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

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases are 42- and 44-kD serine-threonine protein kinases that are activated by tyrosine and threonine phosphorylation in cells stimulated with mitogens and growth factors. MAP kinase and the protein kinase that activates it (MAP kinase kinase) were constitutively activated in NIH 3T3 cells infected with viruses containing either of two oncogenic forms (p35EC12, p3722W) of the c-Raf-1 protein kinase. The v-Raf proteins purified from cells infected with EC12 or 22W viruses activated MAP kinase kinase from skeletal muscle in vitro. Furthermore, a bacterially expressed v-Raf fusion protein (glutathione S-transferase-p3722W) also activated MAP kinase kinase in vitro. These findings suggest that one function of c-Raf-1 in mitogenic signaling is to phosphorylate and activate MAP kinase kinase.
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PMID:Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase by v-Raf in NIH 3T3 cells and in vitro. 138 11

Cholecystokinin (CCK) has recently been shown to activate mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in rat pancreatic acini [Duan and Williams, Am. J. Physiol. 267 (Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 30): G401-G408, 1994]. To evaluate the mechanism of MAP kinase activation, we studied the effects of CCK on MAP kinase kinase (MEK) in rat pancreatic acini. Two forms of MEK were identified by immunoblotting, using antibodies specific to MEK1 and MEK2. MEK activity in acinar extracts and after immunoprecipitation with anti-MEK was detected using a recombinant fusion protein, glutathione S-transferase-MAP kinase, as a substrate. MEK activity rapidly increased after stimulation of acini by CCK, with significant stimulation at 1 min and a maximal effect at 5 min, followed by a slow decline to slightly above control levels after 30 min. The threshold concentration of CCK was approximately 10 pM, and the maximal effect was induced by 1 nM CCK, which increased MEK activity by 120%. In addition to CCK, bombesin and carbachol, but not secretin or vasoactive intestinal peptide, enhanced MEK activity. Phorbol ester mimicked the effect of CCK, whereas ionomycin and thapsigargin failed to activate MEK. We further studied the activation of Ras, an important component leading to activation of MEK by growth factors. Ras in acini was immunoprecipitated and identified by Western blotting. CCK and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate stimulated the incorporation of GTP into Ras, a requirement for its activation, reaching a maximum at 10 min of approximately 120% over control. In conclusion, the activation of MAP kinase by CCK can be explained by activation of MEK and may involve the activation of Ras by a protein kinase C-dependent mechanism.
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PMID:Activation of MAP kinase kinase (MEK) and Ras by cholecystokinin in rat pancreatic acini. 761 6

p44erk1 is a member of a family of tyrosyl-phosphorylated and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases that participate in cell cycle control. A full-length erk1 cDNA was isolated from a human hepatoma cell line (Hep G2) library. The erk1 cDNA clone shared approximately 96% predicted amino acid identity with partial sequences of rodent erk1 cognates, and the erk1 gene was assigned to human chromosome 16 by hybrid panel analysis. Human erk1 expressed in Escherichia coli as a glutathione S-transferase fusion (GST-Erk1) protein was substantially phosphorylated on tyrosine in vivo. It underwent further autophosphorylation in vitro (up to 0.01 mol of P per mol) at the regulatory Tyr-204 site and at additional tyrosine and serine residues. Threonine autophosphorylation, presumably at the regulatory Thr-202 site, was also detected weakly when the recombinant kinase was incubated in the presence of manganese, but not in the presence of magnesium. Before and after cleavage of the GST-Erk1 protein with thrombin, it exhibited a relatively high level of myelin basic protein phosphotransferase activity, which could be reduced eightfold by treatment of the kinase with the protein-tyrosine phosphatase CD45, but not by treatment with the protein-serine/threonine phosphatase 2A. The protein-tyrosine kinase p56lck catalyzed phosphorylation of GST-Erk1 at two autophosphorylations sites, including Tyr-204, and at a novel site. A further fivefold stimulation of the myelin basic protein phosphotransferase activity of the GST-Erk1 was achieved in the presence of a partially purified MAP kinase kinase from sheep platelets. Under these circumstances, there was primarily an enhancement of the tyrosine phosphorylation of GST-Erk1. This MAP kinase kinase also similarly phosphorylated a catalytically compromised version of GST-Erk1 in which Lys-71 was converted to Ala by site-directed mutagenesis.
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PMID:Molecular cloning, expression, and characterization of the human mitogen-activated protein kinase p44erk1. 768 43

