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)

Examination of the expression of proteins linked with signaling pathways commanding cell death and cell survival has been carried out to increase understanding on the mechanisms leading to cell death in the cerebellum in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Expression of Fas, Fas ligand (Fas-L), ERK, MEK, Bcl-2, Bax, N-myc, c-myc, pro-caspase-2 and active caspase-3 was examined by immunohistochemistry in the cerebellum of six patients with sporadic CJD, three patients with olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) and six age-matched controls. No modifications in the expression of these proteins were observed in granule cells in CJD and OPCA when compared with controls, except in a few cells in the molecular and granular layers in CJD that displayed dense homogeneous active caspase-3 immunostaining. This suggests selective activation of caspase-3 in association with increased cellular vulnerability in CJD. No modifications in pro-caspase-2 and c-myc immunoreactivity were observed in Purkinje cells in diseased brains when compared with controls. However, increased diffuse Fas, Fas-L, MEK, ERK and Bax expression, and enhanced granular active caspase-3 immunoreactivity was found in the cytoplasm of Purkinje cells in CJD. Increase in Bcl-2 and N-myc occurred in Purkinje cells in CJD and OPCA. These results indicate that enhanced Fas, Fas-L, MERK, ERK, Bax and granular active caspase-3 expression is not lethal to Purkinje cells in CJD, whereas increased Bcl-2 and N-myc does not preclude per se cell death or death survival in CJD and OPCA. These findings point to the likelihood that expression of these cell death proteins in neurodegeneration has functional roles differing from those related with apoptosis.
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PMID:Cell death signaling in the cerebellum in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. 1158 44

The prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, such as human Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and so-called mad cow disease, are attributed to the causative agent, the scrapie variant of prion protein (PrP(Sc)) which causes fatal neurodegeneration. To investigate if stresses such as nitric oxide (NO) induced the cellular isoform of prion protein (PrP(C)), lipopolysaccharide, and sodium nitroprusside were used to treat N2a and NT2 cells, which resulted in elevated levels of the PRNP mRNA and prion protein. The signaling pathway for the NO-induced PrP(C) production involved guanylyl cyclase, MEK, and p38 MAPK as shown by the effect of specific pharmacological inhibitors ODQ, PD98059, and SB203580, respectively. Knowing the PrP induction by the biologically existing stimulus, this study provides useful information about the possible cellular mechanism and strategies for the treatment of CJD.
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PMID:Nitric oxide induces prion protein via MEK and p38 MAPK signaling. 1593 14