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)

Accumulating evidence indicates that the beta-arrestins act as scaffold molecules that couple G-protein-coupled receptors to mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling pathways. Recently, we identified the c-Jun N-terminal kinase 3 (JNK3) as a beta-arrestin2-interacting protein in yeast-two hybrid and co-immunoprecipitation studies. Beta-arrestin2 acts as a scaffold to enhance signaling to JNK3 stimulated by overexpression of the MAP3 kinase ASK1 or by agonist activation of the angiotensin 1A receptor. Whereas beta-arrestin2 is a very strong activator of JNK3 signaling, beta-arrestin1 is very weak in this regard. The data also indicate that the specific step enhanced by beta-arrestin2 involves phosphorylation of JNK3 by the MAP2 kinase MKK4. We reasoned that defining the region (or domain) in beta-arrestin2 responsible for high level JNK3 activation would provide insight into the mechanism by which beta-arrestin2 enhances the activity of this signaling pathway. Using chimeric beta-arrestins, we have determined that sequences in the carboxyl-terminal region of beta-arrestin2 are important for the enhancement of JNK3 phosphorylation. More detailed analysis of the carboxyl-terminal domains of the beta-arrestins indicated that beta-arrestin2, but not beta-arrestin1, contains a sequence (RRSLHL) highly homologous to the conserved docking motif present in many MAP kinase-binding proteins. Replacement of the beta-arrestin2 RRS residues with the corresponding KP residues present in beta-arrestin1 dramatically reduced both JNK3 interaction and enhancement of JNK3 phosphorylation. Conversely, replacement of the KP residues in beta-arrestin1 with RRS significantly increased both JNK3 binding and enhancement of JNK3 phosphorylation. These results delineate a mechanism by which beta-arrestin2 functions as a scaffold protein in the JNK3 signaling pathway and implicate the conserved docking site in beta-arrestin2 as an important factor in binding JNK3 and stimulating the phosphorylation of JNK3 by MKK4.
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PMID:Identification of a motif in the carboxyl terminus of beta -arrestin2 responsible for activation of JNK3. 1135 42

Islet-brain1/JNK-interacting protein-1 (IB1/JIP-1) is a scaffold protein that organizes the JNK, MKK7, and MLK1 to allow signaling specificity. Targeted disruption of the gene MAPK8IP1 encoding IB1/JIP-1 in mice led to embryonic death prior to blastocyst implantation. In culture, no IB1/JIP-1(-/-) embryos were identified indicating that accelerated cell death occurred during the first cell cycles. IB1/JIP-1 expression was detected in unfertilized oocytes, in spermatozoa, and in different stages of embryo development. Thus, despite the maternal and paternal transmission of the IB1/JIP-1 protein, early transcription of the MAPK8IP1 gene is required for the survival of the fertilized oocytes.
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PMID:Islet-brain1/JNK-interacting protein-1 is required for early embryogenesis in mice. 1139 Mar 67

Increasing evidence suggests that apoptosis may be the underlying cell death mechanism in the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease. Because the inhibition of caspases provides only partial protection in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine/1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPTP/MPP(+)) model of Parkinson's disease, we investigated the role of the proapoptotic c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling cascade in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells in vitro and in mice in vivo. MPTP/MPP(+) led to the sequential phosphorylation and activation of JNK kinase (MKK4), JNK, and c-Jun, the activation of caspases, and apoptosis. In mice, adenoviral gene transfer of the JNK binding domain of JNK-interacting protein-1 (a scaffold protein and inhibitor of JNK) inhibited this cascade downstream of MKK4 phosphorylation, blocked JNK, c-Jun, and caspase activation, the death of dopaminergic neurons, and the loss of catecholamines in the striatum. Furthermore, the gene transfer resulted in behavioral benefit. Therefore, inhibition of the JNK pathway offers a new treatment strategy for Parkinson's disease that blocks the death signaling pathway upstream of the execution of apoptosis in dopaminergic neurons, providing a therapeutic advantage over the direct inhibition of caspases.
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PMID:Gene transfer of the JNK interacting protein-1 protects dopaminergic neurons in the MPTP model of Parkinson's disease. 1150 16

