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)

Raf-1 is a serine/threonine kinase which is essential in cell growth and differentiation. Tyrosine kinase oncogenes and receptors and p21ras can activate Raf-1, and recent studies have suggested that Raf-1 functions upstream of MEK (MAP/ERK kinase), which phosphorylates and activates ERK. To determine whether or not Raf-1 directly activates MEK, we developed an in vitro assay with purified recombinant proteins. Epitope-tagged versions of Raf-1 and MEK and kinase-inactive mutants of each protein were expressed in Sf9 cells, and ERK1 was purified as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein from bacteria. Raf-1 purified from Sf9 cells which had been coinfected with v-src or v-ras was able to phosphorylate kinase-active and kinase-inactive MEK. A kinase-inactive version of Raf-1 purified from cells that had been coinfected with v-src or v-ras was not able to phosphorylate MEK. Raf-1 phosphorylation of MEK activated it, as judged by its ability to stimulate the phosphorylation of myelin basic protein by glutathione S-transferase-ERK1. We conclude that MEK is a direct substrate of Raf-1 and that the activation of MEK by Raf-1 is due to phosphorylation by Raf-1, which is sufficient for MEK activation. We also tested the ability of protein kinase C to activate Raf-1 and found that, although protein kinase C phosphorylation of Raf-1 was able to stimulate its autokinase activity, it did not stimulate its ability to phosphorylate MEK.
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PMID:Reconstitution of the Raf-1-MEK-ERK signal transduction pathway in vitro. 841 57

We have characterized activation of the MAP kinase cascade in an inducible system in response to the temperature-sensitive (ts) expression of the v-mos oncogene. Transformation of immortalized rat embryo fibroblasts by a ts isolate of Moloney murine sarcoma virus (Mo-MuSVts110) constitutively activates MAP kinases (ERK-1 and ERK-2) and MAP kinase kinases (MKK-1 and MKK-2) only at the permissive temperature when v-mos kinase is present and active. Following a shift of the ts-transformed, serum-starved cells from the nonpermissive to permissive temperature, MAP kinases and both MKK-1 and MKK-2 are activated within 1-2 h, concurrent with the reappearance of active mos kinase. Raf-1 kinase activity increases more slowly in response to the reappearance of v-mos, and the mobility shift indicative of hyperphosphorylation was only detected 18 h after the temperature transition. Our data show that MAP kinase cascade activation is an early event following the reappearance of v-mos expression and v-mos kinase activity upon temperature shift, while the first manifestation of morphological transformation appears 24 h after the shift to permissive temperature. These results support the hypothesis that mos acts through the MKK to induce cell transformation.
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PMID:Activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade in response to the temperature inducible expression of v-mos kinase. 851 89

The HST7 gene of Candida albicans encodes a protein with structural similarity to MAP kinase kinases. Expression of this gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae complements disruption of the Ste7 MAP kinase kinase required for both mating in haploid cells and pseudohyphal growth in diploids. However, Hst7 expression does not complement loss of either the Pbs2 (Hog4) MAP kinase kinase required for response to high osmolarity, or loss of the Mkk1 and Mkk2 MAP kinase kinases required for proper cell wall biosynthesis. Intriguingly, HST7 acts as a hyperactive allele of STE7; expression of Hst7 activates the mating pathway even in the absence of upstream signaling components including the Ste7 regulator Ste11, elevates the basal level of the pheromone-inducible FUS1 gene, and amplifies the pseudohyphal growth response in diploid cells. Thus Hst7 appears to be at least partially independent of upstream activators or regulators, but selective in its activity on downstream target MAP kinases. Creation of Hst7/Ste7 hybrid proteins revealed that the C-terminal two-thirds of Hst7, which contains the protein kinase domain, is sufficient to confer this partial independence of upstream activators.
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PMID:Constitutive activation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae mating response pathway by a MAP kinase kinase from Candida albicans. 854 26

