapidly growing melanoma within 12 months after birth, only 8 of the 44 Wv/Wv-RET-transgenic mice developed slowly growing melanocytic tumors with a greatly prolonged mean tumor-free period, 2 of which died of melanoma at a late stage. Even Wv/+-RET-transgenic mice had a clearly prolonged tumor-free period and definitely reduced frequency (6 of 61) of tumor death within 12 months after birth. Melanin production in the skin of these mice was not strongly impaired, suggesting that c-Kit affects the development of melanomas in these mice with only minor effects in melanin production. c-Kit expression in skin soon after birth was promoted in RET-transgenic mice, and c-Kit was expressed at high levels at the benign but not malignant stage of the tumor. A single injection of anti-c-Kit antibody (ACK2) into RET-transgenic mice soon after birth caused a surprisingly long-lasting suppression of development of melanoma, greatly prolonging the tumor-free period, and none of the 28 ACK2-treated RET-transgenic mice died from tumors at 12 months of age. The c-Kit function needed for melanin production was also suppressed for an unusually long time in ACK2-treated, RET-transgenic mice. These results suggest that c-Kit can be a unique target molecule for melanoma treatment.
Cancer Res 2004 Feb 01
PMID:c-Kit-targeting immunotherapy for hereditary melanoma in a mouse model. 1487 2

A novel member of the human AMPK family, ARK5, was recently discovered to be a key molecule in mediating cancer cell migration activity in human pancreas cancer cell line PANC-1, and its activation was found to be induced by Akt-dependent phosphorylation at Ser 600. DNA array analysis with 241 paired cDNAs from 13 different types of tumors and corresponding normal tissues derived from cancer patients revealed ARK5 overexpression in the samples of colorectal cancer. ARK5 expression was measured and an in vitro invasion assay was performed in six human colorectal cancer cell lines, WiDr, HCT-15, DLD-1, SW620, LoVo, and SW480, and since high invasion activity was concordant with higher ARK5 expression, ARK5 expression was examined in relation to tumor progression and metastatic activity in clinical samples. In 56 clinical samples of primary colorectal cancers and their liver metastases, higher ARK5 expression was observed in the samples from more advanced cases, and much higher expression was observed in the liver metastases. In situ hybridization analysis showed ARK5 overexpression in tumor cells. Based on these findings, we propose that ARK5 overexpression is involved in tumor progression of colon cancer clinically.
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PMID:ARK5 expression in colorectal cancer and its implications for tumor progression. 1498 52

The LKB1 tumor suppressor protein controls the activity of the TSC1/TSC2 tumor suppressor complex. Mutations in LKB1 cause Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS), and mutations in either TSC1 or TSC2 cause tuberous sclerosis complex--two syndromes characterized by the development of hamartomas. LKB1 activation by energy deprivation activates AMPK, which in turn phosphorylates and activates TSC2. TSC2 activation results in the inactivation of mTOR, a critical regulator of protein translation. How mTOR dysregulation after inactivation of LKB1 or TSC1/2 contributes to hamartoma development is not known. However, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and VEGF are regulated by mTOR and are likely to play a contributory role.
Cancer Cell 2004 Jul
PMID:Dysregulation of HIF and VEGF is a unifying feature of the familial hamartoma syndromes. 1526 Nov 37

We recently identified a novel human AMPK family member, ARK5, and discovered that is a major factor in Akt-dependent cancer cell survival and migration activity through activation of MT1-MMPs in vitro. The mRNA expression of other AMPK family members and ARK5 was measured using RT-PCR in human colorectal carcinoma cell lines DLD-1, WiDr, HCT-15, SW620, LoVo, SW480, and mRNA expression of AMPK-alpha1, SNARK, MELK and ARK5, but not AMPK-alpha2, was detected in every line. Quantitative-PCR (Q-PCR) to estimate the amount of ARK5 mRNA expression in the cell lines showed that there is a variety of ARK5 expressions among the cell lines and high expression was observed in a cell line derived from the metastatic lesion, LoVo. To determine the effect of ARK5 overexpression on metastasis in vivo, we established human pancreas cancer cell line PANC-1 stably transfected with ARK5 full-length expression vector (P/ARK) and DLD-1 stably transfected with the same vector (D/ARK). Migration assay showed a remarkable increase in the activity both in P/ARK and D/ARK, and an in vivo metastasis assay showed a marked increase of P/ARK in liver metastasis. Based on these observations, it is suggested that ARK5 expression is involved in cancer invasion and metastasis.
J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2004 Jun
PMID:Strong association of ARK5 with tumor invasion and metastasis. 1535 11

