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ERKs, extracellular signal-regulated MAP-2 kinases.

A family of protein kinases, known alternatively as microtubule-associated protein-2/myelin basic protein kinases or extracellular signal-regulated kinases, is activated by numerous hormones, growth factors and other extracellular stimuli. At least two members of this family function as intermediate kinases in protein phosphorylation cascades. Their mechanisms of activation may involve autophosphorylation, which occurs on both threonine and tyrosine residues.

Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases↗

Selective activation of p42 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in murine B lymphoma cell lines by membrane immunoglobulin cross-linking. Evidence for protein kinase C-independent and -dependent mechanisms of activation.

Cross-linking of membrane immunoglobulin (mIg), the B lymphocyte antigen receptor, with anti-receptor antibodies stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of a number of proteins, including one of 42 kDa. Proteins with a similar molecular mass are tyrosine-phosphorylated in response to receptor stimulation in other cell types and have been identified as serine/threonine kinases, termed mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases or extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs). The MAP kinases constitute a family of related kinases, at least three of which have molecular masses of 40-45 kDa. In this paper we show that mIg cross-linking stimulated the myelin basic protein phosphotransferase activity characteristic of MAP kinase in both mature and immature murine B cell lines. This enzyme activity co-purified on three different columns with a 42 kDa protein that was tyrosine-phosphorylated (pp42) in response to mIg cross-linking and which reacted with a panel of anti-(MAP kinase) antibodies. Although immunoblotting with the anti-(MAP kinase) antibodies showed that these B cell lines expressed both 42 kDa and 44 kDa forms of MAP kinase, only the 42 kDa form was activated and tyrosine-phosphorylated to a significant extent. Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) with phorbol esters also resulted in selective tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of the 42 kDa MAP kinase. This suggested that mIg-induced MAP kinase activation could be due to stimulation of PKC by mIg. However, mIg-stimulated MAP kinase activation and pp42 tyrosine phosphorylation was only partially blocked by a PKC inhibitor, the staurosporine analogue Compound 3. In contrast, Compound 3 completely blocked the ability of phorbol esters to stimulate MAP kinase activity and induce tyrosine phosphorylation of pp42. Thus mIg may activate MAP kinase by both PKC-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Extracellular signal-regulated kinases 2 autophosphorylates on a subset of peptides phosphorylated in intact cells in response to insulin and nerve growth factor: analysis by peptide mapping.

The phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1 and ERK2) in response to insulin in Rat 1 HIRc B cells and in response to nerve growth factor (NGF) in PC12 cells has been examined. ERK1 and ERK2 are phosphorylated on serine in the absence of the stimuli and additionally on tyrosine and threonine residues after exposure to NGF and insulin. NGF stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of ERK1 more rapidly than threonine phosphorylation. Two-dimensional phosphopeptide maps of both ERK1 and ERK2 phosphorylated in intact cells treated with NGF or with insulin display the same three predominant phosphopeptides that comigrate when digests of ERK1 and ERK2 are mixed. As many as five additional phosphopeptides are detected under certain conditions. Autophosphorylated recombinant ERK2 also contains the three tryptic phosphopeptides found in ERKs labeled in intact cells. These experiments demonstrate that ERK1 and ERK2 are phosphorylated on related sites in response to two distinct extracellular signals. The data also support the possibility that autophosphorylation may be involved in the activation of the ERKs.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Phosphoproteomic analysis in a mouse model reveals ERK signaling as a key modulator of inflammatory response in nasal mucosa associated with childhood allergic rhinitis.

Childhood allergic rhinitis (AR) is a multifactorial condition arising from the interplay between genetic predisposition and environmental exposures. Although protein phosphorylation is widely recognized as a key regulator of gene expression across various physiological and pathological states, its global alterations in the nasal mucosa of pediatric patients with AR and their subsequent impact on mucosal function and inflammatory pathways remain incompletely characterized. Our study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying nasal mucosa dysfunction induced by pediatric AR. Our analysis revealed 3,861 proteins encompassing a total of 15,491 phosphorylation sites. Specifically, we detected 441 downregulated phosphorylation sites on 584 proteins and 531 upregulated phosphorylation sites on 722 proteins in the nasal mucosa of the AR group. Our proteomics findings suggest that the dysregulation of immune activation and metabolic regulation may contribute to AR pathophysiology. Through pathway analysis of the identified phosphorylation sites, we found Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase (ERK) signaling emerged as an important pathway; notably, upregulation of ERK1/2 phosphorylation was observed as a significant marker associated with AR. Importantly, targeting ERK inhibitors presents a potential therapeutic strategy for modulating key inflammatory response signaling pathways in the context of AR, although this finding is derived from preclinical mouse models and requires rigorous validation in human pediatric nasal mucosal tissues before any clinical translation can be considered. Collectively, these findings highlight that elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying AR-induced nasal mucosal dysfunction in the mouse model may inform the novel therapeutic targets for pediatric allergy-related diseases. Overall, elucidating these mechanisms has substantial implications for developing targeted interventions aimed at mitigating inflammation associated with allergic rhinitis.