Tyrosine kinase growth factor receptors activate MAP kinase by a complex mechanism involving the SH2/3 protein Grb2, the exchange protein Sos, and Ras. The GTP-bound Ras protein binds to the Raf kinase and initiates a protein kinase cascade that leads to MAP kinase activation. Three MAP kinase kinase kinases have been described--c-Raf, c-Mos, and Mekk--that phosphorylate and activate Mek, the MAP kinase kinase. Activated Mek phosphorylates and activates MAP kinase. Subsequently, the activated MAP kinase translocates into the nucleus where many of the physiological targets of the MAP kinase signal transduction pathway are located. These substrates include transcription factors that are regulated by MAP kinase phosphorylation (e.g., Elk-1, c-Myc, c-Jun, c-Fos, and C/EBP beta). Thus the MAP kinase pathway represents a significant mechanism of signal transduction by growth factor receptors from the cell surface to the nucleus that results in the regulation of gene expression. Three MAP kinase homologs have been identified in the rat: Erk1, Erk2, and Erk3. Human MAP kinases that are similar to the rat Erk kinases have also been identified by molecular cloning. The human Erk1 protein kinase has been shown to be widely expressed as a 44-kDa protein in many tissues. The human Erk2 protein kinase is a 41-kDa protein that is expressed ubiquitously. In contrast, a human Erk3-related protein kinase has been found to be expressed at a high level only in heart muscle and brain. The loci of these MAP kinase genes are widely distributed within the human genome: erk2 at 22q11.2; erk1 at 16p11.2; and ek3-related at 18q12-21. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, five MAP kinase gene homologs have been described: smkl, mpk1, hog1, fus3, and kss1. Together, these kinases are a more diverse group than the human erks that have been identified. Thus the erks are likely to represent only one subgroup of a larger human MAP kinase gene family. A candidate for this extended family of MAP kinases is the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (Jnk), which binds to and phosphorylates the transcription factor c-Jun at the activating sites Ser-63 and Ser-73. Evidence is presented here to demonstrate that Jnk is a distant relative of the MAP kinase group that is activated by dual phosphorylation at Tyr and Thr.
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PMID:Transcriptional regulation by MAP kinases. 860 77

Mouse eggs arrested in metaphase II display high levels of cdc2/cyclin B1 and MAP protein kinase activities. Following fertilization there is a time-dependent decrease in the activity of each of these protein kinases. The decline in cdc2/cyclin B1 protein kinase correlates with the resumption of meiosis and the emission of the second polar body and precedes the decline in MAP kinase activity, which correlates temporally with the formation of the male and female pronuclear envelopes. These results suggest that high levels of MAP kinase activity are incompatible with the presence of a pronuclear envelope. To test this possibility, we expressed in mouse eggs a constitutively active form of MAP kinase kinase (MEK) whose only known target is p42/p44 MAP kinase. We show that following fertilization cdc2/cyclin B1 kinase activity declines and a second polar body is emitted. The endogenous MAP kinase remains active, however, and no pronuclear envelopes form. Thus, high levels of MAP kinase activity by itself in mouse eggs appear incompatible with the presence of a pronuclear envelope.
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PMID:Regulation of nuclear envelope assembly/disassembly by MAP kinase. 862 39

The Tpl-2 protein serine/threonine kinase was originally identified, in a C-terminally deleted form, as the product of an oncogene associated with the progression of Moloney murine leukemia virus-induced T cell lymphomas in rats. The kinase domain of Tpl-2 is homologous to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene product, STE11, which encodes a MAP kinase kinase kinase. This suggested that Tpl-2 might have a similar activity. Consistent with this hypothesis, immunoprecipitated Tpl-2 and Tpl-2deltaC (a C-terminally truncated mutant) phosphorylated and activated recombinant fusion proteins of the mammalian MAP kinase kinases, MEK-1 and SEK-1, in vitro. Furthermore, transfection of Tpl-2 into COS-1 cells or Jurkat T cells. markedly activated the MAP kinases, ERK-1 and SAP kinase (JNK), which are substrates for MEK-1 and SEK-1, respectively. Tpl-2, therefore, is a MAP kinase kinase kinase which can activate two MAP kinase pathways. After Raf and Mos, Tpl-2 is the third serine/threonine oncoprotein kinase that has been shown to function as a direct activator of MEK-1.
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PMID:Activation of MEK-1 and SEK-1 by Tpl-2 proto-oncoprotein, a novel MAP kinase kinase kinase. 863 3

Renal nephron segments are heterogeneous, and receptors for endothelin (ET)-1, ET-3, Angiotensin II (AII), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and insulin-like growth factor I distribute differently along the nephron segments. Recently, growth factors and vasoactive substances are reported to stimulate mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP-K). In this study, we showed that mRNA and proteins of MEK-K, Raf-1-K, MAPK-K, MAP-K (p42 and p44), and S6-K are expressed ubiquitously in intact nephron segment. We demonstrated that four tiers of a cascade composed of the Raf-1-K, MAP-K, MAP-K, and S6-K are stimulated by ET-1 and ET-3 in rat intact glomeruli (Glm) via primarily B-type ET receptors and PKC. The stimulatory effect of EGF and IGF-I to MAP-K activity is inhibited by a tyrosine kinase inhibitor in Glm. IGF-I significantly stimulates MAP-K activity and EGF and All moderately stimulate MAP-K activity in the proximal convoluted tubule (PCT). EGF significantly increased MAP-K cascades and ET-1 and ET-3 slightly increased MAP-K cascades in the medullary thick ascending limb (MTAL). EGF significantly stimulated MAP-K cascades, and ET-1 and ET-3 moderately stimulate MAP-K cascades in the outer medullary collecting duct (OMCD) and the inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD). MAPK-K and S6-K are similarly stimulated by these agonists in each segment. This study shows that MAP-K cascades are expressed in every nephron segment. ET-1, ET-3, All, EGF, and IGF-I stimulate MAP-K cascades heterogeneously along the nephron segment. It was concluded that MAP-K cascades play an important role in the regulation of renal function.
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PMID:Presence and regulation of Raf-1-K (Kinase), MAPK-K, MAP-K, and S6-K in rat nephron segments. 874 82