Members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) superfamily, including p38 kinase and SAPK/JNK, play a central role in mediating cellular response to environmental stress, growth factors and cytokines. Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) is a multifunctional cytokine capable of eliciting mitogenic, motogenic and morphogenetic activities in responsive cells, and has been implicated in tumor development and metastasis. Binding of HGF/SF to its tyrosine kinase receptor c-Met stimulates multiple signal transduction pathways, leading to the activation of numerous transcription factors. We here report that HGF/SF can induce cyclin D1 expression in mouse melanoma cells, and that this up-regulation is mediated in part by the activating transcription factor-2 (ATF-2). HGF/SF-mediated phosphorylation of ATF-2 was reduced in the presence of either the p38 kinase-specific inhibitor SB203580, a dominant negative p38 mutant, the SAPK/JNK inhibitor JNK-interacting protein-1 (JIP-1), or the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-specific inhibitor LY294002. Activation of p38 kinase by HGF/SF was partially blocked by the PI3K-specific inhibitor as well. The upstream kinases for p38, MKK3/6, did not become activated following HGF/SF exposure, and ATF-2 activation was undiminished by transient transfection of a dominant negative MKK6 mutant. However, transcriptional up-regulation of cyclin D1 by HGF/SF was partially inhibited by the p38 kinase-specific inhibitor, and cyclin D1 protein induction was partially blocked by a dominant negative ATF-2 mutant. Notably, the p38 kinase-specific inhibitor was able to block melanoma cell proliferation but not motility. We conclude that the ATF-2 transcription factor becomes activated by HGF/SF through p38 MAPK and SAPK/JNK. Moreover, the p38-ATF-2 pathway can help mediate proliferation signals in tumor cells through transcriptional activation of key cell cycle regulators.
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PMID:Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor activates proliferation in melanoma cells through p38 MAPK, ATF-2 and cyclin D1. 1185 Aug 17

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-binding protein (PBP) is an important coactivator for PPARgamma and other transcription factors. PBP is an integral component of a multiprotein thyroid hormone receptor-associated protein (TRAP)/vitamin D(3) receptor-interacting protein (DRIP)/activator-recruited cofactor (ARC) complex required for transcriptional activity. To study the regulation of PBP by cellular signaling pathways, we identified the phosphorylation sites of PBP. Using a combination of in vitro and in vivo approaches and mutagenesis of PBP phosphorylation sites, we identified six phosphorylation sites on PBP: one exclusive protein kinase A (PKA) phosphorylation site at serine 656, two protein kinase C (PKC) sites at serine 796 and serine 1345, a common PKA/PKC site at serine 756, and two extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 sites of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family at threonine 1017 and threonine 1444. Binding of PBP to PPARgamma1 or retinoid-X-receptor for 9-cis-retinoic acid (RXR) is independent of their phosphorylation states, implying no changes in protein-protein interaction after modification by phosphorylation. Overexpression of RafBXB, an activated upstream kinase of the MAPK signal transduction pathway, exerts a significant additive inductive effect on PBP coactivator function. This effect is significantly diminished by overexpression of RafBXB301, a dominant negative mutant of RafBXB. These results identify phosphorylation as a regulatory modification event of PBP and demonstrate that PBP phosphorylation by Raf/MEK/MAPK cascade exerts a positive effect on PBP coactivator function. The functional role of PKA and PKC phosphorylation sites in PBP remains to be elucidated.
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PMID:Phosphorylation of transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-binding protein (PBP). Stimulation of transcriptional regulation by mitogen-activated protein kinase. 1235 58

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

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway regulates diverse biologic functions including cell growth, differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. The extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) constitute one branch of the MAPK pathway that has been implicated in the regulation of cardiac differentiated growth, although the downstream mechanisms whereby ERK signaling affects this process are not well characterized. Here we performed a yeast two-hybrid screen with ERK2 bait and a cardiac cDNA library to identify novel proteins involved in regulating ERK signaling in cardiomyocytes. This screen identified the LIM-only factor FHL2 as an ERK interacting protein in both yeast and mammalian cells. In vivo, FHL2 and ERK2 colocalized in the cytoplasm at the level of the Z-line, and interestingly, FHL2 interacted more efficiently with the activated form of ERK2 than with the dephosphorylated form. ERK2 also interacted with FHL1 and FHL3 but not with the muscle LIM protein. Moreover, at least two LIM domains in FHL2 were required to mediate efficient interaction with ERK2. The interaction between ERK2 and FHL2 did not influence ERK1/2 activation, nor was FHL2 directly phosphorylated by ERK2. However, FHL2 inhibited the ability of activated ERK2 to reside within the nucleus, thus blocking ERK-dependent transcriptional responsiveness of ELK-1, GATA4, and the atrial natriuretic factor promoter. Finally, FHL2 partially antagonized the cardiac hypertrophic response induced by activated MEK-1, GATA4, and phenylephrine agonist stimulation. Collectively, these results suggest that FHL2 serves a repressor function in cardiomyocytes through its ability to inhibit ERK1/2 transcriptional coupling.
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PMID:Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 interacts with and is negatively regulated by the LIM-only protein FHL2 in cardiomyocytes. 1472 55

