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)

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) has been reported to promote tumor cell growth in colon cancer cells after binding to its receptors, which are members of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) family. Recent studies demonstrated that stimulation of GPCR can induce shedding of epidermal growth factor (EGF) ligands via activation of a disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM), with subsequent transactivation of the EGF receptor (EGFR). In this study, we investigated mechanisms of cell proliferation and migration stimulated by IL-8 in a human colon carcinoma cell line (Caco2). IL-8 increased DNA synthesis of Caco2 in a dose dependent manner and this was inhibited by ADAM, EGFR kinase, and MEK inhibitors. IL-8 transiently induced EGFR tyrosine phosphorylation after 5-90 min and this was completely inhibited by ADAM inhibitor. Neutralizing antibody against HB-EGF as a key ligand for EGFR also blocked transactivation of EGFR and cell proliferation by IL-8. Since IL-8-induced cell migration was further suppressed by the ADAM inhibitor and the HB-EGF neutralizing antibody, our data indicate that IL-8 induces cell proliferation and migration by an ADAM-dependent pathway, and that HB-EGF plays an important role as the major ligand for this pathway.
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PMID:IL-8 promotes cell proliferation and migration through metalloproteinase-cleavage proHB-EGF in human colon carcinoma cells. 1574 28

The p38 MAPK signal transduction pathway is a key regulator of IL-1 and TNF-alpha production in rheumatoid arthritis. Previous studies demonstrated that upstream MAPK kinases (MKK3 and MKK6) that regulate p38 are activated in rheumatoid arthritis synovium. However, their functional relevance in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) has not been determined. To investigate the relative contribution of MKK3 and MKK6 to p38 activation, the effect of dominant-negative (DN) MKK3 and MKK6 constructs on cultured FLS was evaluated. Cultured FLS were stimulated with medium or IL-1beta, and immunoblotting was performed. In some experiments, cells were lysed and immunoprecipitated with anti-p38 Ab, followed by in vitro kinase assay with [gamma-(32)P]ATP and GST-activating transcription factor-2 as substrate. IL-1beta rapidly induced p38 phosphorylation in cells transfected with empty vector (pcDNA3.1), but was inhibited by 25% in cells expressing DN MKK3 or DN MKK6. Cotransfection with both DN plasmids decreased phospho-p38 by almost 75%. In vitro kinase assays on IL-1-stimulated FLS also showed that the combination of DN MKK3 and DN MKK6 markedly decreased kinase activity compared with empty vector or the individual DN plasmids. Furthermore, IL-1beta-induced IL-8, IL-6, and matrix metalloproteinase-3 protein production was significantly inhibited in DN MKK3/DN MKK6-transfected cells. The constructs had no effect on the respective mediator mRNA levels. These data demonstrate that MKK3 and MKK6 make individual contributions to p38 activation in FLS after cytokine stimulation, but that both must be blocked for maximum inhibition.
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PMID:Regulation of p38 MAPK by MAPK kinases 3 and 6 in fibroblast-like synoviocytes. 1577 94

