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)

The sphingomyelin pathway, initiated by hydrolysis of sphingomyelin to ceramide and stimulation of a Ser/Thr ceramide-activated protein (CAP) kinase, mediates tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 beta action. CAP kinase is membrane-bound and proline-directed, recognizing the minimal substrate motif Thr-Leu-Pro. TNF may use the sphingomyelin pathway to signal Raf1 to activate the MAP kinase cascade. Evidence shows that cytoplasmic Raf1 binds to GTP-ras upon cellular stimulation, is recruited to the plasma membrane, and activated. How membrane-bound Raf1 is activated is uncertain, but regulation of its kinase activity may involve its phosphorylation. Specific Raf kinases, however, have not hitherto been identified. Here we report that CAP kinase phosphorylates Raf1 on Thr 269, increasing its activity towards MEK (MAP kinase or ERK kinase). Moreover, in intact HL-60 cells, CAP kinase complexes with Raf1 and, in response to TNF and ceramide analogues, phosphorylates and activates Raf1, implicating CAP kinase as a link between the TNF receptor and Raf1.
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PMID:Phosphorylation of Raf by ceramide-activated protein kinase. 747 54

Figure 2 summarizes our current interpretation of data concerning signals from the activated PDGF receptor involved in directed migration and proliferation of human arterial SMC. Binding of PDGF (PDGF-BB or PDGF-AA) causes PDGF-receptor dimerization, tyrosine autophosphorylation, and subsequent binding of several molecules containing SH2 domains to the activated receptor. Binding and activation of PLC gamma by the PDGF receptor leads to PIP2 hydrolysis, resulting in generation of diacylglycerol (DAG) and IP3. Subsequently, intracellular levels of calcium are elevated as a result of IP3-mediated calcium release from intracellular compartments. The decreased levels of PIP2 and increased levels of calcium both favor actin-filament disassembly by inducing capping of actin-filament barbed ends and actin-monomer sequestration. A localized, and transient, actin-filament disassembly enables the cell to extend filopodia towards PDGF, thereby enabling chemotaxis to take place. At a later time and/or in a different compartment, actin-filament assembly is promoted by PDGF by a mechanism that is not completely understood, but that may involve small GTP-binding proteins, such as Rho, and formation of DAG. Migration on collagen requires functional alpha 2 beta 1 integrins, which may either constitute a permissive state required for a cell to migrate, or which may be actively involved in intracellular signals leading to migration. PDGF-induced DNA synthesis and proliferation involves activation of Ras, MAP kinase kinase, and MAP kinase. Cross-talk between PKA signaling and tyrosine-kinase receptor signaling results in PKA inhibition of the MAP kinase cascade, probably at the level of Raf. Activation of PI 3-kinase, or a PI 3-kinase-like enzyme, is also likely to contribute to the mitogenic effects of PDGF in these cells (Bornfeldt, unpublished observation). What determines if a SMC will migrate and/or proliferate in response to PDGF? Results are starting to emerge that show regulation of expression of molecules involved in intracellular signaling with different phenotypic states of SMC. For example, expression of PLC gamma is very low in intact vascular wall (where SMC show a "contractile phenotype"), and induced when SMC are converted to a "synthetic phenotype" in culture. Proliferation and expression of MAP kinase, but not calcium signaling, appear to be regulated by the extracellular matrix, and the profile of integrin expression is different in SMC in culture compared to SMC in the vascular wall. Thus, the relation between expression of signaling molecules involved in migration and signaling molecules involved in proliferation, as well as cross-talk between different signal-transduction pathways, may determine the net effect of PDGF.
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PMID:Platelet-derived growth factor. Distinct signal transduction pathways associated with migration versus proliferation. 748 87

