Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0027819 (neuroblastoma)
 27,800 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Rat pheochromocytoma cells, PC12 cells, undergo differentiation in response to nerve growth factor (NGF). Although the Ras-MAP kinase signaling pathway has been shown to play a central role in the response to NGF, the precise mechanism which induces differentiation remains unclarified. Recently, several gamma-lactam-related microbial products were identified to induce neurite outgrowth in neuroblastoma cells. Therefore, we synthesized a series of gamma-lactam-related compounds and tested for their ability to induce neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells. We found that two compounds, MT-19 and MT-20, induced neurite outgrowth at concentrations as low as 1 microg/ml. MT-19 and MT-20 have an n-hexadecyl group and an n-dodecyl group, respectively, at the position N-1 of the gamma-lactam ring, and the modification of this group leads to partial or complete loss of activity. In addition, the modification of the methyl and hydroxyl group at C-5 leads to complete loss of activity, indicating a strict structure-activity relationship. Interestingly, MT-19 and MT-20 induced neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells which lack normal Ras function. Furthermore, these compounds did not induce MAP kinase activation, suggesting that MT-19 and MT-20 do not require the Ras-MAP kinase signaling pathway which is shown to be necessary and sufficient for NGF-induced neurite outgrowth. Consistent with this, none of the early- or late-response genes tested, which include fos, zif268, Nur77, vgf, and transin, was induced. However, the protein level of three neurofilaments was increased after the incubation with these compounds. Since the level of other cytoskeleton proteins including actin and tubulin remained constant, MT-19 and MT-20 specifically affected neurofilament synthesis and/or turnover. Taken together, these findings indicate that MT-19 and MT-20 induce neurite outgrowth by activating the downstream target of MAP kinase or by a novel mechanism which is distinct from the NGF-activated pathway.
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PMID:Induction of neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells by gamma-lactam-related compounds via Ras-MAP kinase signaling pathway independent mechanism. 926 Aug 90

Al-trans retinoic acid (RA) enhanced human, S-type, SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cell invasion of reconstituted basement membrane in vitro but did not induce terminal differentiation of this cell line. In contrast to basal invasion, which was urokinase (uPA)- and plasmin-dependent, RA-enhanced invasion was dependent on tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasmin activity. Neither basal nor RA-enhanced invasion involved TIMP-2 inhibitable metalloproteinases. Enhanced invasion was associated with the induction of t-PA expression, increased expression of the putative t-PA receptor amphoterin, increased association of t-PA with cell membranes and increased net membrane-associated PA activity. Enhanced invasion was not associated with significant changes in the expression of uPA or its membrane receptor UPAR; plasminogen activator inhibitors PAI-1 and PAI-2; metalloproteinases MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9 and membrane type MMP1; or tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases TIMP-1 and TIMP-2. RA stimulated the association of t-PA with the external cell membrane surface, which could be inhibited by heparin sulphate but not by mannose sugars or chelators of divalent cations, consistent with a role for amphoterin. Our data indicate that RA can promote the malignant behavior of S-type neuroblastoma cells refractory to RA-mediated terminal differentiation by enhancing their basement membrane invasive capacity. We suggest that this results from the action of a novel, RA-regulated mechanism involving stimulation of t-PA expression and its association with the cell membrane leading to increased PA-dependent matrix degradation.
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PMID:Retinoic acid-enhanced invasion through reconstituted basement membrane by human SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells involves membrane-associated tissue-type plasminogen activator. 939 56

Germ-line point mutations of the RET gene are responsible for multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2A and 2B that develop medullary thyroid carcinoma and pheochromocytoma. We performed a differential display analysis of gene expression using NIH 3T3 cells expressing the RET-MEN2A or RET-MEN2B mutant proteins. As a consequence, we identified 10 genes induced by both mutant proteins and eight genes repressed by them. The inducible genes include cyclin D1, cathepsins B and L, and cofilin genes that are known to be involved in cell growth, tumor progression, and invasion. In contrast, the repressed genes include type I collagen, lysyl oxidase, annexin I, and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (TIMP3) genes that have been implicated in tumor suppression. In addition, six RET-MEN2A- and five RET-MEN2B-inducible genes were identified. Among 21 genes induced by RET-MEN2A and/or RET-MEN2B, six genes including cyclin D1, cathepsin B, cofilin, ring finger protein 11 (RNF11), integrin-alpha6, and stanniocalcin 1 (STC1) genes were also induced in TGW human neuroblastoma cells in response to glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor stimulation. Because the STC1 gene was found to be highly induced by both RET-MEN2B and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor stimulation, and the expression of its product was detected in medullary thyroid carcinoma with the MEN2B mutation by immunohistochemistry, this may suggest a possible role for STC1 in the development of MEN 2B phenotype.
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PMID:Characterization of gene expression induced by RET with MEN2A or MEN2B mutation. 1210 9

Although alpha-synuclein is the main structural component of the insoluble filaments that form Lewy bodies in Parkinson disease (PD), its physiological function and exact role in neuronal death remain poorly understood. In the present study, we examined the possible functional relationship between alpha-synuclein and several forms of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the human dopaminergic neuroblastoma (SK-N-BE) cell line. When SK-N-BE cells were transiently transfected with alpha-synuclein, it was secreted into the extracellular culture media, concomitantly with a significant decrease in cell viability. Also the addition of nitric oxide-generating compounds to the cells caused the secreted alpha-synuclein to be digested, producing a small fragment whose size was similar to that of the fragment generated during the incubation of alpha-synuclein with various MMPs in vitro. Among several forms of MMPs, alpha-synuclein was cleaved most efficiently by MMP-3, and MALDI-TOF mass spectra analysis showed that alpha-synuclein is cleaved from its C-terminal end with at least four cleavage sites within the non-Abeta component of AD amyloid sequence. Compared with the intact form, the protein aggregation of alpha-synuclein was remarkably facilitated in the presence of the proteolytic fragments, and the fragment-induced aggregates showed more toxic effect on cell viability. Moreover, the levels of MMP-3 were also found to be increased significantly in the rat PD brain model produced by the cerebral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine into the substantia nigra. The present study suggests that the extracellularly secreted alpha-synuclein could be processed via the activation of MMP-3 in a selective manner.
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PMID:Proteolytic cleavage of extracellular secreted {alpha}-synuclein via matrix metalloproteinases. 1586 97

Biometals play an important role in Alzheimer disease, and recent reports have described the development of potential therapeutic agents based on modulation of metal bioavailability. The metal ligand clioquinol (CQ) has shown promising results in animal models and small phase clinical trials; however, the actual mode of action in vivo has not been determined. We now report a novel effect of CQ on amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) metabolism in cell culture. Treatment of Chinese hamster ovary cells overexpressing amyloid precursor protein with CQ and Cu(2+) or Zn(2+) resulted in an approximately 85-90% reduction of secreted Abeta-(1-40) and Abeta-(1-42) compared with untreated controls. Analogous effects were seen in amyloid precursor protein-overexpressing neuroblastoma cells. The secreted Abeta was rapidly degraded through up-regulation of matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-2 and MMP-3 after addition of CQ and Cu(2+). MMP activity was increased through activation of phosphoinositol 3-kinase and JNK. CQ and Cu(2+) also promoted phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3, and this potentiated activation of JNK and loss of Abeta-(1-40). Our findings identify an alternative mechanism of action for CQ in the reduction of Abeta deposition in the brains of CQ-treated animals and potentially in Alzheimer disease patients.
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PMID:Degradation of the Alzheimer disease amyloid beta-peptide by metal-dependent up-regulation of metalloprotease activity. 1664 35