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)

Cell proliferation is regulated by integration of multiple pathways, such as MAPK, phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase, protein kinase C, and Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) signaling, determining whether the cell proceeds into cell cycle progression. Recently, we have demonstrated that a novel endogenous CaMKII-inhibitory protein, hCaMKIINalpha, suppresses tumor growth by inducing cell cycle arrest via p27 stabilization, accompanied by MEK/ERK deactivation. The data indicate a potential link between Ca(2+)/CaMKII and other signaling pathways, such as MAPK signaling. However, the detailed mechanisms of cross-talks between these important pathways on cell cycle regulation have not been specified. Here we report that CaMKII, in colon adenocarcinoma cells, activates MEK/ERK, which is responsible for the phosphorylation and subsequent proteasomal degradation of p27, thus causing the promotion of the S-G(2)/M transition of cell cycle progression. Importantly, we found that CaMKII can bind to MEK1 and that active CaMKII directly phosphorylates MEK1 in vitro, which could be abrogated by CaMKII inhibitor. Besides, ERK2 can directly interact with and phosphorylate p27. This is the first demonstration that CaMKII interplays with MEK1 and regulates p27 phosphorylation in the cell cycle progression. These findings provide mechanistic evidence for the cross-talk between CaMKII and MAPK signaling, which converges in MEK/ERK activation in the regulation of cell cycle progression.
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PMID:Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II promotes cell cycle progression by directly activating MEK1 and subsequently modulating p27 phosphorylation. 3259 55

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (vitamin D3) induces differentiation of HL-60 human myeloid leukemia cells; however, the signaling mechanism governing these effects is not fully clear. Here, we show that vitamin D3 induced functional differentiation by Akt through Raf/MEK/ERK MAPK signaling. Vitamin D3 downregulated Akt, weakened Akt-Raf1 interaction, and subsequently activated the Raf/MEK/ERK MAPK pathway. Pharmacological inhibition of MEK/ERK crippled differentiation in response to vitamin D3. Ectopic overexpression of Akt inhibited MAPK signaling, downregulated cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors p21(Wip1/Cip1) and p27(Kip1) and blunted differentiation in response to vitamin D3 while knockdown of Akt by RNA interference gave reverse effects. Furthermore, knockdown of the CDK inhibitors by siRNA crippled the recruitment of retinoblastoma protein (Rb) from the Raf1-Rb complex and Rb hypophosphorylation, and abolished differentiation in response to vitamin D3. Vitamin D3-induced MAPK signaling mediated upregulation of the CDK inhibitors and Rb, disassociation of Raf1 and Rb, and dephosphorylation of Rb, resulting in Rb binding to transcription factor E2F1 and subsequent differentiation. Finally, knockdown of Rb by siRNA prevented vitamin D3-induced differentiation. Mutating Rb at Ser795 evokes its association with E2F1, indicating the critical role of Rb Ser795 in regulating cell differentiation. Taken together, our data suggest that vitamin D3-triggered differentiation of human myeloid leukemia cells depends on downregulation of Akt, which dissociates from Raf1 and activates MAPK signaling leading to CDK inhibitor upregulation, Raf1 disassociation from Rb, and Rb upregulation and hypophosphorylation coupled to E2F1 binding.
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PMID:Akt regulates vitamin D3-induced leukemia cell functional differentiation via Raf/MEK/ERK MAPK signaling. 1905 74

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is the most common mesenchymal tumor of the gastrointestinal tract. Current therapeutic options include surgery and targeted molecular approaches such as imatinib and sunitinib. Our aim was to establish patient-derived GIST xenografts for the use of screening new drugs and improving current treatment regimens used in GIST. In this present study, we investigate the antitumor activity of sorafenib against patient-derived GIST xenografts. Murine xenograft models were given two oral doses of sorafenib daily for 30 days and growth of established tumor xenografts was monitored at least twice weekly by vernier caliper measurements. Western blotting was then used to determine changes in proteins in these xenografts before and after sorafenib therapy. Apoptotic and cell proliferation were analyzed by immunohistochemisty. Our data found that oral administration of sorafenib to mice, bearing patient-derived GIST xenografts, resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of tumor growth. Sorafenib-induced growth inhibition was associated with decreased cell proliferation, increased apoptosis, and reduction in tumor angiogenesis. Western blot analysis revealed that sorafenib inhibited C-Raf, phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, and phospho-MEK1 (Thr286) slightly as well as phospho-c-Kit (Tyr568/Tyr570), phospho- platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (Tyr1021), and phospho-Flk1 (Tyr951), suggesting that sorafenib inhibited GIST growth by blocking the Raf/MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway and angiogenesis. Sorafenib also induced cell cycle arrest, evident through increased levels of p15 and p27 and decreased levels of p21, cyclin A, cyclin B1, and cdc-2. Our study provides a strong rationale for the clinical investigation of sorafenib in patients with GIST as well as an established platform for further drug evaluation studies using GIST xenograft models.
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PMID:Sorafenib induces growth suppression in mouse models of gastrointestinal stromal tumor. 1913 24