A central feature of signal transduction downstream of both receptor and oncogenic tyrosine kinases is the Ras-dependent activation of a protein kinase cascade consisting of Raf-1, Mek (MAP kinase kinase) and ERKs (MAP kinases). To study the role of tyrosine kinase activity in the activation of Raf-1, we have examined the properties of p74Raf-1 and oncogenic Src that are necessary for activation of p74Raf-1. We show that in mammalian cells activation of p74Raf-1 by oncogenic Src requires pp60Src to be myristoylated and the ability of p74Raf-1 to interact with p21Ras-GTP. The Ras/Raf interaction is required for p21Ras-GTP to bring p74Raf-1 to the plasma membrane for phosphorylation at tyrosine 340 or 341, probably by membrane-bound pp60Src. When oncogenic Src is expressed with Raf-1, p74Raf-1 is activated 5-fold; however, when co-expressed with oncogenic Ras and Src, Raf-1 is activated 25-fold and this is associated with a further 3-fold increase in tyrosine phosphorylation. Thus, p21Ras-GTP is the limiting component in bringing p74Raf-1 to the plasma membrane for tyrosine phosphorylation. Using mutants of Raf-1 at Tyr340/341, we show that in addition to tyrosine phosphorylation at these sites, there is an additional activation step resulting from p21Ras-GTP recruiting p74Raf-1 to the plasma membrane. Thus, the role of Ras in Raf-1 activation is to bring p74Raf-1 to the plasma membrane for at least two different activation steps.
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PMID:Ras recruits Raf-1 to the plasma membrane for activation by tyrosine phosphorylation. 754 86

The 14.3.3 zeta protein is a ubiquitous and abundant arachidonate-selective acyltransferase and putative phospholipase A2, which self-assembles into dimers and binds to c-Raf-1 and other polypeptides in vitro and in intact cells. The 14.3.3 polypeptides endogenous to Sf9 cells associate in situ with both active and inactive recombinant Raf and copurify at a fairly reproducible molar ratio that is probably 1. Purified baculoviral recombinant Raf, despite its preassociated 14.3.3 polypeptide, binds additional recombinant 14.3.3 zeta polypeptide in vitro, in a saturable and specific reaction, forming a complex that is resistant to 1 M LiCl. A two-hybrid analysis indicates that 14.3.3 zeta binds primarily to Raf noncatalytic sequences distinct from those that bind Ras-GTP, and in vitro 14.3.3 zeta binds to Raf without inhibiting the Ras-Raf association or Raf-catalyzed MEK phosphorylation. Deletion analysis of 14.3.3 zeta (1-245) indicates that the 14.3.3 domain responsible for binding to Raf extends over the carboxyl-terminal 100 amino acids, whereas 14.3.3 dimerization is mediated by amino-terminal sequences. As with Ras, the 14.3.3 zeta polypeptide does not activate purified Raf directly in vitro. Moreover, expression of recombinant 14.3.3 zeta in COS cells beyond the substantial level of endogenous 14.3.3 protein does not alter endogenous Raf kinase, as judged by the activity of a cotransfected Erk-1 reporter. Coexpression of recombinant 14.3.3 with recombinant Myc-tagged Raf in COS cells does increase substantially the Myc-Raf kinase activity achieved during transient expression, which is attributable primarily to an increased level of Myc-Raf polypeptide, without alteration of Myc-Raf specific activity or the activation that occurs in response to epidermal growth factor or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. Nevertheless, evidence that 14.3.3 actively participates in Raf activation in situ is provided by the finding that although full-length 14.3.3 zeta binds active Raf in situ, truncated versions of 14.3.3, some of which bind Raf polypeptide in situ nearly as well as full-length 14.3.3 zeta, are recovered in association only with inactive Raf polypeptides. Thus, 14.3.3 polypeptides bind tightly to one or more sites on c-Raf. Overexpression of 14.3.3 zeta enhances the expression of recombinant Raf, perhaps by stabilizing the Raf polypeptide. In addition, Raf polypeptides bound to truncated 14.3.3 polypeptides are unable to undergo activation in situ, indicating that 14.3.3 participates in the process of Raf activation by mechanisms that remain to be elucidated.
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PMID:Identification of the 14.3.3 zeta domains important for self-association and Raf binding. 755 37

