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)

We studied the effects of RRR-alpha-tocopherol and RRR-beta-tocopherol in smooth muscle cells from rat (line A7r5) and human aortas. RRR-alpha-Tocopherol, but not RRR-beta-tocopherol, inhibited smooth muscle cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner at concentrations in the range from 10 to 50 mumol/L. RRR-beta-Tocopherol added simultaneously with RRR-alpha-tocopherol prevented growth inhibition. The earliest event brought about by RRR-alpha-tocopherol in the signal transduction cascade controlling receptor-mediated cell growth was the activation of the transcription factor AP-1. RRR-beta-tocopherol alone was without effect but in combination with RRR-alpha-tocopherol prevented the AP-1 activating effect of the latter. Protein kinase C was inhibited by RRR-alpha-tocopherol and not by RRR-beta-tocopherol, which also in this case prevented the effect of RRR-alpha-tocopherol. Calyculin A, a protein phosphatase inhibitor, prevented the effect of RRR-alpha-tocopherol on protein kinase C. The data can be rationalized by a model in which a tocopherol-binding protein discriminates between RRR-alpha-tocopherol and RRR-beta-tocopherol and initiates a cascade of events at the level of cell signal transduction that leads to the inhibition of cell proliferation.
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PMID:Vitamin E: a sensor and an information transducer of the cell oxidation state. 749 29

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein (pX) is capable of activating transcription regulated by viral and cellular promoters containing binding sites for different transcription factors, including AP1. In this study we have analyzed the mechanisms of AP1 induction by pX. The hepatitis B virus transactivator was able to activate TRE (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate response element)-directed transcription in different cell lines, including HepG2, HeLa, CV1, and PLC/PRF/5 cells. pX-induced AP1 activation in HepG2 cells was associated with an increase in the DNA-binding activity of c-Jun/c-Fos heterodimers, which was not dependent either on an increase in the overall amount of c-Fos and c-Jun proteins in the cells or on formation of dimers between pX and the two proteins, thus suggesting the involvement of posttranslational modifications of the transcription factor. The observation that the overexpression of c-Jun and c-Fos in the cells results in a strong augmentation of the effect of pX on TRE-directed transcription is additional evidence indicating the involvement of posttranscriptional modifications of c-Jun/c-Fos heterodimers. The increased AP1 binding observed in the presence of pX was unaffected by the protein kinase C inhibitors calphostin C and sphingosine and by the protein kinase A inhibitor HA1004, while it was almost completely blocked by staurosporine, a potent and nonspecific protein kinase inhibitor, suggesting that protein kinase C- and A-independent phosphorylation events might play a role in the phenomenon. The ability of pX also to increase TRE-directed transcription in cell lines in which AP1-binding activity is not increased (i.e., HeLa, CV1, and PLC/PRF/5 cells) suggests that pX can activate canonical TRE sites by different mechanisms as well.
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PMID:Induction of the DNA-binding activity of c-jun/c-fos heterodimers by the hepatitis B virus transactivator pX. 750 9

Human CD45RA+ ('naive') and CD45RO+ ('memory') CD4+ T cells were compared with respect to their sensitivity to dexamethasone (DEX). In three different activation pathways, i.e. (i) immobilized anti-CD3, (ii) immobilized anti-CD3 plus soluble anti-CD28 and (iii) soluble anti-CD2 plus soluble anti-CD28, naive CD4+ T cells appeared more sensitive to DEX than memory CD4+ T cells. In the anti-CD3 system this difference in sensitivity was apparent at a suboptimal DEX concentration. Addition of anti-CD28 rendered the cells largely insensitive to DEX, indicating that the CD28 pathway is less dependent of the DEX-sensitive transcription factor AP-1. However, the alternative pathway of T cell activation through CD2/CD28 triggering was highly sensitive to DEX when naive cells were studied; in the case of memory cells, at least a 10-fold higher DEX concentration was needed to achieve a comparable inhibition. The strong inhibitory effect of DEX on naive CD4+ T cells stimulated via the alternative pathway was completely abrogated by activation of protein kinase C (PKC) with phorbol myristate acetate. Our data suggest that at least two different mechanisms contribute to DEX resistance, i.e. CD28 triggering and PKC activation, which may occur more effectively in memory cells making them less sensitive to DEX.
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PMID:Differential sensitivity of human naive and memory CD4+ T cells for dexamethasone. 754 86

