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)

Waardenburg syndrome (WS) is an inherited sensorineural deafness condition in humans caused by melanocyte deficiencies in the inner ear and forelock. Mutation of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is known to produce WS type IIA whereas mutations of either endothelin (EDN) or its receptor endothelin receptor B (EDNRB) produce WS type IV. However, a link between MITF haploinsufficiency and EDN signaling has not yet been established. Here we demonstrate mechanistic connections between EDN and MITF and their functional importance in melanocytes. Addition of EDN to cultured human melanocytes stimulated the phosphorylation of MITF in an EDNRB-dependent manner, which was completely abolished by mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibition. The expression of melanocyte-specific MITF mRNA transcripts was markedly augmented after incubation with EDN1 and was followed by increased expression of MITF protein. Up-regulated expression of MITF was found to be mediated via both the mitogen-activated protein kinase-p90 ribosomal S6 kinase-cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and cAMP-protein kinase A-CREB pathways. In addition, EDNRB expression itself was seen to be dependent on MITF. The functional importance of these connections is illustrated by the ability of EDN to stimulate expression of melanocytic pigmentation and proliferation markers in an MITF-dependent fashion. Collectively these data provide mechanistic and epistatic links between MITF and EDN/EDNRB, critical melanocytic survival factors and WS genes.
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PMID:Epistatic connections between microphthalmia-associated transcription factor and endothelin signaling in Waardenburg syndrome and other pigmentary disorders. 1803 26

The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is essential for infection by a variety of viruses. The p90 ribosomal S6 kinases (RSKs) are direct substrates of ERK and functional mediators of ERK MAPK signaling, but their roles in viral infection have never been examined. We demonstrate that ORF45 of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) interacts with RSK1 and RSK2 and strongly stimulates their kinase activities. The activation of RSK by ORF45 is correlated with ERK activation but does not require MEK. We further demonstrate that RSK1/RSK2 is activated during KSHV primary infection and reactivation from latency; a subset of RSK1/RSK2 is present in the viral replication compartment in the nucleus. Depletion of RSK1/RSK2 by small interfering RNA or the specific inhibitor BI-D1870 suppresses KSHV lytic gene expression and progeny virion production, suggesting an essential role of RSK1/RSK2 in KSHV lytic replication.
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PMID:Activation of p90 ribosomal S6 kinase by ORF45 of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus and its role in viral lytic replication. 1805 34

The Ser/Thr kinase ribosomal S6 kinase 2 (RSK2) has been demonstrated to phosphorylate transcription factor CREB (cyclic AMP-responsive-binding protein) and histone H3 in response to mitogenic stimulation by epidermal growth factor (EGF). EGF activates the MEK/ERK pathway to activate RSK2. We recently reported that receptor tyrosine kinase fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) directly tyrosine phosphorylates RSK2 at Tyr-529, which consequently regulates RSK2 activation by facilitating inactive ERK binding to RSK2 that is required for ERK-dependent phosphorylation and activation of RSK2 (Kang, S., Dong, S., Gu, T. L., Guo, A., Cohen, M. S., Lonial, S., Khoury, H. J., Fabbro, D., Gilliland, D. G., Bergsagel, P. L., Taunton, J., Polakiewicz, R. D., and Chen, J. (2007) Cancer Cell 12, 201-214). Here we report that upon treatment of EGF, RSK2 was tyrosine-phosphorylated at Tyr-529 and activated in 293T and COS7 cells that do not express FGFR3. In contrast to FGFR3, the receptor tyrosine kinase EGF receptor did not directly phosphorylate RSK2 at Tyr-529 in an in vitro kinase assay using recombinant RSK2 and active EGF receptor or FGFR3. By mass spectroscopy-based studies, we identified Src tyrosine kinase family members Src and Fyn as upstream kinases of RSK2 Tyr-529. Treatment of Src inhibitor PP2 effectively attenuated EGF-dependent activation and Tyr-529 phosphorylation of RSK2, suggesting that Src family members are the kinases that phosphorylate RSK2 at Tyr-529 in response to EGF. Src and Fyn were able to directly phosphorylate RSK2 at Tyr-529 in the in vitro kinase assay. In vitro reconstitution of Tyr-529 phosphorylation by Src in glutathione S-transferase-tagged RSK2 enhanced inactive ERK binding to RSK2 wild type, but not the Y529F mutant. Together, our findings suggest that Src-dependent phosphorylation at Tyr-529 facilitates inactive ERK binding to RSK2, which might be a general requirement for RSK2 activation by EGF through the MEK/ERK pathway.
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PMID:Epidermal growth factor stimulates RSK2 activation through activation of the MEK/ERK pathway and src-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of RSK2 at Tyr-529. 1815 74