Gain of chromosome 1q is a common event in many kinds of carcinomas. The Cks1 gene, located at 1q21, is required for p27 ubiquitination by the SCF(skp2) ubiquitinating machinery. In the present study, we found that Cks1 gene amplification was highly correlated with protein overexpression. Statistical analysis showed that amplification and overexpression of Cks1 were strongly associated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis. At the molecular level, knockdown of Cks1 expression by RNA interference inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells, damaged cell migration and invasion ability. Knockdown of Cks1 expression promoted apoptosis of breast cancer cells and a wobble mutant of Cks1 that was resistant to Cks1 siRNA can rescue this effect. Overexpression of Cks1 inhibited the apoptosis of breast cancer cells through the MEK-Erk pathway. These data suggest that Cks1 is an oncogene in the 1q21 amplicon and plays an important role for breast cancer development.
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PMID:Role of Cks1 amplification and overexpression in breast cancer. 1916 79

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common malignancy worldwide. Vascular endothelial growth factor, platelet derived growth factor and the Raf/mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal regulated kinase (Raf/MEK/ERK) signalling pathway regulates the growth, neovascularization, invasiveness and metastatic potential of HCC. In this study, we investigated the in vivo antitumour activity and mechanisms of action of sorafenib tosylate on four patient-derived HCC xenografts. Sorafenib dosed at 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg inhibited tumour growth by 85% and 96%, respectively. Sorafenib-induced growth suppression and apoptosis were associated with inhibition of angiogenesis, down-regulation of phospho-platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta Tyr1021, phospho-eIF4E Ser209, phospho-c-Raf Ser259, c-Raf, Mcl-1, Bcl-2, Bcl-x and positive cell cycle regulators, up-regulation of apoptosis signalling kinase-1, p27 and p21. Expression of IGF-1Rbeta and phosphorylation of c-Raf Ser338, MEK1/2 Ser217/221 and ERK1/2 Thr202/Tyr204 were increased by sorafenib treatment. Phosphorylation of mammalian target-of-rapamycin (mTOR) targets (p70S6K, S6R and 4EBP1) was reduced by sorafenib in sorafenib-sensitive lines but activated in sorafenib-less-sensitive 10-0505 xenograft. Sorafenib-induced phosphorylation of c-met, p70S6K and 4EBP1 was significantly reduced when 10-0505 cells were co-treated with anti-human anti-HGF antibody, suggesting that treatment with sorafenib leads to increased HGF secretion and activation of c-met and mTOR targets. Treatment of 10-0505 tumours with sorafenib plus rapamycin resulted in growth inhibition, inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 phosphorylation, increased apoptosis and completely blocked sorafenib-induced phosphorylation of mTOR targets and cyclin B1 expression. These data also provide a strong rationale for clinical investigation of sorafenib in combination with mTOR inhibitors in patients with HCC.
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PMID:Sorafenib and rapamycin induce growth suppression in mouse models of hepatocellular carcinoma. 1922 May 80

The Ras/Raf/MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathways are aberrantly activated in many tumors, including highly proliferative glioblastomas, but how they are wired with the cell cycle remains imperfectly understood. Inhibitors of MEK/ERK and mTOR pathways are tested as anticancer agents. They are generally considered to induce a G(1) cell cycle arrest through down-regulation of D-type cyclins and up-regulation of p27(kip1). Here, we examined the effect of targeting mTOR by rapamycin and/or MEK by PD184352 in human glioblastoma cell lines. In combination, these drugs cooperatively and potently inhibited the G(1)-S transition and retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation. Their cooperation could not be explained by their partial and differential inhibitory effects on cyclin D1 or D3 but instead by their synergistic inhibition of the activating T172 phosphorylation of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4. This appeared independent of p27 and unrelated to weak modulations of the CDK-activating kinase activity. The T172 phosphorylation of CDK4 thus appears as a crucial node integrating the activity of both MEK/ERK and mTOR pathways. Combined inhibition of both pathways should be considered as a promising strategy for treatment of tumors harboring a deregulated CDK4 activity.
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PMID:Combined inhibition of MEK and mammalian target of rapamycin abolishes phosphorylation of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 in glioblastoma cell lines and prevents their proliferation. 1945 76

p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK1) is an effector of both Ras/MEK/MAPK and PI3K/PDK1 pathways. We present evidence that RSK1 drives p27 phosphorylation at T198 to increase RhoA-p27 binding and cell motility. RSK1 activation and p27pT198 both increase in early G(1). As for many kinase-substrate pairs, cellular RSK1 coprecipitates with p27. siRNA to RSK1 and RSK1 inhibition both rapidly reduce cellular p27pT198. RSK1 overexpression increases p27pT198, p27-cyclin D1-Cdk4 complexes, and p27 stability. Moreover, RSK1 transfectants show mislocalization of p27 to cytoplasm, increased motility, and reduced RhoA-GTP, phospho-cofilin, and actin stress fibers, all of which were reversed by shRNA to p27. Phosphorylation by RSK1 increased p27pT198 binding to RhoA in vitro, whereas p27T157A/T198A bound poorly to RhoA compared with WTp27 in cells. Coprecipitation of cellular p27-RhoA was increased in cells with constitutive PI3K activation and increased in early G(1). Thus T198 phosphorylation not only stabilizes p27 and mislocalizes p27 to the cytoplasm but also promotes RhoA-p27 interaction and RhoA pathway inhibition. These data link p27 phosphorylation at T198 and cell motility. As for other PI3K effectors, RSK1 phosphorylates p27 at T198. Because RSK1 is also activated by MAPK, the increased cell motility and metastatic potential of cancer cells with PI3K and/or MAPK pathway activation may result in part from RSK1 activation, leading to accumulation of p27T198 in the cytoplasm, p27:RhoA binding, inhibition of RhoA/Rock pathway activation, and loss of actomyosin stability.
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PMID:RSK1 drives p27Kip1 phosphorylation at T198 to promote RhoA inhibition and increase cell motility. 1947 Apr 70

