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)

Acetylcholine (ACh) and opioid receptor agonists trigger the preconditioned phenotype through sequential activation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K), Akt, and nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and opening of mitochondrial (mito) K(ATP) channels with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Although extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) has recently been reported to be part of this pathway, its location has not been determined. To address this issue, we administered a 5-min pulse of ACh (550 microM) prior to 30 min of ischemia in isolated rabbit hearts. It reduced infarction from 30.4 +/- 2.2% of the risk zone in control hearts to 12.3 +/- 2.8% and co-administration of the MEK, and, therefore, downstream ERK inhibitor U0126 abolished protection (29.1 +/- 4.6% infarction) con.rming ERK's involvement. MitoK(ATP) opening was monitored in adult rabbit cardiomyocytes by measuring ROS production with MitoTracker Red. ROS production was increased by each of three G protein-coupled agonists: ACh (250 microM), bradykinin (BK) (500 nM), and the delta-opioid agonist DADLE (20 nM). Co-incubation with the MEK inhibitors U0126 (500 nM) or PD 98059 (10 microM) blocked the increased ROS production seen with all three agonists. Direct activation of its receptor by EGF increased ROS production and PD 98059 blocked that increase, thus placing ERK downstream of the EGF receptor. Desferoxamine (DFO) which opens mitoK(ATP) through direct activation of NOS also increased ROS. PD 98059 could not block DFO-induced ROS production, placing ERK upstream of NOS. In isolated hearts, ACh caused phosphorylation of both Akt and ERK. U0126 blocked phosphorylation of ERK but not of Akt. The PI3-K inhibitor wortmannin blocked both. Together these data indicate that ERK is located between Akt and NOS.
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PMID:Localizing extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in pharmacological preconditioning's trigger pathway. 1628 91

Cell death was assessed by quantitative analysis of propidium iodide uptake in rat hippocampal slice cultures transiently exposed to oxygen and glucose deprivation, an in vitro model of brain ischemia. The hippocampal subfields CA1 and CA3, and fascia dentata were analyzed at different stages from 0 to 48 h after the insult. Cell death appeared at 3 h and increased steeply toward 12 h. Only a slight additional increase in propidium iodide uptake was seen at later intervals. The mitogen-activated protein kinases extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 were activated immediately after oxygen and glucose deprivation both in CA1 and in CA3/fascia dentata. Inhibition of the specific mitogen-activated protein kinase activator mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase by PD98059 or U0126 offered partial protection against oxygen and glucose deprivation-induced cell damage. The non-selective P2X receptor antagonist suramin gave neuroprotection of the same magnitude as the N-methyl-D-aspartate channel blocker MK-801 (approximately 70%). Neuroprotection was also observed with the P2 receptor blocker PPADS. Immunogold data indicated that hippocampal slice cultures (like intact hippocampi) express several isoforms of P2X receptors at the synaptic level, consistent with the idea that the effects of suramin and PPADS are mediated by P2X receptors. Virtually complete neuroprotection was obtained by combined blockade of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, P2X receptors, and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase. Both P2X receptors and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors mediate influx of calcium. Our results suggest that inhibition of P2X receptors has a neuroprotective potential similar to that of inhibition of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. In contrast, our comparative analysis shows that only partial protection can be achieved by inhibiting the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade, one of the downstream pathways activated by intracellular calcium overload.
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PMID:Neuroprotective effects of inhibiting N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, P2X receptors and the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade: a quantitative analysis in organotypical hippocampal slice cultures subjected to oxygen and glucose deprivation. 1634 52

