Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P05412 (c-Jun)
 11,453 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The retinoblastoma protein (Rb) acts as a critical cell-cycle regulator and loss of Rb function is associated with a variety of human cancer types. Here we report that Rb binds to members of the AP-1 family of transcription factors, including c-Jun, and stimulates c-Jun transcriptional activity from an AP-1 consensus sequence. The interaction involves the leucine zipper region of c-Jun and the B pocket of Rb as well as a C-terminal domain. We also present evidence that the complexes are found in terminally differentiating keratinocytes and cells entering the G1 phase of the cell cycle after release from serum starvation. The human papillomavirus type 16 E7 protein, which binds to both c-Jun and Rb, inhibits the ability of Rb to activate c-Jun. The results provide evidence of a role for Rb as a transcriptional activator in early G1 and as a potential modulator of c-Jun expression during keratinocyte differentiation.
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PMID:Rb binds c-Jun and activates transcription. 954 46

Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), a prototype of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), is a potent procarcinogen generated during the combustion of fossil fuels and cigarette smoke. In addition to the carcinogenic and mutagenic effects, BaP and other PAHs, including 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo[p]dioxin, have been shown to induce programmed cell death or apoptosis. However, the molecular mechanisms by which PAHs such as BaP induce apoptosis are not clear. To investigate the molecular events leading to apoptosis induced by BaP, we studied the involvement of the interleukin 1beta-converting enzyme (ICE)/Ced-3 family of proteases (caspases) and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1), which have been shown to mediate numerous extracellular stimuli-induced apoptosis. On treatment of mouse Hepa 1c1c7 hepatoma cells with BaP, the induction of apoptosis, as determined by genome digestion, was observed at concentrations of 1-30 microM after 24 h of treatments. Importantly, at the apoptosis-inducing concentrations, BaP also induced the activation of an ICE/Ced-3 cysteine protease caspase-3 but not caspase-1 (ICE). The activation of caspase-3 by BaP preceded apoptosis. Furthermore, a specific inhibitor of caspase-3-like proteases, acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-aldehyde, significantly blocked caspase-3 activity and attenuated apoptosis induced by BaP. Treatment with BaP also caused a time- and dose-dependent activation of JNK1 activity. Interestingly, a much lower concentration (5 nM), as well as much earlier kinetics, were observed in JNK1 activation as compared with caspase-3 activation or induction of apoptosis by BaP. In summary, our results demonstrate that BaP induced apoptosis in the mouse hepatoma Hepa1c1c7 cell line via a caspase-dependent pathway, which may be independent of JNK activation.
Cancer Res 1998 May 15
PMID:Induction of apoptosis and activation of interleukin 1beta-converting enzyme/Ced-3 protease (caspase-3) and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase 1 by benzo(a)pyrene. 960 52

UV irradiation leads to severe damage, such as cutaneous inflammation, immunosuppression, and cancer, but it also results in a gene induction protective response termed the UV response. The signal triggering the UV response was thought to originate from DNA damage; recent findings, however, have shown that it is initiated at or near the cell membrane and transmitted via cytoplasmic kinase cascades to induce gene transcription. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) was the first protein shown to be UV inducible in xeroderma pigmentosum DNA repair-deficient human cells. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for the induction were not elucidated. We have found that the endogenous murine uPA gene product is transcriptionally upregulated by UV in NIH 3T3 fibroblast and F9 teratocarcinoma cells. This induction required an activator protein 1 (AP1) enhancer element located at -2.4 kb, since deletion of this site abrogated the induction. We analyzed the contribution of the three different types of UV-inducible mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases (ERK, JNK/SAPK, and p38) to the activation of the murine uPA promoter by UV. MEKK1, a specific JNK activator, induced transcription from the uPA promoter in the absence of UV treatment, whereas coexpression of catalytically inactive MEKK1(K432M) and of cytoplasmic JNK inhibitor JIP-1 inhibited UV-induced uPA transcriptional activity. In contrast, neither dominant negative MKK6 (or SB203580) nor PD98059, which specifically inhibit p38 and ERK MAP kinase pathways, respectively, could abrogate the UV-induced effect. Moreover, our results indicated that wild-type N-terminal c-Jun, but not mutated c-Jun (Ala-63/73), was able to mediate UV-induced uPA transcriptional activity. Taken together, we show for the first time that kinases of the JNK family can activate the uPA promoter. This activation links external UV stimulation and AP1-dependent uPA transcription, providing a transcription-coupled signal transduction pathway for the induction of the murine uPA gene by UV.
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PMID:UV irradiation induces the murine urokinase-type plasminogen activator gene via the c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling pathway: requirement of an AP1 enhancer element. 967 63

