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)

One mechanism by which high density lipoproteins (HDLs) exert their protective effect against coronary artery disease could be related to the induction of prostacyclin (PGI(2)) release in the vessel wall. We have recently shown that HDL increases PGI(2) production in rabbit smooth muscle cells (RSMCs) and that this increase is dependent on cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2). Here we analyze the mechanism by which rabbit HDL induces PGI(2) release in RSMCs. Our results show that although HDL(2) and HDL(3) share a similar capacity to induce Cox-2 protein levels, HDL(3) stimulates a higher PGI(2) release than does HDL(2), probably because of their relative arachidonate contents. Acetylsalicylic acid pretreatment (300 micromol/L, 30 minutes) significantly reduced the HDL-induced PGI(2) release, suggesting that both preexisting and induced Cox-2 activities were involved in the HDL effect. Ca(2+)-dependent cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) and Cox-1 protein levels were not altered by HDL. Dexamethasone (2 micromol/L), which also inhibited the HDL-induced PGI(2) release, reduced significantly both Cox-2 mRNA and protein levels without affecting cPLA(2) and Cox-1 protein levels. In addition, methylarachidonyl fluorophosphonate, a potent inhibitor of cPLA(2), did not produce any effect on HDL-induced PGI(2) release. In the presence of cycloheximide, Cox-2 mRNA levels were induced by HDL and inhibited by dexamethasone, suggesting that HDL and dexamethasone work in the absence of de novo protein synthesis. These results indicate an early effect of HDL on PGI(2) biosynthesis, specifically increasing Cox-2. PD98059, an inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase, completely inhibited HDL-induced PGI(2) release, whereas GF109203X, a protein kinase C inhibitor, had no effect. Thus, HDL induces PGI(2) synthesis by a mechanism dependent on the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway but independent of protein kinase C.
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PMID:Regulatory effects of HDL on smooth muscle cell prostacyclin release. 1052 70

Parathyroid hormone (PTH), a major physiologic regulator of proximal renal tubule cell sodium-phosphate cotransport, stimulates several signal transduction pathways including extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK). The physiologic role of PTH-stimulated ERK is unknown. The purpose of the present study was to identify signaling components involved in PTH-stimulated ERK activity and to determine the role of PTH-stimulated ERK activity in regulation of phosphate transport. PTH-stimulated ERK activity was measured in opossum kidney (OK) cell lysates as phosphorylation of myelin basic protein by an in vitro kinase assay. PTH stimulated a dose-dependent increase in ERK activity with a peak at 10(-7) M. The time course was biphasic with an early peak at 10 min and a later peak at 20 min. Pretreatment of OK cells with the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors genistein and herbimycin A or with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K) inhibitors wortmannin and LY294002 blocked the early and late peaks of PTH-stimulated ERK activity. Pretreatment with the protein kinase C inhibitor calphostin C blocked only the later phase of PTH-stimulated ERK. To determine the role of ERK in regulation of phosphate transport, PTH inhibition of phosphate uptake and PTH regulation of sodium-phosphate cotransporter (NaPi-4) expression were measured in OK cells pretreated with the MEK inhibitor PD098059. PD098059 significantly attenuated PTH inhibition of phosphate uptake but did not prevent PTH downregulation of NaPi-4. It is concluded that PTH stimulates ERK through two signal transduction pathways: an early pathway dependent on tyrosine kinase and PI-3K and a late pathway dependent on protein kinase C. PTH-stimulated ERK regulates phosphate transport by a mechanism other than downregulation of NaPi-4 expression.
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PMID:Parathyroid hormone stimulates extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity through two independent signal transduction pathways: role of ERK in sodium-phosphate cotransport. 1066 29