The development of specific inhibitors for the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) family of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) has been a recent research focus because of the association of JNK with cell death in conditions such as stroke and neurodegeneration. We have demonstrated previously the presence of critical inhibitory residues within an 11-mer peptide (TI-JIP) based on the sequence of JNK-interacting protein-1 (JIP-1). However, the corresponding region of JNK bound by this JIP-1-based peptide was unknown. To identify this region, we used a novel reverse two-hybrid approach with TI-JIP as bait. We screened a library of JNK1 mutants that had been generated by random PCR mutagenesis and found three mutants of JNK1 that failed to interact with TI-JIP. The mutations in JNK1 were L131R, R309W, and Y320H. Of these mutated residues, Leu-131 and Tyr-320 were located on a common face of the JNK protein close to other residues implicated previously in the interactions of MAPKs with substrates, phosphatases, and scaffolds. To test whether these JNK1 mutants were thus affected in their regulation, we evaluated their activation in mammalian cells in response to hyperosmolarity or cotransfection with a constitutively active upstream kinase or their direct phosphorylation by either MAPK kinase (MKK)4 or MKK7. In each situation, all three JNK mutants were not activated or phosphorylated to the same level as wild-type JNK. Therefore, the results of our unbiased reverse two-hybrid screening approach have identified residues of JNK responsible for binding JIP-1-based peptides as well as MKK4 or MKK7.
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PMID:Reverse two-hybrid screening identifies residues of JNK required for interaction with the kinase interaction motif of JNK-interacting protein-1. 1527 95

Cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression of the wild-type alpha(1B)-adrenergic receptor (alpha(1B)-AR) produces a slowly progressing cardiomyopathy associated with clinical signs of heart failure and premature death around middle age (Lemire et al. 2001). In the heart, alpha(1)-AR activate the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) MAPK cascade. The aim of this project was to determine if cardiac-specific overexpression of the wild-type alpha(1B)-AR results in sustained activation of the ERK pathway. At 3 and 9 months, ERK activity was increased in alpha(1B)-AR overexpressing hearts relative to non-transgenic animals. Similarly, phosphorylation of MEK and p90(rsk) were also elevated. MAP kinase phosphatases (MKPs), which inactivate MAP kinases, are transcriptionally regulated. MKP2 mRNA levels were reduced at 3 months in alpha(1B)-AR overexpressing hearts. Interestingly, there was a general trend for reduced expression of MKP-1, -2, and -3 with increased age. In addition, expression of the modulatory calcineurin-interacting protein (MCIP) 1, an indicator of calcineurin activity, was elevated 3-fold in alpha(1B)-AR overexpressing hearts at both 3 and 9 months. These results indicate that the overexpression of the wild-type alpha(1B)-AR leads to chronic changes in the activation of signalling pathways previously shown to be associated with the hypertrophic response.
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PMID:Cardiac-specific transgenic overexpression of alpha1B-adrenergic receptors induce chronic activation of ERK MAPK signalling. 1567 39

The c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK)-interacting protein (JIP) group of scaffold proteins (JIP1, JIP2, and JIP3) can interact with components of the JNK signaling pathway and potently activate JNK. Here we describe the identification of a fourth member of the JIP family. The primary sequence of JIP4 is most closely related to that of JIP3. Like other members of the JIP family of scaffold proteins, JIP4 binds JNK and also the light chain of the microtubule motor protein kinesin-1. However, the function of JIP4 appears to be markedly different from other JIP proteins. Specifically, JIP4 does not activate JNK signaling. In contrast, JIP4 serves as an activator of the p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway by a mechanism that requires the MAP kinase kinases MKK3 and MKK6. The JIP4 scaffold protein therefore appears to be a new component of the p38 MAP kinase signaling pathway.
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PMID:Role of the JIP4 scaffold protein in the regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. 1576 78


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