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)

c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK), a member of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase family, regulates gene expression in response to various extracellular stimuli. JNK is activated by JNK-activating kinase (JNKK1 and JNKK2), a subfamily of the dual specificity MAP kinase kinase (MEK) family, through phosphorylation on threonine (Thr) 183 and tyrosine (Tyr) 185 residues. The physiological functions of the JNK pathway, however, are not completely understood. A major obstacle is the lack of specific and activated kinase components that can stimulate the JNK pathway in the absence of any stimulus. Here we show that fusion of JNK1 to its upstream activator JNKK2 resulted in its constitutive activation. In HeLa cells, the JNKK2-JNK1 fusion protein showed significant JNK activity, which was comparable with that of JNK1 activated by many stimuli and activators, including EGF, TNF-alpha, anisomycin, UV irradiation, MEKK1, and small GTP binding proteins Rac1 and Cdc42Hs. Immunoblotting analysis indicated that JNK1 was phosphorylated by JNKK2 in the fusion protein on both Thr(183) and Tyr(185) residues. Like JNKK2, the JNKK2-JNK1 fusion protein was highly specific for the JNK pathway and did not activate either p38 or ERK2. Transient transfection assays demonstrated that the JNKK2-JNK1 fusion protein was sufficient to stimulate c-Jun transcriptional activity in the absence of any stimulus. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that the JNKK2-JNK1 fusion protein was predominantly located in the nucleus of transfected HeLa cells. These results indicate that the JNKK2-JNK1 fusion protein is a constitutively active Jun kinase, which will facilitate the investigation of the physiological roles of the JNK pathway.
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PMID:The JNKK2-JNK1 fusion protein acts as a constitutively active c-Jun kinase that stimulates c-Jun transcription activity. 1050 43

JNK3 alpha 1 is predominantly a neuronal specific MAP kinase that is believed to require, like all MAP kinases, both threonine and tyrosine phosphorylation for maximal enzyme activity. In this study we investigated the in vitro activation of JNK3 alpha 1 by MAP kinase kinase 4 (MKK4), MAP kinase kinase 7 (MKK7), and the combination of MKK4 + MKK7. Mass spectral analysis showed that MKK7 was capable of monophosphorylating JNK3 alpha 1 in vitro, whereas both MKK4 and MKK7 were required for bisphosphorylation and maximal enzyme activity. Measuring catalysis under Vmax conditions showed MKK4 + MKK7-activated JNK3 alpha 1 had Vmax 715-fold greater than nonactivated JNK3 alpha 1 and MKK7-activated JNK3 alpha 1 had Vmax 250-fold greater than nonactivated JNK3 alpha 1. In contrast, MKK4-activated JNK3 alpha 1 had no increase in Vmax compared to nonactivated levels and had no phosphorylation on the basis of mass spectrometry. These data suggest that MKK7 was largely responsible for JNK3 alpha 1 activation and that a single threonine phosphorylation may be all that is needed for JNK3 alpha 1 to be active. The steady-state rate constants kcat, Km(GST-ATF2++), and Km(ATP) for both monophosphorylated and bisphosphorylated JNK3 alpha 1 were within 2-fold between the two enzyme forms, suggesting the addition of tyrosine phosphorylation does not affect the binding of ATF2, ATP, or maximal turnover. Finally, the MAP kinase inhibitor, SB203580, had an IC50 value approximately 4-fold more potent on the monophosphorylated JNK3 alpha 1 compared to the bisphosphorylated JNK3 alpha 1, suggesting only a modest effect of tyrosine phosphorylation on inhibitor binding.
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PMID:Activation of JNK3 alpha 1 requires both MKK4 and MKK7: kinetic characterization of in vitro phosphorylated JNK3 alpha 1. 1071 36

To elucidate mechanisms underlying glutathione S-transferase p (GSTp)-mediated cellular protection against oxidative stress-induced cell death, the effect of GSTp on stress signaling pathways was investigated before and after H2O2 treatment. Under nonstressed conditions, increased expression of GSTp via a tet-off-inducible GSTp in NIH 3T3 cells increased the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase 4, p38, extracellular receptor kinase (ERK), and inhibitor of kappa-kinase (IKK), and reduced phosphorylation of MAP kinase kinase 7 and Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK). Whereas H2O2 treatment of cells induced JNK, p38, and IKK activities, in the presence of H2O2 and elevated GSTp expression there was an additional increase in ERK, p38, and IKK activities and a decrease in JNK activity. GSTp-mediated protection from H2O2-induced death was attenuated upon inhibition of p38, nuclear factor KB, or MAP kinase by dominant negative or pharmacological inhibitors. Conversely, expression of a dominant negative JNK protected cells from H2O2-mediated death. These data suggest that the coordinated regulation of stress kinases by GSTp, as reflected by increased p38, ERK, and nuclear factor kappaB activities together with suppression of JNK signaling, contributes to protection of cells against reactive oxygen species-mediated death.
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PMID:Glutathione S-transferase p elicits protection against H2O2-induced cell death via coordinated regulation of stress kinases. 1094 8

