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)

Genetic screens for modifiers of activated Ras phenotypes have identified a novel protein, kinase suppressor of Ras (KSR), which shares significant sequence homology with Raf family protein kinases. Studies using Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans predict that KSR positively regulates Ras signaling; however, the function of mammalian KSR is not well understood. We show here that two predicted kinase-dead mutants of KSR retain the ability to complement ksr-1 loss-of-function alleles in C. elegans, suggesting that KSR may have physiological, kinase-independent functions. Furthermore, we observe that murine KSR forms a multimolecular signaling complex in human embryonic kidney 293T cells composed of HSP90, HSP70, HSP68, p50(CDC37), MEK1, MEK2, 14-3-3, and several other, unidentified proteins. Treatment of cells with geldanamycin, an inhibitor of HSP90, decreases the half-life of KSR, suggesting that HSPs may serve to stabilize KSR. Both nematode and mammalian KSRs are capable of binding to MEKs, and three-point mutants of KSR, corresponding to C. elegans loss-of-function alleles, are specifically compromised in MEK binding. KSR did not alter MEK activity or activation. However, KSR-MEK binding shifts the apparent molecular mass of MEK from 44 to >700 kDa, and this results in the appearance of MEK in membrane-associated fractions. Together, these results suggest that KSR may act as a scaffolding protein for the Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.
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PMID:Kinase suppressor of Ras forms a multiprotein signaling complex and modulates MEK localization. 1040 42

We have investigated the regulation mechanism of chemical stress-induced HSP70 gene expression in human colorectal carcinoma cells (COLO205 and HT29). Our data show that chemical treatments including sodium arsenite and curcumin, induced significant synthesis of HSP70 and its mRNA. The induced HSP70 gene expression appears to be increased at the transcriptional level. The increase in HSP70 gene expression by both chemicals is associated with an increase in HSF binding to HSE and induction of HSF1 di- or trimerization. Phosphorylation and activation of extracellular signal-regulated proteins (ERK1/2) were detected in sodium arsenite-treated COLO205 and HT29 cells, and the free radical scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) was able to inhibit this ERK1/2 activation and HSP70 gene expression. MAPK blockade by the specific MEK1 inhibitor (PD98059) decreased the ability of sodium arsenite to increase HSP70 gene expression in a dose-dependent manner along with dephosphorylation of ERK1/2 proteins. In contrast to arsenite treatment, activation of ERK1/2 was not detected in curcumin-treated colorectal carcinoma cells, and NAC and PD98059 did not show any inhibitory effect on HSP70 gene expression induced by curcumin. Overexpression of a dominant negative mutant of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 1 (MEKK1-DN) prevents arsenite-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation and HSP70 protein synthesis. These results indicated that the ERK signaling pathway can participate in HSP70 gene expression induced by the prooxidant sodium arsenite, but not by the antioxidant curcumin.
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PMID:Alternative activation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases in curcumin and arsenite-induced HSP70 gene expression in human colorectal carcinoma cells. 1132 85

Levels of the small heat-shock proteins (sHSPs) HSP27 and alphaB-crystallin during differentiation of mouse C2C12 cells were determined using specific immunoassays. Increases of these proteins were about 3-fold and 10-fold, respectively. Under the same conditions, however, the level of HSP70 in C2C12 cells barely increased, indicating selective accumulation of HSP27 and alphaB-crystallin with differentiation. While expression of mRNA for alphaB-crystallin was also markedly increased and that for HSP27 was but to a lesser extent, mRNA for HSP70 could barely be detected during differentiation. Activation of the heat-shock factor was not observed, in contrast to the case with heat-stressed undifferentiated cells. Various inhibitors of protein kinases affected the differentiation and the associated increase of sHSPs. Rapamycin, an inhibitor of p70 S6 kinase, completely inhibited the differentiation and suppressed the accumulation of HSP27 and alphaB-crystallin. SB203580, an inhibitor of p38 MAP kinase, also inhibited differentiation, but the accumulation of alphaB-crystallin was rather enhanced. PD98059, an inhibitor of MAP kinase kinase, significantly increased expression of a differentiation marker for muscle cells, creatine kinase M isozyme, as well as accumulation of alphaB-crystallin. These results suggest that accumulation of sHSPs during differentiation of C2C12 cells is regulated in a complex manner.
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PMID:Regulation of the levels of small heat-shock proteins during differentiation of C2C12 cells. 1139 49

