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 FGIN-1-27 Inhibits Melanogenesis by Regulating Protein Kinase A/cAMP-Responsive Element-Binding, Protein Kinase C-β, and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathways

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinpeng Lv ◽  
Songzhou Jiang ◽  
Ying Yang ◽  
Ximei Zhang ◽  
Rongyin Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
The Body ◽  
Tyrosinase Activity ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Mushroom Tyrosinase ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Element Binding Protein ◽  
Responsive Element

FGIN-1-27 is a synthetic mitochondrial diazepam binding inhibitor receptor (MDR) agonist that has demonstrated pro-apoptotic, anti-anxiety, and steroidogenic activity in various studies. Here we report, for the first time, the anti-melanogenic efficacy of FGIN-1-27 in vitro and in vivo. FGIN-1-27 significantly inhibited basal and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-, 1-Oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (OAG)- and Endothelin-1 (ET-1)-induced melanogenesis without cellular toxicity. Mushroom tyrosinase activity assay showed that FGIN-1-27 did not directly inhibit tyrosinase activity, which suggested that FGIN-1-27 was not a direct inhibitor of tyrosinase. Although it was not capable of modulating the catalytic activity of mushroom tyrosinase in vitro, FGIN-1-27 downregulated the expression levels of key proteins that function in melanogenesis. FGIN-1-27 played these functions mainly by suppressing the PKA/CREB, PKC-β, and MAPK pathways. Once inactivated, it decreased the expression of MITF, tyrosinase, TRP-1, TRP-2, and inhibited the tyrosinase activity, finally inhibiting melanogenesis. During in vivo experiments, FGIN-1-27 inhibited the body pigmentation of zebrafish and reduced UVB-induced hyperpigmentation in guinea pig skin, but not a reduction of numbers of melanocytes. Our findings indicated that FGIN-1-27 exhibited no cytotoxicity and inhibited melanogenesis in both in vitro and in vivo models. It may prove quite useful as a safer skin-whitening agent.

scholarly journals A Redox-Sensitive Thiol in Wis1 Modulates the Fission Yeast Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Response to H2O2 and Is the Target of a Small Molecule

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna J. Sjölander ◽  
Agata Tarczykowska ◽  
Cecilia Picazo ◽  
Itziar Cossio ◽  
Itedale Namro Redwan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Fission Yeast ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Activation Loop ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Kinase Activation ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

ABSTRACT Oxidation of a highly conserved cysteine (Cys) residue located in the kinase activation loop of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (MAPKK) inactivates mammalian MKK6. This residue is conserved in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe MAPKK Wis1, which belongs to the H2O2-responsive MAPK Sty1 pathway. Here, we show that H2O2 reversibly inactivates Wis1 through this residue (C458) in vitro. We found that C458 is oxidized in vivo and that serine replacement of this residue significantly enhances Wis1 activation upon addition of H2O2. The allosteric MAPKK inhibitor INR119, which binds in a pocket next to the activation loop and C458, prevented the inhibition of Wis1 by H2O2 in vitro and significantly increased Wis1 activation by low levels of H2O2 in vivo. We propose that oxidation of C458 inhibits Wis1 and that INR119 cancels out this inhibitory effect by binding close to this residue. Kinase inhibition through the oxidation of a conserved Cys residue in MKK6 (C196) is thus conserved in the S. pombe MAPKK Wis1.

Phosphorylation of Argonaute 2 at serine-387 facilitates its localization to processing bodies

2008 ◽  
Vol 413 (3) ◽  
pp. 429-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Zeng ◽  
Heidi Sankala ◽  
Xiaoxiao Zhang ◽  
Paul R. Graves
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
P38 Mapk ◽  
Kinase Inhibitor ◽  
Mapk Pathway ◽  
Phosphorylation Site ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Processing Bodies ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

Ago (Argonaute) proteins are essential effectors of RNA-mediated gene silencing. To explore potential regulatory mechanisms for Ago proteins, we examined the phosphorylation of human Ago2. We identified serine-387 as the major Ago2 phosphorylation site in vivo. Phosphorylation of Ago2 at serine-387 was significantly induced by treatment with sodium arsenite or anisomycin, and arsenite-induced phosphorylation was inhibited by a p38 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) inhibitor, but not by inhibitors of JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) or MEK [MAPK/ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase) kinase]. MAPKAPK2 (MAPK-activated protein kinase-2) phosphorylated bacterially expressed full-length human Ago2 at serine-387 in vitro, but not the S387A mutant. Finally, mutation of serine-387 to an alanine residue or treatment of cells with a p38 MAPK inhibitor reduced the localization of Ago2 to processing bodies. These results suggest a potential regulatory mechanism for RNA silencing acting through Ago2 serine-387 phosphorylation mediated by the p38 MAPK pathway.

scholarly journals Identification of RAS-Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Pathway Modulators in an ERF1 Redistribution® Screen

2006 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotta Grånäs ◽  
Betina Kerstin Lundholt ◽  
Frosty Loechel ◽  
Hans-Christian Pedersen ◽  
Sara Petersen Bjørn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Mapk Pathway ◽  
Mapk Signaling ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Protein Kinase Signaling

