Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.1.3.16 (calcineurin)
17,112 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Regucalcin was discovered in 1978 as a Ca(2+)-binding protein that does not contain EF-hand motif of Ca(2+)-binding domain [Yamaguchi, M., and Yamamoto T., Chem. Pharm. Bull. 26, 1915-1918, 1978]. The name regucalcin was proposed for this Ca(2+)-binding protein, which can regulate liver cell functions related to Ca(2+). Regucalcin has been demonstrated to play a multifunctional role in liver and kidney cells, for which regucalcin mRNA expression and its protein content are pronounced. Hepatic regucalcin mRNA expression has been shown to be mediated through signaling pathway of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C, and tyrosine kinase. AP-1- and NF-1-like factors can bind to the promotor region of the rat regucalcin gene to mediate the Ca(2+) response for transcriptional activation. Growing evidence supports the view, moreover, that regucalcin plays an important role in the regulation of Ca(2+) signaling from the cytoplasm to nuclei in the proliferative cells of regenerating rat liver. Also, regucalcin has been demonstrated to be transported to liver nucleus, and it can inhibit nuclear protein kinase, protein phosphatase, and DNA and RNA synthesis in regenerating liver. Regucalcin plays a physiologic role in the control for overexpression of proliferative cells. Regucalcin has been proposed to be an important regulatory protein in nuclear signaling system.
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PMID:The role of regucalcin in nuclear regulation of regenerating liver. 1100 72

C/EBP transcription factors have been described to control the activity of the human IL-4 promoter. The C/EBP binding sites within the IL-4 promoter overlap with composite NF-AT and AP-1 binding motifs. We show here that similar binding sites are part of the murine IL-4 promoter. Retroviral overexpression of C/EBPbeta in murine EL-4 thymoma cells led to a strong induction of endogenous IL-4 and a reduction in IL-2 and IFN-gamma expression. Similarily, in primary murine T cells C/EBPbeta induction resulted in an increase in IL-4 levels, whereas in human Jurkat T cells a decrease in IL-2 RNA was detected. Like AP-1, C/EBP factors belong to the large class of basic leucine zipper proteins. However, unlike AP-1, C/EBPbeta does not act in synergy with NF-AT in the induction of the murine IL-4 promoter. Instead, both factors compete in their binding to the P4/Pu-bD site, one of the most important sequence elements of the IL-4 promoter. Whereas NF-AT factors require high levels of free Ca2+ and calcineurin activity for induction, C/EBP induction in T cells is Ca2+/calcineurin independent. These observations suggest that various induction conditions lead to the activation of transcription factors, inducing IL-4 promoter activity at specific developmental stages of T cells.
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PMID:C/EBPbeta enhances IL-4 but impairs IL-2 and IFN-gamma induction in T cells. 1100 91

The family of genuine NF-AT transcription factors consists of four members (NF-AT1 [or NF-ATp], NF-AT2 [or NF-ATc], NF-AT3 and NF-AT4 [or NF-ATx]) which are characterized by a highly conserved DNA binding domain (is designated as Rel similarity domain) and a calcineurin binding domain. The binding of the Ca(2+)-dependent phosphatase calcineurin to this region controls the nuclear import and exit of NF-ATs. This review deals (1) with the structure of NF-AT proteins, (2) the DNA binding of NF-AT factors and their interaction with AP-1, (3) NF-AT target genes, (4) signalling pathways leading to NF-AT activation: the role of protein kinases and calcineurin, (5) the nuclear entry and exit of NF-AT factors, (6) transcriptional transactivation by NF-AT factors, (7) the structure and expression of the chromosomal NF-AT2 gene, and (8) NF-AT factors in Th cell differentiation. The experimental data presented and discussed in the review show that NF-AT factors are major players in the control of T cell activation and differentiation and, in all likelihood, also of the cell cycle and apoptosis of T lymphocytes.
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PMID:The role of NF-AT transcription factors in T cell activation and differentiation. 1104 46