Emerging clinical and experimental evidence strongly implicates proteinuria in the progression of kidney disease. One pathway involves the activation of NFkappaB by albumin, and it has been demonstrated that the activation of NFkappaB induced by albumin is dependent on mitogen-activated protein kinase ERK1/ERK2. To study the effect of albumin on gene expression, primary human renal tubular cells were exposed in vitro to albumin (1%) for 6 h, and gene expression profiling was performed with the human oligonucleotide microarray, U133A Affymetrix Gene Chip. In all, 223 genes were differentially regulated by albumin, including marked upregulation of the EGF receptor (EGFR) and IL-8. Accordingly, the authors sought to delineate the signaling pathway linking albumin to the EGFR and activation of ERK1/ERK2. It was found that albumin led to a dose- and time-dependent activation of ERK1/ERK2. Treatment with albumin led to EGFR phosphorylation, but the activation of ERK1/ERK2 was prevented by pretreatment of the cells with AG-1478, the EGFR kinase inhibitor, at a dose that inhibited EGF-induced ERK1/ERK2 activation. Exogenously administered reactive oxygen species (ROS) were found to activate ERK1/ERK2 via the EGFR and src tyrosine kinase activity and pretreatment of cells with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and the NADPH oxidase inhibitor DPI abrogated albumin-induced activation of ERK1/ERK2. The src tyrosine kinase inhibitor, PP2, also inhibited the albumin-induced activation of ERK1/ERK2. Finally, pretreatment with AG-1478, the MEK inhibitor UO126, and NAC prevented the albumin-induced increase in IL-8 expression. The authors conclude that the EGF receptor plays a central role in the signaling pathway that links albumin to the activation of ERK1/ERK2 and increased expression of IL-8. Gene profiling studies suggest that there may be a positive feedback loop through the EGFR that amplifies the response of the proximal tubule cell to albumin. Taken together, these results suggest that the EGFR may be an important treatment target for kidney disease associated with proteinuria.
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PMID:Albumin activates ERK via EGF receptor in human renal epithelial cells. 1582 4

Phagocytosis of inhaled Bacillus anthracis spores and subsequent trafficking to lymph nodes are decisive events in the progression of inhalational anthrax because they initiate germination and dissemination of spores. Found in high frequency throughout the respiratory track, dendritic cells (DCs) routinely take up foreign particles and migrate to lymph nodes. However, the participation of DCs in phagocytosis and dissemination of spores has not been investigated previously. We found that human DCs readily engulfed fully pathogenic Ames and attenuated B. anthracis spores predominately by coiling phagocytosis. Spores provoked a loss of tissue-retaining chemokine receptors (CCR2, CCR5) with a concurrent increase in lymph node homing receptors (CCR7, CD11c) on the membrane of DCs. After spore infection, immature DCs displayed a mature phenotype (CD83(bright), HLA-DR(bright), CD80(bright), CD86(bright), CD40(bright)) and enhanced costimulatory activity. Surprisingly, spores activated the MAPK cascade (ERK, p38) within 30 min and stimulated expression of several inflammatory response genes by 2 h. MAPK signaling was extinguished by 6 h infection, and there was a dramatic reduction of secreted TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-8 in the absence of DC death. This corresponded temporally with enzymatic cleavage of proximal MAPK signaling proteins (MEK-1, MEK-3, and MAP kinase kinase-4) and may indicate activity of anthrax lethal toxin. Taken together, these results suggest that B. anthracis may exploit DCs to facilitate infection.
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PMID:Dendritic cells endocytose Bacillus anthracis spores: implications for anthrax pathogenesis. 1584 53

Fluid shear stress plays an important role in many physiological and pathophysiological processes of the cardiovascular system. It modulates vascular function and structure via stimulating mechanosensitive endothelial cell signal events. Previous studies have identified that the exposure of vascular endothelial cells to fluid mechanical forces can modulate the expressions of many genes, including IL-8 gene. In order to gain an insight into the role of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK1/2) signal pathway in the expression of IL-8 mRNA in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) under the stimulation by low shear stress (4.20 dyne/cm2), we employed Western blot to measure phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and used quantitative reversal transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to assay the expression of IL-8 mRNA. The results showed: (1) Shear stress could activate ERK1/2 with a rapid, biphasic time course (maximum by 10 min and basal by 2 h); the treatment of HUVECs with Genistein (a highly specific inhibitor of tyrosine protein kinase, TPK) or PD98059 (the inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal regulated kinase kinase, MEK) culd prevent shear-dependent activation of ERK1/2; (2) When treated with Genistein or PD98059, significant inhibition of IL-8 mRNA expression induced by low shear stress was observed in HUVECs. This in vitro study demonstrates that ERK1/2 plays an important role in IL-8 mRNA expression induced by low shear stress.
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PMID:[Effect of ERK1/2 on low shear stress-induced expression of IL-8 mRNA in human endothelial cells]. 1588 24

