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)

We show here that treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) stimulates the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and S6 protein kinase (S6K) activities both in a time- and dose-dependent manner. A single peak of MAPKK activity, four peaks of activity against the S6 synthetic peptide, RRLSSLRA (S6 peptide), and three distinct peaks toward myelin basic protein (MBP) were observed after Mono-Q chromatography of LIF-stimulated cell extracts. Two of the MBP kinase activities correlated with the stimulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2. Interestingly, down-regulation of protein kinase C (PKC) by chronic treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with phorbol ester was found to attenuate, but not block, the LIF-mediated stimulation of MAPKK, MAPK, and S6K activities in 3T3-L1 cells. Treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with epidermal growth factor increased MAPKK, MAPK, and S6K activities to a similar extent as LIF, but this activation was not attenuated by down-regulation of PKC. Our results suggest that the full activation of the MAPK cascade by LIF may require inputs from multiple signaling pathways, one of which is dependent upon the presence of functional PKC.
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PMID:Involvement of protein kinase C during activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade by leukemia inhibitory factor. Evidence for participation of multiple signaling pathways. 750 1

We recently demonstrated that, in rat aortic smooth muscle cells, alpha-thrombin stimulated Stat3/SIF-A (signal transducers and activators of transcription 3/sis-inducing factor-A) activity [G. J. Bhat et al. (1997) Hypertension 29(Pt. 2), 356-360]. In the present study, we observed that exposure of CCL39 cells (a Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cell line) to alpha-thrombin resulted in a time-dependent decrease in basal SIF-A activity. We hypothesized that the decrease in basal SIF-A was due to the initiation of an inhibitory pathway, following alpha-thrombin exposure. To test this hypothesis, we determined if alpha-thrombin would inhibit Stat3 and SIF-A activation by interleukin-6 (IL-6), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF). In support of this hypothesis, alpha-thrombin inhibited the Stat3/SIF-A response induced by all the above cytokines. The inhibition by alpha-thrombin was concentration dependent, was sensitive to hirudin, and was mimicked by the thrombin receptor agonist peptide. The inhibition did not require the activation of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-sensitive isoforms of protein kinase C and was reversed by pretreatment with the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MAPKK1 or MEK1) inhibitor PD98059. Inhibitory cross talk between alpha-thrombin and IL-6 was also observed in MRC-5 cells, a fibroblast cell line derived from human lung tissue. Thus, we identify a novel alpha-thrombin inhibitory pathway which, acting through a MAPKK1-dependent mechanism, blocks IL-6-, LIF-, and CNTF-induced Stat3/SIF-A activation. This inhibitory cross talk may provide an important regulatory function to modulate gene transcription by these cytokines, during immune and inflammatory responses.
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PMID:alpha-Thrombin inhibits signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 signaling by interleukin-6, leukemia inhibitory factor, and ciliary neurotrophic factor in CCL39 cells. 947 6

This study investigates whether leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a potent cardiac hypertrophic cytokine, affects the L-type Ca2+ current (I(Ca,L)) and intracellular Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i) in cardiomyocytes. I(Ca,L) was recorded using a whole cell patch clamp configuration in guinea pig cardiomyocytes, and the [Ca2+]i transient was detected by use of Fluo-3 in rat cardiomyocytes. Cells were preincubated with LIF (1000 U/ml) for 15 min before whole cell recording. LIF increased I(Ca,L) by 41.8%. LIF synergistically increased I(Ca,L) with isoproterenol. Preincubation with H89 did not inhibit the LIF-induced increase in I(Ca,L), indicating that this phenomenon is PKA-independent. PD98059 completely inhibited the increase in I(Ca,L), and this effect was dose-dependent (IC50=3.6 micromol/l). Other signal transduction inhibitors including AG490, SB203580, chelerythrine, genistein, and KN62 did not affect the LIF-induced increase in I(Ca,L). Perforated patch clamp recording revealed that LIF maximally increased the I(Ca,L) by 25% at 15 min. LIF also increased the peak [Ca2+]i transient level by 63% at 15 min. PD98059 fully inhibited the increase in the [Ca2+]i transient. In conclusion, LIF increased I(Ca,L) and the [Ca2+]i transient in cardiomyocytes, and the Raf-1/MEK/ERK pathway might be involved in the modulation of this activation.
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PMID:Leukemia inhibitory factor, a potent cardiac hypertrophic cytokine, enhances L-type Ca2+ current and [Ca2+]i transient in cardiomyocytes. 1007 31

