Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound   Target Concepts: 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)

Malignant growth of small-cell lung carcinoma is promoted by various neuroendocrine autocrine/paracrine loops. Therefore, to interfere with this mitogenic process, it is crucial to elucidate the mechanisms involved. It is known that the oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) genes, normally transcriptionally restricted in their expression, are activated in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), concomitantly with expression of their receptors (OTR, V1aR, V1bR/V3R and V2R). The aim of the present study was to characterize, in concentrations close to physiological and pharmacological conditions, intracellular signalling events triggered by OT and VP binding to their specific receptors in SCLC cells and to identify factors mediating OT- and VP-induced mitogenic effects on SCLC. Known agonists for OTR ([Thr4,Gly7]OT) and V1aR (F180), in addition to OT and VP, were able to elicit increases in cytosolic Ca2+ levels and this effect could be blocked using an OTR antagonist (OVTA) or a V1aR antagonist (SR49059) respectively. There was no activation of the cAMP pathway detected after VP, dDAVP (a V2R agonist), or OT treatment. Stimulation of SCLC cells with OT and VP led to an increase of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 phosphorylation, maximal at 5 min, and the subsequent phosphorylation of its downstream target p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (p90RSK). Pre-incubation with OVTA and SR49059, and with inhibitors of phospholipase C (PLC), protein kinase C (PKC), mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK kinase (MEK) 1/2 and a Ca2+ chelator significantly reduced OT- and VP-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylations. OVTA, SR49059 as well as MEK1/2 and PKC inhibitors also downregulated OT- and VP-induced p90RSK phosphorylation. In [3H]thymidine-uptake experiments, we subsequently observed that PLC, Ca2+, PKC and ERK1/2 are absolutely required for the OT- and VP-stimulated SCLC cellular growth process. In conclusion, the results presented here indicate that OT- and VP-induced mitogenic effects on SCLC are respectively mediated by OTR and V1aR signalling and that this mitogenic signalling passes through the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p90RSK in a PLC-, Ca2+-, PKC- and MEK1/2-dependent pathway.
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PMID:Oxytocin- and vasopressin-induced growth of human small-cell lung cancer is mediated by the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. 1561 60

CT120, a novel membrane-associated gene implicated in lung carcinogenesis, was previously identified from chromosome 17p13.3 locus, a hot mutation spot involved in human malignancies. In the present study, we further determined that CT120 ectopic expression could promote cell proliferation activity of NIH3T3 cells using MTS assay, and monitored the downstream effects of CT120 in NIH3T3 cells with Atlas mouse cDNA expression arrays. Among 588 known genes, 133 genes were found to be upregulated or downregulated by CT120. Two major signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation, cell survival and anti-apoptosis were overexpressed and activated in response to CT120: One is the Raf/MEK/Erk signal cascades and the other is the PI3K/Akt signal cascades, suggesting that CT120 might contribute, at least in part, to the constitutively activation of Erk and Akt in human lung cancer cells. In addition, some tumor metastasis associated genes cathepsin B, cathepsin D, cathepsin L, MMP-2/TIMP-2 were also upregulated by CT120, upon which CT120 might be involved in tumor invasiveness and metastasis. In addition, CT120 might play an important role in tumor progression through modulating the expression of some candidate "Lung Tumor Progression" genes including B-Raf, Rab-2, BAX, BAG-1, YB-1, and Cdc42.
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PMID:Altered gene expression profiles of NIH3T3 cells regulated by human lung cancer associated gene CT120. 1562 16

Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) is the causative agent of ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA), a transmissible lung cancer of sheep. The virus can induce tumors rapidly, and we previously found that the JSRV envelope protein (Env) functions as an oncogene, because it can transform mammalian and avian fibroblast cell lines. (N. Maeda, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98:4449-4454, 2001). The molecular mechanisms of JSRV Env transformation are of considerable interest. Several reports suggested that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway is important for transformation of mammalian fibroblasts but not for chicken fibroblasts. In this study, we found that Akt/mTOR is involved in JSRV transformation of mouse NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, because treatment with the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin reduced transformation. We also found that H/N-Ras inhibitor FTI-277 and MEK1/2 inhibitors PD98059 and U0126 strongly inhibited JSRV transformation of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, suggesting that the H/N-Ras-MEK-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) p44/42 pathway is necessary for the transformation. In RK3E epithelial cells, the MEK1/2 inhibitors also eliminated transformation, but FTI-277 only partially inhibited transformation. It was noteworthy that p38 MAPK inhibitors enhanced JSRV transformation in both fibroblasts and epithelial cells. Treatment of transformed cells with p38 inhibitors both increased levels of phospho-MEK1/2 and phospho-p44/42 and induced rapid enhancement of the transformed phenotype. Immunohistochemical staining of tumor tissues from naturally and experimentally induced OPA and naturally occurring enzootic nasal adenocarcinoma revealed strong activation of MAPK p44/42 in all cases examined. However, p38 activation was not generally observed. These results indicate that signaling through two pathways (in particular, H/N-Ras-MEK-MAPK and, to a lesser extent, Akt-mTOR) is important for JSRV-induced transformation and that p38 MAPK has a negative regulatory effect on transformation, perhaps via MEK1/2 and p44/42.
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PMID:Roles of the Ras-MEK-mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt-mTOR pathways in Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus-induced transformation of rodent fibroblast and epithelial cell lines. 1576 44

