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)

Several mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinases (MAPKKKs), including NF-kappa B-inducing kinase (NIK), play critical roles in NF-kappa B activation. We isolated cDNA for human TGF-beta activated kinase 1 (TAK1), a member of the MAPKKK family, and evaluated its ability to stimulate NF-kappa B activation. Overexpression of TAK1 together with its activator protein, TAK1 binding protein 1 (TAB1), induced the nuclear translocation of NF-kappa B p50/p65 heterodimer accompanied by the degradation of I kappa B alpha and I kappa B beta, and the expression of kappa B-dependent reporter gene. A dominant negative mutant of NIK did not inhibit TAK1-induced NF-kappa B activation. These results suggest that TAK1 induces NF-kappa B activation through a novel NIK-independent signaling pathway.
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PMID:TGF-beta-activated kinase 1 stimulates NF-kappa B activation by an NF-kappa B-inducing kinase-independent mechanism. 948 Aug 45

Several inflammatory effects of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) are known to be mediated through activation of a nuclear transcription factor NF-kappaB, but how TNF activates NF-kappaB is incompletely understood. In the present report, we examined the role of protein tyrosine kinases (PTK) in TNF-mediated NF-kappaB activation by using genistein and erbstatin, two potent inhibitors of PTK. The treatment of human myeloid U-937 cells with either inhibitor completely suppressed the TNF-induced NF-kappaB activation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Suppression correlated with PTK activity, since among the structural analogues of genistein, only an active inhibitor of PTK, quercetin blocked TNF-induced NF-kappaB activation and not daidzein, an inactive inhibitor. Inhibition of NF-kappaB activation was not limited to myeloid cells, as it was observed with T cells and epithelial cells. Both the PTK inhibitors blocked the degradation of IkappaBalpha, the inhibitory subunit of NF-kappaB, and the consequent translocation of the p65 subunit without any significant effect on p50 or on c-Rel. The PTK inhibitors did not interfere with NF-kappaB binding to DNA. The NF-kappaB-dependent CAT reporter gene expression in transient transfection assays was also suppressed by the PTK inhibitors. Both PTK inhibitors abolished TNF-induced activation of N-terminal c-Jun kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase. Overall, our results suggest that a genistein- and erbstatin-sensitive PTK is involved in the pathway leading to NF-kappaB activation and gene expression by TNF and thus could be used as a target for development of antiinflammatory drugs.
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PMID:Protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors block tumor necrosis factor-induced activation of nuclear factor-kappaB, degradation of IkappaBalpha, nuclear translocation of p65, and subsequent gene expression. 952 14

Increasing evidence points to a role of the mitogenic Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling cascade in regulation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gene expression. Stimulation of elements of this pathway leads to transactivation of the HIV-1 promoter. In particular, the NF-kappaB motif in the HIV long terminal repeat (LTR) represents a Raf-responsive element in fibroblasts. Regulation of the Raf kinase in T cells differs from findings with a variety of cell lines that the catalytic domain of Raf (Raf(delta26-303)) shows no activity. In this study, we restored the activity of the kinase in T cells by fusing its catalytic domain to the CAAX motif (-Cx) of Ras, thus targeting the enzyme to the plasma membrane. Constitutive activity of Raf was demonstrated by phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) and endogenous mitogen-activated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in A3.01 T cells transfected with Raf(delta26-303)-Cx. Membrane-targeted Raf also stimulates NF-kappaB, as judged by kappaB-dependent reporter assays and enhanced NF-kappaB p65 binding on band shift analysis. Moreover, we found that active Raf transactivates the HIV(NL4-3) LTR in A3.01 T lymphocytes and that dominant negative Raf (C4) blocked 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate induced transactivation. When cotransfected with infectious HIV(NL4-3) DNA, membrane-targeted Raf induces viral replication up to 10-fold over basal levels, as determined by the release of newly synthesized p24gag protein. Our study clearly demonstrates that the activity of the catalytic domain of Raf in A3.01 T cells is dependent on its cellular localization. The functional consequences of active Raf in T lymphocytes include not only NF-kappaB activation and transactivation of the HIV(NL4-3) LTR but also synthesis and release of HIV particles.
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PMID:Plasma membrane-targeted Raf kinase activates NF-kappaB and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication in T lymphocytes. 952 98

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disorder, the most common lethal genetic disease in Caucasians. Respiratory disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality. Indeed, 95% of CF patients die of respiratory failure. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen, chronically infects the lungs of over 85% of CF patients. It is ineradicable by antibiotics and responsible for airway mucus overproduction that contributes to airway obstruction and death. The molecular mechanisms underlying this pathology are unknown. Here we show that P. aeruginosa activates a c-Src-Ras-MEK1/2-MAPK-pp90rsk signaling pathway that leads to activation of nuclear factor NF-kappaB (p65/p50). Activated NF-kappaB binds to a kappaB site in the 5'-flanking region of the MUC2 gene and activates MUC2 mucin transcription. These studies bring new insight into bacterial-epithelial interactions and more specifically into the molecular pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis. Understanding these signaling and gene regulatory mechanisms opens up new therapeutic targets for cystic fibrosis.
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PMID:Activation of NF-kappaB via a Src-dependent Ras-MAPK-pp90rsk pathway is required for Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced mucin overproduction in epithelial cells. 957 50