Animals↗

Mice lacking Nf1 in osteochondroprogenitor cells display skeletal dysplasia similar to patients with neurofibromatosis type I.

Mutations in NF1 cause neurofibromatosis type I (NF1), a disorder characterized, among other clinical manifestations, by generalized and focal bony lesions. Dystrophic scoliosis and tibial pseudoarthrosis are the most severe skeletal manifestations for which treatment is not satisfactory, emphasizing the dearth of knowledge related to the biology of NF1 in bone cells. Using reporter mice, we report here that the mouse Col2α1-Cre promoter (collagen, type II, alpha 1) is active not only in chondrocytes but also in adult bone marrow osteoprogenitors giving rise to osteoblasts. Based on this finding, we crossed the Col2α1-Cre transgenic and Nf1(flox/flox) mice to determine whether loss of Nf1 in axial and appendicular osteochondroprogenitors recapitulates the skeletal abnormalities of NF1 patients. By microtomographic and X-rays studies, we show that Nf1(Col2)(-/-) mice display progressive scoliosis and kyphosis, tibial bowing and abnormalities in skull and anterior chest wall formation. These defects were accompanied by a low bone mass phenotype, high bone cortical porosity, osteoidosis, increased osteoclastogenesis and decreased osteoblast number, as quantified by histomorphometry and 3D-microtomography. Loss of Nf1 in osteochondroprogenitors also caused severe short stature and intervertebral disc defects. Blockade of the RAS/ERK activation characteristic of Nf1(-/-) osteoprogenitors by lovastatin during embryonic development could attenuate the increased cortical porosity observed in mutant pups. These data and the skeletal similarities between this mouse model and NF1 patients thus suggest that activation of the RAS/ERK pathway by Nf1 loss-of-function in osteochondroprogenitors is responsible for the vertebral and tibia lesions in NF1 patients, and that this molecular signature may represent a good therapeutic target.

Animals↗

Phosphoproteomics identification of ERK-dependent activation of Rps6kb1 in cardiac hypertrophy.

Cardiomyocyte growth is tightly controlled by multiple signaling pathways. Identification of master kinases in this process is essential in exploring potential targets for the treatment of pathological cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Here we identified the mTOR-independent activation of ribosomal protein S6 kinase b1 (Rps6kb1) during cardiomyocyte growth. By utilizing phosphoproteomics in primary neonatal rat ventricular myocytes, we revealed Rps6kb1 as one of most activated kinases under growth stimulation. We further demonstrated the role of Rps6kb1 phosphorylation in pathological cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. We showed that the phosphorylation of multiple sites in Rps6kb1, including T367 in the kinase domain and S418/T421/S424 in the C-terminal domain, is not directly regulated by the activity of mTOR but coupled with the activation of the MEK1/ERK axis. In mice, cardiomyocyte-specific deletion of Rps6kb1 significantly inhibited both constitutively active ERK- and pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy. In contrast, cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression of wild-type Rps6kb1, rather than the phosphorylation-defective mutant, elevated cardiac hypertrophy and augmented pressure overload-induced heart failure. In conclusion, our findings reveal that the MEK/ERK axis primes Rps6kb1 activation through phosphorylation of 2 separate domains of Rps6kb1, which may play an essential role in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure under hemodynamic stress.

Animals↗

The primary structure of MEK, a protein kinase that phosphorylates the ERK gene product.

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, also known as extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), are thought to act at an integration point for multiple biochemical signals because they are activated by a wide variety of extracellular signals, rapidly phosphorylated on threonine and tyrosine, and highly conserved. A critical protein kinase lies upstream of MAP kinase and stimulates the enzymatic activity of MAP kinase. The structure of this protein kinase, denoted MEK1, for MAP kinase or ERK kinase, was elucidated from a complementary DNA sequence and shown to be a protein of 393 amino acids (43,500 daltons) that is related most closely in size and sequence to the product encoded by the Schizosaccharomyces pombe byr1 gene. The MEK gene was highly expressed in murine brain, and the product expressed in bacteria phosphorylated the ERK gene product.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Involvement of p21ras in activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2.