In GN4 rat liver epithelial cells, angiotensin II (Ang II) and other agonists which activate phospholipase C stimulate tyrosine kinase activity in a calcium-dependent, protein kinase C (PKC)-independent manner. Since Ang II also produces a proliferative response in these cells, we investigated downstream signaling elements traditionally linked to growth control by tyrosine kinases. First, Ang II, like epidermal growth factor (EGF), stimulated AP-1 binding activity in a PKC-independent manner. Because increases in AP-1 can reflect induction of c-Jun and c-Fos, we examined the activity of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase family members Erk-1 and -2 and the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), which are known to influence c-Jun and c-Fos transcription. Ang II stimulated MAP kinase (MAPK) activity but only approximately 50% as effectively as EGF; again, these effects were independent of PKC. Ang II also produced a 50- to 200-fold activation of JNK in a PKC-independent manner. Unlike its smaller effect on MAPK, Ang II was approximately four- to sixfold more potent in activating JNK than EGF was. Although others had reported a lack of calcium ionophore-stimulated JNK activity in lymphocytes and several other cell lines, we examined the role of calcium in GN4 cells. The following results suggest that JNK activation in rat liver epithelial cells is at least partially Ca(2+) dependent: (i) norepinephrine and vasopressin hormones that increase inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate stimulated JNK; (ii) both thapsigargin, a compound that produces an intracellular Ca(2+) signal, and Ca(2+) ionophores stimulated a dramatic increase in JNK activity (up to 200-fold); (iii) extracellular Ca(2+) chelation with ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA) inhibited JNK activation by ionophore and intracellular chelation with 1,2-bis-(o-aminophenoxy)-ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid tetraacetoxymethyl-ester (BAPTA-AM) partially inhibited JNK activation by Ang II or thapsigargin; and (iv) JNK activation by Ang II was inhibited by pretreatment of cells with thapsigargin and EGTA, a procedure which depletes intracellular Ca(2+) stores. JNK activation following Ang II stimulation did not involve calmodulin; either W-7 nor calmidizolium, in concentrations sufficient to inhibit Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent kinase II, blocked JNK activation by Ang II. In contrast, genistein, in concentrations sufficient to inhibit Ca(2+)-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation, prevented Ang II and thapsigargin-induced JNK activation. In summary, in GN4 rat liver epithelial cells, Ang II stimulates JNK via a novel Ca(2+)-dependent pathway. The inhibition by genistein suggest that Ca(2+)-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation may modulate the JNK pathway in a cell type-specific manner, particularly in cells with a readily detectable Ca(2+)-regulated tyrosine kinase.
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PMID:Angiotensin II stimulates calcium-dependent activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase. 756 68

Sphingosylphosphocholine (SPC) is the deacylated derivative of sphingomyelin known to accumulate in neuropathic Niemann-Pick disease type A. SPC is a potent mitogen that increases intracellular free Ca2+ and free arachidonate through pathways that are only partly protein kinase C-dependent. Here we show that SPC increased specific DNA-binding activity of transcription activator AP-1 in electrophoretic mobility-shift assays. Increased DNA-binding activity of AP-1 was detected after only 1-3 min, was maximal after 6 hr, and remained elevated at 12-24 hr. c-Fos was found to be a component of the AP-1 complex. Northern hybridization revealed an increase in c-fos transcripts after 30 min. Since the increase in AP-1 binding activity preceded the increase in c-fos mRNA, posttranslational modifications may be important in mediating the early SPC-induced increases in AP-1 DNA-binding activity. Western analysis detected increases in nuclear c-Jun and c-Fos proteins following SPC treatment. SPC also transactivated a reporter gene construct through the AP-1 recognition site, indicating that SPC can regulate the expression of target genes. Thus, SPC-induced cell proliferation may result from activation of AP-1, linking signal transduction by SPC to gene expression. Since the expression of many proteins with diverse functions is known to be regulated by AP-1, SPC-induced activation of AP-1 may contribute to the pathophysiology of Niemann-Pick disease.
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PMID:Sphingosylphosphocholine, a signaling molecule which accumulates in Niemann-Pick disease type A, stimulates DNA-binding activity of the transcription activator protein AP-1. 759 47