We previously reported that both hypoxia and hypoxia followed by reoxygenation (hypoxia/reoxygenation) rapidly and sequentially activate mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) activity of Raf-1. This was followed by the sequential activation of MAP kinase kinase (MAPKK). MAP kinases (p42mopk and p44mopk), and S6 kinase (p90rsk). In this study, we demonstrated that both hypoxia and hypoxia/ reoxygenation caused rapid activation of Src family tyrosine kinases, p60c-src and p59c-fyn, which are upstream mediators of MAP kinase activation. This was followed by the activation of p21ras. Because Src family tyrosine kinases are known to be cell-surface-associated kinases and upstream regulators of p21ras, these results strongly suggested that activation of Src family tyrosine kinases plays a key role in triggering intracellular signaling cascades in cardiac myocytes in response to hypoxia and hypoxia/reoxygenation.
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PMID:Hypoxia and hypoxia/reoxygenation activate Src family tyrosine kinases and p21ras in cultured rat cardiac myocytes. 880 68

Both angiotensin II (Ang II) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) rapidly increase intracellular Ca2+ and activate protein kinase C (PKC) and MAP kinase in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). However, Ang II causes cell hypertrophy, whereas PDGF causes hyperplasia. These findings indicate that VSMCs are a good model for studying the relationship between cell growth and the MAP kinase pathway. In this study, we investigated the role of Raf in activation of 42- and 44-kD MAP kinases. Western blot analysis showed that c-Raf-1 was the predominant Raf isozyme in cultured rat aortic VSMCs. In response to Ang II, there was translocation of Raf to the membrane, which occurred significantly earlier than MAP kinase activation, suggesting that Raf activation precedes MAP kinase activation. Translocation of Raf to the membrane resulted in association with H-Ras as shown by c-Raf-1 coprecipitation with anti-Ras anti-bodies. Western blot analysis of H-Ras immunoprecipitates revealed c-Raf-1, but c-mos, MEK (MAP kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase) kinase-1 (MEKK-1), and Raf-B were not present. MAP kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) activity was assayed in c-Raf-1 and H-Ras immunoprecipitates by MAP kinase kinase-dependent phosphorylation of catalytically inactive 42-kD MAP kinase. In Ras immunoprecipitates, MAPKKK activity was stimulated approximately threefold by both Ang II and PDGF, with a peak at 5 minutes. Downregulation of PKC by 24-hour exposure to phorbol ester significantly inhibited Ang II-stimulated and PDGF-stimulated MAPKKK activity (approximately 80% decrease) and Raf translocation (approximately 90% decrease), suggesting that a phorbol-responsive PKC is upstream from MAPKKK and Raf. In contrast, Ang II (but not PDGF) stimulation of MAP kinase was unaffected by PKC downregulation or pharmacological PKC inhibition. These findings demonstrate for the first time that Ang II stimulation of MAP kinase may occur via a pathway independent of c-Raf-1 and of the phorbol-responsive PKC isozymes. The differing effects of Ang II and PDGF on VSMC growth may be a consequence of specific signal transduction events, as demonstrated here for activation of MAP kinase.
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PMID:Angiotensin II stimulates MAP kinase kinase kinase activity in vascular smooth muscle cells, Role of Raf. 888 93

Interleukin (IL)-7 and IL-2 are important lymphoproliferative cytokines which both use the gamma c chain as part of their respective receptors. To learn more of their signaling mechanisms a comparison was made of the patterns of intracellular tyrosine phosphorylated proteins induced by these cytokines in the murine T cell line, CT6. Several similarities were revealed in the tyrosine phosphorylated proteins induced. However, a notable subset of proteins of mainly < 60 kDa were only phosphorylated by IL-2. Characterization of the two most prominent bands of this subset, pp54 and pp42, revealed these to contain Shc and p42MAP/Erk kinase, respectively. Further studies confirmed that IL-7 was unable to induce the phosphorylation of either the p44MAP/Erk or p42MAP/Erk or activation of the kinases. Shc is involved in activation of p21ras, a key event in the signaling cascade, via p72raf and MEK, leading to MAP/Erk kinase (MAPK) activation. These data indicate that this pathway is not utilized by IL-7 and may not, therefore, be essential for cytokine-driven T cell proliferation. This possibility was supported by studies with the MEK inhibitor PD098059, which had no selective effect on CT6 proliferation induced by IL-2 as compared with IL-7, although the drug completely inhibited MAP/Erk phosphorylation induced by IL-2.
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PMID:Interleukin-7 induces T cell proliferation in the absence of Erk/MAP kinase activity. 892 60


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