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Query: UNIPROT:P51812 (mitogen-activated protein)
 10,636 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Apoptosis plays an important role during neuronal development, and defects in apoptosis may underlie various neurodegenerative disorders. To characterize molecular mechanisms that regulate neuronal apoptosis, the contributions to cell death of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase family members, including ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase), JNK (c-JUN NH2-terminal protein kinase), and p38, were examined after withdrawal of nerve growth factor (NGF) from rat PC-12 pheochromocytoma cells. NGF withdrawal led to sustained activation of the JNK and p38 enzymes and inhibition of ERKs. The effects of dominant-interfering or constitutively activated forms of various components of the JNK-p38 and ERK signaling pathways demonstrated that activation of JNK and p38 and concurrent inhibition of ERK are critical for induction of apoptosis in these cells. Therefore, the dynamic balance between growth factor-activated ERK and stress-activated JNK-p38 pathways may be important in determining whether a cell survives or undergoes apoptosis.
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PMID:Opposing effects of ERK and JNK-p38 MAP kinases on apoptosis. 748 20

The prototype mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase module is a three-kinase cascade consisting of the MAP kinase, extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) 1 or ERK2, the MAP/ERK kinase (MEK) MEK1 or MEK2, and the MEK kinase, Raf-1 or B-Raf. This and other MAP kinase modules are thought to be critical signal transducers in major cellular events including proliferation, differentiation, and stress responses. To identify novel mammalian MAP kinase modules, polymerase chain reaction was used to isolate a new MEK family member, MEK5, from the rat. MEK5 is more closely related to MEK1 and MEK2 than to the other known mammalian MEKs, MKK3 and MKK4. MEK5 is thought to lie in an uncharacterized MAP kinase pathway, because MEK5 does not phosphorylate the ERK/MAP kinase family members ERK1, ERK2, ERK3, JNK/SAPK, or p38/HOG1, nor will Raf-1, c-Mos, or MEKK1 highly phosphorylate it. Alternative splicing results in a 50-kDa alpha and a 40-kDa beta isoform of MEK5. MEK5 beta is ubiquitously distributed and primarily cytosolic. MEK5 alpha is expressed most highly in liver and brain and is particulate. The 23 amino acids encoded by the 5' exon in the larger alpha isoform are similar to a sequence found in certain proteins believed to associate with the actin cytoskeleton; this alternatively spliced modular domain may lead to the differential subcellular localization of MEK5 alpha.
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PMID:Isolation of MEK5 and differential expression of alternatively spliced forms. 749 18

Protein kinases activated by dual phosphorylation on Tyr and Thr (MAP kinases) can be grouped into two major classes: ERK and JNK. The ERK group regulates multiple targets in response to growth factors via a Ras-dependent mechanism. In contrast, JNK activates the transcription factor c-Jun in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines and exposure of cells to several forms of environmental stress. Recently, a novel mammalian protein kinase (p38) that shares sequence similarity with mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases was identified. Here, we demonstrate that p38, like JNK, is activated by treatment of cells with pro-inflammatory cytokines and environmental stress. The mechanism of p38 activation is mediated by dual phosphorylation on Thr-180 and Tyr-182. Immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated that p38 MAP kinase is present in both the nucleus and cytoplasm of activated cells. Together, these data establish that p38 is a member of the mammalian MAP kinase group.
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PMID:Pro-inflammatory cytokines and environmental stress cause p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation by dual phosphorylation on tyrosine and threonine. 753 70

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) activates the stress-activated protein kinases (SAPKs, also known as Jun nuclear kinases or JNKs) resulting in the stimulation of AP-1-dependent gene transcription and induces the translocation of NF kappa B to the nucleus resulting in the stimulation of NF kappa B-dependent gene transcription. A potential second messenger for these signaling pathways is ceramide, which is generated when TNF alpha activates sphingomyelinases. We show that treatment of HL-60 human promyelocytic cells with exogenous sphingomyelinase leads to rapid stimulation of JNK/SAPK activity, an effect not mimicked by treatment with phospholipase A2, C, or D. Further, JNK/SAPK activity is stimulated 2.7- and 2.8-fold, respectively, in cells exposed to C2-ceramide (5 microM) or TNF alpha (10 ng/ml). The prolonged stimulation of this kinase activity by C2-ceramide is similar to that previously reported for TNF alpha. In contrast, the related mitogen-activated protein kinases ERK1 and ERK2 are weakly stimulated following TNF alpha treatment (1.5-fold) and are inhibited by C2-ceramide treatment. TNF alpha also potently stimulates NF-kappa B DNA binding activity and transcriptional activity, but these effects are not mimicked by addition of C2-ceramide or sphingomyelinase to intact cells. Furthermore, TNF alpha, sphingomyelinase, and C2-ceramide induce c-jun, a gene that is stimulated by the ATF-2 and c-Jun transcription factors. These data suggest that ceramide may act as a second messenger for a subset of TNF alpha's biochemical and biological effects.
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PMID:Ceramide activates the stress-activated protein kinases. 755 90

