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: UNIPROT:P05412 (c-Jun)
11,453 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) and c-jun NH2-terminal kinases (JNKs), which belong to the family of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), play a key role in the regulation of cell growth or apoptosis or various gene expressions. In spite of the critical importance of MAPKs for cell function in vitro, the role of MAPKs in the pathophysiology of the cardiovascular system in vivo is poorly understood. Recently, we have examined the activities of MAPKs in various cardiovascular disease models. JNKs activity is chronically enhanced in cardiac hypertrophy of hypertensive rats or angiotensin II-infused rats, which is followed by the increase in activator protein-1 (AP-1) activity composed of c-Fos and c-Jun proteins. In chronic hypertensive rats, vascular ERKs and JNKs activities are continuously increased compared with normotensive rats, with the development of vascular thickening. Furthermore, balloon injury rapidly and transiently activates vascular ERKs and JNKs, followed by the activation of AP-1. This activation of ERKs and JNKs in injured artery is in part mediated by angiotensin AT1 receptor. Thus, the enhanced activation of JNKs or ERKs occurs in various cardiovascular disease models, supporting the notion that MAPKs may be a useful target for treatment of cardiovascular hypertrophy and remodeling.
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PMID:Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases in cardiovascular hypertrophy and remodeling. 1044 May 27

Platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of vascular proliferative disorders. Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are one of the cell types that produce PDGF-B chain in proliferative lesions, although the mechanism of regulation of PDGF-B chain production in these cells is not well understood. In the present study, we demonstrate that angiotensin II (Ang II), which is also implicated in vascular stenosis after angioplasty and atherosclerosis, markedly stimulates PDGF-B chain mRNA expression in cultured newborn rat medial VSMCs and neointimal VSMCs via an AT(1), but not in adult rat VSMCs. In newborn rat VSMCs, Ang II activates extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. The mitogen-activated protein/ERK (MEK) inhibitor PD98059, but not the p38 inhibitor SB203580, abrogates Ang II-induced PDGF-B mRNA expression. Transient transfection analysis using a PDGF-B promoter-luciferase gene reporter construct reveals that Ang II induces transcriptional activation of PDGF-B chain gene, which is abolished by the expression of a dominant negative form of either ERK or JNK, but not of p38. The expression of a dominant negative form of Ras abolishes the stimulatory effects of Ang II on ERK activity and PDGF-B mRNA expression. In adult rat VSMCs, Ang II activates ERK and JNK, but weakly induces Egr-1, a transcription factor implicated in PDGF-B chain gene expression, compared with newborn VSMCs. These data indicate that Ang II activates PDGF-B chain gene expression in VSMCs through mechanisms involving Ras-ERK and JNK.
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PMID:Angiotensin II stimulates platelet-derived growth factor-B chain expression in newborn rat vascular smooth muscle cells and neointimal cells through Ras, extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase, and c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase mechanisms. 1050 81

Calcium-sensitive tyrosine kinase Pyk2 has been implicated in the regulation of ion channels, cellular adhesion, and mitogenic and hypertrophic reactions. In this study, we have investigated the regulation of Pyk2 by angiotensin II (Ang II) in pulmonary vein endothelial cells. We found that the Ang II-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Pyk2, which requires the activity of Src family kinase, was specifically regulated by the Src family kinase member, Yes kinase. Moreover, we identified for the first time the constitutive association of Pyk2 with an Src homology 2 (SH2) domain-containing tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2. SHP-2 interacts with Pyk2 through a region other than its SH2 domains. Pyk2 can be dephosphorylated in vitro in SHP-2 immunoprecipitates and in intact cells expressing an NH(2) terminus-truncated form of SHP-2, which lacks the two SH2 domains but has an enhanced phosphatase activity. Ang II activates the endogenous SHP-2. Finally, the SHP-2-mediated dephosphorylation of Pyk2 correlates with the negative effect of SHP-2 on the Ang II-induced activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase. Thus, the balance of Pyk2 tyrosine phosphorylation in response to Ang II is controlled by Yes kinase and by a tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2 in endothelial cells.
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PMID:Regulation of calcium-sensitive tyrosine kinase Pyk2 by angiotensin II in endothelial cells. Roles of Yes tyrosine kinase and tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2. 1072 71

