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)

Adenylate cyclase (MAC1) and the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (CPKA) are required for appressorium development and pathogenesis in the rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe grisea. To identify new components in the cAMP signal transduction pathway, we used the yeast two-hybrid system to screen MAC1 and CPKA against an appressorium cDNA library. The cDNA library was constructed by GATEWAY recombinational cloning, enabling transfer of the library to various alternative vectors. The protein phosphatase domain in MAC1, which is unique to fungal adenylate cyclases, interacted with a MAP kinase kinase and a Ser/Thr kinase. Interactions of MAC1 with the kinases may prove to be part of feedback loops between the corresponding signaling pathways. A predicted membrane protein, ACI1, which is highly expressed under conditions that are conducive to appressorium formation, also interacted with MAC1. ACI1 has an extracellular domain containing eight-cysteines, which is also present in other fungal proteins implicated in pathogenesis. The N-terminal half of CPKA, which includes a glutamine-rich sequence unique to a group of fungal sequences, interacted with a putative transcriptional regulator and two different glycosyl hydrolases. Phosphorylation motifs in these sequences suggest that they could be CPKA substrates. The protein interaction assay employed here can now be scaled up to identify interactions between a larger set of proteins in the M. grisea interactome.
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PMID:Identification of proteins that interact with two regulators of appressorium development, adenylate cyclase and cAMP-dependent protein kinase A, in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea. 1464 99

In response to cerebral ischemia, neurons activate survival/repair pathways in addition to death cascades. Activation of cyclic AMP-response-element-binding protein (CREB) is linked to neuroprotection in experimental animal models of stroke. However, a role of the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase (MAPK/ERK or MEK), an upstream kinase for CREB, and its relation to CREB phosphorylation in neuroprotection in cerebral ischemia has not been delineated. Previously, we reported that N-acetyl-O-methyldopamine (NAMDA) significantly protected CA1 neurons after transient forebrain ischemia [J Neurosci 19 (1999b) 87.8]. The current study is to investigate whether NAMDA-induced neuroprotection occurs via the activation of ERK and its downstream effector, CREB. NAMDA induced ERK1/2 and CREB phosphorylation with increased survival of HC2S2 hippocampal neurons subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation. These effects were reversed by U0126, a MEK kinase inhibitor. Similarly, animals treated with NAMDA following ischemia showed increased ERK and CREB phosphorylation in the CA1 subregion of the hippocampus during early reperfusion period with increased number of surviving neurons examined 7 days following ischemia. The NAMDA-induced neuroprotection was abolished by U0126 administered shortly after reperfusion. The results showed that the ERK-CREB signaling pathway might be involved in NAMDA-induced neuroprotection following transient global ischemia and imply that the activation of the pathway in neurons may be an effective therapeutic strategy to treat stroke or other neurological syndromes.
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PMID:A neuroprotective role of extracellular signal-regulated kinase in N-acetyl-O-methyldopamine-treated hippocampal neurons after exposure to in vitro and in vivo ischemia. 1466 49

Intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) increased by extracellular stimuli induces various biological effects, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration. Previous reports regarding the effect of cAMP on keratinocyte proliferation are contradictory and indicate that the effect apparently depends on cellular density. Recent studies have revealed that cAMP signaling regulates cell proliferation by modulating mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity. The precise mechanism by which cAMP affects keratinocyte proliferation and/or the crosstalk between the cAMP and MAPK signaling pathways, however, remain to be determined. Using normal human keratinocytes (NHK), we investigated the effect of cAMP on keratinocyte proliferation and its molecular mechanism in terms of cellular density. In confluent NHK, cyclic AMP decreased extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation and cell proliferation in a Ras-independent and Rap1-dependent manner. The decreased cell proliferation by cAMP was blocked by the MEK-1 inhibitor, PD98059. In contrast, in subconfluent NHK, cAMP increased ERK phosphorylation and cell proliferation. Western blot analysis revealed that NHK expressed B-Raf and Rap-1. Although both 95 kDa and 62 kDa B-Raf isoforms were expressed in subconfluent NHK, only 62 kDa B-Raf was detected in confluent NHK. Transfection of 95 kDa B-Raf into confluent NHK resulted in a cAMP-dependent increase in ERK phosphorylation and cell proliferation. These findings indicate that differential expression of B-Raf isoforms is critical for cAMP-dependent regulation of NHK proliferation that depends on phosphorylation of ERK.
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PMID:Cyclic AMP differentially regulates cell proliferation of normal human keratinocytes through ERK activation depending on the expression pattern of B-Raf. 1527 65