The stress-activated p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase defines a subgroup of the mammalian MAP kinases that appear to play a key role in regulating inflammatory responses. Co-expression of constitutively active forms of Rac and Cdc42 leads to activation of p38 while dominant negative Rac and Cdc42 inhibit the ability of interleukin-1 to increase p38 activity. p21-activated kinase 1 (Pak1) is a potential mediator of Rac/Cdc42 signaling, and we observe that Pak1 stimulates p38 activity. A dominant negative Pak1 suppresses both interleukin-1- and Rac/Cdc42-induced p38 activity. Rac and Cdc42 appear to regulate a protein kinase cascade initiated at the level of Pak and leading to activation of p38 and JNK.
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PMID:Rho family GTPases regulate p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase through the downstream mediator Pak1. 759 86

The ternary complex factor (TCF) subfamily of ETS-domain transcription factors bind with serum response factor (SRF) to the serum response element (SRE) and mediate increased gene expression. The TCF protein Elk-1 is phosphorylated by the JNK and ERK groups of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases causing increased DNA binding, ternary complex formation, and transcriptional activation. Activated SRE-dependent gene expression is induced by JNK in cells treated with interleukin-1 and by ERK after treatment with phorbol ester. The Elk-1 transcription factor therefore integrates MAP kinase signaling pathways in vivo to coordinate biological responses to different extracellular stimuli.
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PMID:Integration of MAP kinase signal transduction pathways at the serum response element. 761 6

Independent of its ability to block translation, anisomycin intrinsically initiates intracellular signals and immediate-early gene induction [L. C. Mahadevan and D. R. Edwards, Nature (London) 349:747-749, 1991]. Here, we characterize further its action as a potent, selective signalling agonist. In-gel kinase assays show that epidermal growth factor (EGF) transiently activates five kinases: the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases ERK-1 and -2, and three others, p45, p55, and p80. Anisomycin, at inhibitory and subinhibitory concentrations, does not activate ERK-1 and -2 but elicits strong sustained activation of p45 and p55, which are unique in being serine kinases whose detection is enhanced with poly-Glu/Tyr or poly-Glu/Phe copolymerized in these gels. Translational arrest using emetine or puromycin does not activate p45 and p55 but does prolong EGF-stimulated ERK-1 and -2 activation. Rapamycin, which blocks anisomycin-stimulated p70/85S6k activation without affecting nuclear responses, has no effect on p45 or p55 kinase. p45 and p55 are activable by okadaic acid or UV irradiation, and both kinases phosphorylate the c-Jun NH2-terminal peptide 1-79, putatively placing them within c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK) subfamily of MAP kinases. Thus, the EGF- and anisomycin-activated kinases p45 and p55 are strongly implicated in signalling to c-fos and c-jun, whereas the MAP kinases ERK-1 and -2 are not essential for this process.
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PMID:Anisomycin-activated protein kinases p45 and p55 but not mitogen-activated protein kinases ERK-1 and -2 are implicated in the induction of c-fos and c-jun. 793 49

JNK protein kinases are distantly related to mitogen-activated protein kinases (ERKs) and are activated by dual phosphorylation on Tyr and Thr. The JNK protein kinase group includes the 46-kDa isoform JNK1. Here we describe the molecular cloning of a second member of the JNK group, the 55-kDa protein kinase JNK2. The activities of both JNK isoforms are markedly increased by exposure of cells to UV radiation. Furthermore, JNK protein kinase activation is observed in cells treated with tumor necrosis factor. Although both JNK isoforms phosphorylate the NH2-terminal activation domain of the transcription factor c-Jun, the activity of JNK2 was approximately 10-fold greater than that of JNK1. This difference in c-Jun phosphorylation correlates with increased binding of c-Jun to JNK2 compared with JNK1. The distinct in vitro biochemical properties of these JNK isoforms suggest that they may have different functions in vivo. Evidence in favor of this hypothesis was obtained from the observation that JNK1, but not JNK2, complements a defect in the expression of the mitogen-activated protein kinase HOG1 in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Together, these data indicate a role for the JNK group of protein kinases in the signal transduction pathway initiated by proinflammatory cytokines and UV radiation.
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PMID:Signal transduction by tumor necrosis factor mediated by JNK protein kinases. 796 72

