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)

Cyclic AMP-dependent proteolysis of GATA-6(Delta50) was characterized using inhibitors for intracellular signaling pathways. Among these kinase inhibitors, only H-89 and K252a inhibited the proteolysis induced by dbcAMP, a membrane permeable cAMP analogue, others such as PD98059, SB203580, calphostine C, PP1, and KN-93 did not do so. These results suggest that A-kinase, but not C-kinase, MEK, P38 MAP-kinases or Src kinase, could participate in the observed phenomenon. We further demonstrated that an inhibitor for ubiquitin isopeptidase (Delta12-PGJ2) inhibited the degradation of GATA-6(Delta50) in the presence of dbcAMP, suggesting that the cAMP-dependent proteolysis could be mediated through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, although proteasome activity did not change significantly during dbcAMP treatment. The full-length GATA-6 was also responsive to the induced degradation. Furthermore, mutation of a potential phosphorylation site (Ser-290-->Ala) for A- and C-kinases, and deletion of the PEST sequence of GATA-6 did not abolish the degradation. All these results suggest that cellular factor(s) may play a crucial role in mediating the activation of the cAMP-dependent process.
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PMID:Characterization of cAMP-dependent proteolysis of GATA-6. 1591 46

Development of new therapeutic agents for colon cancer is highly desirable. To this end, we screened a chemical library for new anticancer agents and identified a synthetic compound, 5-(2,4-dihydroxybenzylidene)-2-(phenylimino)-1,3-thiazolidin (DBPT), which kills cancer cells more effectively than it kills normal human fibroblasts. The molecular mechanism of the antitumor action of DBPT was further analyzed in three human colorectal cancer cell lines. DBPT effectively inhibited the growth of colorectal cancer cells, independent of p53 and P-glycoprotein status, whereas normal fibroblasts were unaffected at the same IC50. Over time, DLD-1 cancer cells treated with DBPT underwent apoptosis. The general caspase inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-valine-alanine-aspartate-fluoromethylketone partially blocked DBPT-induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. DBPT-induced apoptosis, including cytochrome c release and caspase activation, was abrogated when c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) activation was blocked with either a specific JNK inhibitor or a dominant-negative JNK1 gene. However, constitutive JNK activation alone did not replicate the effects of DBPT in DLD-1 cells, and excessive JNK activation by adenovirus encoding MKK7 had little influence on DBPT-induced apoptosis. Our results suggested that DBPT induces apoptosis in colorectal cancer cell lines through caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathways and that JNK activation was crucial for DBPT-induced apoptosis. DBPT and its analogues might be useful as anticancer agents.
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PMID:Identification of a novel synthetic thiazolidin compound capable of inducing c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase-dependent apoptosis in human colon cancer cells. 1602 41

The MAPK signal-integrating kinases Mnk1 and Mnk2 are closely related but show marked differences in their basal activities and regulation. Both possess, within their C termini, motifs for binding to MAPKs, although these differ between Mnk1 and Mnk2. Mnk2 shows much higher activity in unstimulated cells than Mnk1, whose activity is greatly increased, e.g. by stimulation of the MEK/ERK pathway. Such increases are sensitive to blockade of that pathway, whereas the activation state of Mnk2 is relatively insensitive to inhibition of upstream signaling. Here we have studied the roles of features in their catalytic domains and C termini in determining their regulatory properties and basal activities. Mnk2 can bind to phosphorylated, active ERK, whereas Mnk1 cannot. Such binding apparently protects ERK against dephosphorylation and inactivation. The high basal activity of Mnk2 and its binding to (phospho)ERK requires features both of the catalytic domain and of the C terminus. For example, within the catalytic region an aspartate in Mnk2 plays a key role. Mutation to alanine inactivates Mnk2. In the C terminus, features within the MAPK-binding motif and to either side of it, including potential phosphorylation sites, affect MAPK binding and activity. The association of Mnks with the scaffold protein eukaryotic initiation factor 4G is negatively modulated by Mnk activity. These data indicate that multiple features determine the activities of the Mnks and thus impact on their ability to phosphorylate physiological substrates such as eukaryotic initiation factor 4E.
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PMID:Features of the catalytic domains and C termini of the MAPK signal-integrating kinases Mnk1 and Mnk2 determine their differing activities and regulatory properties. 1616

Transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) is held in the cytoplasm in an inactive state by IkappaB inhibitors. Oncogenic activation of NF-kappaB is achieved by stimulus-induced ubiquitination and subsequent proteasome-mediated degradation of IkappaBalpha. Once released from the inhibitor, NF-kappaB/p65 enters the nucleus. A pre-requisite for cytokine-induced IkappaBalpha ubiquitination and degradation is the phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha at S32/S36. Phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha alone, however, is not sufficient to trigger its degradation, suggesting other events must be required for regulating IkappaBalpha degradation. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that phosphorylation of p65 at 536 is required for TNF-alpha induced IkappaBalpha proteolysis that in turn controls p65 nuclear translocation. We observed that, without affecting IkappaBalpha phosphorylation, MEK1 inhibitor U0126 treatment inhibited not only p65-S536 phosphorylation but also TNF-alpha-induced polyubiquitination of IkappaBalpha thereby inhibiting IkappaBalpha degradation. With p65 S536 phosphorylation mutants and mimics, we further observed that the structural mutation of p65 serine 536 to alanine inhibited the recruitment of ubiquitin to the p65-containing complex. As a consequence of suppressing polyubiquitination of the p65-containing complex, degradation of p65 phosphorylation mutant-bound IkappaBalpha was also inhibited. Accordingly, the nuclear translocation of phosphorylation-impaired p65 was significantly reduced. These findings suggest that p65 phosphorylation plays a key role in stimulus-induced IkappaBalpha ubiquitination.
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PMID:Suppression of p65 phosphorylation coincides with inhibition of IkappaBalpha polyubiquitination and degradation. 1616 8

