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Query: UMLS:C0038187 (
starvation
)
24,951
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
Axl is a
receptor tyrosine kinase
that is activated by Gas6, a growth factor that belongs to the vitamin K-dependent protein family. Although Gas6 binding to Axl has been shown to transmit mitogenic and/or antiapoptotic signals to a variety of cell types, the role of the Axl-Gas6 system in normal and pathological lens biology is not known. We demonstrate for the first time that Axl protein is expressed in normal rat and bovine lens and that its ligand, Gas6, is present in bovine aqueous humor. In addition, we have detected tyrosine-phosphorylated Axl in normal rat and bovine lens epithelial tissues. We further show that human recombinant Gas6 is able to act as a growth factor in cultured human lens epithelial cells by activating Axl and then the AKT signaling pathway. Gas6 mediates a survival and anti-apoptotic response in cultured human lens epithelial cells subjected to serum-
starvation
(48-72hr), or treated with transforming growth factor beta1 (5 ng ml(-1), 48hr) or tumor necrosis alpha (100 ng ml(-1), 48hr), as demonstrated by increased number of viable cells, and decreased DNA condensation or caspase-3 activity. In contrast, Gas6 is not able to block apoptosis induced by staurosporin (1microM, 5-24hr) in human lens epithelial cells. Taken together, these data suggest that the Gas6/Axl signaling plays an important role in the control of lens epithelial cell growth and survival and hence in the maintenance of lens homeostasis.
...
PMID:Role of Gas6/Axl signaling in lens epithelial cell proliferation and survival. 1466 25
Gas6 is a gamma-carboxylated ligand for the
receptor tyrosine kinase
Axl. Gas6-Axl interactions can rescue endothelial cells from apoptosis, and this study examined the intracellular signaling mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon. Using flow cytometry, we first confirmed that Gas6 can abrogate apoptosis induced by serum
starvation
of primary cultures of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). This effect is mediated through phosphorylation of the serine-threonine kinase Akt, with maximal phosphorylation observed after 4 h of treatment with 100 ng/ml Gas6. Inhibition of Akt phosphorylation and abrogation of gas6-mediated survival of HUVECs by wortmannin implicated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase as the mediator of Akt phosphorylation. Dominant negative Akt constructs largely abrogated the protective effect of Gas6 on HUVECs, underscoring the importance of Akt activation in Gas6-mediated survival. Several downstream regulators of this survival pathway were identified in HUVECs, namely, NF-kappaB as well as the antiapoptotic and proapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and caspase 3, respectively. We showed that NF-kappaB is phosphorylated early after Gas6 treatment as evidenced by doublet formation on Western blotting. As well, the level of Bcl-2 protein increased, supporting the notion that the Bcl-2 antiapoptotic pathway is stimulated. The levels of expression of the caspase 3 activation products p12 and p20 decreased with Gas6 treatment, consistent with a reduction in proapoptotic caspase 3 activation. Taken together, these experiments provide new information about the mechanism underlying Gas6 protection from apoptosis in primary endothelial cell cultures.
...
PMID:Intracellular signaling pathways involved in Gas6-Axl-mediated survival of endothelial cells. 1513 Aug 93
E3b1, a binding partner of Eps8, plays a critical role in
receptor tyrosine kinase
(
RTK
)-mediated Rac activation by facilitating the interaction of Eps8 with Sos-1 and the consequent activation of the Rac-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor activity of Sos-1. Here we present evidence that E3b1 levels are regulated by the Ca(2+)-activated protease calpain, and also by Pak, a downstream target of Rac signaling. Serum
starvation
of Rat2 or COS7 cells resulted in rapid loss of E3b1 that was reversed by calpain inhibitors. Loss was also prevented by expressing the constitutively active Pak1 mutant, Pak1(H83,86L). Activation of endogenous Pak by platelet-derived growth factor or the constitutively active Rac1 mutant, Rac1(G12V), also inhibited degradation. In contrast, inhibition of endogenous Pak activity by expressing the Pak auto-inhibitory domain caused degradation of over-expressed E3b1 even in the presence of serum. Taken together, these findings indicate that E3b1 is down-regulated by calpain activation and stabilized by Pak activation. They also suggest that
RTK
-mediated Rac activation can be modulated by changes in the level of E3b1 in response to signals that affect the activity of calpain or Pak.
...
