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)

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and its direct activator, MAP kinase kinase (MAPKK), comprise the MAPKK/MAP kinase cascade, which may play a pivotal role in a variety of intracellular signal transduction pathways from yeast to human. Vertebrate MAPKK, a dual-specificity kinase, is activated by serine phosphorylation catalyzed by upstream serine/threonine kinases, MAPKK kinases (MAPKK-Ks). MAPKK is, on the other hand, threonine phosphorylated by MAP kinase, although a physiological role of this MAP kinase-mediated phosphorylation of MAPKK is unknown. Biochemical fractionation of extracts from Xenopus mature oocytes revealed two major and one minor peaks for the MAPKK-K activity. One of the major peaks contained a proto-oncogene product c-Mos, while the other peaks did not. These observations, together with a recent finding that several MAPKK-Ks such as Raf-1 and MEKK may function within a cell, suggest a diversity of MAPKK-Ks. A variety of extracellular signals converge at the MAPKK/MAP kinase cascade through different MAPKK-Ks and elicit a wide spectrum of cellular responses. Therefore, mechanisms that control activation of the MAP kinase cascade temporally and spatially may be important for specification of cellular responses.
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PMID:Signaling pathways mediated by the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase/MAP kinase cascade. 796 62

We have recently described the properties of delta Raf-1:ER, a fusion protein consisting of an oncogenic form of human Raf-1 and the hormone binding domain of the human estrogen receptor. In this study, we demonstrate that activation of delta Raf-1:ER in quiescent 3T3 cells (C2 cells), while sufficient to promote morphological oncogenic transformation, was insufficient to promote the entry of cells into DNA synthesis. Indeed, activation of delta Raf-1:ER potently inhibited the mitogenic response of cells to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) treatment. Addition of beta-estradiol to quiescent C2 cells led to rapid, sustained activation of delta Raf-1:ER and MEK but only two- to threefold activation of p42 mitogen-activating protein (MAP) kinase activity. Addition of PDGF or EGF to quiescent C2 cells in which delta Raf-1:ER was inactive led to rapid activation of Raf-1, MEK, and p42 MAP kinase activities, and entry of the cells into DNA synthesis. In contrast, when delta Raf-1:ER was activated in quiescent C2 cells prior to factor addition, there was a significant inhibition of certain aspects of the signaling response to subsequent treatment with PDGF or EGF. The expression and activation of PDGF receptors and the phosphorylation of p70S6K in response to PDGF treatment were unaffected by prior activation of delta Raf-1:ER. In contrast, PDGF-mediated activation of Raf-1 and p42 MAP kinases was significantly inhibited compared with that of controls. Interestingly, the mitogenic and signaling responses of quiescent C2 cells to stimulation with fetal bovine serum or phorbol myristate acetate were unaffected by prior activation of delta Raf-1:ER. It seems likely that at least two mechanisms contribute to the effects of delta Raf-1:ER in these cells. First, activation of delta Raf-1:ER appeared to uncouple the activation of Raf-1 from the activation of the PDGF receptor at the cell surface. This may be due to the fact that mSOS1 is constitutively phosphorylated as a consequence of the activation of delta Raf-1:ER. Second, quiescent C2 cells expressing activated delta Raf-1:ER appear to contain an inhibitor of the MAP kinase pathway that, because of its apparent sensitivity to sodium orthovanadate, may be a phosphotyrosine phosphatase. It is likely that the inhibitory effects of delta Raf-1:ER observed in these cells are a manifestation of the activation of some of the feedback inhibition pathways that normally modulate a cell's response to growth factors. 3T3 cells expressing delta Raf-1:ER will be a useful tool in unraveling the role of Raf-1 kinase activity in the regulation of such pathways.
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PMID:Inhibition of platelet-derived growth factor- and epidermal growth factor-mediated mitogenesis and signaling in 3T3 cells expressing delta Raf-1:ER, an estradiol-regulated form of Raf-1. 796 25