CD137, which is expressed on activated T cells, plays a critical role in inflammatory responses. However, the exact role that CD137 plays in monocytes is not fully known. Here we studied the expression and function of CD137 in human monocytic THP-1 cells, which we found constitutively expresses CD137 at the mRNA and protein level. Cross-linking of CD137 increased the secretion of IL-8 and TNF-alpha, promoted the expression of CD54 and CD11b, and increased adhesion to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. In particular CD137-induced adhesion of THP-1 cells was inhibited by an inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK), but not by a p38 kinase inhibitor. Taken together, these results show that the adhesion and cytokine production of THP-1 cells induced by CD137 occur via activation of MEK, which results in the activation of ERK-1/2 signaling pathways. Therefore, this study suggests that CD137 induces an activating and migrating signal during inflammatory processes.
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PMID:CD137 induces adhesion and cytokine production in human monocytic THP-1 cells. 1588 20

The establishment of metastatic bone lesions in prostate cancer (CaP) is a process partially dependent on angiogenesis. Previously we demonstrated that the stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1 or CXCL12)/CXCR4 chemokine axis is critical for CaP cell metastasis. In this investigation, cell lines were established in which CXCR4 expression was knocked down using siRNA technology. When CaP cells were co-transplanted with human vascular endothelial cells into SCID mice, significantly fewer human blood vessels were observed paralleling the reductions in CXCR4 levels. Likewise, the invasive behaviors of the CaP cells were inhibited in vitro. From these functional observations we explored angiogenic and signaling mechanisms generated following SDF-1 binding to CXCR4. Differential activation of the MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways that result in differential secretion IL-6, IL-8, TIMP-2 and VEGF were seen contingent on the cell type examined; VEGF and TIMP-2 expression in PC3 cells are dependent on AKT activation and ERK activation in LNCaP and LNCaP C4-2B cells leads to IL-6 or IL-8 secretion. At the same time, expression of angiostatin levels were inversely related to CXCR4 levels, and inhibited by SDF-1 stimulation. These data link the SDF-1/CXCR4 pathway to changes in angiogenic cytokines by different signaling mechanisms and, suggest that the delicate equilibrium between proangiogenic and antiangiogenic factors may be achieved by different signal transduction pathways to regulate the angiogenic phenotype of prostate cancers. Taken together, our results provide new information regarding expression of functional CXCR4 receptor-an essential role and potential mechanism of angiogenesis upon SDF-1 stimulation.
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PMID:Diverse signaling pathways through the SDF-1/CXCR4 chemokine axis in prostate cancer cell lines leads to altered patterns of cytokine secretion and angiogenesis. 1600 85

NO produced by inducible NO synthase (iNOS) has been implicated in various pathophysiological processes including inflammation. Therefore, inhibitors of NO synthesis or iNOS gene expression have been considered as potential anti-inflammatory agents. We have previously demonstrated that heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like growth factor (HB-EGF) decreases proinflammatory cytokine IL-8 and NO production in cytokine-stimulated intestinal epithelial cells by interfering with the NF-kappaB signaling pathway. However, the upstream signaling mechanisms involved in these responses have not yet been defined. In this report, we show that in intestinal epithelial cells, HB-EGF triggered PI3K-dependent phosphorylation of Akt. Inhibition of PI3K reversed the ability of HB-EGF to block NF-kappaB activation, expression of iNOS, and NO production. Small interfering RNA of PI3K also reversed the inhibitory effect of HB-EGF on iNOS expression. Alternatively, transient expression of constitutively active PI3K decreased NO production by approximately 2-fold more than treatment with HB-EGF alone. This PI3K effect was HB-EGF dependent. Thus, activation of PI3K is essential but not sufficient for decreased NO synthesis. PI3K and HB-EGF act synergistically to decrease NO synthesis. Neither overexpression or inhibition of MEK, Ras, or Akt affected HB-EGF-mediated inhibition of NF-kappaB activation. These data demonstrate that HB-EGF decreases proinflammatory cytokine-stimulated NF-kappaB activation and NO production via activation of the PI3K signaling pathway. These results also suggest that inhibition of NF-kappaB and activation of the PI3K-dependent signaling cascade by HB-EGF may represent key signals responsible for the anti-inflammatory effects of HB-EGF.
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PMID:Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor inhibits cytokine-induced NF-kappa B activation and nitric oxide production via activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway. 1603 35