In addition to their role in bacterial killing, reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) produced by the NADPH oxidase may participate in the regulation of intracellular pathways. We have recently demonstrated that ROI produced by the oxidase regulate tyrosine phosphorylation in neutrophils, possibly by alterations in the cellular redox state. The purpose of the present study was to characterize the identities of certain of the redox-sensitive tyrosine-phosphorylated substrates and the significance of the increased phosphorylation. As a prominent 42-44-kDa phosphorylated band was noted in oxidant-treated cells, we investigated the possible phosphorylation and activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase under these conditions. Immunoprecipitation of MAP kinase followed by immunoblotting with anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies indicated that a 42-44-kDa polypeptide was tyrosine-phosphorylated in response to treatment of cells, either with the oxidizing agent diamide or with H2O2 in cells where catalase was inhibited. Using an in vitro renaturation assay with myelin basic protein as the substrate, oxidant-induced stimulation of kinase activity of a 42-44-kDa band was observed in both whole cell extracts and in MAP kinase immunoprecipitates. The mechanism of redox-sensitive activation of MAP kinase was examined. First, exposure of cells to oxidants caused a significant increase in the activity of MEK (the putative activator of MAP kinase), as determined by an in vitro kinase assay using recombinant catalytically inactive glutathione S-transferase-MAP kinase as the substrate. Additionally, oxidant treatment of cells resulted in inhibition of the activity of CD45, a protein tyrosine phosphatase known to dephosphorylate and inactivate MAP kinase. We conclude that oxidant treatment of neutrophils can activate MAP kinase by stimulating its tyrosine and (presumably) threonine phosphorylation via MEK activation, a response that may be potentiated by inhibition of MAP kinase dephosphorylation by phosphatases such as CD45.
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PMID:Activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway in neutrophils. Role of oxidants. 798 67

The mating-factor response pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae employs a set of protein kinase similar to kinases that function in signal transduction pathways of metazoans. We have purified the yeast protein kinases encoded by STE11, STE7, and FUS3 as fusions to glutathione S-transferase (GST) and reconstituted a kinase cascade in which STE11 phosphorylates and activates STE7, which in turn phosphorylates the mitogen-activated protein kinase FUS3. GST-STE11 is active even when purified from cells that have not been treated with alpha-factor. This observation raises the possibility that STE11 activity is governed by an inhibitor which is regulated by pheromone. We also identify a STE11-dependent phosphorylation site in STE7 which is required for activity of STE7. Conservation of this site in the mammalian STE7 homologue MEK and other STE7 relatives suggests that this may be a regulatory phosphorylation site in all MAP kinase kinases.
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PMID:Reconstitution of a yeast protein kinase cascade in vitro: activation of the yeast MEK homologue STE7 by STE11. 815 59

