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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)

The protein kinase cascade Raf-MAPKK/MEK-MAPK/ERK connects protein tyrosine kinase receptors in the membrane with control of transcription factor activity in the nucleus. We have examined whether Raf is obligatory for activation of this cascade and whether this signaling pathway is relevant to transformation. By use of transient assays with epitope-tagged ERK-1 cDNA and a dominant inhibitory mutant of Raf-1 we found that serum and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate as well as representatives of three classes of oncogenes (protein tyrosine kinases abl/src, Ras, and protein serine/threonine kinases mos/cot) were all Raf-dependent for stimulation of MAPK. All of the MAPK stimulating oncogenes were also activators of Raf kinase as judged by shift induction. It thus appears that there is little or no redundancy in pathways used by growth regulators for activation of MAPK/ERK. Furthermore, the ability to stimulate MAPK/ERK appears to be critical for transformation by oncogenic Raf-1 and ERK-1 and -2 synergized with v-raf in a focus induction assay on NIH3T3 cells and kinase dead mutants of ERK-2 were inhibitory. Raf/ERK synergism was also observed in transcriptional transactivation of the oncogene-response element in the polyoma enhancer. We conclude that this Raf signaling pathway, which connects to many upstream activators and downstream effectors, is essential for transformation by most oncogenes.
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PMID:Mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase activation by oncogenes, serum, and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate requires Raf and is necessary for transformation. 812 67

MAP (mitogen-activated protein) kinases are serine/threonine protein kinases and mediate intracellular phosphorylation events linking various extracellular signals to different cellular targets. MAP kinase, MAP kinase kinase and MAP kinase kinase kinase are functional protein kinase units that are conserved in several signal transduction pathways in animals and yeasts. Isolation of all three components was also shown in plants and suggests conservation of a protein kinase module in all eukaryotic cells. In plants, MAP kinase modules appear to be involved in ethylene signaling and auxin-induced cell proliferation. Therefore, coupling of different extracellular signals to different physiological responses is mediated by MAP kinase cascades and appears to have evolved from a single prototypical protein kinase module which has been adapted to the specific requirements of different organisms.
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PMID:MAP kinases: universal multi-purpose signaling tools. 812 84

MEK is a family of dual specific protein kinases which activate the extracellular signal-regulated kinases by phosphorylation of threonine and tyrosine residues. MEK itself is activated via serine phosphorylation by upstream activator kinases, including c-raf, mos and MEK kinase. Here, we report the activation phosphorylation sites of human MEK1 and yeast STE7 kinase as determined by a combination of biochemical and genetic approaches. In human MEK1, substitution of either serine residue 218 or 222 with alanine completely abolished its activation by epidermal growth factor-stimulated Swiss 3T3 cell lysates or immunoprecipitated c-raf, suggesting that both serine residues are required for MEK1 activation. Phosphopeptide analysis demonstrated that serine residues 218 and 222 of human MEK1 are the primary sites for phosphorylation by c-raf. These two serine residues are highly conserved in all members of the MEK family, including the yeast STE7 gene product, a MEK homolog in the yeast mating pheromone response pathway. Mutation of the corresponding residues in STE7 completely abolished the biological functions of this gene. These data demonstrate that MEK is activated by phosphorylation of two adjacent serine/threonine residues and this activation mechanism is conserved in the MEK family kinases.
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PMID:Activation of MEK family kinases requires phosphorylation of two conserved Ser/Thr residues. 813 46

Incubation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes with chemoattractants, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) activated both mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Activation by chemoattractants was rapid and transient, being maximal by 1 min and decreasing by 10 min. The order of efficacy was formyl-met-leu-phe > C5a > > LTB4 > interleukin 8 > platelet-activating factor. In contrast, activation by GM-CSF or PMA was slow and sustained being maximal at 5 min and with little decrease by 30 min. Sustained MAPK activation required continuous activation of the MAPKK. The MAPKK induced by N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine, GM-CSF, or PMA was resolved into two forms by anion exchange chromatography (Mono Q). Both corresponded to a 45-kDa MAPKK antigen by Western blotting and were inactivated by serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2A. Rechromatography of both forms after dephosphorylation resulted in the antigen's eluting slightly earlier on the Mono Q gradient than when in the active state. However, the two peaks remained separate, suggesting that they are not merely different phosphoforms of the same enzyme. The MAPK cascade is a signaling pathway common to many polymorphonuclear leukocyte stimulants, which may be activated transiently or in a sustained manner.
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PMID:Characterization of two different forms of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase induced in polymorphonuclear leukocytes following stimulation by N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. 814 33