PMID:Pak regulates calpain-dependent degradation of E3b1. 1517 60
We have previously identified C1 domain-containing phosphatase and TENsin homologue (C1-TEN) as being an intracellular binding partner for Axl
receptor tyrosine kinase
(
RTK
). C1-TEN is a tensin-related protein that houses an N-terminal region with predicted structural similarity to PTEN. Here, we report our observations on the effects of ectopic expression of C1-TEN in HEK293 cells, which resulted in profound molecular and phenotypic changes. Stable expression of C1-TEN altered cellular morphology, with less cell spreading and weaker filamentous actin staining. Cells overexpressing C1-TEN were inhibited greatly in their proliferation and migration rates as compared with mock-transfected cells. Furthermore, serum
starvation
-induced apoptosis caused a twofold increase in caspase 3 activity in C1-TEN-overexpressing cells vs. mock cells. In addition, C1-TEN-overexpressing cells showed a markedly reduced phosphorylation of Akt/PKB kinase and its substrate GSK3, as well as reduced Akt enzymatic activity. No such effects on JNK were observed. Also, serum-stimulated activation of Akt was delayed in C1-TEN-overexpressing cells, while no difference in profile of ERK activation was observed. Furthermore, cells expressing a C1-TEN mutant where the putative phosphatase active site cysteine at position 231 was substituted for a serine displayed full restoration of both cell proliferation and Akt activation. In conclusion, C1-TEN appears to be a novel intracellular phosphatase that negatively regulates the Akt/PKB signaling cascade, and is similar to its relative PTEN in this respect. However, the particular domain organization of C1-TEN may enable it to regulate
RTK
and other signaling complexes that are linked to Akt/PKB signaling in a unique manner.
...
PMID:C1-TEN is a negative regulator of the Akt/PKB signal transduction pathway and inhibits cell survival, proliferation, and migration. 1581 39
In tumor cells, high phosphorylation levels of receptor tyrosine kinases may occur in the absence of exogenous ligands due to autocrine signaling or enhanced tyrosine kinase activity. Here we show that the phosphorylation state of the endogenous epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) can be quantitatively imaged in tumor cells and tissues by detecting fluorescence resonance energy transfer between fluorophores conjugated to antibodies against the receptor and phosphotyrosine, respectively. Five different human colorectal cell lines were analyzed for activity and expression of EGFR. All cell lines exhibited basal EGFR phosphorylation under serum
starvation
conditions. Phosphorylation levels increased after stimulation with EGF or pervanadate, dependent on the level of basal EGFR phosphorylation in the respective cell lines. This basal activity correlated inversely with receptor expression. Using the acceptor photobleaching fluorescence resonance energy transfer imaging approach, a significantly higher phosphorylation state of EGFR was also found in resected human colorectal tumor samples as compared with adjacent healthy tissue. Imaging of EGFR phosphorylation may thus serve as a valuable tool to investigate the role of
receptor tyrosine kinase
activity in malignant cell growth.
...
PMID:Imaging epidermal growth factor receptor phosphorylation in human colorectal cancer cells and human tissues. 1590 35
Angiogenesis is one of essential components for the growth of neoplasms, including malignant gliomas. However, tumor vascularization is often poorly organized and marginally functional due to tumor structural abnormalities, inducing regional or temporal hypoxic conditions and nutritional shortages in tumor tissues. We investigated how during angiogenesis migrating endothelial cells survive in these hypoxic and reduced nutritional conditions. Human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) underwent apoptosis and necrosis after serum withdrawal. This endothelial cell death was blocked by recombinant VEGF protein or the culture medium of U251 glioma cells exposed to hypoxia (H-CM). Hypoxic treatment increased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) expression in U251 glioma cells. H-CM activated nuclear factor-kappaB (NFkappaB) protein and increased the gene expression of antiapoptotic factors including Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L), survivin and X-chromosome-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) in endothelial cells. The survival activity of H-CM for endothelial cells was abolished by two kinds of VEGF inhibitors {Cyclopeptidic VEGF inhibitor and a VEGF
receptor tyrosine kinase
inhibitor (4-[(4'-chloro-2'-fluoro) phenylamino]-6, 7-dimethoxyquinazoline)} or NFkappaB inhibitors (ALLN and BAY 11-7082). These VEGF inhibitors did not block the activation of NFkappaB induced by H-CM in endothelial cells. On the contrary, TNF-alpha antagonist WP9QY enhanced the survival activity of H-CM for endothelial cells and blocked NFkappaB activation induced by H-CM under serum-starved conditions. Taken together, our data suggest that both the secretion of VEGF from glioma cells and activation of NFkappaB in endothelial cells induced by TNF-alpha are necessary for endothelial cell survival as they increase the expression of antiapoptotic genes in endothelial cells under conditions of serum
starvation
. These pathways may be one of the mechanisms by which angiogenesis is maintained in glioma tissues.
...