Hepatic metabolism and gene expression are among the factors controlled by the cellular hydration state, which changes within minutes in response to aniso-osmotic environments, cumulative substrate uptake, oxidative stress and under the influence of hormones such as insulin. The signalling events coupling cell-volume changes to altered cell function were studied in H4IIE rat hepatoma cells. Hypo-osmotic cell swelling resulted within 1 min in a tyrosine kinase-mediated activation of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases Erk-1 and Erk-2, which was independent of protein kinase C and cytosolic calcium. Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases was followed by an increased phosphorylation of c-Jun, which may explain our recently reported finding of an about 5-fold increase in c-jun mRNA level in response to cell swelling. Pretreatment of cells with pertussis or cholera toxin abolished the swelling-induced activation of Erk-1 and Erk-2, suggesting the involvement of G-proteins. Thus, a signal-transduction pathway resembling growth factor signalling is activated already by osmotic water shifts across the plasma membrane, thereby providing a new perspective for adaption of cell function to alterations of the environment.
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PMID:Activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases Erk-1 and Erk-2 by cell swelling in H4IIE hepatoma cells. 761 47

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) has been shown to be a potent mitogen and a promoter of angiogenesis. It has been hypothesized that the expression of the bFGF gene may be induced by stress of various types. To test that hypothesis, we investigated the expression of the bFGF gene during heat treatment in adriamycin-resistant (MCF-7/ADR) and -sensitive (MCF-7) human breast carcinoma cells. Under normal growth conditions, the bFGF mRNA was detected in MCF-7/ADR cells, while it was not detectable in MCF-7 cells by Northern blot analysis. During heating at 41 degrees C, the level of bFGF mRNA increased in MCF-7/ADR cells and the message became detectable in the MCF-7 cell line. However, after continuous heating at 41 degrees C for 24 h, the bFGF mRNA level decreased to control level in MCF-7/ADR cells. Interestingly, simultaneous treatment with heat and 60 micrograms/ml H-7 (1-(isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine, a potent PKC inhibitor) decreased the level of bFGF mRNA in MCF-7/ADR cells. These results suggest that a protein kinase, likely PKC, is involved in the transcriptional regulation of the heat-enhanced bFGF gene expression in human breast carcinoma cells. Although no heat shock element can be identified in the promoter of the bFGF gene, we observed that the AP-1 binding activity to a TPA responsive element (TRE)-like sequence in the promoter of bFGF gene was enhanced by heat, as tested by mobility shift assay. Antibody developed against the c-Jun and c-Fos proteins inhibited the AP-1 binding activity to TRE. Therefore, the AP-1 complex appears to be responsible for the heat-enhanced binding to the TRE-like motif of the bFGF gene. Furthermore, the increased AP-1 binding activity does not require new protein synthesis but activation of the preexisting c-Jun proteins.
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PMID:Heat-induced bFGF gene expression in the absence of heat shock element correlates with enhanced AP-1 binding activity. 762 86