Relatively little is known about molecular genetic events that participate in the genesis and progression of hemangiopericytoma. In this study, we describe two cases of hemangiopericytoma accompanied by severe hypoglycemia. Tumor cells from patient 1 exhibited insulin-growth factor I (IGF I) and insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF IR) mRNA transcripts. Tumor cells from patient 2 exhibited IGF II, IGF IR and IGF binding proteins 1-3 mRNA. Serum from patient 2 contained IGF II, mostly in a large molecular form ("big" IGF II); the IGF II level did not change after the tumor removal. The presence of IGF IR in tumor cells was confirmed by immunoprecipitation with antibodies that recognize human IGF IR subunit (visualized as a 460-kDa band). The hemangiopericytoma cells derived from patient 1 expressed 210000 IGF I receptors/cell. Specific binding of IGF I to the tumor cell membrane fraction was higher in tissue from patient 1, while the tissue of patient 2 showed relatively low IGF I binding. In contrast, IGF II binding was much higher in tissue from patient 2. Both tumor tissues showed positive immunostaining for c-Jun; one tumor showed strong immunostaining for c-Myc, H-Ras and p53, while the other exhibited strong reaction with H-Ras antibodies only. No loss of the heterozygosity at the genes APC, NFI and nm23-H1 loci in tumor tissue obtained from patient 1 was found. In effect, our results suggest multiple molecular genetic changes in hemangiopericytoma -- activation of some oncogenes and the IGF growth factor family. IGF ligands together with IGF IR could be responsible for hypoglycemia and perhaps the transformed phenotype.
J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 1998
PMID:Molecular pathology of hemangiopericytomas accompanied by severe hypoglycemia: oncogenes, tumor-suppressor genes and the insulin-like growth factor family. 969 37

We determined whether resveratrol, a phenolic antioxidant found in grapes and other food products, inhibited phorbol ester (PMA)-mediated induction of COX-2 in human mammary and oral epithelial cells. Treatment of cells with PMA induces COX-2 and causes a marked increase in the production of prostaglandin E2. These effects were inhibited by resveratrol. Resveratrol suppressed PMA-mediated increases in COX-2 mRNA and protein. Nuclear run-offs revealed increased rates of COX-2 transcription after treatment with PMA, an effect that was inhibited by resveratrol. PMA caused about a 6-fold increase in COX-2 promoter activity, which was suppressed by resveratrol. Transient transfections utilizing COX-2 promoter deletion constructs and COX-2 promoter constructs, in which specific enhancer elements were mutagenized, indicated that the effects of PMA and resveratrol were mediated via a cyclic AMP response element. Resveratrol inhibited PMA-mediated activation of protein kinase C. Overexpressing protein kinase C-alpha, ERK1, and c-Jun led to 4.7-, 5.1-, and 4-fold increases in COX-2 promoter activity, respectively. These effects also were inhibited by resveratrol. Resveratrol blocked PMA-dependent activation of AP-1-mediated gene expression. In addition to the above effects on gene expression, we found that resveratrol also directly inhibited the activity of COX-2. These data are likely to be important for understanding the anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties of resveratrol.
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PMID:Resveratrol inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 transcription and activity in phorbol ester-treated human mammary epithelial cells. 970 26

