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)

Thrombopoietin (Tpo) is a cytokine regulating megakaryocyte maturation and platelet formation. We studied Tpo-induced signal transduction, and found that Tpo induces phosphorylation of adapter molecules. Shc and Vav, and of serine/threonine kinases Raf-1 and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases. Further, Tpo induced activation of Ras, MAP kinase kinase, MAP kinase and Pim-1. Taken together with other observations, we concluded that Tpo induces the activation of at least two distinct signaling pathways, a specific Tyk2-JAK2/STAT1-STAT3-STAT5 signaling cascade and a common Shc/Vav/Ras/Raf-1/MAP kinase kinase/MAP kinase signaling cascade.
...
PMID:Thrombopoietin induces activation of at least two distinct signaling pathways. 854 84

TCR engagement stimulates the activation of the protein kinase Raf-1. Active Raf-1 phosphorylates and activates the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase 1 (MEK1), which in turn phosphorylates and activates the MAP kinases/extracellular signal regulated kinases, ERK1 and ERK2. Raf-1 activity promotes IL-2 production in activated T lymphocytes. Therefore, we sought to determine whether MEK1 and ERK activities also stimulate IL-2 gene transcription. Expression of constitutively active Raf-1 or MEK1 in Jurkat T cells enhanced the stimulation of IL-2 promoter-driven transcription stimulated by a calcium ionophore and PMA, and together with a calcium ionophore the expression of each protein was sufficient to stimulate NF-AT activity. Expression of MEK1-interfering mutants inhibited the stimulation of IL-2 promoter-driven transcription and blocked the ability of constitutively active Ras and Raf-1 to costimulate NF-AT activity with a calcium ionophore. Expression of the MAP kinase-specific phosphatase, MKP-1, which blocks ERK activation, inhibited IL-2 promoter and NF-AT-driven transcription stimulated by a calcium ionophore and PMA, and in addition, MKP-1 neutralized the transcriptional enhancement caused by active Raf-1 and MEK1 expression. We conclude that the MAP kinase signal transduction pathway consisting of Raf-1, MEK1, and ERK1 and ERK2 functions in the stimulation IL-2 gene transcription in activated T lymphocytes.
...
PMID:MEK1 and the extracellular signal-regulated kinases are required for the stimulation of IL-2 gene transcription in T cells. 855 75

Expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), the rate-limiting step in hepatic gluconeogenesis, is primarily regulated at the level of gene transcription. Insulin and phorbol esters inhibit basal PEPCK transcription and antagonize the induction of PEPCK gene expression by glucocorticoids and glucagon (or its second messenger cAMP). Insulin activates a signaling cascade involving Ras --> Raf --> p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase (MEK) --> p42/p44 MAP kinase (ERK 1 and 2). Recent reports suggest that activation of this Ras/MAP kinase pathway is critical for the effects of insulin on mitogenesis and c-fos transcription but is not required for insulin action on metabolic processes such as glycogen synthesis, lipogenesis, and Glut-4-mediated glucose transport. We have used three distinct approaches to examine the role of the Ras/MAP kinase pathway in the regulation of PEPCK transcription by insulin in H4IIE-derived liver cells: (i) chemical inhibition of Ras farnesylation, (ii) infection of cells with an adenovirus vector encoding a dominant-negative mutant of Ras, and (iii) use of a chemical inhibitor of MEK. Although each of these methods blocks insulin activation of MAP kinase, none alters insulin antagonism of cAMP- and glucocorticoid-stimulated PEPCK transcription. Although phorbol esters activate MAP kinase and mimic the effects of insulin on PEPCK gene transcription, inhibition of MEK has no effect on phorbol ester inhibition of PEPCK gene transcription. Using the structurally and mechanistically distinct phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) inhibitors, wortmannin and LY 294002, we provide further evidence supporting a role for PI 3-kinase activation in the regulation of PEPCK gene transcription by insulin. We conclude that neither insulin nor phorbol ester regulation of PEPCK gene transcription requires activation of the Ras/MAP kinase pathway and that insulin signaling to the PEPCK promoter is dependent on PI 3-kinase activation.
...
PMID:Insulin regulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase gene expression does not require activation of the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. 856 35

Rap1 small GTP-binding protein has the same amino acid sequence at its effector domain as that of Ras. Rap1 has been shown to antagonize the Ras functions, such as the Ras-induced transformation of NIH 3T3 cells and the Ras-induced activation of the c-Raf-1 protein kinase-dependent mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade in Rat-1 cells, whereas we have shown that Rap1 as well as Ras stimulates DNA synthesis in Swiss 3T3 cells. We have established a cell-free assay system in which Ras activates bovine brain B-Raf protein kinase. Here we have used this assay system and examined the effect of Rap1 on the B-Raf activity to phosphorylate recombinant MAP kinase kinase (MEK). Recombinant Rap1B stimulated the activity of B-Raf, which was partially purified from bovine brain and immunoprecipitated by an anti-B-Raf antibody. The GTP-bound form was active, but the GDP-bound form was inactive. The fully post-translationally lipid-modified form was active, but the unmodified form was nearly inactive. The maximum B-Raf activity stimulated by Rap1B was nearly the same as that stimulated by Ki-Ras. Rap1B enhanced the Ki-Ras-stimulated B-Raf activity in an additive manner. These results indicate that not only Ras but also Rap1 is involved in the activation of the B-Raf-dependent MAP kinase cascade.
...
PMID:Activation of brain B-Raf protein kinase by Rap1B small GTP-binding protein. 857 7