Although bradykinin has been demonstrated to protect the heart at reperfusion, the detailed cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate the protection remain elusive. Here we aimed to determine whether bradykinin protects the heart at reperfusion by modulating the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening through glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK-3beta). Bradykinin given at reperfusion reduced infarct size in isolated rat hearts subjected to 30 min regional ischemia followed by 2 h of reperfusion. The infarct-limiting effect of bradykinin was reversed by atractyloside, an opener of the mPTP, suggesting that bradykinin may protect the heart at reperfusion by modulating the mPTP opening. In support of this observation, bradykinin prevented the collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)), an index of the mPTP opening. Bradykinin increased GSK-3beta phosphorylation at reperfusion, and the selective inhibitor of GSK-3beta SB216763 reduced infarct size and prevented the loss of DeltaPsi(m) by mimicking the effect of bradykinin. The effect of bradykinin on GSK-3beta phosphorylation was blocked by wortmannin and LY294002, and bradykinin increased Akt phosphorylation at reperfusion. Further experiments showed that the MEK inhibitor PD98059 prevented the effect of bradykinin on GSK-3beta. However, the mTOR/p70s6K pathway inhibitor rapamycin did not alter bradykinin-induced GSK-3beta phosphorylation and bradykinin failed to alter phosphorylation of either mTOR or p70s6K at reperfusion. Taken together, these data suggest that bradykinin protects the heart at reperfusion by modulating the mPTP opening through inhibition of GSK-3beta. The PI3-kinase/Akt pathway and ERK, but not the mTOR/p70s6K pathway account for the suppression of GSK-3beta by bradykinin.
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PMID:Bradykinin prevents reperfusion injury by targeting mitochondrial permeability transition pore through glycogen synthase kinase 3beta. 1651 18

The aim of this study was to examine possible interactions of ERK and calcineurin in cardioprotection afforded by delta-opioid receptor stimulation. Infarction was induced in rat hearts by 20-min coronary occlusion and reperfusion. Tissue ERK level and calcienurin activity were determined by immunoblotting and an assay using a phosphopeptide substrate, respectively. Administration of a delta-opioid receptor agonist, D-Ala2-D-Leu5-enkephalin (DADLE, 1 mg/kg), before ischemia increased the phospho-ERK levels during ischemia and reduced infarct size (as percentage of risk area, %IS/AR) from 47.7 +/- 2.3% to 23.2 +/- 2.5%. This protection was abolished by 10 mg/kg of natrindole hydrochloride (NTI), a delta-opioid receptor antagonist. PD98059, a MEK1/2 inhibitor, abolished both ERK1/2 activation and infarct size limitation by DADLE. Calcineurin inhibitors, cyclosporine-A (5 mg/kg) and FK506 (3.5 mg/kg), reduced %IS/AR (27.4 +/- 4.4% and 29.9 +/- 3.4%, respectively). The protective effects of these calcineurin inhibitors were inhibited by PD98059, and the combination of DADLE with cyclosporine-A or FK506 did not afford further cardioprotection. DADLE significantly suppressed myocardial calcineurin activity, and this effect was inhibited by NTI. Suppression of calcineurin activity by FK506 was associated with modest activation of ERK1/2. These results suggest that suppression of calcineurin and activation of ERK1/2 are interacting mechanisms involved in cardioprotection by delta-opioid receptor activation.
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PMID:Activation of ERK and suppression of calcineurin are interacting mechanisms of cardioprotection afforded by delta-opioid receptor activation. 1661 6

Activation of cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) is implicated in neuronal survival. The mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) activates a transcription factor CREB. Previously, we reported that N-acetyl-O-methyldopamine (NAMDA) protects neurons from ischemia via enhancing ERK dependent CREB phosphorylation. To investigate whether NAMDA induces endogenous survival pathways in apoptotic conditions and whether the neuroprotectant enhances a preexisting survival pathway, we determined the degree of ERK-CREB activation and resistance to apoptosis in staurosporine-treated SK-N-BE(2)C neurons. Compared to forskolin-treated apoptotic cultures, NAMDA-treated cultures induced a minimum activation on ERK (pERK) or CREB (pCREB). However, NAMDA enhanced the activation of ERK and CREB in the presence of forskolin (1.7-fold increase for pCREB, 2.1-fold increase for pERK2, p<0.05 from forskolin). The effect was completely blocked by a specific MEK inhibitor U0126, suggesting the involvement of ERK dependent CREB signaling. Cleavage of caspase-3 and poly-(ADP-ribose)-polymerase was additively reduced in cultures treated with NAMDA and forskolin simultaneously, but not in the presence of U0126. The data showed that NAMDA enhances forskolin-induced ERK-CREB activation and potentiates forskolin-induced resistance to apoptosis. The study indicates that enhancing endogenous survival pathways by NAMDA combined with other neuroprotective measure(s) might be a useful strategy to reduce apoptosis.
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PMID:Enhanced ERK dependent CREB activation reduces apoptosis in staurosporine-treated human neuroblastoma SK-N-BE(2)C cells. 1667 46

