scholarly journals Association of the viral oncoprotein STP-C488 with cellular ras.

1995 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 6506-6512 ◽  
Author(s):  
J U Jung ◽  
R C Desrosiers
Keyword(s):  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Herpesvirus Saimiri ◽  
Ras Signaling ◽  
Binding Assays ◽  
Viral Oncoprotein ◽  
Fourfold Increase ◽  
Constitutive Activation ◽  
Ras Signaling Pathway ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Transforming Activity

The STP-C488 oncogene of herpesvirus saimiri has transforming activity independent of the rest of the viral genome. We now demonstrate that STP-C488 associates with cellular ras in transformed cells. Mutations that disrupted this association with ras disrupted the transforming ability of the STP-C488 oncogene. Binding assays showed that STP-C488 was capable of competing with raf-1 for binding to ras. Expression of STP-C488 activated the ras signaling pathway as evidenced by a two- to fourfold increase in the ratio of ras-GTP to ras-GDP and by the constitutive activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase. Consistent with an activation of signaling through ras, STP-C488 expression induced ras-dependent neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells. STP-C488 is the first virus-encoded protein shown to achieve oncogenic transformation via association with cellular ras.

scholarly journals Identification of the functional components of the Ras signaling pathway regulating pituitary cell-specific gene expression.

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 1553-1565 ◽  
Author(s):  
K E Conrad ◽  
J M Oberwetter ◽  
R Vaillancourt ◽  
G L Johnson ◽  
A Gutierrez-Hartmann
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Pituitary Cell ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Ras Signaling ◽  
Raf Kinase ◽  
Prolactin Gene ◽  
Ras Signaling Pathway ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Prolactin Promoter

Ras, a small GTP-binding protein, is required for functional receptor tyrosine kinase signaling. Ultimately, Ras alters the activity of specific nuclear transcription factors and regulates novel patterns of gene expression. Using a rat prolactin promoter construct in transient transfection experiments, we show that both oncogenic Ras and activated forms of Raf-1 kinase selectively stimulated the cellular rat prolactin promoter in GH4 rat pituitary cells. We also show that the Ras signal is completely blocked by an expression vector encoding a dominant-negative Raf kinase. Additionally, using a molecular genetic approach, we determined that inhibitory forms of p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase and an Ets-2 transcription factor interfere with both the Ras and the Raf activation of the rat prolactin promoter. These findings define a functional requirement for these signaling constituents in the activation of the prolactin gene, a cell-specific gene which marks the lactotroph pituitary cell type. Further, this analysis allowed us to order the components in the Ras signaling pathway as it impinges on regulation of prolactin gene transcription as Ras-->Raf kinase-->mitogen-activated protein kinase-->Ets. In contrast, we show that intact c-Jun expression inhibited the Ras-induced activation of the prolactin promoter, defining it as a negative regulator of this pathway, whereas c-Jun was able to enhance the Ras activation of an AP-1-driven promoter in GH4 cells. These data show that c-Jun is not the nuclear mediator of the Ras signal for the highly specialized, pituitary cell-specific prolactin cellular promoter. Thus, we have defined a model system which provides an ideal paradigm for studying Ras/Raf signaling pathways and their effects on neuroendocrine cell-specific gene regulation.

scholarly journals Signaling through mitogen-activated protein kinase and Rac/Rho does not duplicate the effects of activated Ras on skeletal myogenesis.

1997 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 3547-3555 ◽  
Author(s):  
M B Ramocki ◽  
S E Johnson ◽  
M A White ◽  
C L Ashendel ◽  
S F Konieczny ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Map Kinase ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Ras Signaling ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Intracellular Signaling Pathway ◽  
Helix Loop Helix ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

