scholarly journals Early Predictive Biomarkers for Hypertension Using Human Fetal Astrocytes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fahmida Abdi ◽  
Ann M. Simpson ◽  
Sara Lal ◽  
Kaneez Fatima Shad
Keyword(s):  
Blood Vessels ◽  
Antihypertensive Drugs ◽  
Predictive Biomarkers ◽  
Cerebrovascular Diseases ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Channel Blockers ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽  
Ion Channel Proteins

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, causing high numbers of deaths and /or disabilities worldwide. Previous studies have reported numerous biomolecules, such as, triglycerides and fibrinogen as biomarkers of hypertension (HTN), but none of these biomolecules could be considered as ‘true’ predictive biomarkers as they were produced after the establishment of HTN. Therefore, there is an urgent need for identifying and monitoring molecules that are linked to early pre-HTN stages, that is, prior to the onset of HTN. Astrocytes are the most abundant cells in the nervous system and through their long processes, astrocytes can communicate with both neuronal and non-neuronal cells such as endothelial cells lining blood vessels. Thus, any biochemical changes in astrocytes will affect both blood vessels and neurons. We are using human fetal astrocytes (HFAs) to investigate the molecules which may possibly act as early predictive biomarkers for hypertension. Astrocytic processes are mostly supported by the intermediate filaments, an example is the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) which is a type III intermediate filament. Elevated GFAP levels are being considered as a marker of astroglial injury, indicating the conversion of non-reactive (A2) into reactive (A1) astrocytes. Our initial immunohistochemistry studies using anti-GFAP antibodies on astrocytes from spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHRs) and their normal counter parts (WKY) rats showed a similar profile to that of reactive (A1) and non-reactive (A2) HFAs, respectively. Numerous studies point to a significant role of calcium ion channel proteins in hypertension, and calcium channel blockers such as Amlodipine (Norvasc) Diltiazem (Cardizem) are commonly used as antihypertensive drugs. By using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) we observed that reactive (A1) astrocytes, contain more calcium-activated proteins such as calpain, calpastatin, cathepsin and mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) as compare to normal (A2) HFAs, suggesting their possible link to the future onset of HTN. Hence these proteins could be considered as potential early predictive biomarkers of HTN.

scholarly journals Differential Role of Threonine and Tyrosine Phosphorylation in the Activation and Activity of the Yeast MAPK Slt2

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1110
Author(s):  
Gema González-Rubio ◽  
Ángela Sellers-Moya ◽  
Humberto Martín ◽  
María Molina
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Biological Activity ◽  
Biological Significance ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Activation Loop ◽  
High Increase ◽  
Dual Specificity ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Full Activation

The Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) Slt2 is central to signaling through the yeast Cell Wall Integrity (CWI) pathway. MAPKs are regulated by phosphorylation at both the threonine and tyrosine of the conserved TXY motif within the activation loop (T190/Y192 in Slt2). Since phosphorylation at both sites results in the full activation of MAPKs, signaling through MAPK pathways is monitored with antibodies that detect dually phosphorylated forms. However, most of these antibodies also recognize monophosphorylated species, whose relative abundance and functionality are diverse. By using different phosphospecific antibodies and phosphate-affinity (Phos-tag) analysis on distinct Slt2 mutants, we determined that Y192- and T190-monophosphorylated species coexist with biphosphorylated Slt2, although most of the Slt2 pool remains unphosphorylated following stress. Among the monophosphorylated forms, only T190 exhibited biological activity. Upon stimulation, Slt2 is first phosphorylated at Y192, mainly by the MAPKK Mkk1, and this phosphorylation is important for the subsequent T190 phosphorylation. Similarly, dephosphorylation of Slt2 by the Dual Specificity Phosphatase (DSP) Msg5 is ordered, with dephosphorylation of T190 depending on previous Y192 dephosphorylation. Whereas Y192 phosphorylation enhances the Slt2 catalytic activity, T190 is essential for this activity. The conserved T195 residue is also critical for Slt2 functionality. Mutations that abolish the activity of Slt2 result in a high increase in inactive Y192-monophosphorylated Slt2. The coexistence of different Slt2 phosphoforms with diverse biological significance highlights the importance of the precise detection of the Slt2 phosphorylation status.

