Integrins Regulate the Linkage between Upstream and Downstream Events in G Protein-coupled Receptor Signaling to Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase

ABSTRACT G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been shown to stimulate extracellular regulated kinases (ERKs) through a number of linear pathways that are initiated by Gq/11 or Giproteins. We studied signaling to the ERK cascade by receptors that simultaneously activate both G protein subfamilies. In HEK293T cells, bradykinin B2 receptor (B2R)-induced stimulation of ERK2 and transcriptional activity of Elk1 are dependent on Gαq-mediated protein kinase C (PKC) and on Gαi-induced Ras activation, while they are independent of Gβγ subunits, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and tyrosine kinases. Similar results were obtained with m1 and m3muscarinic receptors in HEK293T cells and with the B2R in human and mouse fibroblasts, indicating a general mechanism in signaling toward the ERK cascade. Furthermore, the bradykinin-induced activation of ERK is strongly reduced in Gαq/11-deficient fibroblasts. In addition, we found that constitutively active mutants of Gαq/11 or Gαi proteins alone poorly stimulate ERK2, whereas a combination of both led to synergistic effects. We conclude that dually coupled GPCRs require a cooperation of Gαi- and Gq/11-mediated pathways for efficient stimulation of the ERK cascade. Cooperative signaling by multiple G proteins thus might represent a novel concept implicated in the regulation of cellular responses by GPCRs.

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Phosphorylation and activation of mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase-1 in adult rat cardiac myocytes by G-protein-coupled receptor agonists requires both extracellular-signal-regulated kinase and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bj20011828 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 365 (3) ◽

pp. 757-763 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Thomais MARKOU ◽

Antigone LAZOU

Keyword(s):

Protein Kinase ◽

G Protein ◽

Cardiac Myocytes ◽

P38 Mapk ◽

Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽

G Protein Coupled Receptor ◽

Receptor Agonists ◽

Adult Rat ◽

G Protein Coupled ◽

Rat Cardiac Myocytes

G-protein-coupled receptor agonists are powerful stimulators of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades in cardiac myocytes. However, little is known regarding the physiological activation of enzymes downstream of MAPKs. We examined the activation of mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase-1 (MSK1), a downstream target of MAPKs, in adult rat cardiac myocytes by phenylephrine and endothelin-1. Both agonists induced the phosphorylation of MSK1 at Thr-581 and Ser-376 but not at Ser-360. Maximal phosphorylation was observed at 10–15min after stimulation and it correlated with increased activity. Maximal activation of MSK1 in adult cardiomyocytes temporally coincided with maximal p38 MAPK activation while activation of the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) cascade was more rapid. Phosphorylation and activation of MSK1 was completely inhibited by either PD98059 (ERK1/2 pathway inhibitor) or SB203580 (p38 MAPK inhibitor) alone. These data demonstrate that MSK1 activation in adult rat cardiac myocytes by G-protein-coupled receptor agonists requires the simultaneous activation of both the ERK and p38 MAPK pathways. However, the lack of phosphorylation at Ser-360, an identified phosphorylation site targeted by MAPKs, may indicate that MSK1 is not a direct substrate of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK in adult rat cardiomyocytes.

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