Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P67775 (alpha isoform)
 797 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We investigated the expression of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoenzymes in embryonic rat ventricles cultured in the anterior eye chamber of an adult rat. In oculo, these grafts beat and mature in an environment where the hormonal milieu can be manipulated. S1 nuclease protection assays were performed on pooled samples of ventricle grafts and compared to normally growing ventricles. At the time of grafting (embryonic day 12, E-12), 23 +/- 4% of the MHC mRNA was of the alpha isoform. While the proportion of ventricular alpha-MHC mRNA did not increase in utero, embryonic ventricles cultured in oculo showed a rapid increase in the relative amount of alpha-MHC mRNA expression (to 84 +/- 10% by 3 days and 86 +/- 5% by 8 days in oculo). alpha-MHC mRNA expression predominated through 8 weeks of culture in oculo, being 76% at 8 weeks in oculo. Additional experiments were performed to determine whether the rapid conversion to alpha-MHC expression resulted from exposure to adult levels of testosterone or thyroid hormone. Reduction of testosterone exposure to nondetectable levels by host orchiectomy did not affect the rapid conversion to alpha-MHC mRNA expression. Exposure to a hypothyroid milieu (i.e., PTU-treated hosts) decreased but did not prevent the conversion from beta- to alpha-MHC mRNA expression at 8 days in oculo; with 83% of the MHC mRNA being of the alpha isoform in hypothyroid hosts compared to 95% in euthyroid hosts. After 8 weeks of culture in hypothyroid hosts, however, alpha-MHC mRNA expression was undetectable in grafted ventricles. These data suggest that E-12 myocardial grafts respond to the hormonal milieu of an adult rat with rapid conversion from beta- to alpha-MHC mRNA expression and that alpha-MHC expression in early developing heart may show reduced sensitivity to downward modulation by a hypothyroid hormonal milieu.
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PMID:Rapid conversion from beta-MHC to alpha-MHC mRNA expression in embryonic rat ventricle cultured in oculo is not dependent on thyroid hormone or testosterone. 747 87

A combination of either retrograde or anterograde fluorescent tracer and immunofluorescence histochemistry using the monoclonal antibody specific for the alpha isoform of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II alpha) was employed to test whether CaM kinase II alpha is expressed in somata of corticospinal neurons and their axons over their whole course. After the injection of carbocyanine dye DiI into the hindlimb area of the primary motor cortex of the rat, corticospinal axons and their terminal arbors were anterogradely labeled: DiI-labeled corticospinal fibers proceeded caudally in the ipsilateral internal capsule, cerebral peduncle and medullary pyramid, crossed at the pyramidal decussation and descended in the ventralmost area of the contralateral dorsal funiculus of the spinal cord. These DiI-labeled corticospinal axons expressed strong CaM kinase II alpha immunoreactivity along their course. However, their terminal arbors within the gray matter of the lumbar cord were very weakly immunostained. With the injection of Fast Blue into the lumbar enlargement of the rat, somata of corticospinal neurons in layer V of the motor cortex were retrogradely labeled. The subsequent immunofluorescent histochemistry revealed that more than 80% of Fast Blue-labeled corticospinal neurons were immunostained with CaM kinase II alpha antibody. The present immunohistochemical study demonstrated that CaM kinase II alpha is strongly expressed in both somata and axons of a majority of corticospinal neurons, although we could not detect this enzyme in the corticospinal terminals in the spinal target areas.
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PMID:Alpha calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II immunoreactivity in corticospinal neurons: combination of axonal transport method and immunofluorescence. 748 9

In mammalian spermatozoa, most of the type II alpha isoform of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKAII alpha) is anchored at the cytoplasmic surface of a specialized array of mitochondria in the flagellar cytoskeleton. This places the catalytic subunits of PKAII alpha in proximity with potential target substrates in the cytoskeleton. The mechanism by which PKAII alpha is anchored at the outer surface of germ cell mitochondria has not been elucidated. We now report the cloning of a cDNA that encodes a novel, germ cell A kinase anchor protein (AKAP) designated S-AKAP84. S-AKAP84 comprises 593 amino acids and contains a centrally located domain that avidly binds regulatory subunits (RII alpha and RII beta) of PKAII alpha and PKAII beta. The 3.2-kilobase S-AKAP84 mRNA and the cognate S-AKAP84 RII binding protein are expressed principally in the male germ cell lineage. Expression of S-AKAP84 is tightly regulated during development. The protein accumulates as spermatids undergo nuclear condensation and tail elongation. The timing of S-AKAP84 expression is correlated with the de novo accumulation of RII alpha and RII beta subunits and the migration of mitochondria from the cytoplasm (round spermatids) to the cytoskeleton (midpiece in elongating spermatids). Residues 1-30 at the NH2 terminus of S-AKAP84 constitute a putative signal/anchor sequence that may target the protein to the outer mitochondrial membrane. Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that S-AKAP84 is co-localized with mitochondria in the flagellum.
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PMID:Characterization of S-AKAP84, a novel developmentally regulated A kinase anchor protein of male germ cells. 749 50