Skin cancer is the most common tumor type in Caucasians, with an incidence that approaches the lifetime risk for all other cancer subtypes combined. The most common predisposing factor in the development of non-melanoma skin cancer is exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation in sun-light. UV radiation activates c-Jun amino-terminal kinases (JNK); this kinase pathway is involved in UV-mediated apoptosis and phosphorylation of c-Jun, all of which are part of the cellular stress response. Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) is an important negative regulator of keratinocyte proliferation and has other pleiotropic effects in these cells. The purpose of these investigations was to decide whether TGF-beta1 activated c-Jun amino-terminal kinases in a spontaneously immortalized human keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT, and if TGF-beta1 modulated the activation of JNK in keratinocytes exposed to ultraviolet C (UVC) radiation. Results from these investigations showed that TGF-beta1 (10 ng/ml) activated JNK within 5 min. Pretreatment with TGF-beta1 enhanced UV-mediated JNK activation and was time- and UV-dose-dependent. Pretreatment with TGF-beta1 also enhanced activity of the c-Jun promoter-reporter construct, TRE(x5)-CAT. These results suggested that TGF-beta1 modulates the response of keratinocytes to ultraviolet radiation and implicates TGF-beta1 as a potential mediator the cellular of stress response in keratinocytes.
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PMID:Transforming growth factor-beta enhances the ultraviolet-mediated stress response in p53-/- keratinocytes. 973 9

Meeting's Report -- June 2, 1998, Sugarload Estate Conference Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. A symposium on Normal Development, Oncogenesis and Programmed Cell Death, was held at the Sugarload Estate Conference Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA sponsored by the Fels Cancer Institute, Temple University School of Medicine, with the support of the Alliance Pharmaceutical Corporation. The symposium was organized by Drs Dan A Liebermann and Barbara Hoffman at the Fels. Invited speakers included: Dr Andrei V Gudkov (University of Illinois) who started the symposium talking about 'New cellular factors modulating the tumor suppressor function of p53'; Dr Yuri Lazebnik (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories) spoke about 'Caspases considered as enemies within'; Dr E Premkumar Reddy (Fels Institute, Temple University) talked about recent exciting findings in his laboratory regarding 'JAK-STATs dedicated signaling pathways'; Dr Michael Greenberg (Harvard University) spoke about 'Signal transduction pathways that regulate differentiation and survival in the developing nervous system'; Dr Richard Kolesnick's (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center) talk has been focused at 'Stress signals for apoptosis, including Ceramide and c-Jun Kinase/Stress-activated Protein Kinase'; Dr Barbara Hoffman (Fels Institute, Temple University) described research, conducted in collaboration with Dr Dan A Liebermann, aimed at deciphering the roles of 'myc, myb, and E2F as negative regulators of terminal differentiation', using hematopoietic cells as model system. Dr Daniel G Tenen (Harvard Medical School), described studies aimed at understanding the 'Regulation of hematopoietic cell development by lineage specific transcription regulators'. Dr George C Prendergast (The Wistar Institute) talked about the 'Myc-Bin1 signaling pathway in cell death and differentiation. Dr Ruth J Muschel (University of Pennsylvania) spoke about work, conducted in collaboration with Dr WG McKenna, aimed at gaining a better understanding of 'Radioresistance and the cell cycle'. Finally Dr Donald Kufe concluded the symposium (Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School) describing studies that were performed in his laboratory addressing the 'Role for the c-Abl tyrosine kinase in genetic recombination'.
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PMID:Normal development, oncogenesis and programmed cell death. 977 61