The aim of the present study was to investigate the proliferative effects of Ang II in human cardiac fibroblasts. The effects of Ang II in human cardiac fibroblasts on the 3H-thymidine incorporation, the cell number, the 3H-leucine incorporation and the total protein content were measured. The expression of receptor mRNA was performed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Ang II increased 3H-leucine incorporation in a concentration-dependent manner but not 3H-thymidine incorporation in primary cultures of human cardiac fibroblasts. The maximum effect (24 +/- 3% over control) was obtained at a concentration of 10 nM. There were no significant alterations of cell number or total protein content, suggesting that Ang II stimulated protein synthesis but did not induce hypertrophy. The accumulation of 3H-leucine was blocked by the AT1 receptor antagonist candesartan but not by the AT2 receptor antagonist PD123319. By using RT-PCR, both AT1 and AT2 receptors mRNA were found to be expressed in human cardiac fibroblasts. The selective MAPKK inhibitor PD098059, the protein kinase C inhibitor K252a or the phospholipase C inhibitor U73122 did not significantly inhibit Ang II augmented 3H-leucine incorporation. However, this was significantly blocked by the Ca2+-dependent protein kinase C inhibitor GO6976, the non-selective protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor tyrphostin 25. The effects of Ang II were unaffected by the Gi-protein blocker pertussis toxin, indicating a Gi-protein-independent pathway. Ang II was synergistic with insulin but showed no significant increase on 3H-leucine incorporation when combined with PDGF or EGF. In summary, Ang II stimulates protein synthesis through AT1 receptors in human cardiac fibroblasts, but has no hypertrophic or hyperplastic effect. The response is mediated by a MAPKK-independent and Ca2+-sensitive PKC-dependent pathway.
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PMID:Angiotensin II type 1 receptors stimulate protein synthesis in human cardiac fibroblasts via a Ca2+-sensitive PKC-dependent tyrosine kinase pathway. 1071 68

A decline in oxygen concentration perturbs endothelial function, which promotes local thrombosis. In this study, we determined whether hypoxia in the range of that observed in pathophysiological hypoxic states stimulates plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) production in bovine aortic endothelial cells. PAI-1 production, measured by ELISA, was increased by 4.7-fold (P<0.05 versus normoxic control, n=4) at 12 hours after hypoxic stimulation. Northern blot analysis showed the progressive time-dependent increase in the steady-state level of PAI-1 mRNA expression by hypoxia, which reached a 7.5-fold increase (P<0.05 versus control, n=4) at 12 hours. Deferoxamine, which has been known to bind heme protein and to reproduce the hypoxic response, induced PAI-1 production at both the mRNA and protein levels. The half-life of PAI-1 mRNA, as determined by a standard decay assay, was not affected by hypoxia, suggesting that induction of PAI-1 mRNA was regulated mainly at the transcriptional level. Transient transfection assays of the human PAI-1 promoter-luciferase construct indicates that a hypoxia-responsive region lies between -414 and -107 relative to the transcription start site, where no putative hypoxia response element is found. The hypoxia-mediated increase in PAI-1 mRNA levels was attenuated by the tyrosine kinase inhibitors genistein (50 micromol/L) and herbimycin A (1 micromol/L), whereas PD98059 (50 micromol/L, MEK1 inhibitor), SB203580 (10 micromol/L, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor), and calphostin C (1 micromol/L, protein kinase C inhibitor) had no effect on the induction of PAI-1 expression by hypoxia and deferoxamine. Genistein but not daidzein blocked the production of hypoxia- and deferoxamine-induced PAI-1 protein. Thus, we conclude that hypoxia stimulates PAI-1 gene transcription and protein production through a signaling pathway involving genistein-sensitive tyrosine kinases in vascular endothelial cells.
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PMID:Hypoxia induces transcription of the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 gene through genistein-sensitive tyrosine kinase pathways in vascular endothelial cells. 1076 87

The elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) have been found in the fluid of airways in symptomatic asthmatics. These cytokines have been considered as mitogens to stimulate cell proliferation in tracheal smooth muscle cells (TSMCs). We therefore investigated the effects of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta on cell proliferation and activation of p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in these cells. TNF-alpha and IL-1beta induced [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. The maximal stimulation of [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation induced by TNF-alpha and IL-1beta was seen 12 h after incubation with these cytokines. In response to TNF-alpha and IL-1beta, p42/p44 MAPK was activated with a concentration-dependent manner in TSMCs. Pretreatment of TSMCs with pertussis toxin did not change DNA synthesis and phosphorylation of MAPK induced by TNF-alpha and IL-1beta. These responses were attenuated by a tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin, a phosphatidyl choline (PC)-phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor D609, a phosphatidyl inositide (PI)-PLC inhibitor U73122, a protein kinase C inhibitor staurosporine, and removal of Ca(2+) by addition of BAPTA/AM plus EGTA. TNF-alpha- and IL-1beta-induced [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation and phosphorylation of p42/p44 MAPK was completely inhibited by PD98059 (an inhibitor of MEK1/2), indicating that activation of MEK1/2 was required for these responses. These results suggest that the mitogenic effects of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta were mediated through the activation of MEK1/2 and p42/p44 MAPK pathway. TNF-alpha- and IL-1beta-mediated responses were modulated by PLC, Ca(2+), PKC, and tyrosine kinase associated with cell proliferation in TSMCs.
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PMID:Tumour necrosis factor-alpha- and interleukin-1beta-stimulated cell proliferation through activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase in canine tracheal smooth muscle cells. 1086 97