Mutations in the LKB1 tumour suppressor threonine kinase cause the inherited Peutz-Jeghers cancer syndrome and are also observed in some sporadic cancers. Recent work indicates that LKB1 exerts effects on metabolism, polarity and proliferation by phosphorylating and activating protein kinases belonging to the AMPK subfamily. In vivo, LKB1 forms a complex with STRAD, an inactive pseudokinase, and MO25, an armadillo repeat scaffolding-like protein. Binding of LKB1 to STRAD-MO25 activates LKB1 and re-localises it from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. To learn more about the inherent properties of the LKB1-STRAD-MO25 complex, we first investigated the activity of 34 point mutants of LKB1 found in human cancers and their ability to interact with STRAD and MO25. Interestingly, 12 of these mutants failed to interact with STRAD-MO25. Performing mutagenesis analysis, we defined two binding sites located on opposite surfaces of MO25alpha, which are required for the assembly of MO25alpha into a complex with STRADalpha and LKB1. In addition, we demonstrate that LKB1 does not require phosphorylation of its own T-loop to be activated by STRADalpha-MO25alpha, and discuss the possibility that this unusual mechanism of regulation arises from LKB1 functioning as an upstream kinase. Finally, we establish that STRADalpha, despite being catalytically inactive, is still capable of binding ATP with high affinity, but that this is not required for activation of LKB1. Taken together, our findings reinforce the functional importance of the binding of LKB1 to STRAD, and provide a greater understanding of the mechanism by which LKB1 is regulated and activated through its interaction with STRAD and MO25.
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PMID:Analysis of the LKB1-STRAD-MO25 complex. 1556 63

The study of hereditary tumor syndromes has laid a solid foundation toward understanding the genetic basis of cancer. One of the latest examples comes from the study of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). As a member of the phakomatoses, TSC is characterized by the appearance of benign tumors, most notably in the central nervous system, kidney, heart, lung, and skin. While classically described as "hamartomas," the pathology of the lesions has features suggestive of abnormal cellular proliferation, size, differentiation, and migration. Occasionally, tumors progress to become malignant (i.e., renal cell carcinoma). The genetic basis of this disease has been attributed to mutations in one of two unlinked genes, TSC1 and TSC2. Cells undergo bi-allelic inactivation of either gene to give rise to tumors in a classic tumor suppressor "two-hit" paradigm. The functions of the TSC1 and TSC2 gene products, hamartin and tuberin, respectively, have remained ill defined until recently. Genetic, biochemical, and biologic analyses have highlighted their role as negative regulators of the mTOR signaling pathway. Tuberin, serving as a substrate of AKT and AMPK, mediates mTOR activity by coordinating inputs from growth factors and energy availability in the control of cell growth, proliferation, and survival. Emerging evidence also suggests that the TSC 1/2 complex may play a role in modulating the activity of beta-catenin and TGFbeta. These findings provide novel functional links between the TSC genes and other tumor suppressors responsible for Cowden's disease (PTEN), Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (LKB1), and familial polyposis (APC). Common sporadic cancers such as prostate, lung, colon, endometrium, and breast have ties to these genes, highlighting the potential role of the TSC proteins in human cancers. Rapamycin, a specific mTOR inhibitor, has potent antitumoral activities in preclinical models of TSC and is currently undergoing phase I/II clinical studies.
Cancer Invest 2004
PMID:The tuberous sclerosis complex genes in tumor development. 1556 17

Activation of the oncogenic kinase Akt stimulates glucose uptake and metabolism in cancer cells and renders these cells susceptible to death in response to glucose withdrawal. Here we show that 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR) reverses the sensitivity of Akt-expressing glioblastoma cells to glucose deprivation. AICAR's protection depends on the activation of AMPK, as expression of a dominant-negative form of AMPK abolished this effect. AMPK is a cellular energy sensor whose activation can both block anabolic pathways such as protein synthesis and activate catabolic reactions such as fatty acid oxidation to maintain cellular bioenergetics. While rapamycin treatment mimicked the effect of AICAR on inhibiting markers of cap-dependent translation, it failed to protect Akt-expressing cells from death upon glucose withdrawal. Compared to control cells, Akt-expressing cells were impaired in the ability to induce fatty acid oxidation in response to glucose deprivation unless stimulated with AICAR. Stimulation of fatty acid oxidation was sufficient to maintain cell survival as activation of fatty acid oxidation with bezafibrate also protected Akt-expressing cells from glucose withdrawal-induced death. Conversely, treatment with a CPT-1 inhibitor to block fatty acid import into mitochondria prevented AICAR from stimulating fatty acid oxidation and promoting cell survival in the absence of glucose. Finally, cell survival did not require reversal of Akt's effects on either protein translation or lipid synthesis as the addition of the cell penetrant oxidizable substrate methyl-pyruvate was sufficient to maintain survival of Akt-expressing cells deprived of glucose. Together, these data suggest that activation of Akt blocks the ability of cancer cells to metabolize nonglycolytic bioenergetic substrates, leading to glucose addiction.
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PMID:The glucose dependence of Akt-transformed cells can be reversed by pharmacologic activation of fatty acid beta-oxidation. 1580 54