Many growth factors upon stimulation of their receptors induce the activity of extracellular signal-regulated kinases, ERKs, also known as MAP kinases. Several of these growth factors also activate the ras proto-oncogene product, p21ras (Ras), by stimulating the conversion of the inactive GDP-bound form of Ras to the active GTP-bound form. We have shown that direct introduction of p21ras oncoprotein into cells in the absence of growth factors activates ERKs within five minutes, which indicates that normal p21ras may be involved in the activation of ERKs by growth factors. Here we use a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing an interfering mutant of p21ras, RasAsn17, to investigate this question. In NIH3T3 cells that overexpress the insulin receptor, this recombinant virus inhibits insulin-induced activation of ERK2 completely, but there is no inhibition of insulin-induced activation of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase. In rat-1 cells the recombinant virus inhibited ERK2 activity induced by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) but not by phorbol ester. We conclude that p21ras mediates insulin- and PDGF-induced activation of ERK2.

Cell Line↗

Opposing effects of ERK and JNK-p38 MAP kinases on apoptosis.

Apoptosis plays an important role during neuronal development, and defects in apoptosis may underlie various neurodegenerative disorders. To characterize molecular mechanisms that regulate neuronal apoptosis, the contributions to cell death of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase family members, including ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase), JNK (c-JUN NH2-terminal protein kinase), and p38, were examined after withdrawal of nerve growth factor (NGF) from rat PC-12 pheochromocytoma cells. NGF withdrawal led to sustained activation of the JNK and p38 enzymes and inhibition of ERKs. The effects of dominant-interfering or constitutively activated forms of various components of the JNK-p38 and ERK signaling pathways demonstrated that activation of JNK and p38 and concurrent inhibition of ERK are critical for induction of apoptosis in these cells. Therefore, the dynamic balance between growth factor-activated ERK and stress-activated JNK-p38 pathways may be important in determining whether a cell survives or undergoes apoptosis.

Alkaloids↗

Sequential activation of MAP kinase activator, MAP kinases, and S6 peptide kinase in intact rat liver following insulin injection.

An insulin-stimulated phosphorylation cascade was examined in rat liver after insulin injection via a portal vein by the use of immune complex kinase assays specific to the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and S6 kinase II homologue (rsk) kinase. We have prepared an antibody against the peptide consisting of a carboxyl-terminal portion of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (alpha C92), one of the MAP kinases, and an antibody against the peptide consisting of the carboxyl terminus of the mouse S6 kinase II homologue (alpha rsk(m)C). In alpha C92 immune complex assay, maximal activation of rat liver MAP kinases (approximately 4.3-fold) were observed 4.5 min after insulin injection. We also observed an insulin-stimulated MAP kinase activity (approximately 3-fold) in liver extracts from insulin-treated rat in fractions eluted from phenyl-Sepharose with 30-50% ethylene glycol. Kinase assay in myelin basic protein (MBP)-containing gel after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by denaturation with 6 M guanidine HCl, and renaturation revealed that insulin injection stimulated the kinase activity of the 42- and 44-kDa proteins, which corresponded to the two distinct MAP kinases. In alpha rsk(m)C immune complex assay, maximal stimulation (approximately 5-fold) of the S6 peptide (Arg-Arg-Leu-Ser-Ser-Leu-Arg-Ala) kinase activity was observed 7.5 min after insulin injection. In addition, MAP kinases purified from insulin-treated rat liver were able to activate S6 peptide kinase activity in vitro in alpha rsk(m)C immunoprecipitates from untreated rat liver, accompanied by the appearance of several phosphorylated bands including a major band at 88 kDa. We also examined whether insulin injection stimulates the MAP kinase activator (Ahn, N. G., Seger, R., Bratlien, R. L., Diltz, C. D., Tonks, N. K., and Krebs, E. G. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 4220-4227) in rat liver. Using recombinant Xenopus MAP kinase, fractions of Q-Sepharose eluted early in the NaCl gradient were found to have MAP kinase activator activity accompanied by the phosphorylation of 42-kDa recombinant Xenopus MAP kinase. From these data, we demonstrate three tiers of a cascade composed of the MAP kinase activator, MAP kinases, and an S6 peptide kinase activity in rat liver under physiological conditions in the intact animal.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Tyrosine and threonine phosphorylation of an immunoaffinity-purified 44-kDa MAP kinase.