Expression profiling by gene microarray techniques have been developed to predict malignant tissue but there are no experiences with the application of antibody arrays to identify malignancy-related proteins. Because altered protein patterns might also better interpret biological processes, we applied tumour samples from 12 patients with squamous cell lung carcinoma and individual lung tissue controls to antibody arrays spotted with 378 distinct monoclonal antibodies. Array analysis defined 20 proteins with higher and nine with lower abundance in lung tumours. Comparison with gene microarray data revealed that 31% of the differentially regulated proteins correlate with altered mRNA expression in squamous cell lung carcinomas, including PEX1, MKK7 and HDAC3 for up-regulated proteins. The histone deacetylase (HDAC) 3 was investigated in detail by immunoblot analysis showing that HDAC3 is indeed elevated in 92% of tumours (n=22/24; P<0.001). Thus, antibody microarrays can be useful for detection of some target proteins related to lung cancer.
Lung Cancer 2005 Aug
PMID:Comparative application of antibody and gene array for expression profiling in human squamous cell lung carcinoma. 1602 8

The Ras-Raf-MAPK pathway has been implicated in lung carcinogenesis and, potentially, the maintenance of the malignant phenotype in these tumors. Mutations in ras and B-raf genes have been described in lung cancer, representing one of the few examples of tandem mutations in a signaling cascade. As a result, numerous approaches to inhibiting this pathway in lung cancer have been explored in the past decade. The most promising approach to date appears to be the inhibition of mitogen-activated ERK kinase or MEK. In this review, the potential utility of MEK inhibitors in the therapy of lung cancer is discussed.
Clin Lung Cancer 2005 Nov
PMID:The role of mitogen-activated ERK-kinase inhibitors in lung cancer therapy. 1635 19

COX-2 has been implicated in the control of human non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell growth. The mechanisms by which COX-2 exerts its mitogenic effects have not been entirely elucidated, but stimulation of prostaglandin E2 production and alterations in the expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(WAF-1/CIP1/MDA-6)(p2i) have been suggested. Here, we demonstrate that two COX-2 inhibitors (NS398 and Nimesulide) inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in NSCLC cells, and these effects were associated with induction of p21 mRNA and protein expression. However, the anti-growth effect of the COX-2 inhibitors and their ability to induce p21 were not affected by COX-2 siRNA suggesting that their actions were COX-2 independent. Instead, activation of the MEK-1/Erk pathway was necessary since COX-2 inhibitors stimulated the phosphorylation of ERKs, and their effects were blocked by PD98095, an inhibitor of this pathway. Furthermore, we show that both NS398 and Nimesulide induced p21 gene promoter activity and this was prevented by PD98095. COX-2 inhibitors increased nuclear protein binding to the Spl site in the promoter region of the p21 gene. Consistent with a role for p21, we found that p21 antisense oligonucleotides prevented the effects of COX-2 inhibitors on cell growth. In summary, our results suggest that COX-2 inhibitors suppress NSCLC cell growth by inducing the expression of the p21 gene through MEK-1/ERK signaling and DNA-protein interactions involving Spl. These observations unveil a mechanism for p21 gene regulation by COX-2 inhibitors in lung carcinoma cell growth and this pathway represents a potential target for therapy.
Lung Cancer 2006 Mar
PMID:COX-2 inhibitors suppress lung cancer cell growth by inducing p21 via COX-2 independent signals. 1637 53

To more clearly understand the molecular mechanisms involved in synergistic enhancement of cancer preventive activity with the green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), we examined the effects of cotreatment with EGCG plus celecoxib, a cyclooxygenase-2 selective inhibitor. We specifically looked for induction of apoptosis and expression of apoptosis related genes, with emphasis on growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible 153 (GADD153) gene, in human lung cancer cell line PC-9: Cotreatment with EGCG plus celecoxib strongly induced the expression of both GADD153 mRNA level and protein in PC-9 cells, while neither EGCG nor celecoxib alone did. However, cotreatment did not induce expression of other apoptosis related genes, p21(WAF1) and GADD45. Judging by upregulation of GADD153, only cotreatment with EGCG plus celecoxib synergistically induced apoptosis of PC-9 cells. Synergistic effects with the combination were also observed in 2 other lung cancer cell lines, A549 and ChaGo K-1. Furthermore, EGCG did not enhance GADD153 gene expression or apoptosis induction in PC-9 cells in combination with N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide or with aspirin. Thus, upregulation of GADD153 is closely correlated with synergistic enhancement of apoptosis with EGCG. Cotreatment also activated the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), such as ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK: Preteatment with PD98059 (ERK1/2 inhibitor) and UO126 (selective MEK inhibitor) abrogated both upregulation of GADD153 and synergistic induction of apoptosis of PC-9 cells, while SB203580 (p38 MAPK inhibitor) did not do so, indicating that GADD153 expression was mediated through the ERK signaling pathway. These findings indicate that high upregulation of GADD153 is a key requirement for cancer prevention in combination with EGCG.
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PMID:Green tea polyphenol stimulates cancer preventive effects of celecoxib in human lung cancer cells by upregulation of GADD153 gene. 1646 83