PMID:Glioma cells under hypoxic conditions block the brain microvascular endothelial cell death induced by serum starvation. 1604 57
The c-ret protooncogene, RET, encodes a
receptor tyrosine kinase
. RET is activated by members of the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family of ligands, which include GDNF, neurturin, artemin, and persephin. The ligands bind RET through GDNF family receptor alpha, termed GFRalpha1-4. Despite the importance of RET signaling in the development of the enteric nervous system and the kidney, the differential signaling mechanisms between RET ligands are poorly established. It has been suggested that signal specificity is achieved through binding of the ligand to its preferred GFRalpha. To compare the signaling profiles of GDNF and neurturin, we have identified a cell line, NG108-15, which endogenously expresses RET and GFRalpha1 but not GFRalpha2-4. Immunoblot data showed that GDNF caused a transient activation, whereas neurturin caused a sustained activation, of both p44/p42 MAP kinases and PLCgamma. Under serum
starvation
, NG108-15 cells differentiate and form neurites. Neurturin but not GDNF stimulated neurite outgrowth, which could be blocked by the selective PLC inhibitor U73122. On the other hand, GDNF but not neurturin promoted cell survival, and this could be blocked by the p44/p42 MAP kinase inhibitor PD98059. Our findings not only show the differential signaling of GDNF and neurturin but also suggest that this can be achieved through binding to the same GFRalpha subtype, leading to distinct biological responses.
...
PMID:Differential effects of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and neurturin in RET/GFRalpha1-expressing cells. 1629 36
Gas6 is a novel member of the vitamin K-dependent family of gamma-carboxylated proteins and is a ligand for the
receptor tyrosine kinase
Axl. Gas6-Axl interactions have been shown to mediate cell survival in vascular endothelium. Although the receptor-binding portion of gas6 lies in the C-terminus, the significance of the N-terminal gamma-carboxylated residues (Gla domain) is not clear. To address this question, this study examines the role of the Gla domain in phospholipid binding as well as in the promotion of cell survival, especially in endothelial cells. The results show that carboxylated gas6 binds to phosphatidylserine-containing phospholipid membranes in an analogous manner to other gamma-carboxylated proteins whereas decarboxylated gas6 does not. The gamma-carboxylation inhibitor warfarin abrogates gas6-mediated protection of NIH3T3 fibroblasts from serum
starvation
-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, the role of gamma-carboxylation in gas6's survival effect on endothelium is demonstrated directly in that only carboxylated, but not decarboxylated, gas6 protects endothelial cells from serum
starvation
-induced apoptosis. gamma-carboxylation is also required for both Axl phosphorylation and PI3 kinase activation. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that gamma-carboxylation is necessary not only for gas6 binding to phospholipid membranes, but also for gas6-mediated endothelial cell survival.
...
PMID:The role of gamma-carboxylation in the anti-apoptotic function of gas6. 1635 17
Homodimerization of RON (MST1R), a
receptor tyrosine kinase
, usually occurs in cells stimulated by a ligand and leads to the downstream activation of signaling pathways. Here we report that bladder cancer cells, in response to physiological stress, use an alternative mechanism for signaling activation. Time-course studies indicated that RON migrated directly from the membrane to the nucleus of bladder cancer cells in response to serum
starvation
. Biochemical and genetic studies implied that this nuclear internalization was complexed with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and required the docking of importins. In vivo analysis confirmed that nuclear RON was present in 38.4% (28/73) of primary bladder tumors. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) on microarray analysis further revealed that this internalized complex bound to at least 134 target genes known to participate in three stress-responsive networks: p53, stress-activated protein kinase/c-jun N-terminal kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt. These findings suggest that RON, in a complex with EGFR, acts as a transcriptional regulator in response to acute disturbances (e.g. serum
starvation
) imposed on cancer cells. In an attempt to re-establish homeostasis, these cells bypass regular mechanisms required by ligand stimulation and trigger the RON-directed transcriptional response, which confers a survival advantage.
...
PMID:An unusual function of RON receptor tyrosine kinase as a transcriptional regulator in cooperation with EGFR in human cancer cells. 2049 37
Autophagy is a cellular degradation process that is up-regulated upon
starvation
. Nutrition-dependent regulation of mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) is a major determinant of autophagy. RTK (
receptor tyrosine kinase
) signalling and AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) converge upon mTOR to suppress or activate autophagy. Nutrition-dependent regulation of autophagy is mediated via mTOR phosphorylation of the serine/threonine kinase ULK1 (unc51-like kinase 1). In the present study, we also describe ULK1 as an mTOR-independent convergence point for AMPK and RTK signalling. We initially identified ULK1 as a 14-3-3-binding protein and this interaction was enhanced by treatment with AMPK agonists. AMPK interacted with ULK1 and phosphorylated ULK1 at Ser(555) in vitro. Mutation of this residue to alanine abrogated 14-3-3 binding to ULK1, and in vivo phosphorylation of ULK1 was blocked by a dominant-negative AMPK mutant. We next identified a high-stringency Akt site in ULK1 at Ser(774) and showed that phosphorylation at this site was increased by insulin. Finally, we found that the kinase-activation loop of ULK1 contains a consensus phosphorylation site at Thr(180) that is required for ULK1 autophosphorylation activity. Collectively, our results suggest that ULK1 may act as a major node for regulation by multiple kinases including AMPK and Akt that play both stimulatory and inhibitory roles in regulating autophagy.
...
PMID:The serine/threonine kinase ULK1 is a target of multiple phosphorylation events. 2181 78
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