Ras activates three mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) including ERK, JNK, and p38. Whereas the essential roles of ERK and JNK in Ras signaling has been established, the contribution of p38 remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that the p38 pathway functions as a negative regulator of Ras proliferative signaling via a feedback mechanism. Oncogenic Ras activated p38 and two p38-activated protein kinases, MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2) and p38-related/activated protein kinase (PRAK). MK2 and PRAK in turn suppressed Ras-induced gene expression and cell proliferation, whereas two mutant PRAKs, unresponsive to Ras, had little effect. Moreover, the constitutive p38 activator MKK6 also suppressed Ras activity in a p38-dependent manner whereas arsenite, a potent chemical inducer of p38, inhibited proliferation only in a tumor cell line that required Ras activity. MEK was required for Ras stimulation of the p38 pathway. The p38 pathway inhibited Ras activity by blocking activation of JNK, without effect upon ERK, as evidenced by the fact that PRAK-mediated suppression of Ras-induced cell proliferation was reversed by coexpression of JNKK2 or JNK1. These studies thus establish a negative feedback mechanism by which Ras proliferative activity is regulated via signaling integrations of MAPK pathways.
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PMID:The p38 pathway provides negative feedback for Ras proliferative signaling. 1097 13

In the present study, we investigated the immunohistochemical localization of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway in the human thymus. Three members of MAPK, the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and the p38 kinase, showed differential expression patterns in the thymus medulla. The phosphorylated form of ERK (p-ERK) was abundantly present in the outer layer of Hassall's corpuscles, and the phosphorylated form of p38 kinase (p-p38 kinase) was present in the entire Hassall's corpuscles. The phosphorylated form of JNK (p-JNK) was expressed in medullary thymocytes. We also examined localization of MAPK kinases (MAPKK or MEK) which specifically activate MAPK. MEK1, an activator of ERK, was found in the outer layer of Hassall's corpuscles where p-ERK was expressed. MEK3, an activator of p38 kinase, was also expressed in the outer layer. MEK4 and MEK7, which are activators of JNK, were present in the entire Hassall's corpuscles. Thus, differential expression of MAPK in the thymus supports the concept that the MAPK signaling pathway controls the specificity of functional thymic responses to extracellular stimuli. Furthermore, the abundant expression of various elements of the pathway in Hassall's corpuscles suggests that the pathway is involved in thymic medullary epithelial maturation.
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PMID:Immunolocalization of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway in Hassall's corpuscles of the human thymus. 1125 31

Nitric oxide (NO*) expression by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is an important host defense mechanism against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in mononuclear phagocytes. The objective of this investigation was to examine the role of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) signaling pathways in the regulation of iNOS and NO* by a mycobacterial cell wall lipoglycan known as mannose-capped lipoarabinomannan (ManLAM). Specific pharmacologic inhibition of the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) or NF-kappaB pathway revealed that both these signaling cascades were required in gamma interferon (IFN-gamma)-ManLAM-induced iNOS protein and NO2- expression in mouse macrophages. Transient cotransfection of dominant-negative protein mutants of the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway revealed that the MAP kinase kinase 7 (MKK7)-JNK cascade also mediated IFN-gamma-ManLAM induction of iNOS promoter activity whereas MKK4 did not. Overexpression of null mutant IkappaBalpha, a potent inhibitor of NF-kappaB activation, confirmed that the IkappaBalpha kinase (IKK)-NF-kappaB signaling pathway enhanced IFN-gamma-ManLAM-induced iNOS promoter activity. By contrast, activated p38mapk inhibited iNOS induction. These results indicate that combined IFN-gamma and ManLAM stimulation induced iNOS and NO. expression and that MEK1-ERK, MKK7-JNK, IKK-NF-kappaB, and p38mapk signaling pathways play important regulatory roles.
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PMID:Induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase-NO* by lipoarabinomannan of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is mediated by MEK1-ERK, MKK7-JNK, and NF-kappaB signaling pathways. 1125 51