We recently demonstrated that immortalized GT1-7 neurons co-express luteinizing hormone (LH)/human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) receptor and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) genes. Treatment of GT1-7 neurons with LH/hCG resulted in a transcriptional inhibition of GnRH gene. In the present study, we investigated the signaling and transacting factors involved in the action of hCG. Eight-bromo-cyclic AMP can mimic the down-regulating action of hCG on GnRH mRNA levels. H-89, a protein kinase (PK) A inhibitor, but not bisindolylmaleimide, a PKC inhibitor, blocked the down- regulating actions of hCG as well as of 8-bromocyclic AMP. Treatment with the PKA inhibitor alone modestly decreased GnRH mRNA levels suggesting that PKA signaling also controls the basal expression of the GnRH gene. The direct measurement of PK activities revealed that hCG treatment of GT1-7 neurons increased the PKA but not the PKC activity. New protein synthesis is required for the down-regulating action of hCG on GnRH mRNA levels. Since some of the new proteins could be nuclear transcription or transacting factors, we investigated the effects of hCG on cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB), c-Fos and c-Jun protein levels. Treatment of GT1-7 neurons with hCG resulted in an increase of 43 kDa phosphorylated CREB, 50 kDa c-Fos and 40 kDa c-Jun proteins compared to the corresponding controls. The kinetics of increases were different and in all cases the increases of the proteins preceded the decrease of GnRH mRNA levels. In summary, PKA signaling and transacting factors such as CREB, Fos and Jun are probably involved in transcriptional inhibition of GnRH gene by hCG in GT1-7 neurons.
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PMID:Signaling and transacting factors in the transcriptional inhibition of gonadotropin releasing hormone gene by human chorionic gonadotropin in immortalized hypothalamic GT1-7 neurons. 766 77

Angiotensin II (Ang-II) receptor engagement activates many immediate early response genes in both vascular smooth muscle cells and cardiomyocytes whether a hyperplastic or hypertrophic response is taking place. Although the signaling pathways stimulated by Ang-II in different cell lines have been widely characterized, the correlation between the generation of different second messengers and specific physiological responses remains relatively unexplored. In this study, we report how in both C2C12 quiescent myoblasts and differentiated myotubes Ang-II significantly stimulates AP1-driven transcription and c-Jun.c-Fos heterodimer DNA binding activity. Using a set of different protein kinase inhibitors, we could demonstrate that Ang-II-induced increase in AP1 binding is not mediated by the cAMP-dependent pathway and that both protein kinase C and tyrosine kinases are involved. The observation that in quiescent myoblasts Ang-II increase of AP1 binding and induction of DNA synthesis and, in differentiated myotubes, Ang-II stimulation of protein synthesis are abolished by the cysteine-derivative and glutathione precursor N-acetyl-L-cysteine strongly suggests a role for reactive oxygen intermediates in the intracellular transduction of Ang-II signals for immediate early gene induction, cell proliferation, and hypertrophic responses.
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PMID:Reactive oxygen intermediates mediate angiotensin II-induced c-Jun.c-Fos heterodimer DNA binding activity and proliferative hypertrophic responses in myogenic cells. 767 90

The pharmacological potency of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (lisinopril and enalaprilat) on the transcription of low density lipoprotein receptor and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase genes was examined in human vascular smooth muscle cells and compared with the action of Ca(2+)-channel blockers (manidipine, verapamil, and diltiazem). Analogous to Ca(2+)-channel blockers, nanomolar concentrations of enalaprilat or lisinopril stimulated the synthesis of low density lipoprotein receptor mRNA and amplified the transcription induced by recombinant platelet-derived growth factor BB. In contrast to Ca(2+)-channel blockers, ACE inhibitors did not alter the transcription of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase gene. Platelet-derived growth factor BB stimulated the translocation of delta and epsilon isoforms of protein kinase C. Similar to Ca(2+)-channel blockers, ACE inhibitors reduced the translocation of delta and epsilon isoforms of protein kinase C. Furthermore, ACE inhibitors and Ca(2+)-channel blockers inhibited platelet-derived growth factor BB-induced transcription of c-fos and c-jun genes. The findings suggest that increased de novo synthesis of mRNA low density lipoprotein receptor apparently involves the participation of delta and epsilon isoforms of protein kinase C and transcription factors c-Fos and c-Jun.
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PMID:Transcriptional activation of low density lipoprotein receptor gene by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and Ca(2+)-channel blockers involves protein kinase C isoforms. 768 21


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