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)

Identifying the trophic factors for retina photoreceptors and the intracellular pathways activated to promote cell survival is crucial for treating retina neurodegenerative diseases. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the major retinal polyunsaturated fatty acid, prevents photoreceptor apoptosis during early development in vitro, and upon oxidative stress. However, the signaling mechanisms activated by DHA are still unclear. We investigated whether the extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) or the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) pathway participated in DHA protection. 1,4-Diamino-2,3-dicyano-1,4-bis(2-aminophynyltio) butadiene (U0126), a specific MEK inhibitor, completely blocked the DHA anti-apoptotic effect. DHA rapidly increased ERK phosphorylation in photoreceptors, whereas U0126 blocked this increase. U0126 hindered DHA prevention of mitochondrial depolarization, and blocked the DHA-induced increase in opsin expression. On the contrary, PI3K inhibitors did not diminish the DHA protective effect. DHA promoted the early expression of Bcl-2, decreased Bax expression and reduced caspase-3 activation in photoreceptors. These results suggest that DHA exclusively activates the ERK/MAPK pathway to promote photoreceptor survival during early development in vitro and upon oxidative stress. This leads to the regulation of Bcl-2 and Bax expression, thus preserving mitochondrial membrane potential and inhibiting caspase activation. Hence, DHA, a lipid trophic factor, promotes photoreceptor survival and differentiation by activating the same signaling pathways triggered by peptidic trophic factors.
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PMID:Docosahexaenoic acid prevents apoptosis of retina photoreceptors by activating the ERK/MAPK pathway. 1692 63

Docosahexaenoic acid (22: 6n-3; DHA) is a long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid that exists highly enriched in fish oil, and it is one of the low molecular weight food chemicals which can pass a blood brain barrier. A preliminary survey of several fatty acids for expression of growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43), a marker of axonal growth, identified DHA as one of the most potent inducers. The human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells exposed to DHA showed significant and dose-dependent increases in the percentage of cells with longer neurites. To elucidate signaling mechanisms involved in DHA-enhanced basal neuritogenesis, we examined the role of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production using SH-SY5Y cells. From immunoblotting experiments, we observed that DHA induced the ROS production, protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibition, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/ERK kinase (MEK) phosphorylation, and sequentially ERK1/2 phosphorylation, the last of which was significantly reduced by MEK inhibitor U0126. Both antioxidants and MEK inhibitor affected DHA-induced GAP-43 expression, whereas the specific PI3K inhibitor LY294002 did not. We found that total protein tyrosine phosphatase activity was also downregulated by DHA treatment, which was counteracted by antioxidant pretreatment. These results suggest that the ROS-dependent ERK pathway, rather than PI3K, plays an important role during DHA-enhanced neurite outgrowth.
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PMID:Docosahexaenoic acid induces ERK1/2 activation and neuritogenesis via intracellular reactive oxygen species production in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. 1899 96

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22: 6n-3) is the most abundant polyunsaturated fatty acid in neuronal phospholipids, particularly in the cortex. The main source of DHA for neural cells is food, and hepatic and astroglia DHA synthesis from essential a-linolenic acid (C18: 3n-3). Accretion of DHA in the brain is most intensive during fetal life and the first two years of life. An adequate level of DHA in cell membranes is important for many functions of neural cells and this is presumably the reason for DHA saving in the adult mammalian brain during dietary a-linolenic acid deficiency. DHA-containing phospholipids in membranes are flexible and membranes possessing a high content of them are quite thin, more permeable to ions and small molecules, have looser lipid packing, and finally are more "dynamic" than membranes composed of other fatty acid containing phospholipids. Furthermore, these membranes create an appropriate environment for integral proteins highly condensed in neurons, such as receptors, ion channels, enzymes, and peripheral proteins. The quantity of phosphatidylserine in the inner membrane lipid layer depends on the availability of DHA to neurons. Phosphatidylserine promotes neuronal survival by translocation/activation of kinase Akt and Raf-1/MEK. DHA present in membrane phospholipids facilitates v-SNARE/t-SNARE complex formation, which is necessary for fusion of synaptic vesicles and plasma membranes necessary for transmitter exocytosis, and neurite outgrowth-dependent plasticity. DHA plays an important neuroprotective role. DHA has been shown to inhibit PGE2 synthesis and COX-1 expression in astrocytes, and DHA derivatives, especially neuroprotectins D, can suppress inflammatory responses, preventing neuronal damage or apoptosis. The results of high DHA content in neuronal membranes and formation of DHA derivates, as well as the function of DHA-dependent phosphatidylserine, may explain the promising results supporting beneficial DHA supplementation in neurodegenerative diseases and improvement of brain function.
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PMID:[The role of docosahexaenoic acid in neuronal function]. 2167 56