Ras proteins exert their mitogenic and oncogenic effects through activation of downstream protein kinases. An important question is how Ras-generated signals reach the nucleus to activate downstream target genes. AP-1, a heterodimeric complex of Jun and Fos proteins, which activates mitogen-inducible genes, is a major nuclear target of Ras. Ras can stimulate AP-1 activity by inducing c-fos transcription, a process which is probably mediated by the ERK1 and -2 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, which phosphorylate the transcription factor Elk-1/TCF. Besides inducing transcription from fos and jun genes, mitogens and Ras proteins enhance AP-1 activity through phosphorylation of c-Jun. Phosphorylation of the c-Jun activation domain leads to c-jun induction through an autoregulatory loop. Ras- and ultra-violet-responsive protein kinases that phosphorylate c-Jun on serine residues at positions 63 and 73 and stimulate its transcriptional activity have been identified. These proline-directed kinases, termed JNKs, are novel MAP kinases. It is not clear, however, whether c-Jun is the only recipient and JNK the only transducer of the Ras signal to AP-1 proteins. A short sequence surrounding the major JNK phosphorylation site of c-Jun is conserved in c-Fos and is part of its activation domain, suggesting that c-Fos may be similarly regulated. Here we show that Ras does indeed augment the transcriptional activity of c-Fos through phosphorylation at Thr 232, the homologue of Ser 73 of c-Jun. However, this is mediated by a novel Ras- and mitogen-responsive proline-directed protein kinase that is different from JNKs and ERKs. Therefore, at least three types of proline-directed kinases transmit Ras- and mitogen-generated signals to the transcriptional machinery.
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PMID:c-Fos transcriptional activity stimulated by H-Ras-activated protein kinase distinct from JNK and ERK. 807 47

Persistent stimulation of specific protein kinase pathways has been proposed as a key feature of receptor tyrosine kinases and intracellular oncoproteins that signal neuronal differentiation of rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. Among the protein serine/threonine kinases identified to date, the p42/44 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases have been highlighted for their potential role in signalling PC12 cell differentiation. We report here that retrovirus-mediated expression of GTPase-deficient, constitutively active forms of the heterotrimeric Gq family members, G alpha qQ209L and G alpha 16Q212L, in PC12 cells induces neuronal differentiation as indicated by neurite outgrowth and the increased expression of voltage-dependent sodium channels. Differentiation was not observed after cellular expression of GTPase-deficient forms of alpha i2 or alpha 0, indicating selectivity for the Gq family of G proteins. As predicted, overexpression of alpha qQ209L and alpha 16Q212L constitutively elevated basal phospholipase C activity approximately 10-fold in PC12 cells. Significantly, little or no p42/44 MAP kinase activity was detected in PC12 cells differentiated with alpha 16Q212L or alpha qQ209L, although these proteins were strongly activated following expression of constitutively active cRaf-1. Rather, a persistent threefold activation of the cJun NH2-terminal kinases (JNKs) was observed in PC12 cells expressing alpha qQ209L and alpha 16Q212L. This level of JNK activation was similar to that achieved with nerve growth factor, a strong inducer of PC12 cell differentiation. Supportive of a role for JNK activation in PC12 cell differentiation, retrovirus-mediated overexpression of cJun, a JNK target, in PC12 cells induced neurite outgrowth. The results define a p42/44 MAP kinase-independent mechanism for differentiation of PC12 cells and suggest that persistent activation of the JNK members of the proline-directed protein kinase family by GTPase-deficient G alpha q and G alpha 16 subunits is sufficient to induce differentiation of PC12 cells.
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PMID:GTPase-deficient G alpha 16 and G alpha q induce PC12 cell differentiation and persistent activation of cJun NH2-terminal kinases. 855 93


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