Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.12.2 (MEK)
 18,161 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) stimulates lipolysis in human adipocytes. However, the mechanisms regulating this process are largely unknown. We demonstrate that TNF-alpha increases lipolysis in differentiated human adipocytes by activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK), extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK), and elevation of intracellular cAMP. TNF-alpha activated ERK and increased lipolysis; these effects were inhibited by two specific MEK inhibitors, PD98059 and U0126. TNF-alpha treatment caused an electrophoretic shift of perilipin from 65 to 67 kDa, consistent with perilipin hyperphosphorylation by activated cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA). Coincubation with TNF-alpha and MEK inhibitors caused perilipin to migrate as a single 65-kDa band. Consistent with the hypothesis that TNF-alpha induces perilipin hyperphosphorylation by activating PKA, TNF-alpha increased intracellular cAMP approximately 1.7-fold, and the increase was abrogated by PD98059. Furthermore, H89, a specific PKA inhibitor, blocked TNF-alpha-induced lipolysis and the electrophoretic shift of perilipin, suggesting a role for PKA in TNF-alpha-induced lipolysis. Finally, TNF-alpha decreased the expression of cyclic-nucleotide phosphodiesterase 3B (PDE3B) by approximately 50%, delineating a mechanism by which TNF-alpha could increase intracellular cAMP. Cotreatment with PD98059 restored PDE3B expression. These studies suggest that in human adipocytes, TNF-alpha stimulates lipolysis through activation of MEK-ERK and subsequent increase in intracellular cAMP.
Diabetes 2002 Oct
PMID:Tumor necrosis factor-alpha stimulates lipolysis in differentiated human adipocytes through activation of extracellular signal-related kinase and elevation of intracellular cAMP. 1235 29

MAP (mitogen-activated protein) kinase (also called Erk 1/2) plays a crucial role in cell proliferation and differentiation. Its impact on secretory events is less well established. The interplay of protein kinase C (PKC), PI3-kinase and cellular tyrosine kinase with MAP kinase activity using inhibitors and compounds such as glucose, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and agonists of G-protein coupled receptors like gastrin releasing peptide (GRP), oxytocin (OT) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) was investigated in INS-1 cells, an insulin secreting cell line. MAP kinase activity was determined by using a peptide derived from the EGF receptor as a MAP kinase substrate and [32P]ATP. Glucose as well as GRP, OT and GIP exhibited a time-dependent increase in MAP kinase activity with a maximum at time point 2.5 min. All further experiments were performed using 2.5 min incubations. The flavone PD 098059 is known to bind to the inactive forms of MEK1 (MAPK/ERK-Kinase) thus preventing activation by upstream activators. 20 microM PD 098059 (IC50 = 5 microM) inhibited MAP kinase stimulated by either glucose, GRP, OT, GIP or PMA. Inhibiton ("downregulation") of PKC by a long term (22 h) pretreatment with 1 microM PMA did not influence MAP kinase activity when augmented by either of the above mentioned compound. To investigate whether PI3-kinase and cellular tyrosine kinase are involved in G-protein mediated effects on MAP kinase, inhibitors were used: 100 nM wortmannin (PI3-kinase inhibitor) reduced the effects of GRP, OT and GIP but not that of PMA; 100 microM genistein (tyrosine kinase inhibitor) inhibited the stimulatory effect of either above mentioned compound on MAP kinase activation. Inhibition of MAP kinase by 20 microM PD 098059 did not influence insulin secretion modulated by either compound (glucose, GRP, OT or GIP). [3H]Thymidine incorporation, however, was severely inhibited by PD 098059. Thus MAP kinase is important for INS-1 cell proliferation but not for its insulin secretory response with respect to major initiators and modulators of insulin release. The data indicate that MAP kinase is active and under the control of MAP kinase. PKC is upstream of a genistein-sensitive tyrosine kinase and probably downstream of a PI3-kinase in INS-1 cells.
Int J Exp Diabetes Res 2001
PMID:Role of protein kinase C, PI3-kinase and tyrosine kinase in activation of MAP kinase by glucose and agonists of G-protein coupled receptors in INS-1 cells. 1236 12