Lung cancer continues to be a leading cause of death in the US, and in its most advanced stages remains incurable. Cytotoxic chemotherapies have been the standard of care for the treatment of unresectable disease. However, recent advances in the development of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors have led the way to a new generation of targeted biological agents. During the second annual symposium entitled 'the future of lung cancer: a translational focus', which was sponsored by the Physician s Education Resource, new strategies for the treatment of lung cancer were discussed. Besides the role of EGFR inhibitors, potential targets include the angiogenesis pathway; other growth factor pathways, such as phosphoinositol-3 kinase/Akt and Raf-MEK; the 26S proteasome, the histone deacetylase mechanism; and the TNF-related apoptosis-inducing factor receptors. Agents that are directed against these targets are all in varying stages of clinical development. As more is learned about their mechanisms of action and clinical spectrum of activity, the author anticipates their incorporation into novel regimens with enhanced activity against lung cancer.
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PMID:The second annual symposium on the future of lung cancer: a translational focus. 11-12 November 2005, Washington D.C., USA. 1670 87

Several studies have demonstrated that colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) are closely associated with tumor progression, metastasis and invasion through autocrine or paracrine mechanism in lung cancer. However, biologic roles of CSFs are still unknown. Elucidating the biologic roles of CSFs and the regulatory mechanisms of tumor-specific behavior by CSFs raises the possibility of having a new therapeutic approach for lung cancer. We previously established two adenocarcinoma cell lines, A924 and A964 and a large cell carcinoma cell line MI-4. MI-4 and A924 constitutively produced an abundant dose of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF). We examined the effects of GM-CSF and M-CSF on tumor growth, death, and invasion in CSF-producing (A924 and MI-4) and non-producing lung cancer cells (A549 and A964). These cell lines demonstrated both GM-CSF and M-CSF receptor mRNA expression. In our study, GM-CSF seemed to have advantage for tumor proliferation and invasion in lung cancer cells. M-CSF seemed to have advantage for tumor invasion, but not proliferation. The tumor-specific phenotypes (proliferation, invasion and survival) up-regulated by GM-CSF and M-CSF were mediated through MEK/ERK and PI3k/Akt pathways. However, when MEK/ERK was activated by transfection of active form of MEK1 cDNA, the tumor-specific behavior was promoted in CSF-non-producing cells, whereas inhibited in CSF-producing cells though MEK/ERK activation increased constitutive GM-CSF production. MEK/ERK signaling regulated differently tumor-specific behavior between CSF-producing cells and CSF-non-producing cells.
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PMID:Effects of GM-CSF and M-CSF on tumor progression of lung cancer: roles of MEK1/ERK and AKT/PKB pathways. 1682 Sep 47

Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) is the etiologic agent of a transmissible lung cancer in sheep, ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma. JSRV is unique in that the envelope protein functions as an oncogene, since it can morphologically transform fibroblast and epithelial cells in culture and can induce lung tumors in mice. Previous studies indicated that the transmembrane (TM) protein is essential for transformation, and particular attention has focused on a YXXM motif in the cytoplasmic tail. In this study, we carried out systematic mutagenesis of the cytoplasmic tail of JSRV Env. Alanine scanning mutagenesis revealed four classes of mutants: mutants in which transformation was abrogated, those in which transformation was not affected, those with reduced transformation, and those with increased transformation (supertransformers). In general, the alanine mutations did not affect Env protein production or its localization to the plasma membrane. Three functional domains of the cytoplasmic tail were identified: an amphipathic helix at the N-terminal (juxtamembrane) side, a nonessential C-terminal region, and an internal region (including the YXXM motif) where mutations resulted in abrogation, decreases, or increases in transformation. Alanine mutations in the amphipathic helix in both the hydrophobic and hydrophilic faces generally abolished transformation. The mutation R591A showed partial transformation that was consistent with loss of signaling through the Akt-mTOR pathway and signaling predominantly through the Ras-Raf-MEK1/2-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 pathway. The supertransforming mutants generally showed increased signaling through Akt and reduced activation of p38 MAPK that is inhibitory for transformation. These mutants provide further insight into the role of the TM cytoplasmic tail in JSRV transformation.
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PMID:Mutational analysis of the cytoplasmic tail of jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus envelope protein. 1687 63


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