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

Numerous studies have been published these last few years on the involvement of MAP kinases in signal transduction reflecting their importance in cell cycle and cell growth controls. The identification and the characterization of their direct upstream activator has considerably enlarged our understanding of the phosphorylation network. The MAP kinase kinases (MAPKKs) are dual-specificity protein kinases which phosphorylate and activate MAP kinases. To date, MAPKK homologues have been found in yeast, invertebrates, amphibians, and mammals. Moreover, the MAPKK/MAPK phosphorylation switch constitutes a basic module activated in distinct pathways in yeast and in vertebrates. MAPKK regulation studies have led to the discovery of at least four MAPKK convergent pathways in higher organisms. One of these is similar to the yeast pheromone response pathway which includes the ste11 protein kinase. Two other pathways require the activation of either one or both of the serine/threonine kinase-encoded oncogenes c-Raf-1 and c-Mos. Additionally, recent studies suggest a possible effect of the cell cycle control regulator cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (cdc2) on MAPKK activity. Finally, MAPKKs seem to be essential transducers through which signals must pass before reaching the nucleus.
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PMID:MAP kinase kinase: a node connecting multiple pathways. 800 6

The MAP kinase module (Raf/MAPKKK-MAPKK-MAPK) has been shown to be sequentially activated after mitogenic stimulation. Here we demonstrate, by site directed mutagenesis, that MAPK is able to retrophosphorylate its own activator, MAPKK, on two threonine residues Thr-292 and Thr-386 in vitro, and that these sites are also phosphorylated in vivo. A comparison of the kinetics of serum-mediated activation of a wild-type MAPKK and of a mutant unable to undergo phosphorylation by MAPK suggests that this retrophosphorylation may be involved in a negative feedback control of the cascade in vivo.
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PMID:Growth factor-stimulated MAP kinase induces rapid retrophosphorylation and inhibition of MAP kinase kinase (MEK1). 801 50

The signal transduction kinase MEK (mitogen-activated protein (MAP) or extracellular signal-regulated (Erk) kinase)-1 is activated via phosphorylation by MEKK (MEK kinase) and raf kinases. We show here that these two kinases phosphorylate rat MEK-1 exclusively on two serine codons, Ser218 and Ser222. Phosphorylation of MEK-1 on serines 218 and 222 is both necessary and sufficient for MEK-1 to be activated and able to phosphorylate MAP kinase. A mutant form of MEK-1 that replaces these two codons with alanine cannot be activated, and one that substitutes glutamic acid residues in place of these 2 serines is active independent of activation by phosphorylation. These sites of activation occur in a region of MEK-1 that is similar to sites of activating phosphorylation in several other serine/threonine kinases, suggesting that this region may represent a conserved "activating domain" of many kinases. MEKK and raf display differences in site preference between these two codons, with MEKK showing preference for the amino acid at codon 218 and raf phosphorylating each residue approximately equally. This site preference might result in differences in the temporal or subsequent substrate patterns of MEK activation that result from these two activation pathways.
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PMID:Identification of 2 serine residues of MEK-1 that are differentially phosphorylated during activation by raf and MEK kinase. 803 65