Insulin and epidermal growth factor receptors transmit signals for cell proliferation and gene regulation through formation of active GTP-bound p21ras mediated by the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Sos. Sos is constitutively bound to the adaptor protein Grb2 and growth factor stimulation induces association of the Grb2/Sos complex with Shc and movement of Sos to the plasma membrane location of p21ras. Insulin or epidermal growth factor stimulation induces a rapid increase in p21ras levels, but after several minutes levels decline toward basal despite ongoing hormone stimulation. Here we show that deactivation of p21ras correlates closely with phosphorylation of Sos and dissociation of Sos from Grb2, and that inhibition of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase (also known as extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) kinase, or MEK) blocks both events, resulting in prolonged p21ras activation. These data suggest that a negative feedback loop exists whereby activation of the Raf/MEK/MAP kinase cascade by p21ras causes Sos phosphorylation and, therefore, Sos/Grb2 dissociation, limiting the duration of p21ras activation by growth factors. A serine/threonine kinase downstream of MEK (probably MAP kinase) mediates this desensitization feedback pathway.
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PMID:Negative feedback regulation and desensitization of insulin- and epidermal growth factor-stimulated p21ras activation. 759 90

Cholecystokinin (CCK) has recently been shown to activate mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in rat pancreatic acini [Duan and Williams, Am. J. Physiol. 267 (Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 30): G401-G408, 1994]. To evaluate the mechanism of MAP kinase activation, we studied the effects of CCK on MAP kinase kinase (MEK) in rat pancreatic acini. Two forms of MEK were identified by immunoblotting, using antibodies specific to MEK1 and MEK2. MEK activity in acinar extracts and after immunoprecipitation with anti-MEK was detected using a recombinant fusion protein, glutathione S-transferase-MAP kinase, as a substrate. MEK activity rapidly increased after stimulation of acini by CCK, with significant stimulation at 1 min and a maximal effect at 5 min, followed by a slow decline to slightly above control levels after 30 min. The threshold concentration of CCK was approximately 10 pM, and the maximal effect was induced by 1 nM CCK, which increased MEK activity by 120%. In addition to CCK, bombesin and carbachol, but not secretin or vasoactive intestinal peptide, enhanced MEK activity. Phorbol ester mimicked the effect of CCK, whereas ionomycin and thapsigargin failed to activate MEK. We further studied the activation of Ras, an important component leading to activation of MEK by growth factors. Ras in acini was immunoprecipitated and identified by Western blotting. CCK and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate stimulated the incorporation of GTP into Ras, a requirement for its activation, reaching a maximum at 10 min of approximately 120% over control. In conclusion, the activation of MAP kinase by CCK can be explained by activation of MEK and may involve the activation of Ras by a protein kinase C-dependent mechanism.
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PMID:Activation of MAP kinase kinase (MEK) and Ras by cholecystokinin in rat pancreatic acini. 761 6

We have shown that the interaction of interleukin (IL)-5 with the receptor activates Lyn tyrosine kinase within 1 min and Jak2 tyrosine kinase within 1-3 min. IL-5 also stimulates GTP binding to p21ras. The signal is subsequently propagated through the activation of Raf-1, MEK, and MAP kinases as shown by their increased autophosphorylation in vitro and phosphorylation in situ. Jak2 kinase has been shown to phosphorylate STAT nuclear proteins. The activation of STAT nuclear factors was studied by electrophoretic mobility shift assay using a gamma activation site (GAS) probe. We found that IL-5 induces two GAS-binding proteins in eosinophils, one of which is STAT1. We conclude that IL-5 induced signals are propagated through two distinct pathways: (1) Lyn-->Ras-->Raf-1-->MEK-->MAP kinase and (2) Jak2-->STAT1.
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PMID:The interleukin-5/receptor interaction activates Lyn and Jak2 tyrosine kinases and propagates signals via the Ras-Raf-1-MAP kinase and the Jak-STAT pathways in eosinophils. 761 38

