Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P51812 (mitogen-activated protein)
 10,636 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The recognition of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) by their upstream activators, MAPK/ERK kinases (MEKs), is crucial for the effective and accurate transmission of many signals. We demonstrated previously that the yeast MAPKs Kss1 and Fus3 bind with high affinity to the N terminus of the MEK Ste7, and proposed that a conserved motif in Ste7, the MAPK-docking site, mediates this interaction. Here we show that the corresponding sequences in human MEK1 and MEK2 are necessary and sufficient for the direct binding of the MAPKs ERK1 and ERK2. Mutations in MEK1, MEK2, or Ste7 that altered conserved residues in the docking site diminished binding of the cognate MAPKs. Furthermore, short peptides corresponding to the docking sites in these MEKs inhibited MEK1-mediated phosphorylation of ERK2 in vitro. In yeast cells, docking-defective alleles of Ste7 were modestly compromised in their ability to transmit the mating pheromone signal. This deficiency was dramatically enhanced when the ability of the Ste5 scaffold protein to associate with components of the MAPK cascade was also compromised. Thus, both the MEK-MAPK docking interaction and binding to the Ste5 scaffold make mutually reinforcing contributions to the efficiency of signaling by this MAPK cascade in vivo.
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PMID:A conserved docking site in MEKs mediates high-affinity binding to MAP kinases and cooperates with a scaffold protein to enhance signal transmission. 1113 45

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) belongs to the family of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), which are serine-threonine kinases activated by phosphorylation in response to a variety of mitogenic signals. We previously reported that 17 beta-estradiol rapidly activates ERK in the rat hippocampus. However, the physiological role of this rapid activation of ERK by estrogen in vivo has not yet been elucidated. This study investigated whether ERK may participate in mediating the neuroprotective effects of estrogen against quinolinic acid (QA) toxicity in the rat hippocampus in vivo. Injection of QA into the hippocampi of male rats produced a loss of Nissl-stained neurons in the CA1 after 24 h. Prior administration of 17 beta-estradiol (50 pmol/animal) to the ventricles prevented the QA-induced decrease in Nissl-stained neurons. Pretreatment with U0126, an inhibitor of MAPK/ERK kinase, inhibited the rapid activation of ERK by 17 beta-estradiol in the rat hippocampus. Moreover, the neuroprotective effects of 17beta-estradiol against QA toxicity were blocked by the pretreatment with U0126. U0126 alone did not produce a loss of neurons. These results indicate that ERK mediates estrogen neuroprotection after QA toxicity in the rat hippocampus.
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PMID:Neuroprotection by estrogen via extracellular signal-regulated kinase against quinolinic acid-induced cell death in the rat hippocampus. 1116 53

Influenza A viruses are important worldwide pathogens in humans and different animal species. The functions of most of the ten different viral proteins of this negative-strand RNA virus have been well elucidated. However, little is known about the virus-induced intracellular signalling events that support viral replication. The Raf/MEK/ERK cascade is the prototype of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascades and has an important role in cell growth, differentiation and survival. Investigation of the function of this pathway has been facilitated by the identification of specific inhibitors such as U0126, which blocks the cascade at the level of MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK). Here we show that infection of cells with influenza A virus leads to biphasic activation of the Raf/MEK/ERK cascade. Inhibition of Raf signalling results in nuclear retention of viral ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs), impaired function of the nuclear-export protein (NEP/NS2) and concomitant inhibition of virus production. Thus, signalling through the mitogenic cascade seems to be essential for virus production and RNP export from the nucleus during the viral life cycle.
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PMID:Influenza virus propagation is impaired by inhibition of the Raf/MEK/ERK signalling cascade. 1123 81

Activator protein 1 (AP-1) binds to the promoters of many genes involved in immune and inflammatory responses. We have previously shown that the p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase regulates NF-kappa B-dependent gene expression by modulating the phosphorylation and subsequent activation of TATA-binding protein (TBP). In this study, we asked whether the p38 MAP kinase regulated the transcriptional activity of AP-1. We found that phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) was unable to drive the AP-1-dependent reporter gene in THP-1 cells. PMA activated both the extracellular signal-regulated kinase and c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase MAP kinases, but it did not activate the p38 MAP kinase. We found that cells expressing MAP kinase kinase 6(Glu), which is the upstream kinase that activates the p38 MAP kinase, had significantly increased AP-1-dependent gene expression alone and when stimulated with PMA. These cells also had increased phosphorylation of native c-Jun, suggesting that both c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase and p38 MAP kinases phosphorylate c-Jun. More importantly, expression of a constitutive active MAP kinase kinase 6(Glu) resulted in the phosphorylation of a His-TBP fusion protein and increased direct interaction of TBP with c-Jun. These findings suggest that in macrophages, the p38 MAP kinase regulates AP-1-driven transcription by modulating the activation of TBP.
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PMID:The absence of activator protein 1-dependent gene expression in THP-1 macrophages stimulated with phorbol esters is due to lack of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. 1145 54

