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

---

Query: EC:2.7.12.2 (MEK)
18,161 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The mechanism of Taxol-induced apoptosis was investigated in MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells. Taxol-induced apoptosis was associated with phosphorylation of both c-Raf-1 and Bcl-2 and activation of ERK and JNK MAP kinases. The serine protease inhibitor N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK) effectively blocked apoptosis, but N-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK), another serine protease inhibitor, was without effect. TPCK treatment also prevented phosphorylation of c-Raf-1 and Bcl-2 in response to Taxol treatment. The serine protease inhibitor did not alter JNK activity, but it enhanced Taxol-induced activation of ERK1/2. Treatment of cells with the inhibitor of MEK activation, PD98059, prevented Taxol-induced ERK activation both in the presence and absence of TPCK, but did not influence survival of either Taxol- or Taxol plus TPCK-treated cells. In addition, PD98059 had no effect on c-Raf-1 or Bcl-2 phosphorylation. Thus, while the Taxol-induced phosphorylations of c-Raf-1 and Bcl-2 proteins appear to be coupled, these events can be disassociated from ERK1/2 activation. In summary, these findings suggest that phosphorylation of c-Raf-1 and Bcl-2, but not ERK1/2, are important signaling events in Taxol-induced apoptosis of MCF-7 breast cancer cells and that a TPCK inhibitable protease(s) is required for these processes.
...
PMID:Serine protease inhibitor TPCK prevents Taxol-induced cell death and blocks c-Raf-1 and Bcl-2 phosphorylation in human breast carcinoma cells. 1037 21

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) activates the mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinases, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1 and 2, in diverse cell types. In this study, we demonstrate that uPA stimulates migration of MCF-7 breast cancer cells, HT 1080 fibrosarcoma cells, and uPAR-overexpressing MCF-7 cells by a mechanism that depends on uPA receptor (uPAR)-ligation and ERK activation. Ras and MAP kinase kinase (MEK) were necessary and sufficient for uPA-induced ERK activation and stimulation of cellular migration, as demonstrated in experiments with dominant-negative and constitutively active mutants of these signaling proteins. Myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) was also required for uPA-stimulated cellular migration, as determined in experiments with three separate MLCK inhibitors. When MCF-7 cells were treated with uPA, MLCK was phosphorylated by a MEK-dependent pathway and apparently activated, since serine-phosphorylation of myosin II regulatory light chain (RLC) was also increased. Despite the transient nature of ERK phosphorylation, MLCK remained phosphorylated for at least 6 h. The uPA-induced increase in MCF-7 cell migration was observed selectively on vitronectin-coated surfaces and was mediated by a beta1-integrin (probably alphaVbeta1) and alphaVbeta5. When MCF-7 cells were transfected to express alphaVbeta3 and treated with uPA, ERK was still phosphorylated; however, the cells did not demonstrate increased migration. Neutralizing the function of alphaVbeta3, with blocking antibody, restored the ability of uPA to promote cellular migration. Thus, we have demonstrated that uPA promotes cellular migration, in an integrin-selective manner, by initiating a uPAR-dependent signaling cascade in which Ras, MEK, ERK, and MLCK serve as essential downstream effectors.
...
PMID:Myosin light chain kinase functions downstream of Ras/ERK to promote migration of urokinase-type plasminogen activator-stimulated cells in an integrin-selective manner. 1040 67

The CSF-1 receptor (CSF-1R) is expressed in >50% of human breast cancers. To investigate the consequence of CSF-1R expression, hormone-dependent human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and T-47D, were transfected with CSF-1R. Unexpectedly, CSF-1 substantially inhibited estradiol (E2) and insulin-dependent proliferation of MCF-7 transfectants (MCF-7fms) and prevented cyclin E/cdk2 and cyclin A/cdk2 activation, consistent with a G1 arrest. In contrast, CSF-1 increased DNA synthesis in T-47D transfectants (T-47Dfms) alone and with E2 or insulin. In response to CSF-1, there was a marked and sustained upregulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p21Waf1/Cip1, in MCF-7fms but not T-47Dfms. CSF-1 also markedly upregulated cyclin D1 in MCF-7fms. The coordinate increase in cyclin D1 and p21 had the effect of decreasing the specific but not absolute activity of cyclin D1/cdk4. p53 was not involved since CSF-1 induction of p21 was unaffected by dominant-negative p53 expression. ERK activation by CSF-1 was robust and sustained in MCF-7fms and to a much lesser extent in T-47Dfms. Using pharmacological and transient transfection approaches, we showed that ERK activation was necessary and sufficient for p21 induction in MCF-7fms. Moreover, activated MEK inhibited E2-stimulated cdk2 activity. Our findings indicate that the consequence of CSF-1R-mediated signals in human breast cancer cells is dependent on the genetic background of the particular tumor.
...
PMID:CSF-1 activates MAPK-dependent and p53-independent pathways to induce growth arrest of hormone-dependent human breast cancer cells. 1060 7