The serine/threonine kinase Raf-1 functions downstream from Ras to activate mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase, but the mechanisms of Raf-1 activation are incompletely understood. To dissect these mechanisms, wild-type and mutant Raf-1 proteins were studied in an in vitro system with purified plasma membranes from v-Ras- and v-Src-transformed cells (transformed membranes). Wild-type (His)6- and FLAG-Raf-1 were activated in a Ras- and ATP-dependent manner by transformed membranes; however, Raf-1 proteins that are kinase defective (K375M), that lack an in vivo site(s) of regulatory tyrosine (YY340/341FF) or constitutive serine (S621A) phosphorylation, that do not bind Ras (R89L), or that lack an intact zinc finger (CC165/168SS) were not. Raf-1 proteins lacking putative regulatory sites for an unidentified kinase (S259A) or protein kinase C (S499A) were activated but with apparently reduced efficiency. The kinase(s) responsible for activation by Ras or Src may reside in the plasma membrane, since GTP loading of plasma membranes from quiescent NIH 3T3 cells (parental membranes) induced de novo capacity to activate Raf-1. Wild-type Raf-1, possessing only basal activity, was not activated by parental membranes in the absence of GTP loading. In contrast, Raf-1 Y340D, possessing significant activity, was, surprisingly, stimulated by parental membranes in a Ras-independent manner. The results suggest that activation of Raf-1 by phosphorylation may be permissive for further modulation by another membrane factor, such as a lipid. A factor(s) extracted with methanol-chloroform from transformed membranes or membranes from Sf9 cells coexpressing Ras and SrcY527F significantly enhanced the activity of Raf-1 Y340D or active Raf-1 but not that of inactive Raf-1. Our findings suggest a model for activation of Raf-1, wherein (i) Raf-1 associates with Ras-GTP, (ii) Raf-1 is activated by tyrosine and/or serine phosphorylation, and (iii) Raf-1 activity is further increased by a membrane cofactor.
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PMID:Regulation of Raf-1 and Raf-1 mutants by Ras-dependent and Ras-independent mechanisms in vitro. 762 7

Ras proteins function through the formation of specific complexes with Raf-1, B-raf, PI-3 kinase and RalGDS. These interactions all require Ras-GTP with an intact effector binding domain (Switch I region). We have examined the requirements of the Switch II region (amino acids 60-72) for the production of stable interactions between Ras and its downstream effectors. A point mutation at position 65 or 64 combined with additional mutations at either position 65 or 71 rendered nucleotide-free Ras protein unable to stably interact with Ras specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors. Ha-Ras containing point mutations at positions 65 and 71 possessed a twofold higher affinity for B-raf and consequently MEK1. The point mutation at 64, in combination with additional point mutations at either position 65 or 71, resulted in a protein which failed to interact with either PI-3 kinase or neurofibromin, though these Ras mutants effectively bound both Raf-1 and B-raf. An activated form of Ras, Q61L-Ras, associated with all effector proteins independent of the bound guanine nucleotide. Q61L-Ras-GDP was almost as effective as wild type Ras-GMPPNP in the in vitro activation of MEK1 and MAP kinase. Competitive studies with the catalytic domain if neurofibromin, NF1-GRD, demonstrated that its interaction with Ras-GMPPNP is mutually exclusive with both Raf-1 and B-raf. These data suggest that rasGAP and neurofibromin are unable to downregulate Ras-GTP complexed to Raf-1 or B-raf.
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PMID:Different structural requirements within the switch II region of the Ras protein for interactions with specific downstream targets. 763 Jun 28

Activation of Ras by the exchange of bound GDP for GTP is predominantly catalyzed by the guanylnucleotide exchange factor SOS. Receptor tyrosine kinases increase Ras-GTP loading by targeting SOS to the plasma membrane location of Ras through the small adaptor protein Grb2. However, despite the continuous stimulation of receptor tyrosine kinase activity, Ras activation is transient and, in the case of insulin, begins returning to the GDP-bound state within 5 min. We report here that the cascade of serine kinases activated directly by Ras results in a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)-dependent phosphorylation of SOS and subsequent disassociation of the Grb2-SOS complex, thereby interrupting the ability of SOS to catalyze nucleotide exchange on Ras. These data demonstrate a molecular feedback mechanism accounting for the desensitization of Ras-GTP loading following insulin stimulation.
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PMID:Desensitization of Ras activation by a feedback disassociation of the SOS-Grb2 complex. 767 8


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