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is one of the widely used chemotherapeutic drugs targeting various cancers, but its chemo-resistance remains as a major obstacle in clinical settings. In the present study, HT-29 colon cancer cells were markedly sensitized to apoptosis by both 5-FU and genistein compared to the 5-FU treatment alone. There is an emerging evidence that genistein, soy-derived phytoestrogen, may have potential as a chemotherapeutic agent capable of inducing apoptosis or suppressing tumor promoting proteins such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). However, the precise mechanism of cellular cytotoxicity of genistein is not known. The present study focused on the correlation of AMPK and COX-2 in combined cytotoxicity of 5-FU and genistein, since AMPK is known as a primary cellular homeostasis regulator and a possible target molecule of cancer treatment, and COX-2 as cell proliferation and anti-apoptotic molecule. Our results demonstrated that the combination of 5-FU and genistein abolished the up-regulated state of COX-2 and prostaglandin secretion caused by 5-FU treatment in HT-29 colon cancer cells. These appear to be followed by the specific activation of AMPK and the up-regulation of p53, p21, and Bax by genistein. Under same conditions, the induction of Glut-1 by 5-FU was diminished by the combination treatment with 5-FU and genistein. Furthermore, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) was found as an upstream signal for AMPK activation by genistein. These results suggested that the combination of 5-FU and genistein exert a novel chemotherapeutic effect in colon cancers, and AMPK may be a novel regulatory molecule of COX-2 expression, further implying its involvement in cytotoxicity caused by genistein.
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PMID:Combination of 5-fluorouracil and genistein induces apoptosis synergistically in chemo-resistant cancer cells through the modulation of AMPK and COX-2 signaling pathways. 1589 11

The mammalian TOR (mTOR) pathway is a key regulator of cell growth and proliferation and increasing evidence suggests that its deregulation is associated with human diseases, including cancer and diabetes. The mTOR pathway integrates signals from nutrients, energy status and growth factors to regulate many processes, including autophagy, ribosome biogenesis and metabolism. Recent work identifying two structurally and functionally distinct mTOR-containing multiprotein complexes and TSC1/2, rheb, and AMPK as upstream regulators of mTOR is beginning to reveal how mTOR can sense diverse signals and produce a myriad of responses.
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PMID:Growing roles for the mTOR pathway. 1622 44

Recent work indicates that the LKB1 tumour suppressor protein kinase, which is mutated in Peutz-Jeghers cancer syndrome, phosphorylates and activates a group of protein kinases that are related to AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase). Ten of the 14 AMPK-related protein kinases activated by LKB1, including SIK (salt-induced kinase), MARK (microtubule-affinity-regulating kinase) and BRSK (brain-specific kinase) isoforms, possess a ubiquitin-associated (UBA) domain immediately C-terminal to the kinase catalytic domain. These are the only protein kinases in the human genome known to possess a UBA domain, but their roles in regulating AMPK-related kinases are unknown. We have investigated the roles that the UBA domain may play in regulating these enzymes. Limited proteolysis of MARK2 revealed that the kinase and UBA domains were contained within a fragment that was resistant to trypsin proteolysis. SAXS (small-angle X-ray scattering) analysis of inactive and active LKB1-phosphorylated MARK2 revealed that activation of MARK2 is accompanied by a significant conformational change that alters the orientation of the UBA domain with respect to the catalytic domain. Our results indicate that none of the UBA domains found in AMPK-related kinases interact with polyubiquitin or other ubiquitin-like molecules. Instead, the UBA domains appear to play an essential conformational role and are required for the LKB1-mediated phosphorylation and activation of AMPK-related kinases. This is based on the findings that mutation or removal of the UBA domains of several AMPK-related kinases, including isoforms of MARK, SIK and BRSK, markedly impaired the catalytic activity and LKB1-mediated phosphorylation of these enzymes. We also provide evidence that the UBA domains do not function as LKB1-STRAD (STE20-related adaptor)-MO25 (mouse protein 25) docking/interacting sites and that mutations in the UBA domain of SIK suppressed the ability of SIK to localize within punctate regions of the nucleus. Taken together, these findings suggest that the UBA domains of AMPK-related kinases play an important role in regulating the conformation, activation and localization of these enzymes.
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PMID:The ubiquitin-associated domain of AMPK-related kinases regulates conformation and LKB1-mediated phosphorylation and activation. 1649 40


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