Changes in glucose metabolism during diabetes are linked to an increased risk for the development of cancer. Increased activity of aldose reductase, the rate-limiting polyol pathway enzyme that converts glucose into sorbitol, mediates pathologies associated with diabetes and is thought to be involved in increased resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. Thus, increased intracellular sorbitol levels may serve a protective function in cancer cells. In these studies we determined whether an inhibitor of aldose reductase could enhance the effectiveness of anticancer agents. Our findings indicate that treatment with the aldose reductase inhibitor, ethyl 1-benzyl-3-hydroxy-2(5H)-oxopyrrole-4-carboxylate (EBPC), enhances the cytotoxic effects of the anticancer agents doxorubicin and cisplatin in HeLa cervical carcinoma cells. To establish a mechanistic basis for the increased cytotoxicity by EBPC, we examined the activity of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway, which is an important regulator of cell growth. Interestingly, treatment with EBPC in combination with the chemotherapeutic drugs increased ERK activity as compared to treatment with the chemotherapeutic drugs, suggesting a possible role for the ERK pathway in mediating doxorubicin- or cisplatin-induced cell death. Consistent with this possibility, inhibition of ERK activation by the MEK inhibitor, U0126, reversed the EBPC-mediated enhancement of cell death. In summary, these data provide evidence that adjuvant therapy with aldose reductase inhibitors improves the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic drugs, possibly through an ERK pathway-mediated mechanism.
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PMID:Inhibition of aldose reductase enhances HeLa cell sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs and involves activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases. 1239 72

We investigated the effects of high concentrations of glucose on plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) gene expression in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). In response to a high glucose concentration (27.5 mM), PAI-1 mRNA increased within 2 h, peaked at 4 h, remained elevated for another 4 h, then decreased to basal levels at 24 h. On the other hand, mannose at the same concentration (22.5 mM mannose plus 5.5 mM glucose) as an osmotic control had little effect on PAI-1 mRNA expression. The expression of PAI-1 mRNA that was also increased by H(2)O(2), angiotensin II, or phorbol myristate acetate, was reversed by the MAPK kinase (MEK) inhibitor PD98059 or the specific protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor GF109203X. High glucose appeared to activate MAPK and PKC in VSMC judging from Elk-1 and AP-1 activation, respectively. PD98059 inhibited and GF109203X prevented subsequent PAI-1 induction by glucose. These results suggest that glucose at high concentrations induces PAI-1 gene expression in VSMC at least partially via MAPK and PKC activation. This direct effect of glucose might have important implications for the increased plasma concentrations of PAI-1 and possibly atherosclerosis that are associated with diabetes.
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PMID:Glucose upregulates plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 gene expression in vascular smooth muscle cells. 1240 45

The purpose of the current study was to determine whether nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation is a component of the depolarization/Ca(2+)-dependent signaling in beta-cells. MIN6 cells were transfected with a plasmid containing five tandem repeats of NF-kappaB binding sites linked to a luciferase reporter. The results of these experiments showed that KCl induced depolarization-activated NF-kappaB-dependent transcription (3.8-fold at 45 mmol/l, P < 0.01) in a concentration-dependent manner. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a known inducer of NF-kappaB signaling, activated this construct by 3.4-fold (P < 0.01). The response of NF-kappaB to depolarization was inhibited by the Ca(2+)-channel blocker verapamil and by the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor PD98059 (70 and 62%, respectively). TNF-alpha, glucose, and KCl treatment resulted in inhibitory kappaBalpha degradation by Western blot analysis. TNF-alpha treatment and depolarization activation of NF-kappaB differed significantly in that TNF-alpha activation was not blocked by PD98059. Transfection with PKA, MEK, and MEK kinase induced NF-kappaB-dependent transcription by 20-, 90-, and 300-fold, respectively, suggesting that these pathways contribute to the activation in the depolarization response. These findings demonstrate that depolarization/Ca(2+) influx, as well as TNF-alpha treatment, can activate NF-kappaB-dependent transcription in pancreatic beta-cells, but by different signaling pathways. The current studies show that Ca(2+) signals in pancreatic beta-cells can activate transcription factors involved in the regulation of cell cycle and apoptosis. These findings now add NF-kappaB to the list of depolarization-induced transcription factors in pancreatic beta-cells.
Diabetes 2002 Dec
PMID:Activation of nuclear factor-kappaB by depolarization and Ca(2+) influx in MIN6 insulinoma cells. 1247 94

