scholarly journals Impact of ERK5 on the Hallmarks of Cancer

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Stecca ◽  
Elisabetta Rovida

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5) belongs to the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family that consists of highly conserved enzymes expressed in all eukaryotic cells and elicits several biological responses, including cell survival, proliferation, migration, and differentiation. In recent years, accumulating lines of evidence point to a relevant role of ERK5 in the onset and progression of several types of cancer. In particular, it has been reported that ERK5 is a key signaling molecule involved in almost all the biological features of cancer cells so that its targeting is emerging as a promising strategy to suppress tumor growth and spreading. Based on that, in this review, we pinpoint the hallmark-specific role of ERK5 in cancer in order to identify biological features that will potentially benefit from ERK5 targeting.

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 251-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela A. Lochhead ◽  
Rebecca Gilley ◽  
Simon J. Cook

The MEK5 [MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase)/ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase) kinase 5]/ERK5 pathway is the least well studied MAPK signalling module. It has been proposed to play a role in the pathology of cancer. In the present paper, we review the role of the MEK5/ERK5 pathway using the ‘hallmarks of cancer’ as a framework and consider how this pathway is deregulated. As well as playing a key role in endothelial cell survival and tubular morphogenesis during tumour neovascularization, ERK5 is also emerging as a regulator of tumour cell invasion and migration. Several oncogenes can stimulate ERK5 activity, and protein levels are increased by a novel amplification at chromosome locus 17p11 and by down-regulation of the microRNAs miR-143 and miR-145. Together, these finding underscore the case for further investigation into understanding the role of ERK5 in cancer.


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.


2007 ◽  
Vol 409 (1) ◽  
pp. 179-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sari Vanhatupa ◽  
Daniela Ungureanu ◽  
Maija Paakkunainen ◽  
Olli Silvennoinen

STAT1 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 1) is a critical mediator of IFN-γ (interferon-γ)-induced gene responses, and its function is regulated through phosphorylation of Tyr701 and Ser727. MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) pathways mediate phosphorylation of Ser727 in response to microbial infections, stress stimuli and growth factors. Recently, STAT1 was found to become modified by PIAS (protein inhibitor of activated STAT)-mediated SUMO-1 (small ubiquitin-related modifier-1) conjugation at Lys703, but the regulation of this modification is largely unknown. Here, we have investigated the role of MAPK-induced Ser727 phosphorylation in regulation of STAT1 SUMOylation. Activation of the p38MAPK pathway by upstream activating kinase, MKK6 (MAPK kinase-6) or osmotic stress enhanced the SUMOylation of STAT1, which was counteracted by the p38MAPK inhibitor SB202190 or by dominant-negative p38MAPK. Activation of the ERK1/2 (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2) pathway by Raf-1 also enhanced Ser727 phosphorylation and SUMOylation of STAT1, and this induction was counteracted by PD98059 inhibitor. Mutation of Ser727 to alanine abolished the p38MAPK-induced SUMOylation. Furthermore, S727D and S727E mutations, which mimic the phosphorylation of Ser727, enhanced the basal SUMOylation of STAT1 and interaction between PIAS1 and STAT1. Taken together, these results identify Ser727 phosphorylation as a regulator of STAT1 SUMOylation and highlight the central role of Ser727 in co-ordination of STAT1 functions in cellular responses.


2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1060-1072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Müller ◽  
Alessandro Morotti ◽  
Carola Ponzetto

ABSTRACT Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor, Met, regulate a number of biological functions in epithelial and nonepithelial cells, such as survival, motility, proliferation, and tubular morphogenesis. The transcription factor NF-κB is activated in response to a wide variety of stimuli, including growth factors, and is involved in biological responses in part overlapping with those triggered by HGF. In this work we used the liver-derived MLP29 cell line to study the possible involvement of NF-κB in HGF/Met signaling. HGF stimulates NF-κB DNA binding and transcriptional activation via the canonical IκB phosphorylation-degradation cycle and via the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase is not involved in Met-mediated NF-κB activation. Blockage of NF-κB activation in MLP29 cells by forced expression of the NF-κB super-repressor IκBα2A does not interfere with HGF-induced scatter but inhibits proliferation and tubulogenesis. Surprisingly, in the same cells NF-κB appears to be dispensable for the antiapoptotic function of HGF.


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