The mechanisms of the antineoplastic effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) still are unknown, but the induction of apoptosis is one of the possible mechanisms. We attempted to demonstrate the role of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, generally considered to be important mediators of proliferative and apoptotic signals, in NSAID-induced colon cancer cell apoptosis. Apoptosis was detected by demonstration of DNA fragmentation in agarose gel electrophoresis. Cell death was assessed by trypan blue dye exclusion method. MAP kinase activation was assessed by Western blot using phosphospecific antibodies to MAP kinases. Kinase assay using activating transcription factor-2 (ATF-2) fusion protein as a substrate was also performed for measuring p38 MAP kinase activity. For the inhibition of p38 MAP kinase, pyridinylimidazole compound (SB203580) was utilized. Caspase-3 activity was measured using the tetrapeptide fluorogenic substrate Ac-DEVD-AMC. Treatment of HT-29 cells with NSAIDs results in time- and dose-dependent induction of apoptosis, accompanied by sustained activation of all three MAP kinase subfamilies. The SB203580, a p38 MAP kinase inhibitor, reduced indomethacin-induced cell death by 43%, while PD098059, a MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK)1 inhibitor, did not affect cell death. p38 MAP kinase and caspase-3 activation were not significantly interlinked in indomethacin-induced apoptosis. From these results, we conclude that NSAIDs can induce prolonged activation of MAP kinases in colon cancer cells and that, of these, p38 MAP kinase may play a partial but significant role in indomethacin-induced apoptosis.
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PMID:Prolonged activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases during NSAID-induced apoptosis in HT-29 colon cancer cells. 1145 90

Brain subjected to acute ischemic attack caused by an arterial blockage needs immediate arterial recanalization. However, restoration of cerebral blood flow can cause tissue injury, which is termed reperfusion injury. It is important to inhibit reperfusion injury to achieve greater brain protection. Because oxidative stress has been shown to activate mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and because oxidative stress contributes to reperfusion injury, MAPK may be a potential target to inhibit reperfusion injury after brain ischemia. Here, we demonstrate that reperfusion after forebrain ischemia dramatically increases phosphorylation level of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) in the gerbil hippocampus. In addition, i.v. administration of U0126 (100-200 mg/kg), a specific inhibitor of MEK (MAPK/ERK kinase), protects the hippocampus against forebrain ischemia. Moreover, treatment with U0126 at 3 h after ischemia significantly reduces infarct volume after transient (3 h) focal cerebral ischemia in mice. This protection is accompanied by reduced phosphorylation level of ERK2, substrates for MEK, in the damaged brain areas. Furthermore, U0126 protects mouse primary cultured cortical neurons against oxygen deprivation for 9 h as well as nitric oxide toxicity. These results provide further evidence for the role of MEK/ERK activation in brain injury resulting from ischemia/reperfusion, and indicate that MEK inhibition may increase the resistance of tissue to ischemic injury.
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PMID:Intravenous administration of MEK inhibitor U0126 affords brain protection against forebrain ischemia and focal cerebral ischemia. 1157 56

The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), is essential for cellular proliferation and differentiation, and thus there exists great interest to develop specific and selective inhibitors of this enzyme. Whereas small molecule inhibitors PD098095 and U0126 have been used to study MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK), their target selectivity has been questioned recently. The cross-reactivity of ATP-directed inhibitors with other protein kinases prompted us to develop structure-based selective peptide inhibitors of ERK activation. Based on a MEK1-derived peptide, we developed inhibitors of ERK activation in vitro and in vivo. The inclusion of either an alkyl moiety or a membrane-translocating peptide sequence facilitated the cellular uptake of the peptide inhibitor and prevented ERK activation in 4-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-stimulated NIH 3T3 cells or nerve growth factor-treated PC12 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, cell-permeable peptides inhibited ERK-mediated activation of the transcriptional activity of ELK1. The peptides did not have an inhibitory effect on the activity of two other closely related classes of MAPKs, c-Jun amino-terminal kinase or p38 protein kinase. Thus, these peptides may serve as valuable tools for investigating ERK activation and for selective investigation of ERK-mediated responses. With the knowledge of other kinase interacting domains, it would be possible to design cell-permeable inhibitors for investigating diverse cellular signaling mechanisms and for possible therapeutic applications.
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PMID:Selective in vivo inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase activation using cell-permeable peptides. 1175 41

