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)

Recent studies have demonstrated the existence of a physical complex containing p21ras (RAS), p74raf-1 (RAF-1), and MEK-1. Although it is clear that formation of this complex depends on the activation state of RAS, it is not known whether this complex is regulated by the activation state of the cell and whether MEK-2 is also present in the complex. To analyze the regulation and specificity of this complex, we utilized immobilized RAS to probe lysates of cultured NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and analyzed the proteins complexing with RAS following serum starvation or stimulation. Complex formation among RAS, RAF-1, and MEK-1 was dependent only on RAS:GMP-PNP and not on cell stimulation. Incubations of lysates with immobilized RAS depleted all RAF-1 from the lysate but bound only a small fraction of cytosolic MEK-1, and further MEK-1 could bind immobilized RAS only if exogenous RAF-1 was added to the lysate. This indicates that binding of MEK-1 to RAS depends on the presence of RAF-1 or an equivalent protein. In contrast to MEK-1, MEK-2 was not detected in the RAS signalling complex. A proline-rich region of MEK-1 containing a phosphorylation site appears to be essential for signalling complex formation. Consistent with the preferential binding of MEK-1 to RAS:RAF-1, the basal activity of MEK-1 in v-ras-transformed cells was found to be elevated sixfold, whereas MEK-2 was elevated only twofold, suggesting that the RAS signalling pathway favors MEK-1 activation.
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PMID:RAS and RAF-1 form a signalling complex with MEK-1 but not MEK-2. 796 58

The guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding protein Ras functions in regulating growth and differentiation; however, little is known about the protein interactions that bring about its biological activity. Wild-type Ras or mutant forms of Ras were covalently attached to an insoluble matrix and then used to examine the interaction of signaling proteins with Ras. Forms of Ras activated either by mutation (Gly12Val) or by binding of the GTP analog, guanylyl-imidodiphosphate (GMP-PNP) interacted specifically with Raf-1 whereas an effector domain mutant, Ile36Ala, failed to interact with Raf-1. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) activity was only associated with activated forms of Ras. The specific interaction of activated Ras with active MAP kinase kinase (MAPKK) was confirmed by direct assays. Thus the forming of complexes containing MAPKK activity and Raf-1 protein are dependent upon the activity of Ras.
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PMID:Complexes of Ras.GTP with Raf-1 and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase. 850 4

The transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa-B (NF-kappaB) is now recognised as a key mediator of physiological and pathological plasticity in the central nervous system (CNS), and ionotropic glutamate receptor stimulation potently triggers NF-kappaB activation. This study was designed to identify the mechanisms responsible for the high basal levels of activated NF-kappaB present in neurons in the cerebral cortex. In cultured cortical neurons, the basal levels of activated NF-kappaB were reduced by the glutamate receptor antagonists MK801 and 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX), but were not affected by exposure to a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor, a p38 MAP kinase inhibitor or a cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase inhibitor. However, activated NF-kappaB levels were reduced by a guanylate cyclase inhibitor, the Src-family tyrosine kinase inhibitor PP1, or the farnesyl transferase inhibitors manumycin and farnesyl transferase (Ftase) inhibitor 1. There was no additive effect when MK801 was applied together with manumycin. These results suggest that the basal levels of activated NF-kappaB in cortical neurons are maintained partially by synaptic activity involving N-methyl- D-aspartate (NMDA) and AMPA/kainate glutamate receptors, coupled to activation of an Src-family tyrosine kinase and a p21(Ras)-like guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) in a cGMP-dependent manner. The results are intriguing in the light of the recent identification of a synaptic p21(Ras) activator stimulated by cGMP.
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PMID:Involvement of NMDA receptors and a p21Ras-like guanosine triphosphatase in the constitutive activation of nuclear factor-kappa-B in cortical neurons. 1242 35