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) stimulates MCF-7 cell migration by binding to the UPA receptor and activating the Ras-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Ras-ERK) signaling pathway. Studies presented here show that soluble uPA receptor and a peptide derived from the linker region between domains 1 and 2 of the uPA receptor also stimulate cellular migration via a mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK kinase (MEK)-dependent pathway. Signaling proteins that function upstream of Ras in uPA- stimulated cells remain undefined. To address this problem, we transfected MCF-7 cells to express the noncatalytic carboxylterminal domain of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), FAK(Y397F), kinase-defective c-Src, or Shc FFF, all of which express dominant-negative activity. In each case, ERK phosphorylation and cellular migration in response to uPA were blocked. Both activities were rescued by co-transfecting the cells to express constitutively active MEK1, indicating that FAK, c-Src, and Shc are upstream of MEK. Shc was tyrosine-phosphorylated in uPA-treated cells. The level of phosphorylated Shc was increased within 1 min and remained increased for at least 30 min. Sos co-immunoprecipitated with Shc in cells that were treated with uPA for 1-2.5 min, probably reflecting the formation of Shc-Grb2/Sos complex; however, by 10 min, co-immunoprecipitation of Sos with Shc was no longer observed. Rapid dissociation of Sos from Shc represents a possible mechanism for the transient phosphorylation of ERK in uPA-treated MCF-7 cells.
...
PMID:Urokinase-type plasminogen activator stimulates the Ras/Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway and MCF-7 cell migration by a mechanism that requires focal adhesion kinase, Src, and Shc. Rapid dissociation of GRB2/Sps-Shc complex is associated with the transient phosphorylation of ERK in urokinase-treated cells. 1077 11

Annexin V is a Ca2+-dependent phospholipid binding protein. Although it has been shown to inhibit protein kinase C (PKC) in cell-free systems, its role in the intact cell is unclear. A stable MCF-7 human breast cancer cell overexpression system was established to investigate the function of annexin V. In these cells, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced phosphorylation and kinase activity of ERK1/2 were suppressed. Morphological changes induced by TPA were reduced by annexin V overexpression as well as by the pan-PKC inhibitor, bisindolylmaleimide I, and by the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor, PD98059. TPA-induced MEK1/2 and Raf-1 phosphorylation were reduced in these cells. The TPA-enhanced active Ras, and its association with Raf-1, were reduced. TPA treatment of MCF-7 cells caused an increased association of Shc with Grb2. However, this increased association was prevented in the annexin V-overexpressors. p21WAF/CIP1 is responsible for inhibition of cell cycle progression in MCF-7 cells. TPA induced the expression of p21WAF/CIP1 to a greater extent in MCF-7 parent and control plasmid cells than in annexin V overexpressors. PD98059 inhibited this increase, suggesting that TPA upregulation of p21WAF/CIP1 occurs via the MEK pathway, and that annexin V overexpression blunts it. This work shows that annexin V overexpression suppresses the TPA-induced Ras/ERK signaling by inhibiting at/or upstream of Shc, possibly through the inhibition of PKCs. Oncogene (2000).
...
PMID:Annexin V inhibits the 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced activation of Ras/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway upstream of Shc in MCF-7 cells. 1087 41

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is a well-established mitogen in human breast cancer cells. We show here that human breast cancer MCF-7 cells, which were prevented from attaching to the substratum and were floating in medium, responded to IGF-I and initiated DNA synthesis. The addition of IGF-I to floating cells induced activation of protein kinase B (PKB)/Akt, as to cells attached to the substratum. In addition, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular response kinase (ERK) and its upstream kinases, ERK kinase (MEK) and Raf-1, were activated by IGF-I in floating cells. While the IGF-I-induced activation of PKB/Akt was inhibited by PI3-K inhibitor LY294002 but not by MEK inhibitor PD98059, the activation of both MEK and ERK by IGF-I was inhibited by both. These findings suggest that the IGF-I signal that leads to stimulation of DNA synthesis of MCF-7 cells is transduced to ERK through PI3-K, only when they are anchorage-deficient.
...
PMID:Anchorage-independent activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase through phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase by insulin-like growth factor I. 1087 12