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptides (PACAP) and PAC1 receptor signaling have diverse roles in central and peripheral nervous system development and function. In recent microarray analyses for PACAP and PAC1 receptor modulation of neuronal transcripts, the mRNA of Homer 1a (H1a), which encodes the noncrosslinking and immediate early gene product isoform of Homer, was identified to be strongly upregulated in superior cervical ganglion (SCG) sympathetic neurons. Given the prominent roles of Homer in synaptogenesis, synaptic protein complex assembly and receptor/channel signaling, we have examined the ability for PACAP to induce H1a expression in sympathetic, cortical and hippocampal neurons to evaluate more comprehensively the roles of PACAP in synaptic function. In both central and peripheral neuronal cultures, PACAP peptides increased transiently H1a transcript levels approximately 3.5- to 6-fold. From real-time quantitative PCR measurements, the temporal patterns of PACAP-mediated H1a mRNA induction among the different neuronal cultures appeared similar although the onset of sympathetic H1a transcript expression appeared protracted. The increase in H1a transcripts was accompanied by increases in H1a protein levels. Comparative studies with VIP and PACAP(6-38) antagonist demonstrated that the PACAP effects reflected PAC1 receptor activation and signaling. The PAC1 receptor isoforms expressed in central and peripheral neurons can engage diverse intracellular second messenger systems, and studies using selective signaling pathway inhibitors demonstrated that the cyclic AMP/PKA and MEK/ERK cascades are principal mediators of the PACAP-mediated H1a induction response. In modulating H1a transcript and protein expression, these studies may implicate broad roles for PACAP and PAC1 receptor signaling in synaptic development and plasticity.
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PMID:Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide and PAC1 receptor signaling increase Homer 1a expression in central and peripheral neurons. 1551

Bcl-2 plays a pivotal role in the control of cell death and is upregulated by ischemic tolerance. Because Bcl-2 expression is regulated by the transcription factor cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB), we investigated the role of CREB activation in two models of ischemic preconditioning: focal ischemic tolerance after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and in vitro ischemic tolerance modeled by oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). After preconditioning ischemia (30 minutes MCAO or 30 minutes OGD), phosphorylation of CREB was increased, and there was an increased interaction between the bcl-2 cyclic AMP-responsive element (CRE) promoter and nuclear proteins after preconditioning ischemia in vivo and in vitro. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed an increased interaction between CREB-binding protein and the bcl-2 CRE rather than CREB, after preconditioning ischemia. Ischemic tolerance was blocked by a CRE decoy oligonucleotide, which also blocked Bcl-2 expression. The protein kinase A inhibitor H89, the calcium/calmodulin kinase inhibitor KN62, and the MEK inhibitor U0126 blocked ischemic tolerance, but not the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002. H89, KN62, and U0126 reduced CREB activation and Bcl-2 expression. Taken together, these data suggest that after ischemic preconditioning CREB activation regulates the expression of the prosurvival protein Bcl-2.
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PMID:CREB-mediated Bcl-2 protein expression after ischemic preconditioning. 1564 42

The role of sphingosine kinase (SPHK) in the dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP)-induced granulocytic differentiation of HL60 cells was investigated. During differentiation, SPHK activity was increased, as were mRNA and protein levels of SPHK1, but not of SPHK2. Pretreatment of HL60 cells with N,N-dimethylsphingosine (DMS), a potent SPHK inhibitor, completely blocked dbcAMP-induced differentiation. The phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), and p38 MAPK was also increased during dbcAMP-induced differentiation. Pretreatment of HL60 cells with the MEK inhibitor, U0126, but not the p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580, completely suppressed dbcAMP-induced ERK1/2 activation and granulocytic differentiation, but did not affect the increase in SPHK activity. DMS inhibited dbcAMP-induced ERK1/2 activation, but had little effect on p38 MAPK activation. DMS had no effect on the dbcAMP-induced membrane translocation of protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes, and PKC inhibitors had no significant effect on ERK activation. The overexpression of wild-type SPHK1, but not dominant negative SPHK1, resulted in high basal levels of ERK1/2 phosphorylation and stimulated granulocytic differentiation in HL60 cells. These data show that SPHK1 participates in the dbcAMP-induced differentiation of HL60 cells by activating the MEK/ERK pathway.
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PMID:Sphingosine kinase 1 is involved in dibutyryl cyclic AMP-induced granulocytic differentiation through the upregulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, but not p38 MAP kinase, in HL60 cells. 1586 57

The sympathetic nervous system regulates the activity and expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) through the three beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes and their ability to raise intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels. Unexpectedly, we recently discovered that the cAMP-dependent regulation of multiple genes in brown adipocytes, including Ucp1, occurred through the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) (W. Cao, K. W. Daniel, J. Robidoux, P. Puigserver, A. V. Medvedev, X. Bai, L. M. Floering, B. M. Spiegelman, and S. Collins, Mol. Cell. Biol. 24:3057-3067, 2004). However, no well-defined pathway linking cAMP accumulation or cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) to p38 MAPK has been described. Therefore, in the present study using both in vivo and in vitro models, we have initiated a retrograde approach to define the required components, beginning with the p38 MAPK isoforms themselves and the MAP kinase kinase(s) that regulates them. Our strategy included ectopic expression of wild-type and mutant kinases as well as targeted inhibition of gene expression using small interfering RNA. The results indicate that the beta-adrenergic receptors and PKA lead to a highly selective activation of the p38alpha isoform of MAPK, which in turn promotes Ucp1 gene transcription. In addition, this specific activation of p38alpha relies solely on the presence of MAP kinase kinase 3, despite the expression in brown fat of MKK3, -4, and -6. Finally, of the three scaffold proteins of the JIP family expressed in brown adipocytes, only JIP2 co-immunoprecipitates p38alpha MAPK and MKK3. Therefore, in the brown adipocyte the recently described scaffold protein JIP2 assembles the required factors MKK3 and p38alpha MAPK linking PKA to the control of thermogenic gene expression.
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PMID:Selective activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase 3 and p38alpha MAP kinase is essential for cyclic AMP-dependent UCP1 expression in adipocytes. 1596 3