The atherogenic effect of the renin-angiotensin system can be explained, in part, by the influence of its effector, angiotensin II (Ang II), on vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) growth. There is evidence that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a role in the atherogenesis and activation of mitogen-activating protein (MAP) kinases, which are involved in proliferation and differentiation. The study was performed to further characterize the role of ROS in Ang II-mediated MAP kinase activation and the regulation of the transcription factor activator protein-1 (AP-1). Rat VSMCs were stimulated with Ang II. The activities of MAP kinases were assessed by Western blot analysis or by immunocomplex kinase assay. AP-1 binding was determined by using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Rat VSMCs were treated with Ang II-activated MAP kinases, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun amino terminal kinase (JNK), p38 MAP kinase (p38 MAPK), and their downstream effector, AP-1. Interestingly, only the activation of ERK1/2, but not JNK or p38 MAPK, was tyrosine kinase, protein kinase C, and MEK1/2 dependent. Ang II also induced the rapid formation of ROS, which could be inhibited by a specific antibody as well as by antisense against the p22phox subunit of the NAD(P)H oxidase. JNK and p38 MAPK, but not ERK, activation was inhibited by an inhibitor of NAD(P)H oxidase. Antisense against p22phox also solely inhibited p38 MAPK but did not affect ERK. The results indicate that in VSMCs, Ang II activates MAP kinases and AP-1 through different pathways; the results further suggest that ROS, generated by p22phox, mediate Ang II-induced JNK and p38 MAPK activation, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.
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PMID:Differential activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases in smooth muscle cells by angiotensin II: involvement of p22phox and reactive oxygen species. 1076 57

Fibronectin plays an important role in vascular remodeling. A functional interaction between mechanical stimuli and locally produced vasoactive agents is suggested to be crucial for vascular remodeling. We examined the effect of mechanical stretch on fibronectin gene expression in vascular smooth muscle cells and the role of vascular angiotensin II in the regulation of the fibronectin gene in response to stretch. Cyclic stretch induced an increase in vascular fibronectin mRNA levels that was inhibited by actinomycin D and CV11974, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist; cycloheximide and PD123319, an angiotensin II type 2 receptor antagonist, did not affect the induction. In transfection experiments, fibronectin promoter activity was stimulated by stretch and inhibited by CV11974 but not by PD123319. DNA-protein binding experiments revealed that cyclic stretch enhanced nuclear binding to the AP-1 site, which was partially supershifted by antibody to c-Jun. Site-directed mutation of the AP-1 site significantly decreased the cyclic stretch-mediated activation of fibronectin promoter. Furthermore, antisense c-jun oligonucleotides decreased the stretch-induced stimulation of the fibronectin promoter activity and the mRNA expression. These results suggest that cyclic stretch stimulates vascular fibronectin gene expression mainly via the activation of AP-1 through the angiotensin II type 1 receptor.
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PMID:Molecular mechanism of fibronectin gene activation by cyclic stretch in vascular smooth muscle cells. 1093 Apr 8

In vitro studies on the role of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase family (extracellular signal-regulated kinase [ERK], c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase [JNK], and p38) in cardiac hypertrophic response have produced confusing and contradictory results. We examined the in vivo role of the angiotensin II type 1 (AT(1)) receptor in cardiac MAP kinase activities during both the onset and development of cardiac hypertrophy in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). In both the acute and chronic phases of cardiac hypertrophy in SHRSP, cardiac JNK activities were significantly increased compared with those in normotensive rats, whereas there was no prominent increase in cardiac ERK or p38 activities in SHRSP. Losartan, an AT(1) receptor antagonist, prevented the onset of cardiac hypertrophy and regressed the progression of cardiac hypertrophy in SHRSP, being accompanied by the reduction of JNK activity and activator protein-1 (AP-1) activity in SHRSP. However, in spite of the normalization of blood pressure, hydralazine did not prevent or regress cardiac hypertrophy and did not decrease JNK or AP-1 activity in SHRSP. Inversely, hydralazine significantly increased the cardiac ERK activity in SHRSP by enhancing its phosphorylation. In conclusion, we have obtained the first evidence that the AT(1) receptor is involved in the enhanced cardiac JNK activity in both the onset and development of cardiac hypertrophy of hypertensive rats. We propose that JNK is involved in AT(1) receptor-mediated cardiac hypertrophy in vivo, in part mediated by the activation of AP-1.
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PMID:Important role of angiotensin II-mediated c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase activation in cardiac hypertrophy in hypertensive rats. 1104 Feb 28

Chronic ventricular pressure overload can regulate expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA) in cardiac fibroblasts, but it is unclear if force alone or the concomitant activity of angiotensin II is the principal regulatory factor. To test if SMA mRNA and protein in rat cardiac fibroblasts are regulated directly by force, we first induced SMA expression in cultured cells and then applied magnetically generated perpendicular forces through focal adhesions using collagen-coated magnetite beads. Continuous static forces (0.65 pN/micrometer(2)) selectively reduced SMA but not beta-actin mRNA and protein content within 4 h (to 55 +/- 9% of controls); SMA returned to baseline by 8 h. There was no change in SMA content after force application with either plasma or the cellular fibronectin IIIA domain, BSA, or poly-L-lysine beads. The early loss of SMA was apparently due to selective leakage into the cell culture medium. Treatment with angiotensin II (10 nM) abrogated the force-induced reduction of SMA and increased the levels of this protein. The stress kinase p38 was phosphorylated by force, whereas extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase were unaffected. The p38 kinase inhibitor SB-203580 relieved the force-induced SMA reduction. We conclude that force-induced inhibition of SMA is mediated through the p38 kinase pathway, and this pathway antagonizes angiotensin II regulation of SMA.
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PMID:Force regulates smooth muscle actin in cardiac fibroblasts. 1108 32