Treatment of adipocytes with insulin or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) results in transient activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) (Tmax = 90 s) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) (Tmax = 300 s). We have identified a novel insulin-stimulated MEK kinase (I-MEKK) in the 100,000 x g infranatant that shows rapid phasic kinetics that temporally precede that of MEK. Maximal activation of I-MEKK occurs within 20 +/- 5 s (S.D., n = 3) followed by complete inactivation by 30 +/- 10 s (S.D., n = 3). I-MEKK was characterized by anion-exchange and gel filtration chromatography and separated into two distinct activities of approximately 56 kDa that phosphorylated and activated MEK. I-MEKKs did not co-elute on anion exchange with c-Raf or 73-kDa MEK kinase (MEKK), suggesting they are distinct enzymes. Protein phosphatase 2A inactivated both I-MEKKs in vitro and in the intact cell okadaic acid blocked inactivation in the presence of insulin. These results suggest activation of I-MEKK involves phosphorylation on serine or threonine residues. I-MEKK was not activated by PMA, suggesting that in adipocytes the enzyme represents a divergence point between signal transduction pathways mediated by insulin and those activating protein kinase C.
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PMID:Insulin activates a novel adipocyte mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase that shows rapid phasic kinetics and is distinct from c-Raf. 817 93

Mitogen activated protein kinases (MAP) or extracellular signal regulated protein kinases (ERK) are a family of protein serine/threonine kinases that are activated very rapidly in response to many extracellular stimuli. elk-1, an ets related gene codes for two transcriptional factors elk-1, which regulates c-fos transcription and delta elk-1, both of which are substrates for MAP kinases. A part of the C-terminal transcriptional activation domain (ETA-2) which is common to both the proteins was previously shown to function as an activator of MAP kinases. In this report, in an attempt to investigate the mechanism of activation of MAP kinases, purified preparations of recombinant elk-1 and P44mpk/ERK-1/ERK-2 proteins were used to show the association of elk-1 proteins with MAP kinases. The specific interactions of elk-1 proteins with MAP kinases were confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation studies. Thus elk-1 proteins appear to regulate the activity of MAP kinases by interacting with them ensuring a conformational change and stimulating their autophosphorylation and activation property. The activation was dependent on the presence of ATP and Mg2+. In vitro phosphorylation of elk-1 protein was not regulatory for autonomous DNA binding activity of elk-1 protein. Cells which were exposed to EGF showed a rapid stimulation of an elk-1 specific kinase activity, probably MAP kinase which phosphorylated MBP and was found to be associated with immobilized GST-elk-1. Furthermore, dephosphorylation studies indicate that elk-1 proteins can activate only tyrosine phosphorylated MAP kinase. These results demonstrate the presence of an alternative pathway/mechanism (other than MAP kinase kinase, MAPKK/Mek) for the activation of MAP kinases with tyrosine phosphorylation occurring before serine/threonine autophosphorylation and activation by elk-1 proteins.
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PMID:elk-1 proteins interact with MAP kinases. 820 31

Xenopus mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK) previously inactivated with protein phosphatase 2A can be reactivated by serine phosphorylation catalyzed by a partially purified MAPKK kinase (MAPKK-K), and is phosphorylated by MAPK on a threonine residue. The sequence analysis of a threonine-phosphorylated tryptic peptide of Xenopus MAPKK from mature oocytes suggested that Thr388 is phosphorylated in vivo. A mutant MAPKK that has Thr388 changed to Ala (T388A-MAPKK) was not phosphorylated by purified MAPK, indicating that Thr388 is phosphorylated by MAPK. We then produced and analysed MAPKKs mutated at potential serine phosphorylation sites (S218A-MAPKK and S222A-MAPKK). The wild-type MAPKK (WT-MAPKKK), T388A-MAPKK and a kinase-deficient (K97S)-MAPKK were phosphorylated efficiently by MAPKK-Ks purified from Xenopus eggs, and WT-MAPKK and T388A-MAPKK became activated. In contrast, neither S218A-MAPKK nor S222A-MAPKK was phosphorylated and activated efficiently by the Xenopus MAPKK-Ks. Similarly, WT-MAPKK, but not S218A-MAPKK or S222A-MAPKK, was activated efficiently by an active Raf-1 immunoprecipitate. However, when the recombinant STE11, a putative MAPKK-K in S. cerevisiae, was used as a source of MAPKK-K, S218A-MAPKK as well as WT-MAPKK, but not S222A-MAPKK, was phosphorylated and activated. Furthermore, replacement of Ser222 with an acidic residue (S222E) elevated substantially the basal kinase activity of MAPKK, while replacement of Ser218 (S218E) did not. These results may suggest an essential role for Ser222 phosphorylation in activating Xenopus MAPKK.
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PMID:Characterization of recombinant Xenopus MAP kinase kinases mutated at potential phosphorylation sites. 820 35