Sodium salicylate, one of anti-inflammatory agents, is known to partially induce the heat shock response: it stimulates the DNA-binding of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) without inducing heat shock gene expression. Here we show that when C6 glioma cells are recovered from sodium salicylate treatment, they highly induce heat shock protein 72 (HSP72), but not HSP73 and HSP90, demonstrating that salicylate-induced inert HSF1 can be fully activated into a transcriptionally competent form by sodium salicylate recovery (SR)-specific mechanism. Fluorescent analysis using 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate revealed that sodium salicylate enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC, a ROS scavenger) completely suppressed SR-induced HSP72 synthesis and HSP72 promoter-driven CAT reporter gene transcription as well as salicylate-induced HSF1-DNA binding, indicating a critical role(s) of ROS in the SR-induced HSP72 gene regulation. We also show that treatment of C6 cells with sodium salicylate activated p38MAPK and inactivated ERK1/2 in a ROS-independent manner and activities of these protein kinases returned during recovery period to the control level. Inhibiting p38MAPK and ERK1/2 with the p38MAPK inhibitors (SB203580 and SB202190) and the MEK1/2 inhibitor (PD98059 and U0126) or with expression of dominant negative p38MAPK and ERK1/2 abolished SR-induced HSP72 synthesis and HSP70 promoter-driven CAT activity. However, sodium salicylate-induced HSF1-DNA binding was not affected by the p38MAPK inhibitor or the MEK1/2 inhibitor. These findings suggest that sodium salicylate partially activates HSF1 via ROS production and p38MAPK activation and the salicylate-induced inert HSF1 can be fully activated into a transcriptionally competent form by the ERK1/2 signaling pathways that are activated independently of ROS during SR.
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PMID:Implication of reactive oxygen species, ERK1/2, and p38MAPK in sodium salicylate-induced heat shock protein 72 expression in C6 glioma cells. 1621 Dec 53

We previously reported that prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) stimulates heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) induction through p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p44/p42 MAP kinase in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells. In the present study, we investigated whether (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the major polyphenol found in green tea, affects the induction of HSP27 in these cells and the mechanism. EGCG significantly reduced the HSP27 induction stimulated by PGD2 without affecting the levels of HSP70. The PGD2-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase or SAPK/JNK was not affected by EGCG. On the contrary, EGCG markedly suppressed the PGD2-induced phosphorylation of p44/p42 MAP kinase and MEK1/2. However, the PGD2-induced phosphorylation of Raf-1 was not inhibited by EGCG. These results strongly suggest that EGCG suppresses the PGD2-stimulated induction of HSP27 at the point between Raf-1 and MEK1/2 in osteoblasts.
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PMID:(-)-epigallocatechin gallate inhibits prostaglandin D2-stimulated HSP27 induction via suppression of the p44/p42 MAP kinase pathway in osteoblasts. 1794 62

A heat-activated MAP kinase (HAMK), immunologically related to the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) super-family of protein kinases, has been identified in BY2 cells of tobacco. The activation of HAMK at 37 degrees C was transient and detected within 2 min and reached a maximum level within 5 min. Ca(2+) chelators and channel blockers, and the known inhibitors of MEK, a MAP kinase kinase, prevented the heat activation of HAMK. This suggests that HAMK activation is part of a heat-triggered MAP kinase cascade that requires Ca(2+) influx. The heat shock protein HSP70 accumulated at 37 degrees C, but not when HAMK activation was prevented with the inhibitors of MEK or with Ca(2+) chelators or channel blockers. As previously shown for heat activation of HAMK, heat-induced accumulation of HSP70 requires membrane fluidization and reorganization of cytoskeleton. We concluded that heat-triggered HAMK cascade might play an essential role in the launching of heat shock response and hsp gene expression in tobacco cells.
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PMID:A heat-activated MAP kinase (HAMK) as a mediator of heat shock response in tobacco cells. 1799 15

JNK, a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), is activated by the MAPK kinases SEK1 and MKK7 in response to environmental stresses. In the present study, the effects of CdCl2 treatment on MAPK phosphorylation and HSP70 expression were examined in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells lacking the sek1 gene, the mkk7 gene, or both. Following CdCl2 exposure, the phosphorylation of JNK, p38, and ERK was suppressed in sek1-/- mkk7-/- cells. When sek1-/- or mkk7-/- cells were treated with CdCl2, JNK phosphorylation, but not the phosphorylation of either p38 or ERK, was markedly reduced, while a weak reduction in p38 phosphorylation was observed in sek1-/- cells. Thus, both SEK1 and MKK7 are required for JNK phosphorylation, whereas their role in p38 and ERK phosphorylation could overlap with that of another kinase. We also observed that CdCl2-induced HSP70 expression was abolished in sek1-/- mkk7-/- cells, was reduced in sek1-/- cells, and was enhanced in mkk7-/- cells. Similarly, the phosphorylation of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) was decreased in sek1-/- mkk7-/- and sek1-/- cells, but was increased in mkk7-/- cells. Transfection with siRNA specific for JNK1, JNK2, p38, ERK1, or ERK2 suppressed CdCl2-induced HSP70 expression. In contrast, silencing of p38 or p38 resulted in further accumulation of HSP70 protein. These results suggest that HSP70 expression is up-regulated by SEK1 and down-regulated by MKK7 through distinct MAPK isoforms in mouse ES cells treated with CdCl2.
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PMID:Differential regulation of HSP70 expression by the JNK kinases SEK1 and MKK7 in mouse embryonic stem cells treated with cadmium. 1834 56