The natriuretic peptides, including human B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), have been implicated in the regulation of cardiac remodeling. Because transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is associated with profibrotic processes in heart failure, we tested whether BNP could inhibit TGF-beta-induced effects on primary human cardiac fibroblasts. BNP inhibited TGF-beta-induced cell proliferation as well as the production of collagen 1 and fibronectin proteins as measured by Western blot analysis. cDNA microarray analysis was performed on RNA from cardiac fibroblasts incubated in the presence or absence of TGF-beta and BNP for 24 and 48 hours. TGF-beta, but not BNP, treatment resulted in a significant change in the RNA profile. BNP treatment resulted in a remarkable reduction in TGF-beta effects; 88% and 85% of all TGF-beta-regulated mRNAs were affected at 24 and 48 hours, respectively. BNP opposed TGF-beta-regulated genes related to fibrosis (collagen 1, fibronectin, CTGF, PAI-1, and TIMP3), myofibroblast conversion (alpha-smooth muscle actin 2 and nonmuscle myosin heavy chain), proliferation (PDGFA, IGF1, FGF18, and IGFBP10), and inflammation (COX2, IL6, TNFalpha-induced protein 6, and TNF superfamily, member 4). Lastly, BNP stimulated the extracellular signal-related kinase pathway via cyclic guanosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase signaling, and two mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitors, U0126 and PD98059, reversed BNP inhibition of TGF-beta-induced collagen-1 expression. These findings demonstrate that BNP has a direct effect on cardiac fibroblasts to inhibit fibrotic responses via extracellular signal-related kinase signaling, suggesting that BNP functions as an antifibrotic factor in the heart to prevent cardiac remodeling in pathological conditions.
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PMID:B-type natriuretic peptide exerts broad functional opposition to transforming growth factor-beta in primary human cardiac fibroblasts: fibrosis, myofibroblast conversion, proliferation, and inflammation. 1472 74

The histopathology of chronic pulmonary hypertension includes microvascular proliferation and neointimal formation. Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in the regulation of these mechanisms, but how NO controls microvascular proliferation and its effect on pulmonary microvascular cells is still unclear. In this study, we characterized the in vitro effects of NO on rat pulmonary microvascular smooth muscle cell (PMVSMC) proliferation and investigated the contribution of the p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and p21(waf1/cip1) induction to this response. NO donors inhibited PMVSMC proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. In the presence of hypoxia, the degree of inhibition was significantly enhanced. This inhibition was reversible and independent of apoptosis. The soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) had no impact on proliferation rates, suggesting a cyclic guanosine monophosphate-independent process. Administration of MEK1/2 inhibitors failed to abrogate the antimitotic effect of NO. There was a two- fold induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 in PMVSMC treated with NO donors. Under hypoxic conditions, NO caused a three-fold increase in p21 levels. These results demonstrate that NO inhibits PMVSMC proliferation and that this inhibition is not the result of p42/44 MAPK activation. The ability of NO to induce p21 upregulation may be a mechanism by which it exerts antiproliferative effects in PMVSMC.
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PMID:Exogenous nitric oxide upregulates p21(waf1/cip1) in pulmonary microvascular smooth muscle cells. 1505 33