Accumulating evidence suggests that the pathophysiology of diabetes is analogous to chronic inflammatory states. Circulating levels of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) are increased in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. TNFalpha plays an important role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes. However, the reason for this increase remains unclear. Levels of the dicarbonyl methylglyoxal (MGO) are elevated in diabetic plasma and MGO-modified bovine serum albumin (MGO-BSA) can trigger cellular uptake of TNF. Therefore we tested the hypothesis that MGO-modified proteins may cause TNFalpha secretion in macrophage-like RAW 264.7 cells. Treatment of cells with MGO-BSA induced TNFalpha release in a dose-dependent manner. MGO-modified ribonuclease A and chicken egg ovalbumin had similar effects. Cotreatment of cells with antioxidant reagent N-acetylcysteine (NAC) inhibited MGO-BSA-induced TNFalpha secretion. MGO-BSA stimulated the simultaneous activation of p44/42 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. PD98059, a selective MEK inhibitor, inhibited MGO-BSA-induced TNFalpha release as well as ERK phosphorylation. Pretreatment of cells with NAC also resulted in inhibition of MGO-BSA-induced ERK phosphorylation. MGO-BSA induced dose-dependent NFkappaB activation as shown by electrophoresis mobility shift assay. The MGO-BSA-induced NFkappaB activation was prevented in the presence of PD98059, NAC, and parthenolide, a selective inhibitor of NFkappaB. Furthermore, the NFkappaB inhibitor parthenolide suppressed MGO-BSA-induced TNFalpha secretion. Confocal microscopy using dichlorofluorescein to demonstrate intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) showed that MGO-BSA produced more ROS compared with native BSA. MGO-BSA could also stimulate protein kinase C (PKC) translocation to the cell membrane, considered a key signaling pathway in diabetes. However, there was no evidence that PKC was involved in TNFalpha release based on inhibition by calphostin C and staurosporine. Our findings suggest that the presence of chronically elevated levels of MGO-modified bovine serum albumin may contribute to elevated levels of TNFalpha in diabetes.
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PMID:Methylglyoxal-bovine serum albumin stimulates tumor necrosis factor alpha secretion in RAW 264.7 cells through activation of mitogen-activating protein kinase, nuclear factor kappaB and intracellular reactive oxygen species formation. 1250 94

An elevated extracellular concentration of D-glucose (i.e. hyperglycaemia) inhibits cell proliferation and incorporation of the endogenous nucleoside thymidine into DNA in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Cells in their log-phase of growth (3.7 +/- 0.3 days, n = 27) incubated for 30 min with 25 mM D-glucose, but not with equimolar concentrations of L-glucose or D-mannitol, exhibited reduced [3H]thymidine incorporation and cell growth rate, with no change in cell viability (> 98 %), total DNA, protein content or cell volume. Incubation with D-glucose activated protein kinase C (PKC), endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), p42 and p44 mitogen-activated protein kinases (p42/44(mapk)), but inhibited superoxide dismutase (SOD). Incubation with D-glucose also increased cGMP and cAMP levels. The effect of D-glucose was blocked by the PKC inhibitor calphostin C, the MAP kinase kinase 1/2 (MEK1/2) inhibitor PD-98059, the eNOS inhibitor L-NAME, the protein kinase G (PKG) inhibitor KT-5823 and the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor KT-5720. In the presence of 5 mM D-glucose, [3H]thymidine incorporation and cell growth were reduced by the PKC activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl-L,D-penicillamine (SNAP), dibutyryl cGMP, dibutyryl cAMP and the Ca2+ ionophore A-23187. The effect of A-23187 was blocked by calphostin C and PD-98059. D-Glucose-dependent inhibition of thymidine incorporation and cell proliferation is associated with increased PKC, eNOS, and MEK1/2, but decreased SOD activity, and higher intracellular levels of cGMP, cAMP and Ca2+ in HUVECs. These are cellular mechanisms which may reduce endothelial cell growth in pathological conditions such as in diabetes mellitus or hyperglycaemia.
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PMID:Hyperglycaemia inhibits thymidine incorporation and cell growth via protein kinase C, mitogen-activated protein kinases and nitric oxide in human umbilical vein endothelium. 1262 26