Epigenetic histone modifications contribute to the regulation of eukaryotic gene transcription. The role of epigenetic regulation in immunity to intracellular pathogens is poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that epigenetic histone modifications influence cytokine expression by intracellular bacteria. Intracellular Listeria monocytogenes, but not noninvasive Listeria innocua, induced release of distinct CC and CXC chemokines, as well as Th1 and Th2 cytokines and growth factors by endothelial cells. Cytokine expression was in part dependent on p38 MAPK and MEK1. We analyzed global histone modification and modifications in detail at the gene promoter of IL-8, which depended on both kinase pathways, and of IFN-gamma, which was not blocked by kinase inhibition. Intracellular Listeria induced time-dependent acetylation (lysine 8) of histone H4 and phosphorylation/acetylation (serine 10/lysine 14) of histone H3 globally and at the il8 promoter in HUVEC, as well as recruitment of the histone acetylase CREB-binding protein. Inhibitors of p38 MAPK and MEK1 reduced lysine 8 acetylation of histone H4 and serine 10/lysine 14 phosphorylation/acetylation of histone H3 in Listeria-infected endothelial cells and disappearance of histone deacetylase 1 at the il8 promoter in HUVEC. In contrast, IFN-gamma gene transcription was activated by Listeria monocytogenes independent of p38 MAPK and MEK1, and histone phosphorylation/acetylation remained unchanged in infected cells at the IFN-gamma promoter. Specific inhibition of histone deacetylases by trichostatin A increased Listeria-induced expression of IL-8, but not of IFN-gamma, underlining the specific physiological impact of histone acetylation. In conclusion, MAPK-dependent epigenetic modifications differentially contributed to L. monocytogenes-induced cytokine expression by human endothelial cells.
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PMID:Intracellular bacteria differentially regulated endothelial cytokine release by MAPK-dependent histone modification. 1611 70

We previously demonstrated that trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) reduced the triglyceride content of human adipocytes by activating mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-related kinase (MEK/ERK) signaling via interleukins (IL) 6 and 8. However, the upstream mechanism is unknown. Here we show that CLA increased (>or=6 h) the secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 in cultures containing both differentiated adipocytes and stromal vascular (SV) cells, non-differentiated SV cells, and adipose tissue explants. CLA isomer-specific induction of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha was associated with the activation of nuclear factor kappaB (NFkappaB) as evidenced by 1) phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha, IkappaBalpha kinase, and NFkappaB p65, 2) IkappaBalpha degradation, and 3) nuclear translocation of NFkappaB. Pretreatment with selective NFkappaB inhibitors and the MEK/ERK inhibitor U0126 blocked CLA-mediated IL-6 gene expression. Trans-10, cis-12 CLA suppression of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake at 24 h was associated with decreased total and plasma membrane glucose transporter 4 proteins. Inhibition of NFkappaB activation or depletion of NFkappaB by RNA interference using small interfering NFkappaB p65 attenuated CLA suppression of glucose transporter 4 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma proteins and glucose uptake. Collectively, these data demonstrate for the first time that trans-10, cis-12 CLA promotes NFkappaB activation and subsequent induction of IL-6, which are at least in part responsible for trans-10, cis-12 CLA-mediated suppression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma target gene expression and insulin sensitivity in mature human adipocytes.
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PMID:Conjugated linoleic acid promotes human adipocyte insulin resistance through NFkappaB-dependent cytokine production. 1615 93


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