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)

Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and its receptor (uPAR) play a major role in invasion and proliferation. A growing body of evidence has suggested that the uPA system promotes tumor metastasis by several different mechanisms, and not just solely by breaking down the ECM. In this study we have used RNAi-mediated simultaneous down-regulation of uPAR and uPA to determine the signaling pathway molecules and caspase-mediated apoptosis. From our in vitro experiments, we have observed that plasmid-based RNAi-mediated down-regulation of uPAR and uPA in SNB19 human glioma cells caused a decrease in the levels of uPAR protein and uPA enzyme activities. In addition, we observed a decrease in the phosphorylation of the Ras-activated pathway molecules such as FAK, p38MAPK, JNK and ERK1/2, as well as the MEK-activated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3k) pathway, and also retarded the dephosphorylation of p-AKTser473 and p-mTORser2448, indicative of a feedback signaling mechanism of the uPAR-uPA system. Activation of caspase 8 accompanied by the release of cytochrome c and cleavage of PARP was also observed and indicative of Fas-mediated apoptosis. The use of FMK-VAD-FAK peptides coupled with FITC indicated activation of polycaspases, which was accompanied by the presence of fragmented nuclei. Our studies provide evidence for the presence of a feedback response of the uPAR-uPA system indicative of the multifaceted role of uPAR, and also the therapeutic potential of simultaneously targeting uPAR and uPA in cancer patients.
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PMID:Down-regulation of uPAR and uPA activates caspase-mediated apoptosis and inhibits the PI3K/AKT pathway. 1754 1

It has recently become apparent that the microenvironment made up of the extracellular matrix may affect cell signaling. In this study, we evaluated Fas-triggered apoptosis in T cells in contact with tumor cells, which resembles the cell-to-cell interactions found in tumor regions. Jurkat cells were less susceptible to the Fas-mediated apoptosis when cocultured with U118, HeLa, A549, and Huh-7 tumor cells. This was indicated by less plasma membrane alteration, an amelioration of the loss of mitochondria membrane potential, a decrease in caspase-8 and caspase-3 activation, a decrease in DNA fragmentation factor-45/35 cleavage, and a reduction in the breakage of DNA when compared with Jurkat cells cultured alone. In contrast, the tumor cell lines MCF-7 and HepG2 produced no such protective effect. This protective event was independent of the expression of Fas ligand on the tumor cells. Interrupting the beta integrins-matrix interaction diminished the coculture effect. In Jurkat cells, cell matrix contact reduced the assembly of the Fas death-inducing signaling complex and Bcl-x(L) cleavage, but enhanced the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, and Akt. Only PI3K inhibitor, but not kinase inhibitors for MEK, ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, JNK, protein kinase C, and protein kinase A, completely abolished this tumor cell contact-associated protection and in parallel restored Fas-induced Bcl-x(L) cleavage as well as decreasing the phosphorylation of Bad at serine 136. Together, our results indicate that stimulation of the beta integrin signal of T cells by contact with tumor cells may trigger a novel protective signaling through the PI3K/Akt pathway of T cells against Fas-mediated apoptosis.
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PMID:Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt activation by integrin-tumor matrix interaction suppresses Fas-mediated apoptosis in T cells. 1787 56

The obligate intracellular human pathogenic bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis has evolved multiple mechanisms to circumvent the host immune system. Infected cells exhibit a profound resistance to the induction of apoptosis and down-regulate the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I and class II molecules to evade the cytotoxic effect of effector immune cells. Here we demonstrate the down-regulation of tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) on the surface of infected cells. Interestingly, other members of the TNFR family such as TNFR2 and CD95 (Fas/Apo-1) were not modulated during infection, suggesting a selective mechanism underlying surface reduction of TNFR1. The observed effect was not due to reduced expression since the overall amount of TNFR1 protein was increased in infected cells. TNFR1 accumulated at the chlamydial inclusion and was shed by the infected cell into the culture supernatant. Receptor shedding depended on the infection-induced activation of the MEK-ERK pathway and the metalloproteinase TACE (TNFalpha converting enzyme). Our results point to a new function of TNFR1 modulation by C. trachomatis in controlling inflammatory signals during infection.
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PMID:Reduced display of tumor necrosis factor receptor I at the host cell surface supports infection with Chlamydia trachomatis. 1816 50