Caspase-3 (32 kDa) is one of the primary protease executioners of apoptosis and is activated by intra-chain proteolytic cleavage, which generates a large subunit (17 kDa) and a small subunit (12 kDa). Typically, after apoptotic stimuli, the level of cleaved caspase-3 increases while that of caspase-3 decreases. It has been shown that caspase-3 mRNA levels increase in cortex following traumatic brain injury or focal ischemia. In the present study, we demonstrate that both caspase-3 mRNA and protein increase in apoptotic PC12 cells following exposure to manganese which strongly induces caspase-3 cleavage. Up-regulation of caspase-3 protein was evident in manganese-treated PC12 cells and was moderate in cisplatin-, rotenone- and A23187-treated cells but was not observed in serum deprivation-, anisomycin-, camptothecin-, cycloheximide- or staurosporine-treated cells in which all treatments induced extensive DNA fragmentation. Manganese-induced up-regulation of caspase-3 mRNA was partially attenuated by the pretreatment with the MEK inhibitor U0126, but not with the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor SP600125. In contrast, the increase in caspase-3 protein was suppressed by both U0126 and SP600125. These results suggest that p44/42 MAPK contributes to the up-regulation of caspase-3 mRNA and the JNK pathway regulates caspase-3 protein levels posttranslationally in manganese-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells.
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PMID:p44/42 MAP kinase and c-Jun N-terminal kinase contribute to the up-regulation of caspase-3 in manganese-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. 1678 41

We have shown that renal epithelial cell survival depends on the sustained activation of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) and lack of this activation was associated with death during oxidative stress. ERK is activated via the canonical epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-Ras-MEK pathway, which could be attenuated by oxidants. We now show that the failure to activate ERK in a sustained manner during severe oxidative stress is owing to the activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) rather than the failure to activate the EGFR. Tyrosine phosphorylation of the EGFR and STAT3 was studied in hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-treated mouse proximal tubule (TKPTS) cells or in mouse kidney after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury by Western blotting. STAT3 activation was inhibited by either pharmacologically (AG490) through its upstream janus kinase (JAK2) or by a dominant-negative STAT3 adenovirus. EGFR was inhibited by AG1478. Survival was determined by fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis and trypan blue exclusion. We found that the EGFR was phosphorylated on its major autophosphorylation site (Tyr1173) regardless of the H(2)O(2) dose. On the other hand, both I/R and severe oxidative stress - but not moderate stress - increased tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3 in an EGFR and JAK2-dependent manner. Inhibition of JAK2 or STAT3 lead to increased ERK activation and survival of TKPTS cells during severe oxidative stress. Our data suggest a role of tyrosine-phosphorylated STAT3 in the suppression of ERK activation. These data suggest that the STAT3 pathway might represent a new target for improved survival of proximal tubule cells exposed to severe oxidant injury.
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PMID:STAT3 attenuates EGFR-mediated ERK activation and cell survival during oxidant stress in mouse proximal tubular cells. 1678 92