The ability of basic helix-loop-helix muscle regulatory factors (MRFs), such as MyoD, to convert nonmuscle cells to a myogenic lineage is regulated by numerous growth factor and oncoprotein signaling pathways. Previous studies have shown that H-Ras 12V inhibits differentiation to a skeletal muscle lineage by disrupting MRF function via a mechanism that is independent of the dimerization, DNA binding, and inherent transcriptional activation properties of the proteins. To investigate the intracellular signaling pathway(s) that mediates the inhibition of MRF-induced myogenesis by oncogenic Ras, we tested two transformation-defective H-Ras 12V effector domain variants for their ability to alter terminal differentiation. H-Ras 12V,35S retains the ability to activate the Raf/MEK/mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade, whereas H-Ras 12V,40C is unable to interact directly with Raf-1 yet still influences other signaling intermediates, including Rac and Rho. Expression of each H-Ras 12V variant in C3H10T1/2 cells abrogates MyoD-induced activation of the complete myogenic program, suggesting that MAP kinase-dependent and -independent Ras signaling pathways individually block myogenesis in this model system. However, additional studies with constitutively activated Rac1 and RhoA proteins revealed no negative effects on MyoD-induced myogenesis. Similarly, treatment of Ras-inhibited myoblasts with the MEK1 inhibitor PD98059 revealed that elevated MAP kinase activity is not a significant contributor to the H-Ras 12V effect. These data suggest that an additional Ras pathway, distinct from the well-characterized MAP kinase and Rac/Rho pathways known to be important for the transforming function of activated Ras, is primarily responsible for the inhibition of myogenesis by H-Ras 12V.

scholarly journals Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Constitutively Activates STAT-3 via Oxidative Stress: Role of STAT-3 in HCV Replication

2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 1569-1580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gulam Waris ◽  
James Turkson ◽  
Tarek Hassanein ◽  
Aleem Siddiqui
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Dominant Negative ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Hcv Rna ◽  
Pyrrolidine Dithiocarbamate ◽  
Constitutive Activation ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

ABSTRACT The hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes chronic hepatitis, which often results in liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. We have previously shown that HCV nonstructural proteins induce activation of STAT-3 via oxidative stress and Ca2+ signaling (G. Gong, G. Waris, R. Tanveer, and A. Siddiqui, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98:9599-9604, 2001). In this study, we focus on the signaling pathway leading to STAT-3 activation in response to oxidative stress induced by HCV translation and replication activities. Here, we demonstrate the constitutive activation of STAT-3 in HCV replicon-expressing cells. The HCV-induced STAT-3 activation was inhibited in the presence of antioxidant (pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate) and Ca2+ chelators (BAPTA-AM and TMB-8). Previous studies have shown that maximum STAT-3 transactivation requires Ser727 phosphorylation in addition to tyrosine phosphorylation. Using a series of inhibitors and dominant negative mutants, we show that HCV-induced activation of STAT-3 is mediated by oxidative stress and influenced by the activation of cellular kinases, including p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, JNK, JAK-2, and Src. Our results also suggest a potential role of STAT-3 in HCV RNA replication. We also observed the constitutive activation of STAT-3 in the liver biopsy of an HCV-infected patient. These studies provide an insight into the mechanisms by which HCV induces intracellular events relevant to liver pathogenesis associated with the viral infection.

scholarly journals Kinase Suppressor of Ras Forms a Multiprotein Signaling Complex and Modulates MEK Localization

1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 5523-5534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Stewart ◽  
Meera Sundaram ◽  
Yanping Zhang ◽  
Jeeyong Lee ◽  
Min Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Scaffolding Protein ◽  
Ras Signaling ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Signaling Complex ◽  
Independent Functions ◽  
Kinase Suppressor Of Ras ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

ABSTRACT Genetic screens for modifiers of activated Ras phenotypes have identified a novel protein, kinase suppressor of Ras (KSR), which shares significant sequence homology with Raf family protein kinases. Studies using Drosophila melanogaster andCaenorhabditis elegans predict that KSR positively regulates Ras signaling; however, the function of mammalian KSR is not well understood. We show here that two predicted kinase-dead mutants of KSR retain the ability to complement ksr-1 loss-of-function alleles in C. elegans, suggesting that KSR may have physiological, kinase-independent functions. Furthermore, we observe that murine KSR forms a multimolecular signaling complex in human embryonic kidney 293T cells composed of HSP90, HSP70, HSP68, p50CDC37, MEK1, MEK2, 14-3-3, and several other, unidentified proteins. Treatment of cells with geldanamycin, an inhibitor of HSP90, decreases the half-life of KSR, suggesting that HSPs may serve to stabilize KSR. Both nematode and mammalian KSRs are capable of binding to MEKs, and three-point mutants of KSR, corresponding to C. elegans loss-of-function alleles, are specifically compromised in MEK binding. KSR did not alter MEK activity or activation. However, KSR-MEK binding shifts the apparent molecular mass of MEK from 44 to >700 kDa, and this results in the appearance of MEK in membrane-associated fractions. Together, these results suggest that KSR may act as a scaffolding protein for the Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.

