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)

In this study, we investigated the role of hematopietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) in delayed neuronal damage after cerebral ischemia and the possible regulatory mechanisms of this event. Our data show that tyrosine phosphorylation of HPK1 was significantly increased at 6 h of ischemic-reperfusion compared with sham control. The increase in p-HPK1, p-MLK3, p-MKK7, and p-JNK3 was attenuated by HPK1 antisense oligodeoxynucleotides intra-cerebroventricular infusion, but not MS-ODNs or vehicle. Intracerebroventricular infusion of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides also increased the number of surviving pyramidal neurons, whereas MS-ODNs or vehicle (TE) groups had no effects. These results indicate that knockdown of HPK1 expression provides neuroprotection through downregulation activation of the MLK3-MKK7-JNK3 pathway following cerebral ischemia in the rat hippocampus CA1 subfield.
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PMID:Neuroprotection against ischemic brain injury by knockdown of hematopietic progenitor kinase 1 expression. 1838 79

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway mediates stress responses in cells. JNK activity is regulated by a protein kinase cascade consisting of a MAPK kinase (MKK) and a MAPK kinase kinase (MAPKKK). beta-Arrestin-2 acts as a scaffold by directly binding to the JNK3 isoform and also by recruiting MKK4 and the MAPKKK apoptosis-signaling kinase-1 (ASK1). In this study, we demonstrate by co-precipitation that the extended N-terminal region of JNK3 mediates binding to the C terminus of beta-arrestin-2 and that the N terminus of JNK3 is required for its activation via beta-arrestin-2. We have used site-specific mutagenesis to identify key residues within the N terminus of JNK3 that are essential for binding and demonstrate that this region represents an independent beta-arrestin-2 binding motif that can be fused to other MAPKs and permit their recruitment to the scaffold complex. In addition, we demonstrate that JNK3 recruits MKK4 to the beta-arrestin-2 scaffold complex by binding to the MAPK docking domain (D-domain) located within the N terminus of MKK4. These findings uncover molecular determinants of beta-arrestin-2 scaffold complex assembly and assign a previously unrecognized role for the unique extended N terminus of JNK3.
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PMID:The beta-arrestin-2 scaffold protein promotes c-Jun N-terminal kinase-3 activation by binding to its nonconserved N terminus. 1840 5

Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is a hematopoietic cell-restricted member of the Ste20 serine/threonine kinase super family. We recently reported that HPK1 is involved in c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway by sequential activation of MLK3-MKK7-JNK3 after cerebral ischemia. Here, we used 4-amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-7-(t-butyl) pyrazolo [3,4-d] pyrimidine (PP2) and MK801 to investigate the events upstream of HPK1 in ischemic brain injury. Immunoprecipitation and immunoblot results showed that PP2 and MK801 significantly decreased the activation of Src, HPK1, MLK3, JNK3 and c-Jun, respectively, during ischemia/reperfusion. Histology and TUNEL staining showed PP2 or MK801 protects against neuron death after brain ischemia. We speculate that this unique signaling pathway through the tyrosine phosphorylation of HPK1 promotes ischemic brain injury by activated Src via N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor and, ultimately, the activation of the MLK3-MKK7-JNK3 pathway after cerebral ischemia.
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PMID:Tyrosine phosphorylation of HPK1 by activated Src promotes ischemic brain injury in rat hippocampal CA1 region. 1849 70

Amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta) has been implicated in the etiopathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Abeta neurotoxicity remain to be elucidated. This study showed that Abeta treatment resulted in the increased phosphorylation (activation) of MLK3, MKK7, and JNK3 in cultured cortical neurons, which characterized as biphasic activation (first peaked at 1 hr and second peaked at 12 hr after Abeta treatment). K252a blocked Abeta-induced neuronal apoptosis, both early and late phases of MLK3-MKK7-JNK3 activation, as well as downstream signal events involving p-JNKs nuclear translocation, c-Jun phosphorylation, and Bad translocation to the mitochondria. The neuroprotective effect of K252a on Abeta-induced apoptosis was partially dependent on Akt activation. In contrast, antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) reduced early, but not late, MLK3-MKK7-JNK3 activation by Abeta treatment and provided a weak neuroprotective ability in Abeta-induced apoptosis. Taken together, Abeta neurotoxicity is mainly due to MLK3-MKK7-JNK3 signal cascades. The late signal events of MLK3 activation after Abeta treatment may play an important role in AD neuronal loss and will be a promising pharmacological target for AD therapeutic intervention.
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PMID:Different protection of K252a and N-acetyl-L-cysteine against amyloid-beta peptide-induced cortical neuron apoptosis involving inhibition of MLK3-MKK7-JNK3 signal cascades. 1895 97