MAP kinase signaling pathways are important mediators of cellular responses to a wide variety of stimuli. Signals pass along these pathways via kinase cascades in which three protein kinases are sequentially phosphorylated and activated, initiating a range of cellular programs including cellular proliferation, immune and inflammatory responses, and apoptosis. One such cascade involves the mixed lineage kinase, MLK2, signaling through MAP kinase kinase 4 and/or MAP kinase kinase 7 to the SAPK/JNK, resulting in phosphorylation of transcription factors including the oncogene, c-jun. Recently we showed that MLK2 causes apoptosis in cultured neuronal cells and that this effect is dependent on activation of the JNK pathway (Liu, Y. F., Dorow, D. S., and Marshall, J. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 19035-19040). Furthermore, dominant-negative MLK2 blocked apoptosis induced by polyglutamine-expanded huntingtin protein, the product of the mutant Huntington's disease gene. Here we show that as well as activating the stress-signaling pathway, MLK2 is a target for phosphorylation by activated JNK. Phosphopeptide mapping of MLK2 proteins revealed that activated JNK2 phosphorylates multiple sites mainly within the noncatalytic C-terminal region of MLK2 including the C-terminal 100 amino acid peptide. In addition, MLK2 is phosphorylated in vivo within several of the same C-terminal peptides phosphorylated by JNK2 in vitro, and this phosphorylation is increased by cotransfection of JNK2 and treatment with the JNK activator, anisomycin. Cotransfection of dominant-negative JNK kinase inhibits phosphorylation of kinase-negative MLK2 by anisomycin-activated JNK. Furthermore, we show that the N-terminal region of MLK2 is sufficient to activate JNK but that removal of the C-terminal domain abrogates the apoptotic response. Taken together, these data indicate that the apoptotic activity of MLK2 is dependent on the C-terminal domain that is the main target for MLK2 phosphorylation by activated JNK.
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PMID:Activated JNK phosphorylates the c-terminal domain of MLK2 that is required for MLK2-induced apoptosis. 1127 95

Activation of Jun N-kinase (JNK) and NF-kappaB transcription factor are the hallmarks of cellular response to stress. Phosphorylation of NF-kappaB inhibitor (IkappaB) by respective stress-inducible kinases (IKK) is a key event in NF-kappaB activation. beta-TrCP F-box protein mediates ubiquitination of phosphorylated IkappaB via recruitment of SCF(beta-TrCP)-Roc1 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. Subsequent proteasome-dependent degradation of IkappaB results in activation of the NF-kappaB pathway. We found that a variety of cellular stress stimuli induce an increase in the steady state levels of beta-TrCP mRNA and protein levels in human cells. Activation of stress-activated protein kinases JNK (and, to a lesser extent, p38) by forced expression of constitutively active mutants of JNKK2 and MKK6 (but not MEK1 or IKKbeta) also leads to accumulation of beta-TrCP. Transcription of the beta-TrCP gene is not required for JNK-mediated induction of beta-TrCP. A synergistic effect of stimulation of IKK and JNK on the transcriptional activity of NF-kappaB was observed. The mechanisms of beta-TrCP induction via stress and its role in NF-kappaB activation are discussed.
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PMID:Induction of beta-transducin repeat-containing protein by JNK signaling and its role in the activation of NF-kappaB. 1137 88

Monoamine oxidases (MAO) A and B deaminate a number of biogenic amines. Aberrant expression of MAO is implicated in several psychiatric and neurogenerative disorders. In this study, we have shown that phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) increases human MAO B, but not MAO A, gene expression. The sequence between -246 and -225 bp consists of overlapping binding sites (Sp1/Egr-1/Sp1) that are recognized by Sp1, Sp3, and PMA-inducible Egr-1 is essential for PMA activation. PMA transiently increases egr-1 and c-jun gene expression. Mutation studies show that Egr-1 and c-Jun transactivate the MAO B promoter and increase endogenous MAO B transcripts via the Sp1/Egr-1/Sp1 overlapping binding sites. Sp3 inhibits Sp1 and Egr-1 activation of MAO B gene expression. c-fos gene expression was increased by PMA but not involved in MAO B gene transcription. Furthermore, protein kinase C inhibitor blocks the PMA-dependent activation of MAO B. Co-transfection of the MAO B promoter with dominant negative forms of Ras, Raf-1, MEKK1, MEK1, MEK3, MEK7, ERK2, JNK1, and p38/RK inhibit the PMA-dependent activation of the MAO B promoter. These results indicate that MAO B expression is selectively induced by the activation of protein kinase C and MAPK signaling pathway and that c-Jun and Egr-1 appear to be the ultimate targets of this regulation.
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PMID:Activation of human monoamine oxidase B gene expression by a protein kinase C MAPK signal transduction pathway involves c-Jun and Egr-1. 1195 20

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) group of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are activated by pleiotropic signals including environmental stresses, growth factors, and hormones. A subset of JNK can bind to distinct scaffold proteins that also bind upstream kinases of the JNK pathway, allowing sequential kinase activation within a signaling module. The JNK-interacting protein-1 (JIP-1) scaffold protein specifically binds JNK, MAP kinase kinase 7, and members of the MLK family and is essential for stress-mediated JNK activation in neurones. Here we report that JIP-1 also binds the dual-specificity phosphatases MKP7 and M3/6 via a region independent of its JNK binding domain. The C-terminal region of MKP7, homologous to that of M3/6 but not other DSPs, is required for interaction with JIP-1. When MKP7 is bound to JIP-1 it reduces JNK activation leading to reduced phosphorylation of the JNK target c-Jun. These results indicate that the JIP-1 scaffold protein modulates JNK signaling via association with both protein kinases and protein phosphatases that target JNK.
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PMID:The JNK-interacting protein-1 scaffold protein targets MAPK phosphatase-7 to dephosphorylate JNK. 1252 47


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