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is the rate-limiting enzyme in heme catabolism, which confers cytoprotection against oxidative injury and provides a vital function in maintaining tissue homeostasis. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) possess several anti-inflammatory mechanisms and may be beneficial in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Our previous study has shown that statins can inhibit iNOS gene expression in murine RAW264.7 macrophages. In this study, we showed that lovastatin, fluvastatin, atorvastatin, simvastatin, mevastatin and pravastatin are able to upregulate the mRNA expression of HO-1 gene. This effect of lovastatin was attenuated by farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP), a protein kinase G (PKG) inhibitor (KT5823), a soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor (ODQ), a p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB203580), and MEK inhibitors (U0126 and PD98059), but not by inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC), protein kinase A (PKA), c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and Rho kinase. Consistent with this notion, our previous study has reported the ability of statins to activate ERK and p38 MAPK in RAW264.7 macrophages. Here we further found the participation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)/PKG pathway for ERK activation in cells stimulated with statin and the ability of statin to induce AP-1 activity, which is an essential transcription factor in the regulation of HO-1 gene expression. In addition, a Ras inhibitor (manumycin A) treatment also caused a marked induction of HO-1 mRNA followed by a corresponding increase in HO-1 protein; instead, inhibition of Rho activity by toxin B only led to a transient and weak induction of HO-1. The involvement of signal pathways in manumycin A-induced HO-1 gene expression was associated with p38 MAPK, JNK and ERK activation. Taken together, these results demonstrate for the first time that statins might activate PKG to elicit activations of ERK and p38 MAPK pathways and finally induce HO-1 gene expression, which provides a novel anti-inflammatory mechanism in the therapeutic validity.
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PMID:HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors upregulate heme oxygenase-1 expression in murine RAW264.7 macrophages via ERK, p38 MAPK and protein kinase G pathways. 1621 41

Guanine derivates have been implicated in many relevant extracellular roles, such as modulation of glutamate transmission, protecting neurons against excitotoxic damage. Guanine derivatives are spontaneously released to the extracellular space from cultured astrocytes during oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) and may act as trophic factors, glutamate receptors blockers or glutamate transport modulators, thus promoting neuroprotection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanisms involved in the neuroprotective role of the nucleoside guanosine in rat hippocampal slices submitted to OGD, identifying a putative extracellular binding site and the intracellular signaling pathways related to guanosine-induced neuroprotection. Cell damage to hippocampal slices submitted to 15 min of OGD followed by 2 h of reperfusion was decreased by the addition of guanosine (100 microM) or guanosine-5'-monophosphate (GMP, 100 microM). The neuroprotective effect of guanosine was not altered by the addition of adenosine receptor antagonists, nucleosides transport inhibitor, glutamate receptor antagonists, glutamate transport inhibitors, and a non-selective Na(+) and Ca(2+) channel blocker. However, in a Ca(2+)-free medium (by adding EGTA), guanosine was ineffective. Nifedipine (a Ca(2+) channel blocker) increased the neuroprotective effect of guanosine and 4-aminopyridine, a K(+) channel blocker, reversed the neuroprotective effect of guanosine. Evaluation of the intracellular signaling pathways associated with guanosine-induced neuroprotection showed the involvement of PKA, PKC, MEK and PI-3 K pathways, but not CaMKII. Therefore, this study shows guanosine is acting via K(+) channels activation, depending on extracellular Ca(2+) levels and via modulation of the PKA, PKC, MEK and/or PI-3 K pathways.
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PMID:Mechanism of guanosine-induced neuroprotection in rat hippocampal slices submitted to oxygen-glucose deprivation. 1782 7

Although a large number of signalling cascades are known to be activated downstream of NCAM, only little is known regarding the hierarchical relationship between the involved molecules in the individual cascades and the level of cross talk between the cascades. Here, we evaluated the requirement of putative upstream signalling cascades for the phosphorylation of the kinases extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Akt and the transcription factor cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response-element binding protein (CREB) following stimulation of NCAM in rat cerebellar granule neurons with an NCAM ligand, the C3d peptide. NCAM-mediated ERK phosphorylation depended on activation of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR), Src-family kinases, MEK (MAP and ERK kinase) and G(0)/G(i)-proteins, whereas NCAM-mediated CREB phosphorylation depended on the activity of Src-family kinases and MEK. NCAM-specific Akt phosphorylation depended on cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). All three phosphorylation events were independent of activation of the signalling molecules phospholipase C, protein kinase C, protein kinase A, and CamKII, which all have been demonstrated previously to be involved in NCAM signalling. For comparison, we also evaluated the role of upstream signalling cascades on fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2)-mediated phosphorylation of ERK, Akt, and CREB and found that FGF2 required the activity of both FGFR and Src-family kinases for phosphorylation of ERK, Akt, and CREB. MEK was required for phosphorylation of ERK and CREB, but not Akt, whereas G(0)/G(i)-proteins were necessary for phosphorylation of Akt and CREB, and cGMP was necessary for Akt phosphorylation. We thus demonstrate that even though NCAM and FGF2 have many signalling features in common, and even though both are known to activate FGFR, there are a number of differences in the intracellular signalling network activated by the NCAM ligand C3d and the FGFR ligand FGF2.
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PMID:Relative role of upstream regulators of Akt, ERK and CREB in NCAM- and FGF2-mediated signalling. 1865 13