ERK5 and its role in tumour development

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 251-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela A. Lochhead ◽  
Rebecca Gilley ◽  
Simon J. Cook
Keyword(s):  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Invasion And Migration ◽  
Extracellular Signal Regulated Kinase ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Extracellular Signal ◽  
Mapk Signalling ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Tumour Cell Invasion ◽  
And Migration

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.

Role of p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in Thrombus Formation

2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanako Sakurai ◽  
Yuji Matsuo ◽  
Tatsuhiko Sudo ◽  
Yoh Takuwa ◽  
Sadao Kimura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Thrombus Formation ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

scholarly journals Transcription Factors Pcr1 and Atf1 Have Distinct Roles in Stress- and Sty1-Dependent Gene Regulation

2008 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 826-835 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Sansó ◽  
Madelaine Gogol ◽  
José Ayté ◽  
Chris Seidel ◽  
Elena Hidalgo
Keyword(s):  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Transcriptional Responses ◽  
Repressive Effect ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Promote Cell Survival ◽  
Stress Dependent ◽  
Microarray Analyses ◽  
Stress Activation

ABSTRACT The mitogen-activated protein kinase Sty1 is essential for the regulation of transcriptional responses that promote cell survival in response to different types of environmental stimuli in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Upon stress activation, Sty1 reversibly accumulates in the nucleus, where it stimulates gene expression via the Atf1 transcription factor. The Atf1 protein forms a heterodimer with Pcr1, but the specific role of this association is controversial. We have carried out a comparative analysis of strains lacking these proteins individually. We demonstrate that Atf1 and Pcr1 have similar but not identical roles in S. pombe, since cells lacking Pcr1 do not share all the phenotypes reported for Δatf1 cells. Northern blot and microarray analyses demonstrate that the responses to specific stresses of cells lacking either Pcr1 or Atf1 do not fully overlap, and even though most Atf1-dependent genes induced by osmotic stress are also Pcr1 dependent, a subset of genes require only the presence of Atf1 for their induction. Whereas binding of Atf1 to most stress-dependent genes requires the presence of Pcr1, we demonstrate here that Atf1 can bind to the Pcr1-independent promoters in a Δpcr1 strain in vivo. Furthermore, these analyses show that both proteins have a global repressive effect on stress-dependent and stress-independent genes.

scholarly journals Dual-mode regulation of the APC/C by CDK1 and MAPK controls meiosis I progression and fidelity

2014 ◽  
Vol 204 (6) ◽  
pp. 891-900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibtissem Nabti ◽  
Petros Marangos ◽  
Jenny Bormann ◽  
Nobuaki R. Kudo ◽  
John Carroll
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Spindle Assembly Checkpoint ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Cyclin Dependent Kinase ◽  
Anaphase Promoting Complex ◽  
Female Meiosis ◽  
Dual Mode ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Meiosis I

Female meiosis is driven by the activities of two major kinases, cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). To date, the role of MAPK in control of meiosis is thought to be restricted to maintaining metaphase II arrest through stabilizing Cdk1 activity. In this paper, we find that MAPK and Cdk1 play compensatory roles to suppress the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) activity early in prometaphase, thereby allowing accumulation of APC/C substrates essential for meiosis I. Furthermore, inhibition of MAPK around the onset of APC/C activity at the transition from meiosis I to meiosis II led to accelerated completion of meiosis I and an increase in aneuploidy at metaphase II. These effects appear to be mediated via a Cdk1/MAPK-dependent stabilization of the spindle assembly checkpoint, which when inhibited leads to increased APC/C activity. These findings demonstrate new roles for MAPK in the regulation of meiosis in mammalian oocytes.

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