Raf-1 is a serine/threonine kinase which is essential in cell growth and differentiation. Tyrosine kinase oncogenes and receptors and p21ras can activate Raf-1, and recent studies have suggested that Raf-1 functions upstream of MEK (MAP/ERK kinase), which phosphorylates and activates ERK. To determine whether or not Raf-1 directly activates MEK, we developed an in vitro assay with purified recombinant proteins. Epitope-tagged versions of Raf-1 and MEK and kinase-inactive mutants of each protein were expressed in Sf9 cells, and ERK1 was purified as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein from bacteria. Raf-1 purified from Sf9 cells which had been coinfected with v-src or v-ras was able to phosphorylate kinase-active and kinase-inactive MEK. A kinase-inactive version of Raf-1 purified from cells that had been coinfected with v-src or v-ras was not able to phosphorylate MEK. Raf-1 phosphorylation of MEK activated it, as judged by its ability to stimulate the phosphorylation of myelin basic protein by glutathione S-transferase-ERK1. We conclude that MEK is a direct substrate of Raf-1 and that the activation of MEK by Raf-1 is due to phosphorylation by Raf-1, which is sufficient for MEK activation. We also tested the ability of protein kinase C to activate Raf-1 and found that, although protein kinase C phosphorylation of Raf-1 was able to stimulate its autokinase activity, it did not stimulate its ability to phosphorylate MEK.
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PMID:Reconstitution of the Raf-1-MEK-ERK signal transduction pathway in vitro. 841 57

We have developed a polyclonal antibody that activates the heterodimeric p85-p110 phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3'-kinase in vitro and in microinjected cells. Affinity purification revealed that the activating antibody recognized the N-terminal SH2 (NSH2) domain of p85, and the antibody increased the catalytic activity of recombinant p85-p110 dimers threefold in vitro. To study the role of endogenous PI 3'-kinase in intact cells, the activating anti-NSH2 antibody was microinjected into GRC + LR73 cells, a CHO cell derivative selected for tight quiescence during serum withdrawal. Microinjection of anti-NSH2 antibodies increased bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation fivefold in quiescent cells and enhanced the response to serum. These data reflect a specific activation of PI 3'-kinase, as the effect was blocked by coinjection of the appropriate antigen (glutathione S-transferase-NSH2 domains from p85 alpha), coinjection of inhibitory anti-p110 antibodies, or treatment of cells with wortmannin. We used the activating antibodies to study signals downstream from PI 3'-kinase. Although treatment of cells with 50 nM rapamycin only partially decreased anti-NSH2-stimulated BrdU incorporation, coinjection with an anti-p70 S6 kinase antibody effectively blocked anti-NSH2-stimulated DNA synthesis. We also found that coinjection of inhibitory anti-ras antibodies blocked both serum- and anti-NSH2-stimulated BrdU incorporation by approximately 60%, and treatment of cells with a specific inhibitor of MEK abolished antibody-stimulated BrdU incorporation. We conclude that selective activation of physiological levels of PI 3'-kinase is sufficient to stimulate DNA synthesis in quiescent cells. PI 3'-kinase-mediated DNA synthesis requires both p70 S6 kinase and the P21ras/MEK pathway.
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PMID:Specific activation of p85-p110 phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase stimulates DNA synthesis by ras- and p70 S6 kinase-dependent pathways. 897 5

Biotin-dependent enzymes contain a biotinyl-lysine residue in a conserved sequence motif, MKM, located in a surface hairpin turn in one of the two beta-sheets that make up the domain. A sub-gene encoding the 82-residue C-terminal biotinyl domain from the biotin carboxy carrier protein of acetyl-CoA carboxylase from Escherichia coli as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase was created and over-expressed in E. coli. The biotinyl domain was readily released by cleavage with thrombin. Five mutant domains were created in which the conserved MKM motif was systematically replaced: by MAK and KAM, in which the target lysine is moved one place; by KKM and MKK, in which a second potential site for biotinylation is introduced; and by DKA, the motif found in the correspondingly conserved site of lipoylation in the structurally related lipoyl domains of 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase multienzyme complexes. No biotinylation of the MAK or KAM mutants was observed in vivo or by purified biotinyl protein ligase in vitro; in the KKM and MKK mutants, only one lysine residue, presumed to be that in its native position in the hairpin turn, was found to be biotinylated in vivo and in vitro. The DKA mutant was not biotinylated in vivo, but was partly lipoylated and octanoylated. It was also a poor substrate for lipoylation in vitro catalysed by the E. coli lipoyl protein ligase encoded by the lplA gene. The flanking sequence in the MKM motif is important, but not crucial, and appears to have been conserved in part to be compatible with the subsequent carboxylation reactions of biotin-dependent enzymes. The DKA motif, displayed in the hairpin loop, is sufficient to address lipoylation in E. coli but probably by a pathway different from that mediated by the lplA-dependent ligase. The recognition of the structurally homologous lipoyl and biotinyl domains by the appropriate ligase evidently has a major structural component to it, notably the positioning of the target lysine residue in the exposed hairpin loop, but there appear to be additional recognition sites elsewhere on the domains.
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PMID:Selectivity of post-translational modification in biotinylated proteins: the carboxy carrier protein of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase of Escherichia coli. 944 86