The human (hPRL) PRL gene proximal promoter (-164/+15) is the target for numerous signal transduction pathways involving protein kinases. The inhibitor of Ser/Thr-protein phosphatases okadaic acid (OA) was shown to induce this promoter in rat pituitary GH3B6 through a synergism between increased amounts of the ubiquitous factor AP-1 and the pituitary-specific factor Pit-1. Here we show that this activation results mainly from transcriptional stimulation of the c-fos promoter leading to increased AP-1 activity. We report the surprising absence of the hPRL and c-fos promoter stimulation by OA in GH3 cells, closely related to GH3B6 cells, and we use this discrepancy to dissect the precise mechanism of action. c-fos gene activation involves the mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK)-ternary complex factor (TCF) pathway and can be obtained by expressing active V12ras in both cell lines. We show that OA acts by inhibiting protein phosphatase PP1, thereby protecting MAPK kinase (MEK)1/2 and/or a MEK1/2-kinase from dephosphorylation. PP1 inhibition of MEK activation by V12ras does not occur in GH3 cells, indicating that a distinct, PP1-sensitive phosphorylation site is used in GH3B6 cells to activate the TCF pathway in GH3B6 cells. Finally, we show that the synergistic OA activation of the hPRL promoter by Pit-1 and AP-1 is independent of the Pit-1 transactivation domain and is mediated by the general coactivator (CRE-binding protein)-binding protein (CBP)/p300.
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PMID:Inhibition of protein phosphatase PP1 in GH3B6, but not in GH3 cells, activates the MEK/ERK/c-fos pathway and the human prolactin promoter, involving the coactivator CPB/p300. 1126 13

Combinatorial regulation is a powerful mechanism that enables tight control of gene expression, via integration of multiple signaling pathways that induce different transcription factors required for enhanceosome assembly. The four calcium-regulated transcription factors of the NFAT family act synergistically with AP-1 (Fos/Jun) proteins on composite DNA elements which contain adjacent NFAT and AP-1 binding sites, where they form highly stable ternary complexes to regulate the expression of diverse inducible genes. Concomitant induction of NFAT and AP-1 requires concerted activation of two different signaling pathways: calcium/calcineurin, which promotes NFAT dephosphorylation, nuclear translocation and activation; and protein kinase C (PKC)/Ras, which promotes the synthesis, phosphorylation and activation of members of the Fos and Jun families of transcription factors. A fifth member of the NFAT family, NFAT5, controls the cellular response to osmotic stress, by a mechanism that requires dimer formation and is independent of calcineurin or of interaction with AP-1. Pharmacological interference with theNFAT:AP-1 interaction may be useful in selective manipulation of the immune response. Balanced activation of NFAT and AP-1 is known to be required for productive immune responses, but the role of NFAT:AP-1 interactions in other cell types and biological processes remains to be understood.
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PMID:Partners in transcription: NFAT and AP-1. 1140 42

NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T cell) proteins are expressed in most immune system cells and regulate the transcription of cytokine genes critical for the immune response. The activity of NFAT proteins is tightly regulated by the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase 2B/calcineurin (CaN). Dephosphorylation of NFAT by CaN is required for NFAT nuclear localization. Current immunosuppressive drugs such as cyclosporin A and FK506 block CaN activity thus inhibiting nuclear translocation of NFAT and consequent cytokine gene transcription. The inhibition of CaN in cells outside of the immune system may contribute to the toxicities associated with cyclosporin A therapy. In a search for safer immunosuppressive drugs, we identified a series of 3,5-bistrifluoromethyl pyrazole (BTP) derivatives that block Th1 and Th2 cytokine gene transcription. The BTP compounds block the activation-dependent nuclear localization of NFAT as determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Confocal microscopy of cells expressing fluorescent-tagged NFAT confirmed that the BTP compounds block calcium-induced movement of NFAT from the cytosol to the nucleus. Inhibition of NFAT was selective because the BTP compounds did not affect the activation of NF-kappaB and AP-1 transcription factors. Treatment of intact T cells with the BTP compounds prior to calcium ionophore-induced activation of CaN caused NFAT to remain in a highly phosphorylated state. However, the BTP compounds did not directly inhibit the dephosphorylation of NFAT by CaN in vitro, nor did the drugs block the dephosphorylation of other CaN substrates including the type II regulatory subunit of protein kinase A and the transcription factor Elk-1. The data suggest that the BTP compounds cause NFAT to be maintained in the cytosol in a phosphorylated state and block the nuclear import of NFAT and, hence, NFAT-dependent cytokine gene transcription by a mechanism other than direct inhibition of CaN phosphatase activity. The novel inhibitors described herein will be useful in better defining the cellular regulation of NFAT activation and may lead to identification of new therapeutic targets for the treatment of autoimmune disease and transplant rejection.
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PMID:Potent inhibition of NFAT activation and T cell cytokine production by novel low molecular weight pyrazole compounds. 1159 64

