scholarly journals Role of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway in Prostaglandin F2α-Induced Rat Puerperal Uterine Contraction

Endocrinology ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 138 (8) ◽  
pp. 3103-3111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masahide Ohmichi ◽  
Koji Koike ◽  
Akiko Kimura ◽  
Kanji Masuhara ◽  
Hiromasa Ikegami ◽  
...  

Abstract In this study, prostaglandin (PG) F2α was found to activate mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and MAP kinase kinase (MEK) in cultured rat puerperal uterine myometrial cells. PGF2α stimulation also led to an increase in phosphorylation of raf-1, son of sevenless (SOS), and Shc. Furthermore, we examined the mechanism by which PGF2α induced MAP kinase phosphorylation. Both pertussis toxin (10 ng/ml), which inactivates Gi/Go proteins, and expression of a peptide derived from the carboxyl terminus of the β-adrenergic receptor kinase 1 (βARK1), which specifically blocks signaling mediated by the βγ subunits of G proteins, blocked the PGF2α-induced activation of MAP kinase. Ritodrine (1 μm), which is known to relax uterine muscle contraction, attenuated PGF2α-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of MAP kinase. Moreover, to examine the role of MAP kinase pathway in uterine contraction, an inhibitor of MEK activity, PD098059, was used. Although MEK inhibitor had no effect on PGF2α-induced calcium mobilization, this inhibitor partially inhibited PGF2α-induced uterine contraction. These results provide evidence that PGF2α stimulates the MAP kinase signaling pathway in cultured rat puerperal uterine myometrial cells through Gβγ protein, suggesting that this new pathway may play an important role in the biological action of PGF2α on these cells.

2010 ◽  
Vol 78 (5) ◽  
pp. 2153-2162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Hafez ◽  
Kelly Hayes ◽  
Marie Goldrick ◽  
Richard K. Grencis ◽  
Ian S. Roberts

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917, which has been widely used as a probiotic for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disorders, expresses a K5 capsule, the expression of which is often associated with extraintestinal and urinary tract isolates of E. coli. Previously, it had been shown that the expression of a K5 capsule by Nissle 1917 was important in mediating interactions with epithelial cells and the extent of chemokine expression. In this paper, we show that infection with Nissle 1917 induces expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and TLR5 in Caco-2 cells and that maximal induction of TLR5 required the K5 capsule. In addition, purified K5 polysaccharide was capable of inducing expression of TLR5 and mCD14 and potentiated the activity of both TLR4 and TLR5 agonists to increase the proinflammatory response. Infection with Nissle 1917 also increased the expression of the adaptor molecules MyD88 and TRIF, which was K5 capsule dependent. By Western blot analysis, it was possible to show that induction of interleukin-8 by Nissle 1917 was predominantly through the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway and that expression of the K5 capsule was important for activation of the MAP kinase pathway. This paper provides new information on the function of the K5 capsule in mediating interactions between Nissle 1917 and epithelial cells and the mechanisms that underlie the probiotic properties of Nissle 1917.


2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 1785-1792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Lee ◽  
Arsalan Shabbir ◽  
Christopher Cardozo ◽  
Avrom J. Caplan

Hsp90 functions in association with several cochaperones for folding of protein kinases and transcription factors, although the relative contribution of each to the overall reaction is unknown. We assayed the role of nine different cochaperones in the activation of Ste11, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase. Studies on signaling via this protein kinase pathway was measured by α-factor-stimulated induction of FIG1 or lacZ, and repression of HHF1. Several cochaperone mutants tested had reduced FIG1 induction or HHF1 repression, although to differing extents. The greatest defects were in cpr7Δ, sse1Δ, and ydj1Δ mutants. Assays of Ste11 kinase activity revealed a pattern of defects in the cochaperone mutant strains that were similar to the gene expression studies. Overexpression of CDC37, a chaperone required for protein kinase folding, suppressed defects the sti1Δ mutant back to wild-type levels. CDC37 overexpression also restored stable Hsp90 binding to the Ste11 protein kinase domain in the sti1Δ mutant strain. These data suggest that Cdc37 and Sti1 have functional overlap in stabilizing Hsp90:client complexes. Finally, we show that Cns1 functions in MAP kinase signaling in association with Cpr7.


Reproduction ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 138 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
María E Matzkin ◽  
Silvia I Gonzalez-Calvar ◽  
Artur Mayerhofer ◽  
Ricardo S Calandra ◽  
Mónica B Frungieri

We have previously observed expression of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), the key enzyme in the biosynthesis of prostaglandins (PGs), in reproductively active Syrian hamster Leydig cells, and reported an inhibitory role of PGF2α on hamster testicular steroidogenesis. In this study, we further investigated PTGS2 expression in hamster Leydig cells during sexual development and photoperiodic gonadal regression. Since PTGS2 is mostly expressed in pubertal and reproductively active adult hamsters with high circulating levels of LH and androgens, we studied the role of these hormones in the regulation/maintenance of testicular PTGS2/PGF2α. In active hamster Leydig cells, LH/hCG and testosterone induced PTGS2 and PGF2α production, and their actions were abolished by the antiandrogen bicalutamide (Bi). These results indicate that LH does not exert a direct effect on PG synthesis. Testosterone also stimulated phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase isoforms 3/1 (MAPK3/1) within minutes and hours, but the testosterone metabolite dihydrotestosterone had no effect on PTGS2 and MAPK3/1. Because Bi and U0126, an inhibitor of the MAP kinase kinases 1 and 2 (MAP2K1/2), abolished testosterone actions on MAPK3/1 and PTGS2, our studies suggest that testosterone directly induces PTGS2/PGF2α in hamster Leydig cells via androgen receptors and a non-classical mechanism that involves MAPK3/1 activation. Since PGF2α inhibits testosterone production, it might imply the existence of a regulatory loop that is setting a brake on steroidogenesis. Thus, the androgen environment might be crucial for the regulation of testicular PG production at least during sexual development and photoperiodic variations in hamsters.


2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 922-933 ◽  
Author(s):  
Almudena Porras ◽  
Susana Zuluaga ◽  
Emma Black ◽  
Amparo Valladares ◽  
Alberto M. Alvarez ◽  
...  

p38α mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase is a broadly expressed signaling molecule that participates in the regulation of cellular responses to stress as well as in the control of proliferation and survival of many cell types. We have used cell lines derived from p38α knockout mice to study the role of this signaling pathway in the regulation of apoptosis. Here, we show that cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts lacking p38α are more resistant to apoptosis induced by different stimuli. The reduced apoptosis of p38α-deficient cells correlates with decreased expression of the mitochondrial proapoptotic protein Bax and the apoptosis-inducing receptor Fas/CD-95. Cells lacking p38α also have increased extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERKs) MAP kinase activity, and the up-regulation of this survival pathway seems to be at least partially responsible for the reduced levels of apoptosis in the absence of p38α. Phosphorylation of the transcription factor STAT3 on Ser-727, mediated by the extracellular signal-regulated kinase MAP kinase pathway, may contribute to the decrease in both Bax and Fas expression in p38α-/- cells. Thus, p38α seems to sensitize cells to apoptosis via both up-regulation of proapoptotic proteins and down-regulation of survival pathways.


2002 ◽  
Vol 434 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 55-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wai Yee Choy ◽  
Yung Fat Wong ◽  
Yiu Wa Kwan ◽  
Alice Lai Shan Au ◽  
Wing Hung Lau ◽  
...  

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