Sea urchins provide an excellent model for studying cell cycle control mechanisms governing DNA replication in vivo. Fertilization and cell cycle progression are tightly coordinated by Ca(2+) signals, but the mechanisms underlying the onset of DNA replication after fertilization remain less clear. In this study we demonstrate that calcium-dependent activation of ERK1 promotes accumulation of cyclinE/cdk2 into the male and female pronucleus and entry into first S-phase. We show that cdk2 activity rises quickly after fertilization to a maximum at 4 min, corresponding in timing to the early ERK1 activity peak. Abolishing MAP kinase activity after fertilization with MEK inhibitor, U0126, substantially reduces the early peak of cdk2 activity and prevents cyclinE and cdk2 accumulation in both sperm pronucleus and zygote nucleus in vivo. Both p27(kip1) and roscovitine, cdk2 inhibitors, prevented DNA replication suggesting cdk2 involvement in this process in sea urchin. Inhibition of cdk2 activity using p27(kip1) had no effect on the phosphorylation of MBP by ERK, but completely abolished phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein, a cdk2 substrate, indicating that cdk2 activity is downstream of ERK1 activation. This pattern of regulation of DNA synthesis conforms to the pattern observed in mammalian somatic cells.
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PMID:MAP kinase dependent cyclinE/cdk2 activity promotes DNA replication in early sea urchin embryos. 1966 13

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major constituent of green tea, has been shown to promote apoptosis in cancer cells. However, the role of EGCG in endothelial cells following ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms by which EGCG enhances I/R-induced cell growth inhibition and apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Our results showed that EGCG treatment caused cell proliferation inhibition during I/R injury, and this effect was associated with increased p27 and p21 levels and reduced cyclin D1 level. Moreover, treatment of cells with EGCG resulted in increase of caspase-3 and Bax and decrease of Bcl-2, enhancing I/R-induced apoptosis. Interestingly, EGCG decreased I/R-induced phosphorylation of AKT and its downstream substrates Foxo1 and Foxo3a and ERK1/2. In contrast, EGCG increased JNK1/2 and c-Jun phosphorylation. Furthermore, both wortamannin (PI3K inhibitor) and U0126 (MEK1/2 inhibitor) markedly enhanced EGCG-induced apoptosis during I/R, whereas SP600125 (JNK inhibitor) attenuated the action of EGCG. Taken together, our study for the first time suggest that EGCG is able to enhance growth arrest and apoptosis of HUVECs during I/R injury, at least in part, through inhibition of AKT and ERK1/2 and activation of JNK1/2 signaling pathways.
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PMID:Epigallocatechin-3-gallate enhances ischemia/reperfusion-induced apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells via AKT and MAPK pathways. 1966 89

The serine/threonine Pim kinases are up-regulated in specific hematologic neoplasms, and play an important role in key signal transduction pathways, including those regulated by MYC, MYCN, FLT3-ITD, BCR-ABL, HOXA9, and EWS fusions. We demonstrate that SMI-4a, a novel benzylidene-thiazolidine-2, 4-dione small molecule inhibitor of the Pim kinases, kills a wide range of both myeloid and lymphoid cell lines with precursor T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (pre-T-LBL/T-ALL) being highly sensitive. Incubation of pre-T-LBL cells with SMI-4a induced G1 phase cell-cycle arrest secondary to a dose-dependent induction of p27(Kip1), apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway, and inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin C1 (mTORC1) pathway based on decreases in phospho-p70 S6K and phospho-4E-BP1, 2 substrates of this enzyme. In addition, treatment of these cells with SMI-4a was found to induce phosphorylation of extracellular signal-related kinase1/2 (ERK1/2), and the combination of SMI-4a and a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1/2 (MEK1/2) inhibitor was highly synergistic in killing pre-T-LBL cells. In immunodeficient mice carrying subcutaneous pre-T-LBL tumors, treatment twice daily with SMI-4a caused a significant delay in the tumor growth without any change in the weight, blood counts, or chemistries. Our data suggest that inhibition of the Pim protein kinases may be developed as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of pre-T-LBL.
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PMID:A small molecule inhibitor of Pim protein kinases blocks the growth of precursor T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma. 1996 90


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