Glucose can activate the mitogen-activated kinases, Erk-1/2, and the ribosomal-S6 kinase, p70(S6K), in beta-cells, contributing to an increase in mitogenesis. However, the signaling mechanism by which glucose induces Erk-1/2 and p70(S6K) phosphorylation activation is undefined. Increased glucose metabolism increases [Ca(2+)](i) and [cAMP], and it was investigated if these secondary signals were linked to glucose-induced Erk-1/2 and p70(S6K) activation in pancreatic beta-cells. Blocking Ca(2+) influx with verapamil, or inhibiting protein kinase A (PKA) with H89, prevented glucose-induced Erk-1/2 phosphorylation. Increasing cAMP levels by GLP-1 potentiated glucose-induced Erk-1/2 phosphorylation via PKA activation. Elevation of [Ca(2+)](i) by glyburide potentiated Erk-1/2 phosphorylation, which was also inhibited by H89, suggesting increased [Ca(2+)](i) preceded PKA for glucose-induced Erk-1/2 activation. Adenoviral-mediated expression of dominant negative Ras in INS-1 cells decreased IGF-1-induced Erk-1/2 phosphorylation but had no effect on that by glucose. Collectively, our study indicates that a glucose-induced rise in [Ca(2+)](i) leads to cAMP-induced activation of PKA that acts downstream of Ras and upstream of the MAP/Erk kinase, MEK, to mediate Erk-1/2 phosphorylation via phosphorylation activation of Raf-1. In contrast, glucose-induced p70(S6K) activation, in the same beta-cells, was mediated by a distinct signaling pathway independent of Ca(2+)/cAMP, most likely via mTOR-kinase acting as an "ATP-sensor."
Diabetes 2003 Apr
PMID:Differential activation mechanisms of Erk-1/2 and p70(S6K) by glucose in pancreatic beta-cells. 1266 69

We have investigated the effects of two heat shock proteins, Hsp10 and Hsp60, on insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) signaling in cardiac muscle cells. Neonatal cardiomyocytes were transduced with Hsp10 or Hsp60 via adenoviral vector. Compared with the cells transduced with a control vector, overexpression of Hsp10 or Hsp60 increased the abundance of IGF-1R and IGF-1-stimulated receptor autophosphorylation. Thus, Hsp10 and Hsp60 overexpression increased the number of functioning receptors and amplified activation of IGF-1R signaling. IGF-1 stimulation of MEK, Erk, p90Rsk, and Akt were accordingly augmented. Transducing cardiomyocytes with antisense Hsp60 oligonucleotides reduced Hsp60 expression, decreased the abundance of IGF-1R, attenuated IGF-1R autophosphorylation, and suppressed the pro-survival action of IGF-1 in cardiomyocytes. Using cycloheximide to inhibit protein synthesis did not alter the effect of Hsp60 on IGF-1R signaling, and IGF-1R mRNA levels were not up-regulated by Hsp10 or Hsp60. Additional experiments showed that Hsp10 and Hsp60 suppressed polyubiquitination of IGF-1 receptor. These data indicate that Hsp10 and Hsp60 can modulate IGF-1R signaling through post-translational modification. In animal models of diabetes, diabetic myocardium is associated with decreased abundance of Hsp60, increased ubiquitination of IGF-1R, and lower level of IGF-1R protein. Declined myocardial protection is a major feature of diabetic cardiomyopathy. These data suggest that decreased Hsp60 expression and subsequent decline of IGF-1R signaling may be a fundamental mechanism underlying the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy.
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PMID:Hsp10 and Hsp60 suppress ubiquitination of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor and augment insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor signaling in cardiac muscle: implications on decreased myocardial protection in diabetic cardiomyopathy. 1297 Mar 67

Impairment of the fibrinolytic system, mostly due to elevated plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), is often associated with metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus and insulin-resistance syndrome. Moreover, insulin, as we have previously shown, directly stimulates PAI-1 production with a mechanism underlying a complex signaling network which ultimately leads to ERK activation. In this study we have analyzed the effects of agonists of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha and gamma on PAI-1 biosynthesis in HepG2 cells in the presence or absence of insulin. The high affinity PPARalpha agonist, Wy-14,643, increased basal and insulin-stimulated PAI-1 antigen release with a mechanism involving gene transcription. We then investigated whether the MAP kinase pathway also plays a role in the stimulatory properties of Wy-L4,643. Wy-L4,643 increases phosphorylation of ERK and p38 in a time-dependent manner without affecting that of SAPK/JNK or ERK5. Moreover, the MEK (ERK kinase) inhibitors, PD98059 and UO126, completely prevented PAI-1 induction by Wy-14,643 without inhibiting the activation of a reporter gene carrying the PPRE element. Interestingly, the addition of p38 inhibitor followed by insulin and Wy-14,643 resulted in a greater than additive stimulation of PAI-1 secretion acting through ERK1/2 phosphorylation. In contrast, the synthetic PPARgamma agonist, rosiglitazone, did not change PAI-1 level, although this compound induced transcription from the PPRE-driven luciferase reporter construct. In conclusion, Wy-14,643 induces PAI-1 gene expression, in the presence or absence of insulin, with a mechanism which is independent on PPARalpha activation and requires signaling through the ERK1/2 signaling pathway.
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PMID:Induction of plasminogen activator inhibitor I by the PPARalpha ligand, Wy-14,643, is dependent on ERK1/2 signaling pathway. 1451 81


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