Signaling via the Ras pathway involves sequential activation of Ras, Raf-1, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MKK), and the extracellular signal-regulated (ERK) group of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases. Expression from the c-Fos, atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), and myosin light chain-2 (MLC-2) promoters during phenylephrine-induced cardiac muscle cell hypertrophy requires activation of this pathway. Furthermore, constitutively active Ras or Raf-1 can mimic the action of phenylephrine in inducing expression from these promoters. In this study, we tested whether constitutively active MKK, the molecule immediately downstream of Raf, was sufficient to induce expression. Expression of constitutively active MKK induce ERK2 kinase activity and caused expression from the c-Fos promoter, but did not significantly activate expression of reporter genes under the control of either the ANF or MLC-2 promoters. Expression of CL100, a phosphatase that inactivates ERKs, prevented expression from all of the promoters. Taken together, these data suggest that ERK activation is required for expression from the Fos, ANF, and MLC-2 promoters but MKK and ERK activation is sufficient for expression only from the Fos promoter. Constitutively active MKK synergized with phenylephrine to increase expression from a c-Fos- or an AP1-driven reporter. However, active MKK inhibited phenylephrine- and Raf-1-induced expression from the ANF and MLC-2 promoters. A DNA sequence in the MLC-2 promoter that is a target for inhibition by active MKK, but not CL100, was mapped to a previously characterized DNA element (HF1) that is responsible for cardiac specificity. Thus, activation of cardiac gene expression during phenylephrine-induced hypertrophy requires ERK activation but constitutive activation by MKK can inhibit expression by targeting a DNA element that controls the cardiac specificity of gene expression.
...
PMID:Inhibition of a signaling pathway in cardiac muscle cells by active mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase. 858 50

In response to hypoxia and reoxygenation, mammalian cells are known to express a variety of genes to adapt to these external stresses or lead to further cell damage. We investigated the intracellular signaling cascades in cultured rat cardiac myocytes subjected to hypoxia followed by reoxygenation (hypoxia/reoxygenation). Here, we show that both hypoxia and hypoxia/reoxygenation caused rapid activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK), activity of Raf-1. This was followed by the sequential activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK), mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, and S6 kinase (p90rsk). Furthermore, hypoxia caused hyperphosphorylation of Raf-1. The maximal hyperphosphorylation of Raf-1 appeared to be accompanied by a significant decrease in MAPKKK activity. These results strongly suggest the following: (1) Intracellular signals initiated by both hypoxia and hypoxia/reoxygenation converge on Raf-1 and activate its MAPKKK activity. Then, Raf1 activates downstream serine/threonine kinases including MAPKK, MAP kinases and p90rsk. (2) Raf-1 is not only located upstream from MAPKK and MAP kinases but also may be phosphorylated by MAP kinases directly or indirectly, and at least Raf-1 kinase activity may be downregulated by this feedback mechanism.
...
PMID:Hypoxia and hypoxia/reoxygenation activate Raf-1, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinases, and S6 kinase in cultured rat cardiac myocytes. 860 10

Incubating rat diaphragm muscles with insulin increased the glycogen synthase activity ratio (minus glucose 6-phosphate/plus glucose 6-phosphate) by approximately 2-fold. Insulin increased the activities of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and the Mr = 90,000 isoform of ribosomal protein S6 kinase (Rsk) by approximately 1.5-2.0-fold. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) was more effective than insulin in increasing MAP kinase and Rsk activity, but in contrast to insulin, EGF did not affect glycogen synthase activity. The activation of both MAP kinase and Rsk by insulin was abolished by incubating muscles with the MAP kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor, PD 098059; however, the MEK inhibitor did not significantly reduce the effect of insulin on activating glycogen synthase. Incubating muscles with concentrations of rapamycin that inhibited activation of p70S6K abolished the activation of glycogen synthase. Insulin also increased the phosphorylation of PHAS-I (phosphorylated heat- and acid-stable protein) and promoted the dissociation of the PHAS-I*eIF-4E complex. Increasing MAP kinase activity with EGF did not mimic the effect of insulin on PHAS-I phosphorylation, and the effect of insulin on increasing MAP kinase could be abolished with the MEK inhibitor without decreasing the effect of insulin on PHAS-I. The effects of insulin on PHAS-I were attenuated by rapamycin. Thus, activation of the MAP kinase/Rsk signaling pathway appears to be neither necessary nor sufficient for insulin action on glycogen synthase and PHAS-I in rat skeletal muscle. The results indicate that the effects of insulin on increasing the synthesis of glycogen and protein in skeletal muscle, two of the most important actions of the hormone, involve a rapamycin-sensitive mechanism that may include elements of the p70S6K signaling pathway.
...
PMID:Regulation of both glycogen synthase and PHAS-I by insulin in rat skeletal muscle involves mitogen-activated protein kinase-independent and rapamycin-sensitive pathways. 861 80