Activation of signal transduction kinase cascades is known to alter androgen receptor (AR) activity, but the molecular mechanisms are still poorly defined. Here we show that stress kinase signaling regulates Ser 650 phosphorylation and AR nuclear export. In LNCaP prostate cancer cells, activation of either MAPK kinase (MKK) 4:c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) or MKK6:p38 signaling pathways increased Ser 650 phosphorylation, whereas pharmacologic inhibition of JNK or p38 signaling led to a reduction of AR Ser 650 phosphorylation. Both p38alpha and JNK1 phosphorylated Ser 650 in vitro. Small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of either MKK4 or MKK6 increased endogenous prostate-specific antigen (PSA) transcript levels, and this increase was blocked by either bicalutamide or AR small interfering RNA. Stress kinase inhibition of PSA transcription is, therefore, dependent on the AR. Similar experiments involving either activation or inhibition of MAPK/ERK kinase:ERK signaling had little effect on Ser 650 phosphorylation or PSA mRNA levels. Ser 650 is proximal to the DNA binding domain that contains a nuclear export signal. Mutation of Ser 650 to alanine reduced nuclear export of the AR, whereas mutation of Ser 650 to the phosphomimetic amino acid aspartate restored AR nuclear export. Pharmacologic inhibition of stress kinase signaling reduced wild-type AR nuclear export equivalent to the S650A mutant without affecting nuclear export of the S650D mutant. Our data suggest that stress kinase signaling and nuclear export regulate AR transcriptional activity.
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PMID:Stress kinase signaling regulates androgen receptor phosphorylation, transcription, and localization. 1628 70

Voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs) in sensory neurones are tonically up-regulated via Ras/extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) signalling. The presence of putative ERK consensus sites within the intracellular loop linking domains I and II of neuronal N-type (Ca(v)2.2) calcium channels and all four neuronal calcium channel beta subunits (Ca(v)beta), suggests that Ca(v)2.2 and/or Ca(v)betas may be ERK-phosphorylated. Here we report that GST-Ca(v)2.2 I-II loop, and to a lesser extent Ca(v)beta1b-His(6), are substrates for ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Serine to alanine mutation of Ser-409 and/or Ser-447 on GST-Ca(v)2.2 I-II loop significantly reduced phosphorylation. Loss of Ser-447 reduced phosphorylation to a greater extent than mutation of Ser-409. Patch-clamp recordings from wild-type Ca(v)2.2,beta1b,alpha2delta1 versus mutant Ca(v)2.2(S447A) or Ca(v)2.2(S409A) channels revealed that mutation of either site significantly reduced current inhibition by UO126, a MEK (ERK kinase)-specific inhibitor that down-regulates ERK activity. However, no additive effect was observed by mutating both residues together, suggesting some functional redundancy between these sites. Mutation of both Ser-161 and Ser-348 on Ca(v)beta1b did not significantly reduce phosphorylation but did reduce UO126-induced current inhibition. Crucially, co-expression of Ca(v)2.2(S447A) with Ca(v)beta1b(S161,348A) had an additive effect, abolishing the action of UO126 on channel current, an effect not seen when Ca(v)beta1b(S161,348A) was co-expressed with Ca(v)2.2(S409A). Thus, Ser-447 on Ca(v)2.2 and Ser-161 and Ser-348 of Ca(v)beta1b appear to be both necessary and sufficient for ERK-dependent modulation of these channels. Together, our data strongly suggest that modulation of neuronal N-type VDCCs by ERK involves phosphorylation of Ca(v)2.2alpha1 and to a lesser extent possibly also Ca(v)beta subunits.
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PMID:Phosphorylation sites on calcium channel alpha1 and beta subunits regulate ERK-dependent modulation of neuronal N-type calcium channels. 1640 8