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

We evaluated the role of the protein kinase C (PKC) and its isozymes in the activation of human endothelial cells (EC) stimulated by platelet-activating factor (PAF). Exposure of confluent EC to PAF resulted in a rapid and concentration-dependent redistribution of PKC from cytosol to plasma-membrane, rearrangement of cytoskeleton (i.e. decrease in F-actin content and redistribution of vinculin), and finally increase in the transendothelial flux of 125I-albumin. Stimulation of EC with oleylacetylglycerol or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate induced the modification of the cytoskeletal structures and the increase of 125I-albumin clearance. Inhibitors of PKC prevented the effects induced by PAF on the cytoskeleton and on the barrier function of the EC monolayer. Confluent EC expressed only alpha, beta, and epsilon PKC isoforms. Biochemical and immunochemical analysis showed that the time course of the PKC isozymes translocation from cytosol to the membrane fraction of EC stimulated by PAF was different: beta isoform was redistributed more quickly than alpha isoform. PAF did not induce translocation of PKC epsilon. These results suggest that activation of PKC alpha and beta is an important signal transduction pathway by which PAF activates endothelial monolayer and modify its function of barrier to macromolecules.
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PMID:Human endothelial cells are targets for platelet-activating factor (PAF). Activation of alpha and beta protein kinase C isozymes in endothelial cells stimulated by PAF. 750 29

To gain insight into the function of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) isoforms in rodents, we disrupted the ligand-binding domain of the alpha isoform of mouse PPAR (mPPAR alpha) by homologous recombination. Mice homozygous for the mutation lack expression of mPPAR alpha protein and yet are viable and fertile and exhibit no detectable gross phenotypic defects. Remarkably, these animals do not display the peroxisome proliferator pleiotropic response when challenged with the classical peroxisome proliferators, clofibrate and Wy-14,643. Following exposure to these chemicals, hepatomegaly, peroxisome proliferation, and transcriptional-activation of target genes were not observed. These results clearly demonstrate that mPPAR alpha is the major isoform required for mediating the pleiotropic response resulting from the actions of peroxisome proliferators. mPPAR alpha-deficient animals should prove useful to further investigate the role of this receptor in hepatocarcinogenesis, fatty acid metabolism, and cell cycle regulation.
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PMID:Targeted disruption of the alpha isoform of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gene in mice results in abolishment of the pleiotropic effects of peroxisome proliferators. 753 1

Human rhabdomyosarcoma RD cells express the myogenic regulatory factors MyoD and myogenin but differentiate spontaneously very poorly. Prolonged treatment of RD cells with the protein kinase C (PKC) activator 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) induces growth arrest and myogenic differentiation as shown by the accumulation of alpha-actin and myosin light and heavy chains, without affecting the expression of MyoD and myogenin. In this study, we show that short-term phorbol ester treatment of the cultures is sufficient to trigger myogenic differentiation but not growth arrest. Furthermore, PKC inhibitors, such as staurosporine or calphostin C, prevent TPA-induced differentiation but not cell growth arrest. These data suggest that the two events are mediated by different pathways; a possible interpretation is that the activation of one or more PKC isoforms mediates the induction of differentiation, whereas the down-regulation of the same or different isoforms mediates the growth arrest. To address the mechanism whereby TPA affects cell growth and differentiation in RD cells, we first analyzed PKC isoenzyme distribution. We found that RD cells express the alpha, beta 1, gamma, and sigma PKC isoenzymes. Only the alpha isoform is exclusively found in the soluble fraction, but it translocates to the membrane fraction within 5 min of TPA treatment and is completely down-regulated after 6 h. The other isoenzymes are found associated to both the soluble and the particulate fractions and are down-regulated after long-term TPA treatment. By immunofluorescence analysis, we show that the PKC alpha down-regulation is specific for those cells that respond to TPA by activating the muscle phenotype. We propose that TPA-induced differentiation in RD cells is mediated by the transient activation of PKC alpha, which activates some of the intracellular events that are necessary for MyoD and myogenin transacting activity and for the induction of terminal differentiation of RD cells. By contrast, the constitutively active beta 1 and sigma are responsible for the maintenance of cell growth, and their down-regulation is responsible for long-term TPA-induced cell growth arrest.
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PMID:Rapid activation and down-regulation of protein kinase C alpha in 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced differentiation of human rhabdomyosarcoma cells. 754 6