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) stimulated mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases and MAP kinase kinase in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Inhibitors for protein kinase C (PKC), Ro31-8425, H-7, and calphostin C, reduced HGF-induced MAP kinase activity. A PKC activator, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), induced MAP kinase activation in a concentration-dependent manner. Protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitors, genistein, and ST638 also inhibited HGF-induced MAP kinase activation. Furthermore, HGF increased formation of Ras guanosine triphosphate (GTP) complex, indicating Ras activation. Genistein inhibited HGF-induced Ras activation, but Ro31-8425 was without effect. On the other hand, Ro31-8425 decreased HGF-induced [3H]arachidonic acid (AA) release and [3H]thymidine incorporation. Genistein also prevented [3H]AA release and [3H]-thymidine incorporation. Moreover, a commonly used phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitor, quinacrine, decreased HGF-induced [3H]AA release and [3H]thymidine incorporation. The inhibitory profile of [3H]AA release was well correlated with that of [3H]thymidine incorporation in Ro31-8425-, genistein-, and quinacrine-treated cells. A cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, which suppressed HGF-induced DNA synthesis, had minimal effect on MAP kinase activation. In contrast, prostaglandin (PG) E1, E2, or F2 alpha, which stimulate [3H]thymidine incorporation to the same level as that caused by HGF in hepatocytes, caused very weak activation of MAP kinases. These results suggest that PTK, Ras, and PKC play roles in MAP kinase activation induced by HGF and that MAP kinase activation resulting in AA release is involved in DNA synthesis in rat hepatocytes.
...
PMID:Mitogen-activated protein kinase activation in hepatocyte growth factor-stimulated rat hepatocytes: involvement of protein tyrosine kinase and protein kinase C. 862 Nov 60

The p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signal transduction pathway is activated by proinflammatory cytokines and environmental stress. The detection of p38 MAP kinase in the nucleus of activated cells suggests that p38 MAP kinase can mediate signaling to the nucleus. To test this hypothesis, we constructed expression vectors for activated MKK3 and MKK6, two MAP kinase kinases that phosphorylate and activate p38 MAP kinase. Expression of activated MKK3 and MKK6 in cultured cells caused a selective increase in p38 MAP kinase activity. Cotransfection experiments demonstrated that p38 MAP kinase activation causes increased reporter gene expression mediated by the transcription factors ATF2 and Elk-1. These data demonstrate that the nucleus is one target of the p38 MAP kinase signal transduction pathway.
...
PMID:MKK3- and MKK6-regulated gene expression is mediated by the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signal transduction pathway. 862 69

Insulin activation of Ras is mediated by the plasma membrane targeting of the guanylnucleotide exchange factor SOS associated with the small adapter protein Grb2. SOS also lies in an insulin-stimulated feedback pathway in which the serine/threonine phosphorylation of SOS results in disassociation of the Grb2-SOS complex thereby limiting the extent of Ras activation. To examine the relative role of the mitogen-activated protein kinases in the feedback phosphorylation of SOS we determined the signaling specificity of insulin, osmotic shock, and anisomycin to activate the ERK (extracellular-signal regulated kinase) and JNK (c-Jun kinase) pathways. In Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing the human insulin receptor and murine 3T3L1 adipocytes, insulin specifically activated ERK with no significant effect on JNK, whereas anisomycin specifically activated JNK but was unable to activate ERK. In contrast, osmotic shock was equally effective in the activation of both kinase pathways. Insulin and osmotic shock, but not anisomycin, resulted in SOS phosphorylation and disassociation of the Grb2-SOS complex, demonstrating that the JNK pathway was not involved in the insulin-stimulated feedback uncoupling of the Grb2- SOS complex. Both the insulin and osmotic shock-induced activation of ERK was prevented by treatment of cells with the specific MEK inhibitor (PD98059). However, expression of dominant-interfering Ras (N17Ras) inhibited the insulin- but not osmotic shock-stimulated phosphorylation of ERK and SOS. These data demonstrate that activation of the ERK pathway, but not JNK, is responsible for the feedback phosphorylation and disassociation of the Grb2-SOS complex.
...
PMID:SOS phosphorylation and disassociation of the Grb2-SOS complex by the ERK and JNK signaling pathways. 862 28


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>