We have approached the functioning of a MAP kinase, which is thought to be a "switch kinase" in the phosphorylation cascade initiated from various receptor tyrosine kinases including the insulin receptor. To do so, antipeptide antibodies were raised against the C-terminal portion of ERK1 (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1), a protein kinase belonging to the family of MAP kinases. With these antipeptide antibodies, we observed the following: (i) a 44-kDa protein can be specifically recognized both under native and denaturing conditions; (ii) a 44-kDa phosphoprotein can be revealed in 32P-labeled cells; its phosphorylation is stimulated by insulin, sodium orthovanadate, and okadaic acid; (iii) a MBP kinase activity can be precipitated, which phosphorylates MBP on threonine residues, and which is stimulated by insulin, sodium orthovanadate, okadaic acid, and fetal calf serum; (iv) this MBP kinase activity appears to be correlated with the in vivo induced phosphorylation of the 44-kDa protein. We next studied the in vitro phosphorylation of this 44-kDa/ERK1-immunoreactive protein. A time- and manganese-dependent phosphorylation was stimulated by the in vitro addition of sodium orthovanadate. Phosphoamino acid analysis of the in vitro phosphorylated 44-kDa protein revealed both threonine and tyrosine phosphorylation. Importantly, this in vitro phosphorylation of MAP kinase results in activation of phosphorylation of added MBP substrate. As a whole, our data indicate that the 44-kDa phosphoprotein identified by our antipeptide antibodies very likely corresponds to a MAP kinase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Identification of an activator of the microtubule-associated protein 2 kinases ERK1 and ERK2 in PC12 cells stimulated with nerve growth factor or bradykinin.

Treatment of PC12 pheochromocytoma cells with nerve growth factor (NGF) or bradykinin leads to the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases ERK1 and ERK2, two isozymes of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP) kinase that are present in numerous cell lines and regulated by diverse extracellular signals. The activation of MAP kinase is associated with its phosphorylation on tyrosine and threonine residues, both of which are required for activity. In the present studies, we have identified a factor in extracts of PC12 cells treated with NGF or bradykinin, named MAP kinase activator, that, when reconstituted with inactive MAP kinase from untreated cells, dramatically increased MAP kinase activity. Activation of MAP kinase in vitro by this factor required MgATP and was associated with the phosphorylation of a 42- (ERK1) and 44-kDa (ERK2) polypeptide. Incorporation of 32P into ERK1 and ERK2 occurred primarily on tyrosine and threonine residues and was associated with a single tryptic peptide, which is identical to one whose phosphorylation is increased by treatment of intact PC12 cells with NGF. Thus, the MAP kinase activator identified in PC12 cells is likely to be a physiologically important intermediate in the signaling pathways activated by NGF and bradykinin. Moreover, stimulation of the activator by NGF and bradykinin suggests that tyrosine kinase receptors and guanine nucleotide-binding protein-coupled receptors are both capable of regulating these pathways.

Animals↗

Interleukin-1 represents a new modality for the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases/microtubule-associated protein-2 kinases.

In this study we describe the activation of a protein kinase which phosphorylates a peptide, T669, comprising amino acids 663-681 of the epidermal growth factor receptor and containing the phosphate acceptor site Pro-Leu-Thr669-Pro. In the human epidermoid carcinoma cell line KB, T669 kinase activity in cytosolic extracts peaked (up to 15-fold compared with basal levels) 15-30 min after addition of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and closely paralleled receptor occupancy with a half-maximally effective concentration of approximately 100 pM IL-1 alpha. IL-1 treatment elevated T669 kinase activity to a variable extent in selected fibroblast lines, the hepatoma cell line HepG2, and the murine thymoma EL4 6.1. An IL-1 receptor-negative EL4 variant and the B cell lines 70Z/3, CB23, and RPMI 1788 did not respond in this way. All of the cell lines except 70Z/3 showed increased levels of T669 kinase when treated with the protein kinase C activator phorbol myristate acetate and/or with epidermal growth factor. This finding is in agreement with a previous study (Countaway, J. L., Northwood, I. C., and Davis, R. J. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 10828-10835). Activators of protein kinase A did not mimic the ability of IL-1 to stimulate T669 kinase activity, nor did the protein kinase C inhibitor staurosporine abrogate the effect of IL-1. T669 kinase activity from IL-1-stimulated KB cells was partially purified by ion exchange, hydrophobic interaction, and size exclusion chromatography. The partially purified enzyme phosphorylated myelin basic protein, a characteristic substrate of microtubule-associated protein-2 kinase (MAP-2 kinase) and the peptide Arg-Arg-Arg-(Tyr-Ser-Pro-Thr-Ser-Pro-Ser)4 from RNA polymerase II. Western blotting of chromatographic fractions revealed that T669 kinase activity corresponded with two proteins of 43 and 45 kilodaltons which cross-reacted with antibodies raised against peptide sequences of rat extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/microtubule-associated protein-2 kinase. T669 kinase activity was critically dependent on the presence of phosphatase inhibitors. Since both the 43- and 45-kDa proteins, immunoprecipitated from [32P]phosphate-labeled cells, demonstrated a dramatic increase in their levels of serine, threonine, and tyrosine phosphorylation after brief treatment with IL-1, we conclude that IL-1 modulates the activity of these extracellular signal-regulated kinase/microtubule-associated protein-2 kinases by altering the level of their phosphorylation.