Interleukin-11 (IL-11) displays epithelial cytoprotective effects during intestinal injury. Antiapoptotic effects of IL-11 have been described, yet mechanisms remain unclear. Fas/CD95 death receptor signaling is upregulated in ulcerative colitis, leading to mucosal breakdown. We hypothesized that IL-11 inhibits Fas ligand (FasL)-mediated apoptosis in intestinal epithelia. Cell death was monitored in IEC-18 cells by microscopy, caspase and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, mitochondrial release of cytochrome c, and abundance of cytoplasmic oligonucleosomal DNA. RT-PCR was used to monitor Fas, cIAP1, cIAP2, XIAP, cFLIP, survivin, and Bcl-2 family members. Fas membrane expression was detected by immunoblot. Inhibitors of JAK2, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase), Akt 1, MEK1 and MEK2, and p38 MAPK were used to delineate IL-11's antiapoptotic mechanisms. IL-11 did not alter Fas expression. Pretreatment with IL-11 for 24 h before FasL reduced cytoplasmic oligonucleosomal DNA by 63.2%. IL-11 also attenuated caspase-3, caspase-9, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage without affecting expression of activated caspase-8 p20 or cytochrome c release. IL-11 did not affect mRNA expression of the candidate antiapoptotic genes. The MEK1 and MEK2 inhibitors U-0126 and PD-98059 significantly attenuated the protection of IL-11 against caspase-3 and caspase-9 cleavage and cytoplasmic oligonucleosomal DNA accumulation. Although Akt inhibition reversed IL-11-mediated effects on caspase cleavage, it did not reverse the protective effects of IL-11 by DNA ELISA. We conclude that IL-11-dependent MEK1 and MEK2 signaling inhibits FasL-induced apoptosis. The lack of reversal of the IL-11 effect on DNA cleavage by Akt inhibition, despite antagonism of caspase cleavage, suggests that IL-11 inhibits caspase-independent cell death signaling by FasL in a MEK-dependent manner.
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PMID:Interleukin-11 antagonizes Fas ligand-mediated apoptosis in IEC-18 intestinal epithelial crypt cells: role of MEK and Akt-dependent signaling. 1820 15

We compared the response of normal (FHC) and cancer (HT-29) human colon epithelial cells to the important apoptotic inducers TNF-alpha, anti-Fas antibody and TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL). The two cell lines did not respond to TNF-alpha (15 ng/ml), expressed a limited sensitivity to anti-Fas antibody (200 ng/ml) and a different response to TRAIL (100 ng/ml). We studied apoptosis with regard to the changes at the receptor level (DR, DcR and FLIP) and at the level of mitochondria (Bid protein cleavage, Apo2.7 protein expression and caspase-9 activation). Two different approaches were used to sensitize the cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis: inhibition of protein synthesis (cycloheximide, CHX) and inhibition of the pro-survival MEK/ERK pathway (U0126). While the two cell lines were markedly sensitized to all three TNF family members by CHX, a different degree of response (especially for TRAIL) was obtained when inhibition of the MEK/ERK pathway was achieved. TRAIL-induced apoptosis was significantly enhanced by U0126 co-treatment in the HT-29 cells, but not in the FHC cells. The most significant differences between the HT-29 and FHC cells co-treated with TRAIL and U0126 were demonstrated with regard to the involvement of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, suggesting its importance in the regulation of cell sensitivity to the TRAIL-induced apoptosis.
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PMID:Response of normal and colon cancer epithelial cells to TNF-family apoptotic inducers. 1820 9

Apoptosis of human neutrophils is a crucial mechanism for the resolution of inflammation. We previously showed that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) delays spontaneous neutrophil apoptosis without influencing the secretion of cytokines by these cells. In the present study, we further addressed the role of IGF1 in regulating neutrophil survival in the presence of other factors present during inflammation, and the mechanism involved in delaying apoptosis. We show that IGF1 delays neutrophil apoptosis triggered by the agonistic anti-Fas antibody CH11 and that the effect of IGF1 is comparable in magnitude to that of the acknowledged anti-apoptotic cytokines interferon-gamma (IFNG) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF; now known as CSF2). Furthermore, IGF1 exerted additional effects on cell survival in the presence of these cytokines. IGF1 did not affect Fas expression or activation by anti-Fas of caspase-8, but inhibited the depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane. Inhibitor studies indicate that the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) pathway, but not the MEK-ERK pathway, mediates the effects of IGF1. However, in contrast to CSF2, IGF1 did not induce phosphorylation and translocation to the membrane of AKT, the canonical downstream target of PI3K. We therefore speculate that other downstream targets of PI3K are involved in the delay of neutrophil apoptosis by IGF1, possibly through stabilization of the mitochondrial membrane.
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PMID:Insulin-like growth factor-1 delays Fas-mediated apoptosis in human neutrophils through the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase pathway. 1865 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