Arrestins bind active phosphorylated G protein-coupled receptors, precluding G protein activation and channeling signaling to alternative pathways. Arrestins also function as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) scaffolds, bringing together three components of MAPK signaling modules. Here we have demonstrated that all four vertebrate arrestins interact with JNK3, MKK4, and ASK1, but only arrestin3 facilitates JNK3 activation. Thus, the functional specificity of arrestins is not determined by differential binding of the kinases. Using receptor binding-impaired mutant, we have shown that free arrestin3 readily promotes JNK3 phosphorylation. We identified key arrestin-binding elements in JNK3 and ASK1 and investigated the molecular interactions of arrestin2 and arrestin3 and their individual domains with the components of the two MAPK cascades, ASK1-MKK4-JNK3 and c-Raf-1-MEK1-ERK2. We found that both arrestin domains interact with all six kinases. These findings shed new light on the mechanism of arrestin-mediated MAPK activation and the spatial arrangement of the three kinases on arrestin molecule.
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PMID:How does arrestin assemble MAPKs into a signaling complex? 1900 75

c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs), a family of MAP kinases, are central mediators of apoptosis and neurodegeneration, but also of plasticity and regeneration. Current concepts suggest that the compartmentalisation i.e. the distribution within cellular organelles and structures rather than substrate affinity determines the pathological and physiological function of individual JNKs. In contrast to JNK mediated activation of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2/BH3-only substrates, findings on the presence and activation of JNK isoforms in mitochondria are rare. Here we have analysed the specific localisation and activation of JNK1, JNK2 and JNK3 as well as of their upstream MKK4/7 in brain mitochondria following transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo). The mitochondrial preparations were free of cytoskeletal, nuclear and ER contaminations, the specificity of antibodies was demonstrated in brain mitochondria from JNK deficient untreated mice. All JNKs were present in mitochondria with JNK1 as the major carrier of a strong basal JNK activity. Surprisingly, JNK activity was hardly detectable in the remaining cytoplasm. Between 2 and 18 h following MCAo, the pattern of JNK isoforms in mitochondria completely changed. Presence and activation of JNK1 almost completely disappeared. In striking contrast, presence and activation of JNK2 and, even more pronounced, of JNK3 substantially increased. At the level of the upstream MKKs, complexes of MKK4:JNK1 were diminished, whereas complexes of JNK3 with MKK4 and MKK7 were enhanced. These data strongly suggest that the basal physiological JNK1 activity is replaced in mitochondria by activated JNK2 and JNK3 following neurodegenerative events. This pattern of "JNK1 goes and JNK3 comes" might be essential for the initiation of apoptosis and suggests the search for targets of compartment-specific neuroprotective strategies.
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PMID:Cerebral ischemia provokes a profound exchange of activated JNK isoforms in brain mitochondria. 1928 69

beta-Arrestins are ubiquitously expressed proteins that play important roles in receptor desensitization, endocytosis, proteosomal degradation, apoptosis and signaling. It has been reported that beta-Arrestin2 acts as a scaffold by directly interacting with the JNK3 isoform and recruiting MKK4 and the apoptosis-signaling kinase-1 (ASK1). Here, we report a novel function of beta-Arrestins in regulating H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis. Our study demonstrates that beta-Arrestins physically associate with C-terminal domain of ASK1, and moreover, both over-expression and RNA interference (RNAi) experiments indicate that beta-Arrestins down-regulate ASK1 protein. In detail, beta-Arrestin-induced reduction of ASK1 protein is due to ubiquitination and proteasome-dependent degradation of ASK1 in response to association of beta-Arrestins and ASK1. Upon H(2)O(2) stimulation, the protein binding between beta-Arrestins and ASK1 increases and ASK1 degradation is expedited. In consequence, beta-Arrestins prevent ASK1-JNK signaling and as a result attenuate H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis. Structurally, C-terminal domain of ASK1 is essential for beta-Arrestins and ASK1 association. We also found that CHIP is required for beta-Arrestins-induced ASK1 degradation, which suggested that beta-Arrestins function as a scaffold of ASK1 and CHIP, leading to CHIP-mediated ASK1 degradation. All these findings indicate that beta-Arrestins play a negative regulatory role in H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis signaling through associating with ASK1 and CHIP and facilitating ASK1 degradation, which provides a new insight for analyzing the effects of beta-Arrestins on protecting cells from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis.
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PMID:beta-Arrestins facilitate ubiquitin-dependent degradation of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) and attenuate H2O2-induced apoptosis. 1930 26