We previously reported that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) stimulates heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) induction through p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells. In the present study, we investigated whether (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the major polyphenol found in green tea, affects the TGF-beta-stimulated induction of HSP27 in these cells, and its underlying mechanism. EGCG significantly suppressed the HSP27 induction stimulated by TGF-beta in a dose-dependent manner between 10 and 30 microM without affecting the HSP70 levels. TGF-beta with or without EGCG did not affect the advanced oxidation protein products. The TGF-beta-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase and ERK1/2 was not affected by EGCG. SP600125, a specific inhibitor of stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), markedly reduced the HSP27 expression induced by TGF-beta. EGCG significantly suppressed the TGF-beta-induced phosphorylation of SAPK/JNK without affecting the phosphorylation of Smad2. EGCG attenuated the phosphorylation of both MKK4 and TAK1 induced by TGF-beta. These results strongly suggest that EGCG suppresses the TGF-beta-stimulated induction of HSP27 via the attenuation of the SAPK/JNK pathway in osteoblasts, and that this effect is exerted at a point upstream from TAK1.
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PMID:(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate reduces transforming growth factor beta-stimulated HSP27 induction through the suppression of stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase in osteoblasts. 1840 96

Previously, we showed that mild heat shock modulates patterns of cell death in response to glucose deprivation (GD), a common characteristic of the tumor microenvironment, by switching necrosis to apoptosis through ERK-dependent suppression of reactive oxygen species production in A549 cells. In the present study, we further examined the molecular mechanism underlying mild heat shock-induced necrosis-to-apoptosis switch. We examined the possible implication of p53 and heat shock proteins (HSPs) in the mechanism. Inhibition of p53 by pifithrin-alpha or p53 siRNA markedly suppressed apoptosis induced by heat shock/GD. On the other hand, silencing of HSP27, but not of HSP70, reversed heat shock/GD-induced apoptosis to necrosis, and HSP27 overexpression suppressed GD-induced necrosis. We further demonstrate that mild heat shock activated AKT and ERK1/2 through phosphorylation. Prevention of PI3K by LY294002 blocked heat shock/GD-induced apoptosis without reversing the cell death mode to necrosis, while inhibition of MEK1/2 by U0126 reversed heat shock/GD-induced apoptosis to necrosis, indicating a different role(s) of PI3K and ERK1/2 in heat shock/GD-induced cell death mode determination. We also found that mild heat shock increased HSP27 and p53 protein levels dependent on PI3K and suppressed the GD-induced increase in RIPA-insoluble HSP27 and p53 protein levels dependent on PI3K and ERK1/2. In conclusion, these results indicate that PI3K-dependent HSP27 and p53 induction and PI3K- and ERK1/2-dependent inhibition of the GD-induced increase in RIPA-insoluble HSP27 and p53 protein levels by heat play a key role(s) in heat shock-mediated switch of GD-induced necrosis to apoptosis.
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PMID:Implication of PI3K-dependent HSP27 and p53 expression in mild heat shock-triggered switch of metabolic stress-induced necrosis to apoptosis in A549 cells. 2004 73

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Proper classification and early identification of HCC and precursor lesions is essential to the successful treatment and survival of HCC patients. Recent molecular genetic, pathologic, and clinical data have led to the stratification of hepatic adenomas into three subgroups: those with mutant TCF1/HNF1 alpha gene, those with mutant beta-catenin, and those without mutations in either of these loci. Hepatic adenomas with alpha-catenin mutations have a significantly greater risk for malignant transformation in comparison with the other two subgroups. Telangiectatic focal nodular hyperplasia has now been reclassified as telangiectatic adenoma due to the presence of non-random methylation patterns, consistent with the monoclonal origin which is similar to hepatic adenoma and HCC. HCC precursor lesions demonstrate unique molecular alterations of HSP70, CAP2, glypican 3, and glutamine synthetase that have proven useful in the histologic diagnosis of early HCC. Though specific genetic alterations depend on HCC etiology, the main proteins affected include cell membrane receptors (in particular tyrosine kinase receptors) as well as proteins involved in cell signaling (specifically Wnt/beta-catenin, Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways), cell cycle regulation (i.e. p53, p16/INK4, cyclin/cdk complex), invasiveness (EMT, TGF-beta) and DNA metabolism. Advances in gene expression profiling have provided new insights into the molecular genetics of HCC. HCCs can now be stratified into two clinically relevant groups: Class A, the low survival subclass (overall survival time 30.3+/- 8.02 months), shows strong expression signatures of cell proliferation and antiapoptosis genes (such as PNCA and cell cycle regulators CDK4, CCNB1, CCNA2, and CKS2) as well as genes involving ubiquitination and sumoylation; Class B, the high survival subclass (overall survival time 83.7 +/-10.3 months), does not have the above expression signature. In fact, insights into HCC-specific alterations of signal transduction pathways and protein expression patterns have led to the development of new therapeutic agents with molecular targets such as EGFR, VEGF, or other multi-kinase inhibitors. In the future, these specific molecular alterations in HCC can potentially serve as diagnostic tools, prognostic markers, and/or therapeutic targets with the potential to alter clinical outcomes.
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PMID:Molecular genetics of hepatocellular neoplasia. 2018 87


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