scholarly journals Post-Translational Regulation of the Activity of ERK/MAPK and PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathways in Neuroblastoma Cancer

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aysegul Yildiz ◽  
Yesim Kaya

Pathogenesis of cancer is a multi-step process containing a number of cellular alterations such as post-translational dysregulation of intracellular signaling proteins. These alterations control several functions in carcinogenesis such as angiogenesis, metastasis, evading growth suppressors, and sustaining proliferative signaling. Data of various studies has demonstrated that Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K/AKT) and Mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK/MAPK) pathways are both abnormally activated in many cancer types, including neuroblastoma. ERK/MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways that are regulated by sequential phosphorylation upon extracellular stimulation have many important functions in cell cycle, migration, proliferation and apoptosis. Besides their aberrant phosphorylation/activation, there is a crosstalk between these two pathways resulting in an anti-apoptotic effect. In this chapter, carcinogenetic abnormalities in post-translational regulation of the activity of ERK/MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways in neuroblastoma and other cancers will be summarized. In addition, several crosstalk nodes between two pathways will be briefly explained. All these concepts are not only crucial for thoroughly understanding the molecular basis of carcinogenesis but also choosing the appropriate molecular targets for effective diagnosis and treatment.

2004 ◽  
Vol 72 (10) ◽  
pp. 5662-5667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola J. Mason ◽  
Jim Fiore ◽  
Takashi Kobayashi ◽  
Katherine S. Masek ◽  
Yongwon Choi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The production of interleukin-12 (IL-12) is critical to the development of innate and adaptive immune responses required for the control of intracellular pathogens. Many microbial products signal through Toll-like receptors (TLR) and activate NF-κB family members that are required for the production of IL-12. Recent studies suggest that components of the TLR pathway are required for the production of IL-12 in response to the parasite Toxoplasma gondii; however, the production of IL-12 in response to this parasite is independent of NF-κB activation. The adaptor molecule TRAF6 is involved in TLR signaling pathways and associates with serine/threonine kinases involved in the activation of both NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). To elucidate the intracellular signaling pathways involved in the production of IL-12 in response to soluble toxoplasma antigen (STAg), wild-type and TRAF6−/− mice were inoculated with STAg, and the production of IL-12(p40) was determined. TRAF6−/− mice failed to produce IL-12(p40) in response to STAg, and TRAF6−/− macrophages stimulated with STAg also failed to produce IL-12(p40). Studies using Western blot analysis of wild-type and TRAF6−/− macrophages revealed that stimulation with STAg resulted in the rapid TRAF6-dependent phosphorylation of p38 and extracellular signal-related kinase, which differentially regulated the production of IL-12(p40). The studies presented here demonstrate for the first time that the production of IL-12(p40) in response to toxoplasma is dependent upon TRAF6 and p38 MAPK.


1997 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 3547-3555 ◽  
Author(s):  
M B Ramocki ◽  
S E Johnson ◽  
M A White ◽  
C L Ashendel ◽  
S F Konieczny ◽  
...  

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.


1995 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 4930-4938 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Zinck ◽  
M A Cahill ◽  
M Kracht ◽  
C Sachsenmaier ◽  
R A Hipskind ◽  
...  

Inhibitors of protein synthesis, such as anisomycin and cycloheximide, lead to superinduction of immediate-early genes. We demonstrate that these two drugs activate intracellular signaling pathways involving both the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) cascades. The activation of either pathway correlates with phosphorylation of the c-fos regulatory transcription factor Elk-1. In HeLa cells, anisomycin stabilizes c-fos mRNA when protein synthesis is inhibited to only 50%. Under these conditions, anisomycin, in contrast to cycloheximide, rapidly induces kinase activation and efficient Elk-1 phosphorylation. However, full inhibition of translation by either drug leads to prolonged activation of SAPK activity, while MAPK induction is transient. This correlates with prolonged Elk-1 phosphorylation and c-fos transcription. Elk-1 induction and c-fos activation are also observed in KB cells, in which anisomycin strongly induces SAPKs but not MAPKs. Purified p54 SAPK alpha efficiently phosphorylates the Elk-1 C-terminal domain in vitro and comigrates with anisomycin-activated kinases in in-gel kinase assays. Thus, Elk-1 provides a potential convergence point for the MAPK and SAPK signaling pathways. The activation of signal cascades and control of transcription factor function therefore represent prominent processes in immediate-early gene superinduction.


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