Our previous studies showed that the assembly of the GluR6-PSD95-mixed lineage kinase 3 (MLK3) signaling module played an important role in rat ischemic brain injury. In this study, we aimed to elucidate whether ischemic preconditioning could downregulate the assembly of the GluR6-PSD95-MLK3 signaling module and suppress the activation of MLK3, MKK4/7, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). As a result, ischemic preconditioning could not only inhibit the assembly of the GluR6-PSD95-MLK3 signaling module, diminish the phosphorylation of the transcription factor c-Jun, downregulate Fas ligand expression, attenuate the phosphorylation of 14-3-3 and Bcl-2 and the translocation of Bax to mitochondria, but also increase the release of cytochrome c and the activation of caspase-3. In contrast, both GluR6 antisense ODNs (oligodeoxynucleotides) and 6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5-nitro-1 H-benz[g]indole-2,3-dione-3-oxime (NS102), an antagonist of GluR6 receptor, prevented the above effects of preconditioning, which shows that suppressing the expression of GluR6 or inhibiting GluR6 activity contributes negatively to preconditioning-induced ischemia tolerance. Taken together, our results indicate that preconditioning can inhibit the over-assembly of the GluR6-PSD95-MLK3 signaling module and the JNK3 activation. GluR6 subunit-containing kainite receptors play an important role in the preconditioning-induced neuronal survival and provide new insight into stroke therapy.
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PMID:Neuroprotection of preconditioning against ischemic brain injury in rat hippocampus through inhibition of the assembly of GluR6-PSD95-mixed lineage kinase 3 signaling module via nuclear and non-nuclear pathways. 1932 23

Previous work has demonstrated that ischemic preconditioning neuroprotection is associated with inhibition of JNK pathway activation. The present study was designed to examine the hypothesis that the suppression of JNK3 activation by preconditioning is mediated by NMDA receptors and crosstalk between ERK1/2 and JNK3. Preconditioning (3 min ischemia) 2 days before global cerebral ischemia (8-min) markedly decreased neuronal degeneration in hippocampus CA1, an effect abolished by pretreatment with the NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801. Furthermore, preconditioning abolished cerebral ischemia-induced JNK3 activation and enhanced ERK1/2 activation, an effect reversed by MK-801. Due to the inverse relationship between ERK1/2 and JNK3 activation following preconditioning, we hypothesized that ERK1/2 may regulate JNK3 activation following preconditioning. In support of this contention, pretreatment with the MEK inhibitor, PD98059 significantly attenuated preconditioning-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and strongly reversed preconditioning down-regulation of JNK3 phosphorylation. This finding suggests that ERK1/2 signaling is responsible for preconditioning-induced down-regulation of JNK3 activation. Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry further demonstrated that preconditioning, in an NMDA-dependent manner, enhanced activation of the pro-survival factors, p-CREB and Bcl-2, while attenuating activation of putative pro-death factors, p-c-Jun and Fas-L in the hippocampus CA1. As a whole, the study demonstrates that preconditioning attenuation of pro-death JNK3 in the hippocampus CA1 following global cerebral ischemia is mediated by NMDA receptor-induced crosstalk between ERK1/2 and JNK3. The ERK1/2-mediated reduction of JNK3 activation leads to enhanced pro-survival signaling (P-CREB and Bcl-2 induction) and attenuation of pro-death signaling (p-c-Jun and Fas-L), with subsequent induction of ischemic tolerance.
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PMID:Preconditioning neuroprotection in global cerebral ischemia involves NMDA receptor-mediated ERK-JNK3 crosstalk. 1937 93

Beta arrestins are molecular scaffolds that can bring together three-component mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling modules to promote signal compartmentalisation. We use peptide array technology to define novel interfaces between components within the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/beta arrestin signalling complex. We show that beta arrestin 1 and beta arrestin 2 associate with JNK3 via the kinase N-terminal domain in a region that, surprisingly, does not harbour a known 'common docking' motif. In the N-domain and C-terminus of beta arrestin 1 and beta arrestin 2 we identify two novel apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 binding sites and in the N-domain of the beta arrestin 1 and beta arrestin 2 we identify a novel MKK4 docking site.
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PMID:A scanning peptide array approach uncovers association sites within the JNK/beta arrestin signalling complex. 1978 76


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