Chemoattractants bind to seven transmembrane-spanning, G-protein-linked receptors on polymorphonuclear leukocytes (neutrophils) and induce a variety of functional responses, including activation of microtubule-associated protein (MAP) kinase. Although the pathways by which MAP kinases are activated in neutrophils are unknown, we hypothesized that activation of the Ras/Raf pathway leading to activation of MAP/ERK kinase (MEK) would be induced by the chemoattractant f-met-leu-phe. Human neutrophils exposed to 10 nM FMLP for 30 s exhibited an MAP kinase kinase activity coeluting with MEK-1. Immunoprecipitation of Raf-1 kinase after stimulation with FMLP revealed an activity that phosphorylated MEK, was detectable at 30 s, and peaked at 2-3 min. Immunoprecipitation of Ras from both intact neutrophils labeled with [32P]orthophosphate and electropermeabilized neutrophils incubated with [32P]GTP was used to determine that FMLP treatment was associated with activation of Ras. Activation of both Ras and Raf was inhibited by treatment of neutrophils with pertussis toxin, indicating predominant linkage to the Gi2 protein. Although phorbol esters activated Raf, activation induced by FMLP appeared independent of protein kinase C, further suggesting that Gi2 was linked to Ras and Raf independent of phospholipase C and protein kinase C. Dibutyryl cAMP, which inhibits many neutrophil functional responses, blocked the activation of Raf by FMLP, suggesting that interruption of the Raf/MAP kinase pathway influences neutrophil responses to chemoattractants. These data suggest that Gi2-mediated receptor regulation of the Ras/Raf/MAP kinase pathway is a primary response to chemoattractants.
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PMID:FMLP activates Ras and Raf in human neutrophils. Potential role in activation of MAP kinase. 804 Feb 99

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase (MAPKK) activates MAP kinase in a signal transduction pathway that mediates cellular responses to growth and differentiation factors. Oncogenes such as ras, src, raf, and mos have been proposed to transform cells by prolonging the activated state of MAPKK and of components downstream in the signaling pathway. To test this hypothesis, constitutively active MAPKK mutants were designed that had basal activities up to 400 times greater than that of the unphosphorylated wild-type kinase. Expression of these mutants in mammalian cells activated AP-1-regulated transcription. The cells formed transformed foci, grew efficiently in soft agar, and were highly tumorigenic in nude mice. These findings indicate that constitutive activation of MAPKK is sufficient to promote cell transformation.
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PMID:Transformation of mammalian cells by constitutively active MAP kinase kinase. 805 57

Ste5 is a Zn2+ finger-like protein thought to function before three kinases, Ste11 (a MEKK), Ste7 (a MEK), and Fus3 (a MAPK), in a conserved MAP kinase cascade required for mating in S. cerevisiae. Here, we present evidence that Ste5 forms a multikinase complex that joins these kinases for efficient Fus3 activation. By two-hybrid analysis, Ste11, Ste7, and Fus3 associate with different domains of Ste5, while Kss1, another MAPK, associates with the same domain as Fus3, thus implying that Ste5 simultaneously binds a MEKK, MEK, and MAPK. Ste5 copurifies with Ste11, Fus3, and a hypophosphorylated form of Ste7, and all four proteins cosediment in a glycerol gradient as if in a large complex. Ste5 also increases the amount of Ste11 complexed to Ste7 and Fus3 and is required for Ste11 to function. These results substantiate a novel signal transduction component that physically links multiple kinases within a single cascade.
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PMID:Ste5 tethers multiple protein kinases in the MAP kinase cascade required for mating in S. cerevisiae. 806 90

Human neutrophils respond to chemoattractants, resulting in their accumulation at an inflammatory site. Chemoattractants such as the C5a peptide, derived from the C5 complement factor, bind to inhibitory guanine nucleotide binding protein (Gi)-coupled seven membrane-spanning receptors expressed in neutrophils. C5a receptor activation results in the Gi-dependent activation of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway in human neutrophils. C5a receptor ligation activates both B-Raf and Raf-1, with B-Raf activation overlapping but temporally distinct from that of Raf-1. B-Raf and Raf-1 both efficiently phosphorylate MAP kinase kinase (MEK-1). C5a also stimulates guanine nucleotide exchange and activation of Ras. Ras and Raf activation in response to C5a involves protein kinase C-dependent and -independent pathways. Activation of both Raf-1 and B-Raf was inhibited by protein kinase A stimulation, consistent with the inhibitory effects of increased cAMP levels on neutrophil function. The findings define a functional signal transduction pathway linking the neutrophil C5a chemoattractant receptor to the regulation of Ras, B-Raf, Raf-1, and MAP kinase.
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PMID:Mapping of the C5a receptor signal transduction network in human neutrophils. 809 Jul 90


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