beta-Arrestins, originally discovered in the context of heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) desensitization, also function in internalization and signaling of these receptors. We identified c-Jun amino-terminal kinase 3 (JNK3) as a binding partner of beta-arrestin 2 using a yeast two-hybrid screen and by coimmunoprecipitation from mouse brain extracts or cotransfected COS-7 cells. The upstream JNK activators apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase 4 were also found in complex with beta-arrestin 2. Cellular transfection of beta-arrestin 2 caused cytosolic retention of JNK3 and enhanced JNK3 phosphorylation stimulated by ASK1. Moreover, stimulation of the angiotensin II type 1A receptor activated JNK3 and triggered the colocalization of beta-arrestin 2 and active JNK3 to intracellular vesicles. Thus, beta-arrestin 2 acts as a scaffold protein, which brings the spatial distribution and activity of this MAPK module under the control of a GPCR.
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PMID:Beta-arrestin 2: a receptor-regulated MAPK scaffold for the activation of JNK3. 1118 9

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases are important intracellular mediators for proliferation and hypertrophy and therefore may also regulate cardiomyoblast growth in hypertensive heart disease. Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine the activities of MAP kinases, namely extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1,2, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases (JNK)1,2 and p38 MAP kinase, in myocardial tissue of 12-week-old Prague normotensive (PNR) and hypertensive rats (PHR), a model of genetic hypertension with marked cardiac hypertrophy. Systolic blood pressure was 121 +/- 5 in PNR and 208 +/- 15 mm Hg in PHR (p < 0.01). Total heart weight was 247 +/- 4 in PNR vs. 316 +/- 4 mg/100 g body weight in PHR (p < 0.01). Left and right ventricular weights were 121 +/- 5 and 53 +/- 3 in PNR vs. 168 +/- 4 (p < 0.01) and 57 +/- 2 mg/100 g body weight (n.s.) in PHR. Using anti-ERK2 Western blot analysis as well as immunocomplex ERK activity assay, we found no activation of ERK2 in left or right ventricular tissue of PHR and PNR. Similary, p38 MAP kinase phosphorylation and activity were not detectable. In contrast, Western blot analysis using antiphospho-JNK antibodies revealed in myocardial tissue of right and left ventricles significantly greater phosphorylation of JNK2 in PHR than in PNR. This finding was confirmed by immunocomplex JNK activity assay using ATF-2 as substrate, which demonstrated a significant increase in JNK activity in the left ventricle of PHR as compared to PNR (6.4 +/- 1.5 vs. 2.5 +/- 0.5 OD; each n = 5; p < 0.05). In conclusion, cardiac JNK2 seems to be regulated differently from ERK2 in this rat model. In PHR, as compared to PNR, we found enhanced activity of JNK2 in the left and right ventricles suggesting that JNK2 is involved in hypertensive cardiac disease. The rise in JNK in both ventricles may result indirectly from humoral stimuli, e.g., endothelin-1 and/or angiotensin II, and may contribute to ventricular hypertrophy in this model of spontaneous hypertension.
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PMID:Cardiac hypertrophy in the Prague-hypertensive rat is associated with enhanced JNK2 but not ERK tissue activity. 1117 7

Inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been shown to be beneficial in providing cardioprotective effects in humans, but the mechanism of these effects is not well understood. In this study, we examined the effects and mechanism of RAS inhibitors on ischemia/reperfusion (IR)-induced myocardial injury in rats. Rats were randomly divided into five groups and treated with vehicle (C), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-I), angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist (AT1-A), angiotensin II type 2 receptor antagonist (AT2-A) or ACE-I plus bradykinin B2 antagonist. Ten minutes after administration, the left main coronary artery was ligated for 45 min, and then reperfused for 120 min. IR-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis was assessed by terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay and confirmed by typical DNA laddering. Mitogen-activated protein kinase, extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) and c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK) activity in the ischemic zone were measured by an in vitro kinase assay. The duration of ventricular tachycardia (VT) during ischemia was reduced by AT2-A and ACE-I, and increased by AT1-A and ACE-I+icatibant. ACE-I and AT2-A reduced apoptosis (by 54% and 53%) and infarct size (by 42% and 41%), while AT1-A increased apoptosis (by 86%) and infarct size (by 45%). These changes were negatively correlated with the change in ERK activity. The effects of ACE-I on apoptosis and infarct size were abolished by the coadministration of icatibant. Apoptosis was correlated with the occurrence of VT (r=0.837, p<0.001). These results suggest that both the accumulation of bradykinin and inhibition of AT2 receptor are cardioprotective against IR injury through the activation of ERK, but not JNK.
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PMID:Mechanism of the cardioprotective effect of inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system on ischemia/reperfusion-induced myocardial injury. 1132 78


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