A cDNA encoding a novel, human, dual-specific protein phosphatase was identified in the Incyte data base. The open reading frame predicted a protein of 184 amino acids related to the Vaccinia virus VH1 and human VH1-related (VHR) phosphatases. Expression VHR-related MKPX (VHX) was highest in thymus, but also detectable in monocytes and lymphocytes. A VHX-specific antiserum detected a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 19 kDa in many cells, including T lymphocytes and monocytes. VHX expression was not induced by T cell activation, but decreased somewhat at later time points. In vitro, VHX dephosphorylated the Erk2 mitogen-activated protein kinase with faster kinetics than did VHR, which is thought to be specific for Erk1 and 2. When expressed in Jurkat T cells, VHX had the capacity to suppress T cell antigen receptor-induced activation of Erk2 and of an NFAT/AP-1 luciferase reporter, but not an NF-kappaB reporter. Thus, VHX is a new member of the VH1/VHR group of small dual-specific phosphatases that act in mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways.
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PMID:Inhibition of T cell antigen receptor signaling by VHR-related MKPX (VHX), a new dual specificity phosphatase related to VH1 related (VHR). 1173 13

The novel protein kinase C (PKC) isoform, PKC theta, is selectively expressed in T lymphocytes and is a sine qua non for T cell antigen receptor (TCR)-triggered activation of mature T cells. Productive engagement of T cells by antigen-presenting cells (APCs) results in recruitment of PKC theta to the T cell-APC contact area--the immunological synapse--where it interacts with several signaling molecules to induce activation signals essential for productive T cell activation and IL-2 production. The transcription factors NF-kappa B and AP-1 are the primary physiological targets of PKC theta, and efficient activation of these transcription factors by PKC theta requires integration of TCR and CD28 costimulatory signals. PKC theta cooperates with the protein Ser/Thr phosphatase, calcineurin, in transducing signals leading to activation of JNK, NFAT, and the IL-2 gene. PKC theta also promotes T cell cycle progression and regulates programmed T cell death. The exact mode of regulation and immediate downstream substrates of PKC theta are still largely unknown. Identification of these molecules and determination of their mode of operation with respect to the function of PKC theta will provide essential information on the mechanism of T cell activation. The selective expression of PKC theta in T cells and its essential role in mature T cell activation establish it as an attractive drug target for immunosuppression in transplantation and autoimmune diseases.
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PMID:Protein kinase C(theta) in T cell activation. 1186 17

In lymphocytes, integration of Ca2+ and other signaling pathways results in productive activation, while unopposed Ca2+ signaling leads to tolerance or anergy. We show that the Ca2+-regulated transcription factor NFAT has an integral role in both aspects of lymphocyte function. Ca2+/calcineurin signaling induces a limited set of anergy-associated genes, distinct from genes induced in the productive immune response; these genes are upregulated in vivo in tolerant T cells and are largely NFAT dependent. T cells lacking NFAT1 are resistant to anergy induction; conversely, NFAT1 induces T cell anergy if prevented from interacting with its transcriptional partner AP-1 (Fos/Jun). Thus, in the absence of AP-1, NFAT imposes a genetic program of lymphocyte anergy that counters the program of productive activation mediated by the cooperative NFAT:AP-1 complex.
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PMID:Transcriptional mechanisms underlying lymphocyte tolerance. 1208 71

The calcineurin-regulated transcription factor, nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT), controls many aspects of T cell function. Here, we demonstrate that the calcineurin/NFAT pathway negatively regulates the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4). A canonical NFAT binding site was identified and found to be sensitive to calcium signals, FK506/CsA, and histone deacetylase activity and to not require AP-1. Ectopic expression of NFATc2 inhibited the basal activity of the human CDK4 promoter. Additionally, both calcineurin Aalpha(-/-) and NFATc2(-/-) mice had elevated protein levels of CDK4, confirming a negative regulatory role for the calcineurin/NFAT pathway. This pathway may thus regulate the expression of CDK4 at the transcriptional level and control how cells re-enter a resting, nonproliferative state.
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PMID:NFATc2-mediated repression of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 expression. 1245 15


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