Paclitaxel (Taxol) is a novel anti-cancer drug that has shown efficacy toward several malignant tumors, particularly ovarian tumors. We reported previously that paclitaxel can induce interleukin (IL)-8 promoter activation in subgroups of ovarian cancer through the activation of both AP-1 and nuclear factor kappaB. Further analysis of paclitaxel analogs indicates that the degree of IL-8 induction by analysis correlates with the extent of cell death; however, IL-8 itself is not the cause of cell death. This suggests that pathways that lead to IL-8 and cell death may overlap, although IL-8 per se does not kill tumor cells. To decipher the upstream signals for paclitaxel-induced transcriptional activation and cell death, we studied the involvement of protein kinases that lead to the activation of AP-1, specifically the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK1), p38, and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1). The role of IkappaB in paclitaxel-induced cell death was also analyzed. Paclitaxel activated JNK, and to a lesser degree p38, but not ERK1. Paclitaxel-induced IL-8 promoter activation was inhibited by dominant-inhibitory mutants of JNK, p38, and the super-repressor form of IkappaBalpha, but not by dominant-inhibitory forms of ERK1. Dominant-inhibitory mutants of JNK1 also greatly reduced paclitaxel-induced cell death, and the kinetics of JNK induction was closely followed by DNA fragmentation. These results indicate (i) that paclitaxel activates the JNK signaling pathway and (ii) that JNK activation is a common point of paclitaxel-induced gene induction and cell death.
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PMID:Paclitaxel (Taxol)-induced gene expression and cell death are both mediated by the activation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK/SAPK). 977 47

Beta-lapachone (beta-Lap) has been found to inhibit DNA topoisomerases (Topos) by a mechanism distinct from that of other commonly known Topo inhibitors. Here, we demonstrated a pronounced elevation of H2O2 and O2- in human leukemia HL-60 cells treated with beta-Lap. Treatment with other Topo poisons, such as camptothecin (CPT), Vbeta-16, and GL331, did not have the same effect. On the other hand, antioxidant vitamin C (Vit C) treatment effectively antagonized beta-Lap-induced apoptosis. This suggested that a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related pathway was involved in beta-Lap-induced apoptosis program. We also found that c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) but not p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase or extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 was persistently activated in apoptosis induced by beta-Lap. Overexpression of a dominant-negative mutant mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 1 (MEKK1-DN) or treatment with JNK-specific antisense oligonucleotide or Vit C all prevented beta-Lap-induced JNK activation and the subsequent apoptosis. Only the expression of MEKK1-DN, not Vit C treatment, blocked the JNK activity induced by CPT, Vbeta-16, or GL331. These results confirm again that ROS acts as a mediator for JNK activation during beta-Lap-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that beta-Lap can stimulate CPP32/Yama activity, which was, however, markedly inhibited by the MEKK1-DN expression or Vit C treatment. Again, CPT-induced CPP32/Yama activation can be abolished by MEKK1-DN but not by Vit C treatment. Taken together, these results indicate that beta-Lap but not other Topo inhibitors triggers apoptosis signaling, i.e., JNK and subsequent CPP32/Yama activation are mediated by the generation of ROS.
Cancer Res 1999 Jan 15
PMID:Activation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase and subsequent CPP32/Yama during topoisomerase inhibitor beta-lapachone-induced apoptosis through an oxidation-dependent pathway. 992 52

Calpain, also named CANP (for calcium-activated neutral protease), is an intracellular cytoplasmatic non-lysosomal cysteine endopeptidase that requires calcium ions for activity. Many substrates of the calpain isoenzymes, such as the transcription factors c-Fos and c-Jun, the tumor supressor protein p53, protein kinase C, pp60c-src and the adhesion molecule integrin, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of different human tumors, suggesting an important role of the calpains in malignant diseases. We now report differential expression of the calpain I gene (CL I) in a variety of tumors, extending our study to a larger series of renal cell carcinomas. Using Northern-blot analysis, we studied calpain I expression in 30 renal cell carcinomas as compared with matched healthy tissues. Tumor samples were classified according to their histological type: 21 clear cell carcinomas, 4 chromophobe carcinomas, 3 papillary carcinomas and 2 oncocytomas. In renal tumor samples, calpain I gene mRNA was expressed at highly variable levels, significantly depending on the different histological types. Moreover, there was a correlation of higher calpain I expression with increased malignancy: within the clear cell carcinoma subset, tumor samples with advanced nodal status (N1 and N2) showed a significantly higher calpain I expression than tumors without metastasis to regional lymph nodes. Our data suggest an important role of calpain isoenzymes in carcinogenesis and tumor progression.
Int J Cancer 1999 Feb 19
PMID:Expression of calpain I messenger RNA in human renal cell carcinoma: correlation with lymph node metastasis and histological type. 998 24


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