Considerable attention has focused on the health-promoting effects of red wine and its nonflavonoid polyphenol compound resveratrol. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms and molecular target(s) of red wine or other potentially active ingredients in red wine remain unknown. Here, we report that red wine extract (RWE) or the red wine flavonoid quercetin inhibited 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced transformation of JB6 promotion-sensitive mouse skin epidermal (JB6 P+) cells. The activation of activator protein-1 and nuclear factor-kappaB induced by TPA was dose dependently inhibited by RWE or quercetin treatment. Western blot and kinase assay data revealed that RWE or quercetin inhibited mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase (MEK) 1 and Raf1 kinase activities and subsequently attenuated TPA-induced phosphorylation of ERK/p90 ribosomal S6 kinase. Although either RWE or quercetin suppressed Raf1 kinase activity, they were more effective in inhibiting MEK1 activity. Importantly, quercetin exerted stronger inhibitory effects than PD098059, a well-known pharmacologic inhibitor of MEK. Resveratrol did not affect either MEK1 or Raf1 kinase activity. Pull-down assays revealed that RWE or quercetin (but not resveratrol) bound with either MEK1 or Raf1. RWE or quercetin also dose dependently suppressed JB6 P+ cell transformation induced by epidermal growth factor or H-Ras, both of which are involved in the activation of MEK/ERK signaling. Docking data suggested that quercetin, but not resveratrol, formed a hydrogen bond with the backbone amide group of Ser(212), which is the key interaction for stabilizing the inactive conformation of the activation loop of MEK1.
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PMID:Raf and MEK protein kinases are direct molecular targets for the chemopreventive effect of quercetin, a major flavonol in red wine. 1824 98

Haloperidol, a classical antipsychotic drug, affects the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway in the brain. However, findings are inconsistent and the mechanism by which haloperidol regulates ERK is poorly understood. Therefore, we examined the ERK pathway and the related protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in detail after haloperidol administration. Haloperidol (0.5 and 1 mg/kg) induced biphasic changes in the phosphorylation level of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK), ERK, and p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (p90RSK) without changing Raf-1 phosphorylation. Fifteen minutes after haloperidol administration, MEK-ERK-p90RSK phosphorylation increased, whilst PP2A activity decreased. At 60 min, the reverse was observed and the binding of PP2A to MEK and ERK increased. Higher dosages of haloperidol (2 and 4 mg/kg), affected neither MEK-ERK-p90RSK phosphorylation nor PP2A activity. Accordingly, PP2A regulates acute dose- and time-dependent changes in MEK-ERK-p90RSK phosphorylation after haloperidol treatment. These findings suggest the involvement of a dephosphorylating mechanism in the acute action of haloperidol.
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PMID:Haloperidol regulates the phosphorylation level of the MEK-ERK-p90RSK signal pathway via protein phosphatase 2A in the rat frontal cortex. 1827 21