Arachidonic acid (AA)-induced apoptotic death of human leukemia U937 cells was characteristic of increase in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]i), ROS generation, ERK inactivation, p38 MPAK activation, degradation of procaspase-8 and production of truncated Bid (tBid). Moreover, AA treatment upregulated Fas/FasL protein expression and transcription of Fas/FasL mRNA. Downregulation of FADD blocked AA-induced procaspase-8 degradation and rescued viability of AA-treated cells. BAPTA-AM (Ca(2+) chelator) pretreatment abolished AA-induced ROS generation, while N-acetylcysteine (NAC, ROS scavenger) was unable to alter AA-elicited [Ca(2+)]i increase. Pretreatment with BAPTA-AM or NAC abrogated p38 MAPK activation and restored ERK activation. Suppression of p38 MAPK or transfection of constitutively active MEK1 abolished AA-induced Fas and FasL upregulation. AA treatment repressed ERK-mediated c-Fos phosphorylation but evoked p38 MAPK-mediated ATF-2 phosphorylation. Knockdown of c-Fos and ATF-2 by siRNA reflected that c-Fos counteracted the effect of ATF-2 on Fas/FasL upregulation. Taken together, our data indicate that Fas/FasL upregulation in AA-treated U937 cells is elicited by Ca(2+)/ROS-mediated suppression of ERK/c-Fos pathway and activation of p38 MAPK/ATF-2, and suggest that autocrine Fas-mediated apoptotoic mechanism is involved in AA-induced cell death.
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PMID:Arachidonic acid induces Fas and FasL upregulation in human leukemia U937 cells via Ca2+/ROS-mediated suppression of ERK/c-Fos pathway and activation of p38 MAPK/ATF-2 pathway. 1972 Jan 22

Drugs of abuse induce behavioral neuroadaptations whose molecular mechanisms, partly known, are crucial to understanding drug addictions. The multifunctional adaptor Fas-associated protein with death domain (FADD) was recently associated with the induction of neuroplasticity. This study investigated the modulation of FADD and MAP kinase signaling, as well as their interactions with PEA-15 (phosphoprotein enriched in astrocytes-15 kDa) and Akt1 pathways, during the expression of unconditioned morphine-induced psychomotor sensitization. In morphine-pretreated rats (10mg/kg during 5 days), a challenge dose of the opiate induced a robust psychomotor sensitization at early withdrawal (3 days, SW 3), but not after a prolonged abstinence period (14 days), which was coincident with an accelerated dopamine turnover in the striatum. Marked concomitant increases in the content of p-FADD (48%) and the activation of MEK-ERK (46-79%) were quantified during the short-term expression of morphine sensitization (SW 3, in the absence of morphine challenge). At SW 3, p-PEA-15, a FADD-ERK binding partner, was also upregulated (51%) as well as the activation of its phosphorylating Akt1 kinase (49%). Notably, the MEK inhibitor SL 327 attenuated (58%) the expression of morphine-induced psychomotor sensitization (SW 3) and fully prevented the upregulation of p-FADD, p-PEA-15 and p-Akt1 at SW 3. The results indicate that the activation of MEK/ERK, the upregulation of p-FADD and that of the linking partners PEA-15/Akt1 have a major role in mediating the short-lasting expression of unconditioned psychomotor sensitization induced by morphine in rats.
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PMID:The time course of unconditioned morphine-induced psychomotor sensitization mirrors the phosphorylation of FADD and MEK/ERK in rat striatum: role of PEA-15 as a FADD-ERK binding partner in striatal plasticity. 1975 90

Bone sarcomas cause disproportionate morbidity and mortality and desperately need new therapies as there has been little improvement in outcomes in 20 years. Identification of critical signaling pathways, including type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) for Ewing sarcoma and possibly osteosarcoma, and the ERBB and the Wnt signaling pathways for osteosarcoma, have emerged as receptors mediating vital signals for bone sarcoma. Akt, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), phosphoinositide 3-kinases, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinases, and Ras pathway play key roles in at least some tumors, and inhibition of mTOR in particular will likely lead to improved survival, although clinical trials are still underway. The Notch pathway and ezrin are essential for osteosarcoma metastasis, and Fas downregulation is necessary for survival of metastases in lungs. As little is known about chondrosarcoma signaling, more preclinical work is needed. By defining vital signaling pathways in bone sarcomas, small molecule inhibitors can be applied rationally, leading to longer survival and reducing morbidity and late effects from intensive chemotherapy.
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PMID:Critical signaling pathways in bone sarcoma: candidates for therapeutic interventions. 1984 May 22


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