Hyperosmotic stress stimulates a rapid and pronounced apoptosis in cardiac myocytes which is attenuated by insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Because in these cells IGF-1 induces intracellular Ca(2+) increase, we assessed whether the cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) is activated by IGF-1 through Ca(2+)-dependent signalling pathways. In cultured cardiac myocytes, IGF-1 induced phosphorylation (6.5 +/- 1.0-fold at 5 min), nuclear translocation (30 min post-stimulus) and DNA binding activity of CREB. IGF-1-induced CREB phosphorylation was mediated by MEK1/ERK, PI3-K, p38-MAPK, as well as Ca(2+)/calmodulin kinase and calcineurin. Exposure of cardiac myocytes to hyperosmotic stress (sorbitol 600 mOsm) decreased IGF-1-induced CREB activation Moreover, overexpression of a dominant negative CREB abolished the anti-apoptotic effects of IGF-1. Our results suggest that IGF-1 activates CREB through a complex signalling pathway, and this transcription factor plays an important role in the anti-apoptotic action of IGF-1 in cultured cardiac myocytes.
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PMID:IGF-1 protects cardiac myocytes from hyperosmotic stress-induced apoptosis via CREB. 1616 89

6-(Methylsulfinyl)hexyl isothiocyanate (6-MITC) is a chemopreventive compound occurring in Wasabi (Wasabia japonica (Miq.) Matsumura), which is a very popular pungent spice in Japan. We investigated the effects of 6-MITC on the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated murine macrophage RAW264 cells. Treatment with 6-MITC suppressed LPS-mediated induction of COX-2 protein in a dose-dependent manner. Transfections with various COX-2 promoter reporter constructs revealed that the inhibitory effects of 6-MITC on COX-2 gene expression were directed by the core promoter elements including nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) and cyclic AMP-response element (CRE) sites. Western blotting analysis showed that 6-MITC inhibited LPS-induced activation of MAPK (ERK, p38 kinase and JNK) and transcriptional factors (CREB, c-Jun and C/EBPdelta) binding the core elements of COX-2 promoter, substantiating the involvement of these signal transduction pathways in the regulation of COX-2 expression by 6-MITC. Moreover, Western blotting experiments with MAPK-specific inhibitors (U0126 for MEK1/2, SB203580 for p38 kinase and SP600125 for JNK) demonstrated that 6-MITC suppressed LPS-induced COX-2 expression by blocking the activation of JNK-mediated AP-1 and ERK/p38 kinase-mediated CREB or C/EBPdelta. Finally, the structure-activity study revealed that the inhibitory potency of methylsulfinyl isothiocyanates (MITCs) depended on the methyl chain length. These findings demonstrate for the first time that 6-MITC is an effective agent to attenuate COX-2 production, and enhance our understanding of the anti-inflammation properties of 6-MITC.
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PMID:Inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced cyclooxygenase-2 transcription by 6-(methylsulfinyl) hexyl isothiocyanate, a chemopreventive compound from Wasabia japonica (Miq.) Matsumura, in mouse macrophages. 1625 55

PACAP is a peptide with neuroprotective activity, which induces adenylate cyclase and protein kinase A (PKA) activity. PACAP has also been shown to induce neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Here, we report that exogenous PACAP38 promotes neurite outgrowth in the F11 neuroblastoma/dorsal DRG hybrid cell line. Using an automated microscopy system, we show that PACAP38 induces a 170-fold increase in neurite length, with an EC50 of 3.1 nM, compared to 3.7 microM for forskolin and 143.4 microM for dibutyril cyclic AMP (dbcAMP). PACAP38 induced a 4-fold increase in the level of phosphorylation of cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB) in F11 cells with an EC50 of 130 pM. In contrast a peptide related to PACAP, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) failed to induce CREB phosphorylation or neurite outgrowth in F11 cells. Addition of the nonselective phosphodiesterase inhibitor, isobutyl methylxanthine (IBMX) increased the potency of PACAP at inducing neurite outgrowth by ten-fold. The PKA inhibitor, H89, was a potent inhibitor of PACAP38-induced neurite outgrowth. The delta-opioid receptor agonist, SNC 80, did not inhibit PACAP-induced neurogenesis even though it did reduce CREB phosphorylation. In contrast to previous studies in PC12 cells, PACAP38 failed to show MEK1 activation in F11 cells. PACAP is upregulated in DRG neurons as a result of injury, and F11 cells provide an easily accessible in vitro model for understanding mechanisms underlying PACAP differentiation and neurogenesis.
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PMID:Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) induces differentiation in the neuronal F11 cell line through a PKA-dependent pathway. 1648 95


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