The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases are serine-threonine protein kinases that are activated by tyrosine and threonine phosphorylation by the dual specificity protein kinase MEK (MAP kinase/ERK kinase). The present report describes the purification to near homogeneity and characterization of a protein tyrosine phosphatase from Xenopus laevis eggs that dephosphorylates MAP kinase phosphorylated by MEK. Bacterially expressed Xenopus MAP kinase phosphorylated by purified Xenopus MEK was used as substrate throughout the purification. The purification procedure included anion-exchange, cation-exchange, gel filtration, heparin-Sepharose, and chromatography on a column of thiophosphorylated MAP kinase-Sepharose, resulting in a > 3000-fold purification. Upon analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, a protein of 47 kDa correlated with activity. The phosphatase showed absolute specificity toward phosphotyrosine and no activity toward phosphothreonyl-phosphoseryl residues of MAP kinase. The pH optimum of the enzyme was 7.0 with a Km of 9.0 microM for phosphorylated MAP kinase. The phosphatase was inhibited by ammonium molybdate (IC50, 2 microM), vanadate (IC50, 250 microM), millimolar concentrations of MnCl2, ZnCl2 and p-nitrophenylphosphate but not by okadaic acid or microcystin. This tyrosine phosphatase may be involved in deactivating MAP kinase in vivo.
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PMID:Purification and characterization of a mitogen-activated protein kinase tyrosine phosphatase from Xenopus eggs. 822 71

The kinase Raf-1 can be activated by treatment of cells with mitogens and by the protein kinase C (PKC) activator 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) (reviewed in refs 1,2). Activated Raf-1 triggers a protein kinase cascade by direct phosphorylation of MAP kinase kinase, resulting in phosphorylation of ternary complex factor and Jun by MAP kinase. Here we investigate the molecular mechanism and biological consequences of PKC alpha-mediated Raf-1 activation in NIH3T3 fibroblasts. PKC alpha directly phosphorylates and activates Raf-1 both in vitro and in vivo. PKC alpha induces Raf-1 phosphorylation at several sites, including a serine residue at position 499. Mutation of serine at this position or at residue 259 does not abrogate Raf-1 stimulation by a combination of Ras plus the src tyrosine kinase Lck, but severely impedes Raf-1 activation by PKC alpha. Consistent with such a direct interaction is the observation that Raf-1 and PKC alpha cooperate in the transformation of NIH3T3 cells. The Ser499 phosphorylation site is necessary for this synergism.
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PMID:Protein kinase C alpha activates RAF-1 by direct phosphorylation. 832 21

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAP kinases) or meiosis-activated myelin basic protein kinase (p44mpk) are known to be activated by a mechanism involving dual phosphorylation at both tyrosine and serine/threonine in response to many extracellular stimuli. There has been considerable speculation as to whether MAP kinases are autophosphorylated and activated by an upstream protein kinase (MAP kinase kinase) or an activator of autophosphorylation or both. Here we report that the ets-related proteins elk-1 and delta elk-1 to be potential physiological substrates and activators of MAP kinases. Our results demonstrate for the first time that MAP kinase activators can also be non-kinase proteins that enhance the autophosphorylation and activation of MAP kinase. These findings could establish a general mechanism wherein specific MAP kinase activator protein(s) may function by interacting with MAP kinases ensuring a conformational change and stimulating their autophosphorylation and activation property. Our results also suggest that the amino-terminal truncated elk-1 proteins are better activators of MAP kinase than full length proteins indicating the presence of a potential negative regulatory region which may control the kinase activator function of elk-1 proteins. Our results suggest differential regulation of elk-1 and delta elk-1 proteins in fibroblasts stimulated by epidermal growth factor implicating a key role for these proteins in the signal transduction pathway. These results establish the presence of an alternative pathway for activation of MAP kinases. Thus we propose that elk-1 proteins may represent key intermediates which would transmit signals arriving at the surface of the cell from activated receptors to downstream MAP kinases in the cytoplasm to reach the transcriptional factors in the nucleus.
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PMID:Elk-1 proteins are phosphoproteins and activators of mitogen-activated protein kinase. 833 45


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