scholarly journals Regulation of hairy-cell survival through constitutive activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways

Oncogene ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 2272-2284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aura S Kamiguti ◽  
Robert J Harris ◽  
Joseph R Slupsky ◽  
Peter K Baker ◽  
John C Cawley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Cell Survival ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Hairy Cell ◽  
Constitutive Activation ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

scholarly journals Transcriptional Repressor ERF Is a Ras/Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Target That Regulates Cellular Proliferation

1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 4121-4133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lionel le Gallic ◽  
Dionyssios Sgouras ◽  
Gregory Beal ◽  
George Mavrothalassitis
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Cellular Proliferation ◽  
Transcriptional Repressor ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Ras Signaling ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Ets Family

ABSTRACT A limited number of transcription factors have been suggested to be regulated directly by Erks within the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. In this paper we demonstrate that ERF, a ubiquitously expressed transcriptional repressor that belongs to the Ets family, is physically associated with and phosphorylated in vitro and in vivo by Erks. This phosphorylation determines the ERF subcellular localization. Upon mitogenic stimulation, ERF is immediately phosphorylated and exported to the cytoplasm. The export is blocked by specific Erk inhibitors and is abolished when residues undergoing phosphorylation are mutated to alanine. Upon growth factor deprivation, ERF is rapidly dephosphorylated and transported back into the nucleus. Phosphorylation-defective ERF mutations suppress Ras-induced tumorigenicity and arrest the cells at the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. Our findings strongly suggest that ERF may be important in the control of cellular proliferation during the G0/G1 transition and that it may be one of the effectors in the mammalian Ras signaling pathway.

scholarly journals Steady-State Levels of Phosphorylated Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase 1/2 Determined by Mortalin/HSPA9 and Protein Phosphatase 1 Alpha in KRAS and BRAF Tumor Cells

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pui-Kei Wu ◽  
Seung-Keun Hong ◽  
Jong-In Park
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Protein Phosphatase ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Binding Assays ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Binding Cavity ◽  
Steady State Levels ◽  
Erk Activity

ABSTRACT Although deregulation of MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity is a key feature in cancer, high-magnitude MEK/ERK activity can paradoxically induce growth inhibition. Therefore, additional mechanisms may exist to modulate MEK/ERK activity in favor of tumor cell proliferation. We previously reported that mortalin/HSPA9 can facilitate proliferation of certain KRAS and BRAF tumor cells by modulating MEK/ERK activity. In this study, we demonstrated that mortalin can regulate MEK/ERK activity via protein phosphatase 1α (PP1α). We found that PP1α inhibition increases steady-state levels of phosphorylated MEK1/2 in various tumor cells expressing B-RafV600E or K-RasG12C/D. Intriguingly, coimmunoprecipitation and in vitro binding assays revealed that mortalin facilitates PP1α-mediated MEK1/2 dephosphorylation by promoting PP1α-MEK1/2 interaction in an ATP-sensitive manner. The region spanning Val482 to Glu491 in the substrate-binding cavity and the substrate lid of mortalin were necessary for these physical interactions, which is consistent with conventional heat shock protein 70 (HSP70)-client interaction mechanisms. Nevertheless, mortalin depletion did not affect cellular PP1α levels or its regulatory phosphorylation, suggesting a nonconventional role for mortalin in promoting PP1α-MEK1/2 interaction. Of note, PP1α was upregulated in human melanoma and pancreatic cancer biopsy specimens in correlation with mortalin upregulation. PP1α may therefore have a role in tumorigenesis in concert with mortalin, which affects MEK/ERK activity in tumor cells.

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