Heat shock factor 2 (HSF2) functions as a transcriptional regulator of heat shock protein gene expression in mammalian cells undergoing processes of differentiation and development. Our previous studies demonstrated high regulated expression and unusual constitutive DNA-binding activity of the HSF2 protein in mouse testes, suggesting that HSF2 functions to regulate heat shock protein gene expression in spermatogenic cells. The purpose of this study was to test whether HSF2 regulation in testes is associated with alterations in the HSF2 polypeptide expressed in testes relative to other mouse tissues. Our results show that mouse cells express not one but two distinct HSF2 proteins and that the levels of these HSF2 isoforms are regulated in a tissue-dependent manner. The testes express predominantly the 71-kDa HSF2-alpha isoform, while the heart and brain express primarily the 69-kDa HSF2-beta isoform. These isoforms are generated by alternative splicing of HSF2 pre-mRNA, which results in the inclusion of an 18-amino-acid coding sequence in the HSF2-alpha mRNA that is skipped in the HSF2-beta mRNA. HSF2 alternative splicing is also developmentally regulated, as our results reveal a switch in expression from the HSF2-beta mRNA isoform to the HSF2-alpha isoform during testis postnatal developmental. Transfection analysis shows that the HSF2-alpha protein, the predominant isoform expressed in testis cells, is a more potent transcriptional activator than the HSF2-beta isoform. These results reveal a new mechanism for the control of HSF2 function in mammalian cells, in which regulated alternative splicing is used to modulate HSF2 transcriptional activity in a tissue-dependent manner.
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PMID:Tissue-dependent expression of heat shock factor 2 isoforms with distinct transcriptional activities. 756 77

Estrogen receptor (ER)-positive human breast carcinoma (HBC) cell lines express significantly higher levels of retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR alpha) (isoform 1) mRNA than ER-negative HBCs. Estradiol enhances RAR alpha mRNA expression in different ER-positive HBCs by 2-3-fold, which in turn results in increased sensitivity of ER-positive HBCs to the growth inhibitory effects of retinoic acid. To investigate the regulatory mechanisms of estradiol-mediated enhancement of RAR alpha mRNA expression, the functional promoter for the human RAR alpha isoform 1 was cloned and used to assess estradiol-mediated promoter-dependent enhancement of firefly luciferase reporter gene activity in transiently transfected ER-positive (MCF-7 and T47D) and ER-negative (MDA-MB-231) HBCs. Deletional promoter constructs were obtained to further delineate the promoter region responsible for estradiol-mediated enhancement of promoter activity. Here, we present evidence that approximately 130 bp of the promoter fragment preceding the transcriptional start site are responsible for estradiol-mediated enhancement of hRAR alpha gene expression. The estradiol-mediated enhancement is dependent on ER binding. Further deletional analysis showed that a promoter sequence of 42 base pairs, located approximately 100 bases upstream of the transcriptional start site, contains elements for estradiol-mediated enhancement. Specific deletion of either the Sp1 motif or mutations in the imperfect half-palindromic estrogen response element motif of this fragment abolish its estradiol responsiveness in transient transfections.
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PMID:Estradiol regulation of the human retinoic acid receptor alpha gene in human breast carcinoma cells is mediated via an imperfect half-palindromic estrogen response element and Sp1 motifs. 758 42

We have shown previously (Nishimura, M., Fedorov, S., and Uyeda, K. (1994) (J. Biol. Chem. 269, 26100-26106) that the administration of high concentrations of glucose stimulates dephosphorylation of Fru-6-P,2-kinase: Fru-2,6-bisphosphatase in perfused liver, and xylulose (Xu) 5-P activates the dephosphorylation reaction. To characterize the protein phosphatase, we have purified the Xu 5-P-activated protein phosphatase to homogeneity from livers of rats injected with high glucose. Several protein phosphatases in the livers were separated by DEAE-cellulose chromatography, but only one peak of the enzyme was activated by Xu 5-P. The protein phosphatase was inhibited by okadaic acid (IC50 = 1-3 nM) and did not require Mg2+ or Ca2+, suggesting that the enzyme was type 2A. The enzyme was a heterotrimer (M(r) = 150,000) and consisted of structural (A, 65 kDa) catalytic (C, 36 kDa), and regulatory (B, 52 kDa) subunits. Amino acid sequences of five tryptic peptides derived from the B subunit showed similarity with those of the B alpha isoform of rat protein phosphatase 2A, but five out of 73 residues were different. The protein phosphatase catalyzed dephosphorylation of Fru-6-P,2-kinase:Fru-2,6-Pase, phosphorylase alpha, and pyruvate kinase, and the Km values were 0.8 microM, 3.7 microM, and 2.2 microM, respectively. Among these substrates dephosphorylation of only the bifunctional enzyme was activated by Xu 5-P, and the K alpha value for Xu 5-P was 20 microM. Xu 5-P was the only sugar phosphate which activated the PP2A among all the sugar phosphates examined. These results demonstrated the existence and isolation of a unique heterotrimeric protein phosphatase 2A in rat liver which catalyzed the dephosphorylation of Fru-6-P,2-kinase:Fru-2,6-Pase and was activated specifically by Xu 5-P. The Xu 5-P-activated protein phosphatase 2A explains the increased Fru 2,6-P2 level in liver after high glucose administration.
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PMID:Purification and characterization of a novel xylulose 5-phosphate-activated protein phosphatase catalyzing dephosphorylation of fructose-6-phosphate,2-kinase:fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase. 759 45


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