Muscarinic receptors subserve many functions in both peripheral and central nervous systems. Some of these processes depend on increases in protein synthesis, which may be achieved by activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a kinase that regulates protein translation capacity. Here, we examined the regulation of mTOR-dependent signaling pathways by muscarinic receptors in SK-N-SH human neuroblastoma cells, and in human embryonic kidney (HEK) cell lines transfected with individual muscarinic receptor subtypes. In SK-N-SH cells, the acetylcholine analog carbachol stimulated phosphorylation of the ribosomal S6 protein, a downstream target of mTOR. The sensitivity of the response to subtype-selective muscarinic receptor antagonists indicated that it was mediated by M3 receptors. Carbachol-evoked S6 phosphorylation was blocked by the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin, but was independent of phosphoinositide 3-kinase activation. The response was significantly reduced by the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor U0126, which also inhibited carbachol-evoked S6 phosphorylation in HEK cells expressing M2 receptors, but was ineffective in M3 receptor-expressing HEK cells, although carbachol activated MAPK in both transfected lines. The p90 ribosomal S6 kinase has been implicated in mTOR regulation by phorbol esters, but was not activated by carbachol in any of the cell lines tested. The protein kinase C inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide I reduced carbachol-stimulated S6 phosphorylation in SK-N-SH cells, and in HEK cells expressing M3 receptors, but not in HEK cells expressing M2 receptors. The results demonstrate that multiple muscarinic receptor subtypes regulate mTOR, and that both MAPK-dependent and -independent mechanisms may mediate the response in a cell context-specific manner.
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PMID:Differential regulation of mTOR-dependent S6 phosphorylation by muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes. 1834 64

Growth factors accelerate G0 to S progression in the cell cycle, however, the roles of growth factors in other cell cycle phases are largely unknown. Here, we show that treatment of HeLa cells with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) at G2 phase induced the G2/M transition delay as evidenced by FACS analysis as well as by mitotic index and time-lapse analyses. Growth factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) also induced G2/M transition delay like HGF. HGF treatment at G2 phase causes a delayed activation of cyclin B1-associated kinase and a diminished nuclear translocation of cyclin B1. Either U0126, a MAPK kinase (MEK) inhibitor, or kinase-dead mutant of ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) abolished the delay. Additionally, knockdown of RSK1, but not RSK2, with siRNA abrogated the delay, indicating that the extracellular-regulated protein kinase (ERK)-RSK1 mediates the HGF-induced delay. We further found that the delay in G2/M transition of cells expressing oncogenic HGF receptor, M1268T, was abolished by RSK1 knockdown. Intriguingly, we observed that HGF induced chromosomal segregation defects, and depletion of RSK1, but not RSK2, aggravated these chromosomal aberrations. Taken together, the ERK-RSK1 activation by growth factors delays G2/M transition and this might be required to maintain genomic integrity during growth factor stimulation.
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PMID:The ERK-RSK1 activation by growth factors at G2 phase delays cell cycle progression and reduces mitotic aberrations. 1845 Apr 23

We investigated whether KIT signaling was sufficient to maintain human hematopoietic stem cells in culture or whether, as with murine stem cells, signaling through glycoprotein 130 (gp130) is additionally required. Sorted CD34(+)CD133(+)(CD33/CD38/CD71)(-) cells from human umbilical cord blood (UCB) were cultured in the presence of combinations of KIT-ligand (KL) and the gp130 stimulating molecule oncostatin M (OSM). We found that OSM increased KL-induced proliferation, which was accompanied by an expansion in numbers of mature progenitors colony-forming cells (CFC, CAFCw2). More primitive progenitors, CAFCw6 and long-term culture-CFC, were not maintained by KL as a single factor. Although addition of OSM did not improve survival, the KL/OSM combination showed improved maintenance of immature progenitors as well as higher CD34 expression. Similarly, both KL and OSM were required to maintain NOD/SCID-repopulating activity. In experiments to investigate the underlying mechanism, we found that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and its downstream target p90 ribosomal S6 kinase were activated by KL and downregulated by the inclusion of OSM during stimulation. The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) was not modulated by either KL or OSM. Indeed, many of the effects of OSM (increased cell division, maintenance of CFC, and maintenance of high CD34 expression) could be mimicked by using the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor U0126. More importantly, NOD/SCID-repopulating activity was preserved in the KL/U0126-stimulated cells, but not in cells stimulated with a combination of KL and the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580. Our results show that the loss of repopulating activity during KL stimulation is counteracted by OSM through the downregulation of ERK pathway signaling. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
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PMID:Oncostatin M-mediated regulation of KIT-ligand-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling maintains hematopoietic repopulating activity of Lin-CD34+CD133+ cord blood cells. 1849 91