Extracellular factors and intracellular signaling pathways involved in early events of adipocyte differentiation are poorly defined. It is shown herein that expression of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and LIF receptor is developmentally regulated during adipocyte differentiation. Preadipocytes secrete bioactive LIF, and an antagonist of LIF receptor inhibits adipogenesis. Genetically modified embryonic stem (ES) cells combined with culture conditions to commit stem cells into the adipocyte lineage were used to examine the requirement of LIF receptor during in vitro development of adipose cells. The capacity of embryoid bodies derived from lifr(-/-) ES cells to undergo adipocyte differentiation is dramatically reduced. LIF addition stimulates adipocyte differentiation of Ob1771 and 3T3-F442A preadipocytes and that of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma2 ligand-treated mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Expression of the early adipogenic transcription factors C/EBPbeta and C/EBPdelta is rapidly stimulated following exposure of preadipose cells to LIF. The selective inhibitors of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase, i.e. PD98059 and U0126, inhibit LIF-induced C/EBP gene expression and prevent adipocyte differentiation induced by LIF. These results are in favor of a model that implicates stimulation of LIF receptor in the commitment of preadipocytes to undergo terminal differentiation by controlling the early expression of C/EBPbeta and C/EBPdelta genes via the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade.
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PMID:Leukemia inhibitory factor and its receptor promote adipocyte differentiation via the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade. 1045 74

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) are members of a subfamily of related cytokines that share gp130 as common signal-transducing receptor component. CNTF has recently been demonstrated to induce increased survival and neuronal differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects are still elusive. Here we report that CNTF and LIF, but not interleukin-6, activated signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT)-reporter constructs in P19 EC cells. Supershift analysis revealed that the STAT-element binding complex contained the transcription factor Stat3. Binding of Stat3 was inhibited by protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors, but not by the broad serine/threonine protein kinase inhibitor, H7. However, H7 inhibited CNTF-induced Stat3 transactivation. Using a dominant-negative p21ras construct and a specific inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK; PD098059) we demonstrated that CNTF-induced Stat3 transactivation was independent of the p21ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, while CNTF-induced MAPK activation was p21ras- and MEK-dependent. Taken together, our results demonstrate the activation of the p21ras-MAPK and STAT signal transduction pathways in response to CNTF and LIF in P19 EC cells and reveal that there is no modulating crosstalk between these pathways. Furthermore, our data suggest that CNTF- and LIF-induced Stat3 activation in P19 EC cells involves an H7-sensitive p21ras/MAPK- and Ca(2+)-independent kinase.
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PMID:Cytokine signal transduction in P19 embryonal carcinoma cells: regulation of Stat3-mediated transactivation occurs independently of p21ras-Erk signaling. 1047 31

The signal transduction mechanisms mediating hypertrophic responses in myocardial cells (MCs) remain uncertain. We investigated the role of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) cascade in myocardial cell hypertrophy by the strategy of using the adenovirus-mediated overexpression of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/ERK kinase (MEK), which is the upstream activator of ERK. We generated recombinant adenoviruses expressing constitutively active MEK1 (MEK1 EE) and dominant negative MEK1 (MEK1 DN). Overexpression of MEK1 EE in MCs activated ERK1/2 and subsequently induced atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) mRNA expression. In addition, MEK1 EE overexpression resulted in an increase in cell size and sarcomeric reorganization. In contrast, overexpression of MEK1 DN in MCs inhibited endothelin-1 (ET-1)-, phenylephrine (PE)-, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)-, isoproterenol (ISP)-, and mechanical stretch-induced ERK activation and ANP mRNA expression. MEK1 DN overexpression inhibited ET-1-, PE-, LIF-, and ISP-induced increases in cell size and sarcomeric reorganization. Consistent with the observed effects on cellular morphology, overexpression of MEK1 EE resulted in an increase in amino acid incorporation, while overexpression of MEK1 DN inhibited ET-1-, PE-, LIF-, ISP-, and mechanical stretch-induced increases in amino acid incorporation. These results indicate that the ERK cascade plays an important role in the signaling pathway leading to the development of myocardial cell hypertrophy.
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PMID:Requirement of activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase cascade in myocardial cell hypertrophy. 1088 49

We compared the role of the Raf-1/mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK)/p90(RSK) cascade in gp130-mediated cardiac hypertrophy with the contribution of the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transduction and activation of transcription (STAT) and phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3-K) pathways. Primary cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were stimulated with leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). LIF sequentially activated Raf-1, MEK1/2, ERK1/2, and p90(RSK). We used PD-98059 (a specific MEK inhibitor), AG-490 (a JAK2 inhibitor), and wortmannin (a PI3-K inhibitor) to confirm that this cascade was independent of the JAK/STAT and PI3-K/p70 S6 kinase (S6K) pathways. PD-98059, AG-490, and wortmannin suppressed the LIF-induced increase in [(3)H]phenylalanine uptake by 54.7, 21.5, and 25.6%, respectively, and inhibited the increase in cell area by 61.2, 42.8, and 39.2%, respectively. Reorganization of myofilaments was predominantly suppressed by AG-490. LIF-induced expression of c-fos, brain natriuretic peptide, and skeletal alpha-actin mRNA was markedly suppressed by PD-98059 and moderately suppressed by wortmannin and AG-490. Atrial natriuretic peptide was significantly suppressed by AG-490. These findings indicate that this pathway is critically involved in protein synthesis, induction of c-fos, brain natriuretic peptide, and skeletal alpha-actin expression and is partially involved in myofilament reorganization and atrial natriuretic peptide induction in gp130-mediated cardiac hypertrophy.
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PMID:Significance of ERK cascade compared with JAK/STAT and PI3-K pathway in gp130-mediated cardiac hypertrophy. 1100 50