Reactive oxygen species, including hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), are generated during ischemia-reperfusion and are critically involved in acute renal failure. The present studies examined the role of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway in H(2)O(2)-induced renal proximal tubular cells (RPTC) apoptosis. Exposure of RPTC to 1 mM H(2)O(2) resulted in apoptosis and activation of ERK1/2 and Akt. Pretreatment with the specific MEK inhibitors, U0126 and PD98059, or adenoviral infection with a construct that encodes a negative mutant of MEK1, protected cells against H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis. In contrast, expression of constitutively active MEK1 enhanced H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis. H(2)O(2) induced activation of caspase-3 and phosphorylation of histone H2B at serine 14, a posttranslational modification required for nuclear condensation, which also were blocked by ERK1/2 inhibition. Furthermore, blockade of ERK1/2 resulted in an increase in Akt phosphorylation and blockade of Akt potentiated apoptosis and diminished the protective effect conferred by ERK inhibition in H(2)O(2)-treated cells. Although Z-DEVD-FMK, a caspase-3 inhibitor, was able to inhibit histone H2B phosphorylation and apoptosis, it did not affect ERK1/2 phosphorylation. We suggest that ERK elicits apoptosis in epithelial cells by activating caspase-3 and inhibiting Akt pathways and elicits nuclear condensation through caspase-3 and histone H2B phosophorylation during oxidant injury.
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PMID:ERK promotes hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis through caspase-3 activation and inhibition of Akt in renal epithelial cells. 1688 55

Recently we found that post-infarct remodeling disrupts PI3KAkt signaling triggered by erythropoietin (EPO) but an unknown compensatory mechanism preserves EPO-induced protection against infarction in those hearts. In this study, we examined the possibility that ERK-mediated signaling is the compensatory mechanism affording protection in post-infarct remodeled hearts. Four weeks after coronary ligation in situ (post-MI group, post-MI) or a sham operation (sham group, Sham), hearts were isolated, perfused and subjected to 25-min global ischemia/2-h reperfusion. Infarct size was expressed as a percentage of risk area size (%I/R), from which scarred infarct by coronary ligation was excluded. EPO infusion (5 U/ml) before ischemia reduced %I/R similarly in Sham and post-MI (from 62.0 +/- 5.1 to 39.4 +/- 4.8 in Sham and from 58.6 +/- 6.6 to 36.3 +/- 3.8 in post-MI). PD98059, a MEK1/2 inhibitor, abolished this EPO-induced protection in post-MI (%I/R = 60.7 +/- 4.9) but not in Sham (%I/R = 35.1 +/- 5.4). EPO induced PI3K-dependent phosphorylation of Akt in Sham but not in post-MI. EPO increased phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2 both in Sham and post-MI, but this phosphorylation was diminished by a PI3K inhibitor in Sham but not in post-MI. These results suggest that PI3K-independent activation of ERK compensates the lack of signal input from the PI3K-Akt pathway to achieve EPO-induced protection in the remodeled myocardium.
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PMID:Impairment of cardioprotective PI3K-Akt signaling by post-infarct ventricular remodeling is compensated by an ERK-mediated pathway. 1694 59

In the present report, we investigated the association between the sustained activation of Src family tyrosine kinases (primarily Src kinase) with the biphasic phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) induced by ischemia in the rat hippocampal CA3/dentate gyrus subfield. Post-ischemia reperfusion resulted in the phosphorylation of ERK in a Ras-dependent manner; down-regulation of NMDA receptors or Src family protein kinases by ketamine or 4-amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-7-(t-butyl) pyrazolo[3,4-d] pyrimidine (PP2) potently antagonized the activation of ERK, indicating that NMDA receptors and Src family tyrosine kinases are essential for the up-regulation of ERK activity following ischemic stimuli. Additionally, an ischemia-induced association between RKIP and Raf-1 resulted in the inhibition of the ERK signaling cascade through an inhibition of Src-mediated Raf-1 phosphorylation at Tyr340/341 residues. This ischemia-induced inhibition of ERK was not associated with other downstream pathways involving Raf-1 phosphorylation at Ser 259 elicited by protein kinase B (Akt). Dissociation of Raf-1 from RKIP by 24 h reperfusion or (4S)-3-[(E)-but-2-enoyl]-4-benzyl-2-oxazolidinone (locostatin) influenced the second phase of ERK activation elicited by the Src-Raf cassette. We propose that, following ischemia, the Src family tyrosine kinases are critical for modulation of the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK cascade, in which RKIP is involved in biphasic phosphorylation of ERK via a blockade of Src-Raf cascades.
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PMID:Sustained activation of Src-family tyrosine kinases by ischemia: a potential mechanism mediating extracellular signal-regulated kinase cascades in hippocampal dentate gyrus. 1700 55


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