VEGF dependent angiogenesis is required for normal bone development and has been implicated in cancer metastasis to bone. These processes, while dependent on osteoclastic bone resorption, are reportedly mediated by endothelial cells, stromal osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and/or tumor cells. We demonstrate here that VEGF treatment of purified murine bone marrow osteoclast precursors directly enhances their survival, differentiation into mature osteoclasts, and resorptive activity. The actions of VEGF on mature osteoclasts principally involve the receptor VEGFR2 (Flk1, KDR), and the receptor signaling utilizes both the PI3-kinase-->Akt and MEK-->ERK pathways. Increased osteoclast survival and resorptive activity is correlated with VEGF-dependent phosphorylation of multiple downstream targets of activated Akt [glycogen synthase kinase, GSK-3beta; forkhead transcription factor, FKHR; and the Bcl-2 antagonist of cell death, Bad (Ser136)] and activated ERK1/2 [ribosomal S6 kinase, p90RSK; and Bad (Ser112)]. Expression of the VEGFR2 gene increases 20-fold during the 6 day in vitro differentiation of mature osteoclasts from mononuclear precursors, while alternate receptors VEGFR1 and neuropilin-1, decrease 30- and 3-fold respectively. Additionally, VEGF enhancement of osteoclast survival is diminished in cells prepared from beta3 integrin-deficient mice, thus associating VEGF signaling in osteoclasts with their attachment to extracellular matrix. Our results indicate that VEGF directly targets osteoclasts, thereby playing a novel role in bone development, angiogenesis, and tumor metastasis.
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PMID:VEGF enhancement of osteoclast survival and bone resorption involves VEGF receptor-2 signaling and beta3-integrin. 1864 Feb 70

The protein kinase D (PKD) family of serine/threonine kinases, which can be activated by gastrointestinal hormones, consists of three distinct isoforms that modulate a variety of cellular processes including intracellular protein transport as well as constitutive and regulated secretion. Although isoform-specific functions have been identified in a variety of cell lines, the expression and function of PKD isoforms in normal, differentiated secretory tissues is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that PKD isoforms are differentially expressed in the exocrine and endocrine cells of the pancreas. Specifically, PKD3 is the predominant isoform expressed in exocrine cells of the mouse and human pancreas, whereas PKD1 and PKD2 are more abundantly expressed in the pancreatic islets. Within isolated mouse pancreatic acinar cells, PKD3 undergoes rapid membrane translocation, trans-activating phosphorylation, and kinase activation after gastrointestinal hormone or cholinergic stimulation. PKD phosphorylation in pancreatic acinar cells occurs viaaCa2+-independent, diacylglycerol- and protein kinase C-dependent mechanism. PKD phosphorylation can also be induced by physiologic concentrations of secretagogues and by in vivo stimulation of the pancreas. Furthermore, activation of PKD3 potentiates MEK/ERK/RSK (RSK, ribosomal S6 kinase) signaling and significantly enhances cholecystokinin-mediated pancreatic amylase secretion. These findings reveal a novel distinction between the exocrine and endocrine cells of the pancreas and further identify PKD3 as a signaling molecule that promotes hormone-stimulated amylase secretion.
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PMID:PKD3 is the predominant protein kinase D isoform in mouse exocrine pancreas and promotes hormone-induced amylase secretion. 1902 87


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