The signaling pathways regulating blood vessel growth and development are not well understood. In the present report, an in vitro model was used to identify signaling pathways regulating capillary formation in embryonic endothelial cells. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) plus leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) optimally stimulate the formation of capillary-like structures of the embryonic endothelial cell line IEM. LIF stimulation of IEM cells leads to activation of the Stat3 as well as the (P41/43)mitogen-activated protein kinase ((P41/43)MAPK) cascade, while bFGF does not activate Stat3 but does induce the (P41/43)MAPK cascade. Inhibition of Stat3 DNA-binding activity by expression of a dominant inhibitory Stat3 mutant increases the capillary outgrowth of the IEM cells induced by LIF. Increased Stat3 activity by overexpression of the wild-type Stat3 greatly reduced capillary outgrowth. In contrast, inhibition of the (P41/43)MAPK cascade using a MEK-1 inhibitor dramatically inhibits the LIF-induced capillary outgrowth. Moreover, the increased formation of capillary-like structures of the IEM cells mediated by Stat3 inhibition does not overcome the requirement for activation of the (P41/43)MAPK pathway for capillary outgrowth. Stat3 activity correlates with the LIF-induced expression of the negative feedback regulators of the Janus (JAK) family of tyrosine kinases, SOCS-1 and SOCS-3. These results provide evidence that Stat3 acts as a negative regulator of capillary outgrowth, possibly by increasing SOCS-1 or SOCS-3 expression. The contradictory signals stimulated by LIF could be necessary to control the intensity of the response leading to capillary outgrowth in vivo.
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PMID:LIF transduces contradictory signals on capillary outgrowth through induction of stat3 and (P41/43)MAP kinase. 1106 77

The gp130 cytokine receptor activates a cardiomyocyte survival pathway during the transition to heart failure following the biomechanical stress of pressure overload. Although gp130 activation is observed transiently during transverse aortic constriction (TAC), its mechanism of inactivation is largely unknown in cardiomyocytes. We show here that suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3), an intrinsic inhibitor of JAK, shows biphasic induction in response to TAC. The induction of SOCS3 was closely correlated with STAT3 phosphorylation, as well as the activation of an embryonic gene program, suggesting that cardiac gp130-JAK signaling is precisely controlled by this endogenous suppressor. In addition to its cytoprotective action, gp130-dependent signaling induces cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of SOCS3 to ventricular cardiomyocytes completely suppressed both hypertrophy and antiapoptotic phenotypes induced by leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). To our knowledge, this is the first clear evidence that these two separate cardiomyocyte phenotypes induced by gp130 activation lie downstream of JAK. Three independent signaling pathways, STAT3, MEK1-ERK1/2, and AKT activation, that are coinduced by LIF stimulation were completely suppressed by SOCS3 overexpression. We conclude that SOCS3 is a mechanical stress-inducible gene in cardiac muscle cells and that it directly modulates stress-induced gp130 cytokine receptor signaling as the key molecular switch for a negative feedback circuit for both myocyte hypertrophy and survival.
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PMID:Suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 is a biomechanical stress-inducible gene that suppresses gp130-mediated cardiac myocyte hypertrophy and survival pathways. 1171 37

Sustained activation of the Ras/Raf/MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway can lead to cell cycle arrest in many cell types. We have found, with human medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) cells, that activated Ras or c-Raf-1 can induce growth arrest by producing and secreting an autocrine-paracrine factor. This protein was purified from cell culture medium conditioned by Raf-activated MTC cells and was identified by mass spectrometry as leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). LIF expression upon Raf activation and subsequent activation of JAK-STAT3 was also observed in small cell lung carcinoma cells, suggesting that this autocrine-paracrine signaling may be a common response to Ras/Raf activation. LIF was sufficient to induce growth arrest and differentiation of MTC cells. This effect was mediated through the gp130/JAK/STAT3 pathway, since anti-gp130 blocking antibody or dominant-negative STAT3 blocked the effects of LIF. Thus, LIF expression provides a novel mechanism allowing Ras/Raf signaling to activate the JAK-STAT3 pathway. In addition to this cell-extrinsic growth inhibitory pathway, we find that the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway induces an intracellular growth inhibitory signal, independent of the LIF/JAK/STAT3 pathway. Therefore, activation of the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway can lead to growth arrest and differentiation via at least two different signaling pathways. This use of multiple pathways may be important for "fail-safe" induction and maintenance of cell cycle arrest.
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PMID:The Ras/Raf/MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway induces autocrine-paracrine growth inhibition via the leukemia inhibitory factor/JAK/STAT pathway. 1250 53


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