The c-Mos gene product is a component of the cytostatic factor and, as such, stabilizes the maturation-promoting factor causing cell-cycle blockade at metaphase II in unfertilized eggs. The potential role of c-Mos in regulating cell-cycle progression and cell death in somatic cells remains unknown. We studied whether paclitaxel-induced M-phase arrest and apoptosis are associated with c-Mos gene expression and activation in SKOV3 ovarian carcinoma cells. The first cellular effect observed with continuous exposure to 50 ng/ml paclitaxel (ID50) was mitotic arrest with an increase in the accumulation of cyclin B1 and stimulation of cdc2/cyclin B1 kinase in a time-dependent manner during a 36-h incubation. DNA fragmentation determined by agarose gel electrophoresis and quantitation of [3H]thymidine-prelabeled genomic DNA was a later event, first detected at 24 h and peaking at 48 h (later time points were not studied). Induction of the c-Mos gene expression and activation were determined by Western blot analysis, immunoprecipitation using a polyclonal anti-mos antibody, reverse transcription-PCR assay, and 32P-ATP incorporation into c-Mos protein or the substrate of glutathione S-transferase mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase, respectively. Both induction and activation were clearly detected after 24 h of exposure to paclitaxel concentrations of >50 ng/ml, coinciding with drug-induced apoptosis. Mitogen-activated protein kinase activation preceded c-Mos gene induction. Paclitaxel-induced c-Mos gene expression was completely abrogated by cycloheximide and actinomycin D. Mos gene expression was also induced in SKOV3 cells that were treated with vinblastine but not in those that were treated with camptothecin, etoposide, or cisplatin. We concluded that tubulin-disturbing agents induce c-Mos gene expression and activation in SKOV3 ovarian carcinoma cells and that such an effect occurs after mitotic blockade and coincides with drug-induced apoptosis.
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PMID:Paclitaxel-induced apoptosis is associated with expression and activation of c-Mos gene product in human ovarian carcinoma SKOV3 cells. 972 72

We isolated three Arabidopsis thaliana cDNA clones (ATMKK3, ATMKK4 and ATMKK5) encoding protein kinases with extensive homology to the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (MAPKKs) of various organisms in the catalytic domain. ATMKK3 shows high homology (85% identity) to NPK2, a tobacco MAPKK homologue. ATMKK4 and 5 are closely related to each other (84% identity). Phylogenetic analysis showed that the plant MAPKKs constitute at least three subgroups. The recombinant ATMKK3 and ATMKK4 were expressed as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase (GST) in Escherichia coli. Affinity purified GST-ATMKK3 and GST-ATMKK4 proteins contained phosphorylation activity, which shows that both the ATMKK3 and ATMKK4 genes encode functional protein kinases. Northern blot analysis revealed that the ATMKK3 gene expressed in all the organs. The levels of ATMKK4 and 5 mRNAs were relatively higher in steins and leaves than in flowers and roots. We determined the map positions of the ATMKK3, 4 and 5 genes on Arabidopsis chromosomes by RFLP mapping using P1 genomic clones.
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PMID:Molecular cloning and characterization of three cDNAs encoding putative mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (MAPKKs) in Arabidopsis thaliana. 1004 83


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