The RAS-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway has a central role in regulating the proliferation and survival of both normal and tumor cells. This pathway has been 1 focus area for the development of anticancer drugs, resulting in several compounds, primarily kinase inhibitors, in clinical testing. The authors have undertaken a cell-based, high-throughput screen using a novel ERF1 Redistribution® assay to identify compounds that modulate the signaling pathway. The hit compounds were subsequently tested for activity in a functional cell proliferation assay designed to selectively detect compounds inhibiting the proliferation of MAPK pathway-dependent cancer cells. The authors report the identification of 2 cell membrane-permeable compounds that exhibit activity in the ERF1 Redistribution® assay and selectively inhibit proliferation of MAPK pathway-dependent malignant melanoma cells at similar potencies (IC50 =< 5 μM). These compounds have drug-like structures and are negative in RAF, MEK, and ERK in vitro kinase assays. Drugs belonging to these compound classes may prove useful for treating cancers caused by excessive MAPK pathway signaling. The results also show that cell-based, high-content Redistribution® screens can detect compounds with different modes of action and reveal novel targets in a pathway known to be disease relevant.

scholarly journals Heat-shock protein-25/27 phosphorylation by the δ isoform of protein kinase C

1998 ◽  
Vol 332 (3) ◽  
pp. 703-712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn T. MAIZELS ◽  
Carl A. PETERS ◽  
Michael KLINE ◽  
Richard E. CUTLER ◽  
Malathy SHANMUGAM ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Shock ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Corpora Lutea ◽  
Hsp 27 ◽  
Pkc Isoforms ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

Small heat-shock proteins (sHSPs) are widely expressed 25–28 kDa proteins whose functions are dynamically regulated by phosphorylation. While recent efforts have clearly delineated a stress-responsive p38 mitogen-activated protein-kinase (MAPK)-dependent kinase pathway culminating in activation of the heat-shock (HSP)-kinases, mitogen-activated protein-kinase-activated protein kinase-2 and -3, not all sHSP phosphorylation events can be explained by the p38 MAPK-dependent pathway. The contribution of protein kinase C (PKC) to sHSP phosphorylation was suggested by early studies but later questioned on the basis of the reported poor ability of purified PKC to phosphorylate sHSP in vitro. The current study re-evaluates the role of PKC in sHSP phosphorylation in the light of the isoform complexity of the PKC family. We evaluated the sHSP phosphorylation status in rat corpora lutea obtained from two stages of pregnancy, mid-pregnancy and late-pregnancy, which express different levels of the novel PKC isoform, PKC-δ. Two-dimensional Western blot analysis showed that HSP-27 was more highly phosphorylated in vivo in corpora lutea of late pregnancy, corresponding to the developmental stage in which PKC-δ is abundant and active. Late-pregnant luteal extracts contained a lipid-sensitive HSP-kinase activity which exactly co-purified with PKC-δ using hydroxyapatite and S-Sepharose column chromatography. To determine whether there might be preferential phosphorylation of sHSP by a particular PKC isoform, purified recombinant PKC isoforms corresponding to those PKC isoforms detected in rat corpora lutea were evaluated for HSP-kinase activity in vitro. Recombinant PKC-δ effectively catalysed the phosphorylation of sHSP in vitro, and PKC-α was 30–50% as effective as an HSP-kinase; other PKCs tested (β1, β2, ε and ζ) were poor HSP-kinases. These results show that select PKC family members can function as direct HSP-kinases in vitro. Moreover, the observation of enhanced luteal HSP-27 phosphorylation in vivo, in late pregnancy, when PKC-δ is abundant and active, suggests that select PKC family members contribute to sHSP phosphorylation events in vivo.

scholarly journals Phosphorylation of the c-Fos transrepression domain by mitogen-activated protein kinase and 90-kDa ribosomal S6 kinase

1993 ◽  
Vol 90 (23) ◽  
pp. 10952-10956 ◽  
Author(s):  
R H Chen ◽  
C Abate ◽  
J Blenis
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Map Kinase ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
S6 Kinase ◽  
Downstream Signaling ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Ribosomal S6 Kinase

Phosphorylation of the C terminus of c-Fos has been implicated in serum response element-mediated repression of c-fos transcription after its induction by serum growth factors. The growth-regulated enzymes responsible for this phosphorylation in early G1 phase of the cell cycle and the sites of phosphorylation have not been identified. We now provide evidence that two growth-regulated, nucleus- and cytoplasm-localized protein kinases, 90-kDa ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase), contribute to the serum-induced phosphorylation of c-Fos. The major phosphopeptides derived from biosynthetically labeled c-Fos correspond to phosphopeptides generated after phosphorylation of c-Fos in vitro with both RSK and MAP kinase. The phosphorylation sites identified for RSK (Ser-362) and MAP kinase (Ser-374) are in the transrepression domain. Cooperative phosphorylation at these sites by both enzymes was observed in vitro and reflected in vivo by the predominance of the peptide phosphorylated on both sites, as opposed to singly phosphorylated peptides. This study suggests a role for nuclear RSK and MAP kinase in modulating newly synthesized c-Fos phosphorylation and downstream signaling.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document