We previously reported that activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is involved in the mitogenic stimulation of normal human melanocytes (NHMC) by endothelin-1 (ET-1). In the present study, we determined signaling mechanisms upstream of MAPK activation that are involved in ET-1 stimulation and their synergism with stem cell factor (SCF). Pretreatment of cultured NHMC with ET(B) receptor antagonists, pertussis toxin, a specific phospholipase C inhibitor (), or a protein kinase C inhibitor (calphostine) blocked a transient tyrosine phosphorylation of MAPK induced by ET-1, whereas the addition of a calcium chelator (BAPTA) failed to inhibit that tyrosine phosphorylation of MAPK. Treatment with ET-1 and SCF together synergistically increased DNA synthesis, which was accompanied by synergism for MAPK phosphorylation. The time course of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate formation revealed that there is no difference in the level of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate stimulated by ET-1 + SCF or by ET-1 alone. Evaluations of the serine phosphorylation of MEK and Raf-1 activity showed a synergistic effect in SCF + ET-1-treated NHMC. Stimulation with SCF + ET-1 induced a more rapid and stronger tyrosyl phosphorylation of proteins corresponding to p52 and p66 Shc than did stimulation with SCF only, and this was accompanied by a stronger association of tyrosine-phosphorylated Shc with Grb2. Interestingly, a more rapid and marked tyrosine phosphorylation of c-kit was also detected in NHMC-treated with SCF + ET-1 than NHMC treated with SCF only. These data indicate that the synergistic cross-talk between SCF and ET-1 signaling is initiated through the pathway of tyrosine phosphorylation of c-kit, which results in the enhanced formation of the Shc-Grb(2) complex which leads in turn to the synergistic activation of the Ras/Raf-1/MEK/MAP kinase loop.
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PMID:Intracellular signaling mechanisms leading to synergistic effects of endothelin-1 and stem cell factor on proliferation of cultured human melanocytes. Cross-talk via trans-activation of the tyrosine kinase c-kit receptor. 1092 22

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP38) regulate anterior pituitary cell secretion and proliferation. In the somatolactotrope GH4C1 cell line, these effects are mediated through the type-II-like PACAP receptor (VPAC2) coupled to the cAMP pathway. In this study, the control of the extracellularly responsive kinases (ERKs) by VIP and PACAP38 was investigated in GH4C1 cells. VIP and PACAP38 increased ERK1 and ERK2 phosphorylation and were equipotent stimulators of both kinases. ERK activation was mimicked by cholera toxin, forskolin and 8bromo-cAMP. VIP and PACAP38 activation of ERK2 was blocked by the protein kinase A inhibitor H89, whereas the protein kinase C inhibitor GF109203X, or prior PMA-induced depletion of the protein kinases C, failed to inhibit VIP and PACAP38 activation of ERK2. In contrast, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) elicited ERK activation by a PKC-dependent process. ERK activation by VIP or PACAP38 and TRH were additive and both sensitive to the MEK inhibitors PD98059 and U0126. In parallel, U0126 reduced prolactin (PRL) mRNA levels induced by VIP. These results demonstrate for the first time that VIP and PACAP38 activate ERK in GH4C1 cells. Cyclic AMP increase is sufficient to elicit ERK activation in these cells and thus likely to represent the transduction pathway underlying VIP- and PACAP38-dependent ERK activation. This mechanism seems to be involved in VIP-induced PRL gene regulation.
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PMID:Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptides stimulate mitogen-activated protein kinase in the pituitary cell line GH4C1 by a 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate pathway. 1094 Jul 38

Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) is a multipotent cytokine participating in a variety of cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we examined the effects of IL-1 beta on the expression of vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) and pursued the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect. Treatment of cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes with IL-1 beta increased the levels of VEGF mRNA in a time- and a concentration-dependent manner. These effects were completely abolished by SB203580 and SB202190 (p38 MAPK inhibitors) but not by PD98059 (MEK1 inhibitor), calphostin C (protein kinase C inhibitor), or genistein (tyrosine kinase inhibitor). While IL-1 beta phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminus protein kinase (JNK) rapidly and transiently, the effect of IL-1 beta on p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) was gradual and persistent. Transient transfection assays showed that IL-1 beta increases the transcription from the VEGF promoter. A series of 5;-deletion and site-specific mutation analyses indicated that IL-1 beta as well as overexpression of p38 MAPK and JNK activate VEGF promoter activity through two G+C-rich sequences located at -73 and -62. Electrophoretic mobility shift and supershift assays showed Sp1 and Sp3 proteins specifically bind to the G+C-rich sequences. The half-life of VEGF mRNA was significantly increased in cells treated with IL-1 beta. Together, these results indicate that IL-1 beta induces VEGF gene expression at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, and IL-1 beta evokes p38 MAPK and JNK signalings, which in turn stimulate the transcription of the VEGF gene through Sp1-binding sites. These findings suggest the role of IL-1 beta as a cytokine inducing VEGF in cardiac myocytes, and imply that activation of stress-activated MAP kinases regulate Sp1 sites-dependent transcription.
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PMID:Induction of VEGF gene transcription by IL-1 beta is mediated through stress-activated MAP kinases and Sp1 sites in cardiac myocytes. 1104 Jan 1

PTH regulates calcium homeostasis through direct actions on its cognate type I receptor in the kidney and bone. PTH inhibits phosphate transport in renal proximal (PCT) tubules and stimulates calcium absorption by distal convoluted tubules (DCT). We examined PTH activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade raf-MEK-ERK in PCT and DCT cells and its effects on calcium transport and signaling. In DCT cells, PTH stimulates phosphorylation of ERK2 and activation of ERK2 kinase and is blocked by the MEK inhibitor PD98059. In DCT cells, stimulation of calcium entry with ionomycin did not activate ERK2 or augment PTH-stimulated ERK2 activity, indicating that MAPK activation lies upstream of calcium entry. ERK2 activation by PTH was blocked by the protein kinase C inhibitor calphostin-C but was unaffected by the protein kinase A inhibitor Rp-cAMPs. PD98059 abolished the increase of intracellular calcium induced by PTH demonstrating that ERK2 activation is directly involved in the increase of intracellular calcium activated by PTH in the DCT. Thus, PTH- stimulated ERK2 activation is PKC dependent and calcium independent. PTH also induced ERK2 phosphorylation in PCT cells. However, this effect is not involved in the transient rise of intracellular calcium because PD98059 did not inhibit the PTH-stimulated rise of intracellular calcium but abolished ERK2 activation. In conclusion, PTH activates MAPK in both distal and proximal renal tubule cells. However, the rise of [Ca2+]i depends upon MAPK activation only in distal cells. Thus, a common PTH1R exhibits differential signaling along the nephron that contributes to the ability to regulate distinct physiological actions of PTH.
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PMID:Obligate mitogen-activated protein kinase activation in parathyroid hormone stimulation of calcium transport but not calcium signaling. 1108 52

The role of adrenergic stimulation in the regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in rat pinealocytes was investigated by measuring phosphorylated MAPK using Western blot analysis and a MAPK enzymatic assay. Stimulation with the endogenous neurotransmitter, norepinephrine (NE; a mixed alpha- and beta-adrenergic agonist), concentration dependently increased the phosphorylation of both p44 and p42 isoforms of MAPK. This effect of NE was blocked by PD98059 and U0126 (two inhibitors of MEK). Treatment with prazosin or propranolol significantly reduced the effect of NE on MAPK phosphorylation, suggesting the involvement of both alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors. Investigation into the intracellular mechanisms of NE action revealed that the increase in MAPK phosphorylation was blocked by KT5823 (a protein kinase G inhibitor), but was enhanced by H89 (a protein kinase A inhibitor). Calphostin C (a protein kinase C inhibitor) and KN93 (a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase inhibitor) also attenuated NE-mediated MAPK activation, but to a lesser degree. Furthermore, inhibition of MAPK phosphorylation by (Bu)2cAMP was effective in reducing MAPK activation by (Bu)2cGMP, an active phorbol ester or ionomycin. These results indicate that the effect of NE on MAPK phosphorylation represents mainly the integration of two signaling mechanisms, protein kinase A and protein kinase G, each having an opposite effect on MAPK phosphorylation.
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PMID:Adrenergic regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase in rat pinealocytes: opposing effects of protein kinase A and protein kinase G. 1110 60


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