Strenuous exercise leads to the up-regulation of interleukin-6 (IL-6) production and enhanced nitric oxide (NO) release within the contracting skeletal muscles. In this study, we investigated whether NO regulates IL-6 production in C2C12 myotubes. These cells exhibited a concentration-dependent increase in IL-6 production upon stimulation with NO donors (Z)-1-[N-(2-aminoethyl)-N-(2-ammonioethyl)amino]diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (DETA-NONOate), (Z)-1-[N-(3-aminopropyl)-N-(n-propyl)amino]diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (PAPA-NONOate), and sodium nitroprusside (SNP). This treatment did not alter cGMP levels nor did the soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) inhibitor, 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one(ODQ), alter this response. The NO-independent sGC activator 5-cyclopropyl-2-[1-(2-fluoro-benzyl)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridin-3-yl]-pyrimidin-4-ylamine (BAY41-2272) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) analog 8Br-cGMP failed to induce IL-6 production. Upon exposure to NO donors, we observed an increase in Erk1/2 and p38 MAPK phosphorylation but not in SAPK/JNK. In addition, NO-induced IL-6 release was inhibited in a concentration-dependent fashion by the MEK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 and the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 but not by the SAPK/JNK inhibitor SP600125. We conclude that NO-stimulated IL-6 production in differentiated C2C12 myotubes is cGMP-independent and mediated by activation of MAPK pathways.
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PMID:Nitric oxide stimulates interleukin-6 production in skeletal myotubes. 2003 21

Oncolytic viruses exploit common molecular changes in cancer cells, which are not present in normal cells, to target and kill cancer cells. Ras transformation and defects in type I interferon (IFN)-mediated antiviral responses are known to be the major mechanisms underlying viral oncolysis. Previously, we demonstrated that oncogenic RAS/Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (Ras/MEK) activation suppresses the transcription of many IFN-inducible genes in human cancer cells, suggesting that Ras transformation underlies type I IFN defects in cancer cells. Here, we investigated how Ras/MEK downregulates IFN-induced transcription. By conducting promoter deletion analysis of IFN-inducible genes, namely guanylate-binding protein 2 and IFN gamma inducible protein 47 (Ifi47), we identified the IFN regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) binding site as the promoter region responsible for the regulation of transcription by MEK. MEK inhibition promoted transcription of the IFN-inducible genes in wild type mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), but not in IRF1(-/-) MEFs, showing that IRF1 is involved in MEK-mediated downregulation of IFN-inducible genes. Furthermore, IRF1 protein expression was lower in RasV12 cells compared with vector control NIH3T3 cells, but was restored to equivalent levels by inhibition of MEK. Similarly, the restoration of IRF1 expression by MEK inhibition was observed in human cancer cells. IRF1 re-expression in human cancer cells caused cells to become resistant to infection by the oncolytic vesicular stomatitis virus strain. Together, this work demonstrates that Ras/MEK activation in cancer cells downregulates transcription of IFN-inducible genes by targeting IRF1 expression, resulting in increased susceptibility to viral oncolysis.
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PMID:Oncogenic Ras inhibits IRF1 to promote viral oncolysis. 2534 35


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