Several recently identified intracellular proteins associate with the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor and activate nuclear transcription factor (NF)-kappaB, c-Jun kinase, and apoptosis. However, the mechanism is not understood. In the present report, we investigated the role of reactive oxygen intermediates in TNF-induced signaling. Overexpression of manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells completely abolished TNF-mediated NF-kappaB activation, IkappaB alpha degradation, p65 nuclear translocation, and NF-kappaB-dependent reporter gene expression. Besides TNF, phorbol ester-, okadaic acid-, ceramide-, and lipopolysaccharide-induced activation of NF-kappaB was blocked by Mn-SOD, indicating a common pathway of activation. H2O2-induced NF-kappaB activation, however, was potentiated. In addition, Mn-SOD blocked the TNF-mediated activation of activated protein-1, stress-activated c-Jun protein kinase, and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase. TNF-induced antiproliferative effects and caspase-3 activation, indicators of apoptosis, were also completely suppressed by transfection of cells with Mn-SOD. Suppression of apoptosis induced by okadaic acid, H2O2, and taxol was also inhibited by Mn-SOD but not that induced by vincristine, vinblastine, or daunomycin. Overall, these results demonstrate that, in addition to several recently identified signaling molecules, reactive oxygen intermediates play a critical role in activation of NF-kappaB, activated protein-1, c-Jun kinase, and apoptosis induced by TNF and other agents.
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PMID:Overexpression of manganese superoxide dismutase suppresses tumor necrosis factor-induced apoptosis and activation of nuclear transcription factor-kappaB and activated protein-1. 958 69

The alphavbeta3 integrin plays a fundamental role during the angiogenesis process by inhibiting endothelial cell apoptosis. However, the mechanism of inhibition is unknown. In this report, we show that integrin-mediated cell survival involves regulation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) activity. Different extracellular matrix molecules were able to protect rat aorta- derived endothelial cells from apoptosis induced by serum withdrawal. Osteopontin and beta3 integrin ligation rapidly increased NF-kappaB activity as measured by gel shift and reporter activity. The p65 and p50 subunits were present in the shifted complex. In contrast, collagen type I (a beta1-integrin ligand) did not induce NF-kappaB activity. The alphavbeta3 integrin was most important for osteopontin-mediated NF-kappaB induction and survival, since adding a neutralizing anti-beta3 integrin antibody blocked NF-kappaB activity and induced endothelial cell death when cells were plated on osteopontin. NF-kappaB was required for osteopontin- and vitronectin-induced survival since inhibition of NF-kappaB activity with nonphosphorylatable IkappaB completely blocked the protective effect of osteopontin and vitronectin. In contrast, NF-kappaB was not required for fibronectin, laminin, and collagen type I-induced survival. Activation of NF-kappaB by osteopontin depended on the small GTP-binding protein Ras and the tyrosine kinase Src, since NF-kappaB reporter activity was inhibited by Ras and Src dominant-negative mutants. In contrast, inhibition of MEK and PI3-kinase did not affect osteopontin-induced NF-kappaB activation. These studies identify NF-kappaB as an important signaling molecule in alphavbeta3 integrin-mediated endothelial cell survival.
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PMID:NF-kappaB mediates alphavbeta3 integrin-induced endothelial cell survival. 958 25

IL-13 is known to suppress the production of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF. Whether IL-13 also modulates the biologic effects of TNF is not known. In the present report we examined the effect of IL-13 on TNF-induced activation of nuclear transcription factors NF-kappa B and activation protein-1 (AP-1) and apoptosis. Pretreatment of cells with IL-13 blocked TNF-induced NF-kappa B activation, nuclear translocation of p65 subunit, and degradation of I kappa B alpha. IL-13 also inhibited NF-kappa B activation by LPS, okadaic acid, H2O2, and ceramide. TNF-induced NF-kappa B-dependent gene transcription was also blocked by IL-13. TNF-induced activation of another nuclear transcription factor, AP-1, was suppressed by IL-13. The activation of N-terminal c-Jun kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase, implicated in the regulation of AP-1 and NF-kappa B, was also down-regulated by IL-13. TNF-mediated cytotoxicity and activation of caspase-3 were abolished by IL-13. The inhibitory effects of IL-13 on TNF were sensitive to H-7, neomycin, and wortmannin, suggesting that the pathway consisting of protein kinase C, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and phospholipase C must be involved in IL-13 signaling. Thus, overall, these results demonstrate that IL-13 is a potent inhibitor of TNF-mediated activation of NF-kappa B, AP-1, and apoptosis, which may contribute to its previously described immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effects.
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PMID:IL-13 suppresses TNF-induced activation of nuclear factor-kappa B, activation protein-1, and apoptosis. 974 47