MAPK/ERK kinase kinase 3 (MEKK3) is a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAP3K) that functions upstream of the MAP kinases and IkappaB kinase. Phosphorylation is believed to be a critical component for MEKK3-dependent signal transduction, but little is known about the phosphorylation sites of this MAP3K. To address this question, point mutations were introduced in the activation loop (T-loop), substituting alanine for serine or threonine, and the mutants were transfected into HEK293 Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen cells. MEKK3-dependent activation of an NF-kappaB reporter gene as well as ERK, JNK, and p38 MAP kinases correlated with a requirement for serine at position 526. Constitutively active mutants of MEKK3, consisting of S526D and S526E, were capable of activating a NF-kappaB luciferase reporter gene as well as ERK and MEK, suggesting that a negative charge at Ser526 was necessary for MEKK3 activity and implicating Ser526 as a phosphorylation site. An antibody was developed that specifically recognized phospho-Ser526 of MEKK3 but did not recognize the S526A point mutant. The catalytically inactive (K391M) mutant of MEKK3 was not phosphorylated at Ser526, indicating that phosphorylation of Ser526 occurs via autophosphorylation. Endogenous MEKK3 was phosphorylated on Ser526 in response to osmotic stress. In addition, phosphorylation of Ser526 was required for MKK6 phosphorylation in vitro, whereas dephosphorylation of Ser526 was mediated by protein phosphatase 2A and sensitive to okadaic acid and sodium fluoride. Finally, the association between MEKK3 and 14-3-3 was dependent on Ser526 and prevented dephosphorylation of Ser526. In summary, Ser526 of MEKK3 is an autophosphorylation site within the T-loop that is regulated by PP2A and 14-3-3 proteins.
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PMID:Phosphorylation of serine 526 is required for MEKK3 activity, and association with 14-3-3 blocks dephosphorylation. 1640 1

Mutations constitutively activating FLT3 kinase are detected in approximately 30% of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) patients and affect downstream pathways such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2. We found that activation of FLT3 in human AML inhibits CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha) function by ERK1/2-mediated phosphorylation, which may explain the differentiation block of leukemic blasts. In MV4;11 cells, pharmacological inhibition of either FLT3 or MEK1 leads to granulocytic differentiation. Differentiation of MV4;11 cells was also observed when C/EBPalpha mutated at serine 21 to alanine (S21A) was stably expressed. In contrast, there was no effect when serine 21 was mutated to aspartate (S21D), which mimics phosphorylation of C/EBPalpha. Thus, our results suggest that therapies targeting the MEK/ERK cascade or development of protein therapies based on transduction of constitutively active C/EBPalpha may prove effective in treatment of FLT3 mutant leukemias resistant to the FLT3 inhibitor therapies.
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PMID:Block of C/EBP alpha function by phosphorylation in acute myeloid leukemia with FLT3 activating mutations. 1644 83

Connexin 43 (Cx43)-mediated gap junctional communication in granulosa cells is crucial for germ line development and postnatal folliculogenesis. We previously showed that follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) promoted phosphorylation of Cx43 in rat primary granulosa cells. We further identified Ser365, Ser368, Ser369, and Ser373 in the carboxy-terminal tail as the major sites of phosphorylation by FSH, and found that the phosphorylation of these residues was essential for channel activity. In this study, we investigated the protein kinase(s) responsible for FSH-induced phosphorylation. H89, a cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) inhibitor, inhibited FSH-induced phosphorylation both in vivo and in vitro, whereas PD98059, a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor, had little effect on the phosphorylation level. Ca2+-dependent protein kinase (PKC) appeared to negatively regulate phosphorylation. Phosphopeptide mapping with or without H89 treatment indicated that PKA could be responsible for phosphorylation of the four serine residues. In addition, the purified catalytic subunit of PKA could phosphorylate the recombinant C-terminal region of Cx43, but not the variant in which all four serine residues were substituted with alanine. These results suggest that FSH positively regulates Cx43-mediated channel formation and activity through phosphorylation of specific sites by PKA.
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PMID:PKA implicated in the phosphorylation of Cx43 induced by stimulation with FSH in rat granulosa cells. 1647 10

Airway mucus hypersecretion is now recognized as a key pathophysiological feature in many patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis. Consequently, it is important to develop drugs that inhibit mucus hypersecretion in these susceptible patients. Conventional therapies, including anticholinergics, ss2-adrenoceptor agonists, corticosteroids, mucolytics and macrolide antibiotics, have variable efficacy in inhibiting airway mucus hypersecretion, and are less effective in COPD than in asthma. Novel pharmacotherapeutic targets are being investigated, including inhibitors of nerve activity (e.g. large conductance calcium-activated potassium, BKCa, channel activators), tachykinin receptor antagonists, epoxygenase inducers (e.g. benzafibrate), inhibitors of mucin exocytosis (e.g. anti-myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS), peptide and Munc-18B blockers), inhibitors of mucin synthesis and goblet cell hyperplasia (e.g. epidermal growth factor (EGF), receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors, p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP), kinase inhibitors, MAP kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK/ERK), inhibitors, human calcium-activated chloride (hCACL2), channel blockers and retinoic acid receptor-a antagonists), inducers of goblet cell apoptosis (e.g. Bax inducers or Bcl-2 inhibitors), and purinoceptor P(2Y2) antagonists to inhibit mucin secretion or P(2Y2) agonists to hydrate secretions. However, real and theoretical differences delineate the mucus hypersecretory phenotype in asthma from that in COPD. More information is required on these differences to identify specific therapeutic targets which, in turn, should lead to rational design of anti-hypersecretory drugs for treatment of airway mucus hypersecretion in asthma and COPD.
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PMID:Treatment of airway mucus hypersecretion. 1658 97


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