When Jurkat human T cells were incubated with 20 microM of pentachlorophenol (PCP) or its metabolite, tetrachlorohydroquinone (TCHQ), for 10 hr, flow cytometric analyses revealed marked increase in the number of apoptotic cells. DNA fragmentation was also observed in these cells. TCHQ was more potent than PCP in causing apoptosis. After incubation with 20 microM TCHQ for 1 hr, all mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) examined [i.e., extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), p38, and c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK)] were phosphorylated, whereas no clear phosphorylation was induced by PCP. TCHQ-induced apoptosis was markedly suppressed by treatment with a p38 inhibitor (SB203580) and mildly (but significantly) suppressed by treatment with a MAPK/ERK kinase inhibitor (U0126). When cells were treated with both inhibitors at the same time, TCHQ-induced apoptosis disappeared almost completely. PCP-induced apoptosis was also suppressed by SB203580 and/or U0126. Nevertheless, treatment with LL-Z1640-2, which inhibits JNK phosphorylation, did not suppress the apoptosis caused by either TCHQ or PCP. Thus, p38 and ERK appear to be important signal transduction pathways leading to apoptosis in a human T-cell line exposed to a ubiquitous pollutant or its metabolite in the general and occupational environment.
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PMID:Effects of pentachlorophenol and tetrachlorohydroquinone on mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways in Jurkat T cells. 1183 41

Production of dopamine is regulated via phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of catecholamines. Here we have used a preparation of rat striatal slices to examine the involvement of two mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), in the depolarization-dependent regulation of TH phosphorylation and dopamine synthesis. Depolarization with elevated KCl (45 mm) caused an increase in the phosphorylation state and, thereby, activation of ERK1/2. The same stimulus also increased TH phosphorylation at Ser19, Ser31 and Ser40 (measured using site- and phospho-specific antibodies) and TH activity [measured as 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) accumulation]. A MAPK/ERK kinase inhibitor, PD098059, decreased the basal levels of phospho-ERK1/2 and prevented the increase in ERK1/2 phosphorylation induced by depolarization. PD098059 also decreased both basal and depolarization-induced phosphorylation of TH at Ser31 and reduced the increase in Ser40 phosphorylation induced by high potassium, but did not affect Ser19 phosphorylation. PD098059 alone inhibited basal TH activity and decreased the accumulation of DOPA induced by depolarization. These data provide evidence for the involvement of ERK1/2 in the regulation of the state of phosphorylation of TH at Ser31 and Ser40 and a correlation between ERK1/2-dependent phosphorylation of TH and stimulation of dopamine synthesis in the brain.
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PMID:Activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 by depolarization stimulates tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation and dopamine synthesis in rat brain. 1188 55

Signaling via mitogen-activated protein kinases is implicated in heart failure induced by agonists for G protein-coupled receptors that act via the G protein Galphaq. However, this assertion relies heavily on pharmacological inhibitors and dominant-interfering proteins and not on gene deletion. Here, we show that endogenous cardiac MAPK/ERK kinase kinase-1 (MEKK1)/(MAP3K1), a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase, is activated by heart-restricted overexpression of Galphaq in mice. In cardiac myocytes derived from embryonic stem cells in culture, homozygous disruption of MEKK1 selectively impaired c-Jun N-terminal kinase activity in the absence or presence of phenlyephrine, a Galphaq-dependent agonist. Other terminal mitogen-activated protein kinases were unaffected. In mice, the absence of MEKK1 abolished the increase in cardiac mass, myocyte size, hypertrophy-associated atrial natriuretic factor induction, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation by Galphaq, and improved ventricular mechanical function. Thus, MEKK1 mediates cardiac hypertrophy induced by Galphaq in vivo and is a logical target for drug development in heart disease involving this pathway.
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PMID:MEKK1 is essential for cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction induced by Gq. 1189 32


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