Activation of the ras oncogene is an important step in carcinogenesis. Human MCF-10A mammary epithelial cells were transformed with a point-mutated form of the Ha-ras oncogene. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) phosphorylation levels were chronically elevated after EGF induction and the EGFR ligand-driven internalization rate was slower in Ha-ras transformed MCF-10A cells. Additionally, basal levels of p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) expression and enzyme activity were significantly higher in Ha-ras transformed cells, localized predominantly in the nucleus. The anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody (MAb) 225 and the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor PD153035 blocked anchorage-independent growth of Ha-ras transformed cells in soft agar and were more effective when used in combination. The MEK inhibitor PD98059 and anti-erbB-2 MAb L26 also suppressed colony formation of Ha-ras transformed cells in soft agar. Therefore, Ha-ras transformation leads to an augmentation in signaling through the EGFR as a result of an increase in ligand-dependent phosphorylation, a decrease in its internalization and an up-regulation in basal p44/42 MAPK levels. These effects may contribute to uncontrolled growth of Ha-ras-transformed human mammary epithelial cells.
...
PMID:RAS transformation causes sustained activation of epidermal growth factor receptor and elevation of mitogen-activated protein kinase in human mammary epithelial cells. 1096 38

HER2/neu (erbB-2) overexpression has been causally associated with tamoxifen resistance in human breast cancer cells. Forced expression of HER2 in MCF-7 breast cancer cells resulted in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) hyperactivity and tamoxifen resistance. Inhibition of HER2 and MAPKs with AG1478 and U0126, respectively, as well as dominant-negative MEK-1/2 constructs restored the inhibitory effect of tamoxifen on estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated transcription and cell proliferation. Both AG1478 and U0126 also restored the tamoxifen-mediated association of ER with nuclear receptor corepressor (N-CoR) in the antiestrogen-resistant MCF-7 cells. Treatment with a combination of tamoxifen and a HER2 kinase inhibitor reduced tumor MAPK activity and markedly prevented growth of HER2-overexpressing MCF-7 xenografts in athymic mice. Thus, blockade of HER2 and MAPK signaling may enhance tamoxifen action and abrogate antiestrogen resistance in human breast cancer.
...
PMID:Inhibition of HER2/neu (erbB-2) and mitogen-activated protein kinases enhances tamoxifen action against HER2-overexpressing, tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells. 1105 87

The epidermal growth factor (EGF) family and its receptors regulate normal and cancerous epithelial cell proliferation, a process that could be suppressed by anti-receptor blocking antibodies. Polypeptide elongation factor-1alpha (EF-1alpha) is a multifunctional protein whose levels are positively correlated with the proliferative state of cells. To identify genes, whose expression may be modulated by anti-receptor blocking antibodies, we performed a differential display screening and isolated differentially expressed cDNAs. Isolates from one clone were 100% identical to human EF-1alpha. Both EGF and heregulin-beta1 (HRG) induced EF-1alpha promoter activity and mRNA and protein expression. Growth factor-mediated EF-1alpha expression was effectively blocked by pretreatment with humanized anti-EGF receptor antibody C225 or anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) antibody herceptin. Mutants and pharmacological inhibitors of p38(MAPK) and MEK, but not phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, suppressed both constitutive and HRG-induced stimulation of EF-1alpha promoter activity in MCF-7 cells. Deletion analysis of the promoter suggested the requirement of the -393 to -204 region for growth factor-mediated transcription of EF-1alpha. Fine mapping and point mutation studies revealed a role of the SP1 site in the observed HRG-mediated regulation of the EF-1alpha promoter. In addition, we also provide new evidence to suggest that HRG stimulation of the EF-1alpha promoter involves increased physical interactions with acetylated histone H3 and histone H4. These results suggest that regulation of EF-1alpha expression by extracellular signals that function through human EGF receptor family members that are widely deregulated in human cancers and that growth factor regulation of EF-1alpha expression involve histone acetylation.
...
PMID:Regulation of elongation factor-1alpha expression by growth factors and anti-receptor blocking antibodies. 1110 60

In the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7, the nucleotides ATP gamma S and UTP, acting extracellularly through the purinergic receptor P2Y(2), lead to elevated intracellular calcium levels and increased proliferation. ATP gamma S and UTP treatment of MCF-7 cells activated transcription of the immediate early gene c-fos, an important component in the response to proliferative stimulation. c-fos induction was enhanced by co-treatment with ATP gamma S and a variety of proliferative agents including growth factors, tumour promoters and stress. Stimulation with ATP gamma S or epidermal growth factor (EGF) led to extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation and phosphorylation of the transcription factors CREB and Elk-1. Co-stimulation synergistically activated fos expression and notably led to increased levels of ERK, CREB and EGF receptor phosphorylation, as well as hyperphosphorylation of ternary complex factor. Nevertheless, the ERK pathway does not fully account for this synergy, since fos induction was differentially sensitive to the MEK inhibitor U0126, indicating that these two agonists signal differently to this immediate early gene. Thus, extracellular nucleotides co-operate with growth factors to activate genes linked to the proliferative response in MCF-7 cells through activation of specific purinergic receptors, which thereby represent important potential targets for arresting the neoplastic progression of breast cancer cells.
...
PMID:Extracellular ATP activates multiple signalling pathways and potentiates growth factor-induced c-fos gene expression in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. 1113 6


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>

---