Induction of the alpha-platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGF-Ralpha) by IL-1beta in lung myofibroblasts enhances mitogenic and chemotactic responses to PDGF, and this could be a mechanism of myofibroblast hyperplasia during lung fibrogenesis. Since the regulation of many genes by IL-1beta involves activation of NF-kappaB and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, we examined these signaling pathways in the control of PDGF-Ralpha expression by IL-1beta in cultured rat lung myofibroblasts. Treatment of cells with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), an antioxidant that inhibits NF-kappaB activation, completely blocked PDGF-Ralpha up-regulation by IL-1beta as assayed by [125I]PDGF-AA binding and PDGF-Ralpha mRNA expression, suggesting a role for NF-kappaB. However, while IL-1beta and TNF-alpha both induced nuclear binding of the Rel proteins p50 and p65 to an NF-kappaB consensus oligonucleotide in gel shift assays and caused transient degradation of inhibitor of NF-kappaB-alpha (IkappaB-alpha) in the cytoplasm of myofibroblasts, only IL-1beta upregulated PDGF-Ralpha. These results suggest that NF-kappaB activation alone is not sufficient for up-regulation of PDGF-Ralpha. An investigation of MAP kinase signaling pathways revealed that IL-1beta or PDTC activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase-2 (ERK-2) and c-jun NH2 terminal kinase-1 (JNK-1) phosphorylation of PHAS-1 and c-Jun substrates, respectively. Pretreatment of cells with the MAP kinase kinase-1 (MEK1) inhibitor PD 98059 blocked IL-1beta-induced activation of ERK-2 by more than 90% but enhanced IL-1beta-stimulated induction of PDGF-Ralpha expression fourfold. Taken together, these data suggest that IL-1beta activates both positive and negative signaling pathways that control the expression of PDGF-Ralpha. IL-1beta appears to mediate its negative effects on PDGF-Ralpha expression via MAP kinase activation, while the factor(s) that mediate induction of PDGF-Ralpha remain to be elucidated.
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PMID:Role of nuclear factor-kappa B and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways in IL-1 beta-mediated induction of alpha-PDGF receptor expression in rat pulmonary myofibroblasts. 975 65

The putative core protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV) regulates cellular growth and a number of cellular promoters. To further understand its effect, we investigated the role of the core protein in the endogenous regulation of two distinct transcription factors, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and activating protein-1 (AP-1), and the related mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Stable cell transfectants expressing the HCV core protein suppressed tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced NF-kappaB activation. Supershift analysis revealed that NF-kappaB consists of p50 and p65 subunits. This correlated with inhibition of the degradation of IkappaBalpha, the inhibitory subunit of NF-kappaB. The effect was not specific to TNF, as suppression in core protein-expressing cells was also observed in response to a number of other inflammatory agents known to activate NF-kappaB. In contrast to the effect on NF-kappaB, the HCV core protein constitutively activated AP-1, which correlated with the activation of JNK and MAPKK, which are known to regulate AP-1. These observations indicated that the core protein targets transcription factors known to be involved in the regulation of inflammatory responses and the immune system.
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PMID:Ectopic expression of hepatitis C virus core protein differentially regulates nuclear transcription factors. 981 6

Leflunomide is a novel immunosuppressive and antiinflammatory agent currently being tested for treatment of autoimmune diseases and transplant rejection. NF-kappa B is a transcription factor activated in response to a wide variety of inflammatory stimuli, including TNF, but whether leflunomide blocks NF-kappa B activation is not known. In the present report we demonstrate that treatment of a human T cell line (Jurkat) with leflunomide blocks TNF-mediated NF-kappa B activation in a dose- and time-dependent manner, with maximum inhibition at 5-10 microM. Inhibition was not restricted to TNF-induced activation, because leflunomide also inhibited NF-kappa B activation induced by other inflammatory agents, including phorbol ester, LPS, H2O2, okadaic acid, and ceramide. Leflunomide blocked the degradation of I kappa B alpha and subsequent nuclear translocation of the p65 subunit, steps essential for NF-kappa B activation. This correlated with inhibition of dual specificity-mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase as well as an Src protein tyrosine kinase, p56lck, by leflunomide. Reducing agents did not reverse the effect of leflunomide. Leflunomide also suppressed the TNF-activated NF-kappa B-dependent reporter gene expression. Our results thus indicate that leflunomide is a potent inhibitor of NF-kappa B activation induced by a wide variety of inflammatory stimuli, and this provides the molecular basis for its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects.
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PMID:Immunosuppressive leflunomide metabolite (A77 1726) blocks TNF-dependent nuclear factor-kappa B activation and gene expression. 997 83


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