3T3 Cells↗

Evidence that extracellular signal-regulated kinases are the insulin-activated Raf-1 kinase kinases.

The Raf-1 proto-oncogene protein kinase can be phosphorylated and activated after stimulation of cells with insulin and a variety of other growth factors and mitogens. We recently presented evidence that insulin and certain other growth factors activated one or more Raf-1 kinase kinase activities (Lee, R.M., Rapp, U. R., and Blackshear, P.J. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 10351-10357). In the present study, four peaks of Raf-1 kinase kinase activity were identified after anion-exchange chromatography of cell lysates, and two of these were activated by insulin. Further chromatographic characterization of these two peaks of insulin-activated kinase activity indicated that they contained three apparently distinct kinase activities. Two of these activities comigrated with immunoreactive extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) 1 and 2 (mitogen-activated protein kinase) through three different chromatographic separations. Both ERK1 and ERK2 phosphorylated Raf-1 with reasonably high affinity (Km for ERK1 = 90 nM; Km for ERK2 = 120 nM), and produced similar, complex phosphopeptide maps; both kinases also phosphorylated myelin basic protein. The third kinase activity also phosphorylated Raf-1 and myelin basic protein but did not comigrate exactly with either immunoreactive ERK1 or ERK2. We conclude that two and possibly three insulin-activated Raf-1 kinase kinases are members of the ERK family.

3T3 Cells↗

Ras is essential for nerve growth factor- and phorbol ester-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of MAP kinases.

Treatment of PC12 cells with nerve growth factor (NGF) induces a rapid increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple cellular proteins. Expression of a dominant inhibitory Ras mutant specifically blocked NGF- and TPA-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of two proteins of approximately 42 and 44 kd. Conversely, expression of an oncogenic variant of Ras induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the same 42 and 44 kd proteins. The 44 kd protein was immunoprecipitated with an antibody directed against extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and the 42 kd protein comigrated with a 42 kd MAPK, indicating that at least one and probably both Ras-regulated phosphoproteins are MAPKs. In addition, MAPK activation, as measured by in vitro phosphorylation of myelin basic protein, was also regulated by Ras. Ras was not required for NGF-induced activation of Trk or tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC-gamma 1. Thus, NGF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation occurs both prior to and following Ras action, and Ras plays a critical role in the NGF- and TPA-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of MAPKs.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Mitogen-induced tyrosine-phosphorylated 41- and 43-kDa proteins are family members of extracellular signal-regulated kinases/microtubule-associated protein 2 kinases.

Two antipeptide antibodies, one against the peptide corresponding to residues 307-327 (alpha Y91) and one against the peptide corresponding to the C-terminal portion (alpha C92) of the deduced amino acid sequence of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1), precipitated two 41-kDa and/or two 43-kDa phospho-proteins from mitogen-stimulated Swiss 3T3 cells. Electrophoretic mobilities on two-dimensional gels of the immunoprecipitated 41- and 43-kDa phosphoproteins were similar to those of the 41- and 43-kDa cytosol proteins, whose increased tyrosine phosphorylation we and others had originally identified in various mitogen-stimulated cells (Cooper, J. A., Sefton, B. M., and Hunter, T. (1984) Mol. Cell. Biol. 4, 30-37; Kohno, M. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 1771-1779); phosphopeptide map analysis revealed that they were respectively identical molecules. All those phosphoproteins contained phosphotyrosine, and the more acidic forms contained additional phosphothreonine. Immunoprecipitated 41- and 43-kDa phosphoproteins had serine/threonine kinase activity toward myelin basic protein (MBP) and microtuble-associated protein 2 (MAP2). With the combination of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and the kinase assay in MBP-containing polyacrylamide gels of the alpha Y91 immunoprecipitates, with or without phosphatase 2A treatment, we showed that only their acidic forms were active. These results clearly indicate that 41- and 43-kDa proteins, the increased tyrosine phosphorylation of which is rapidly and commonly induced by mitogen stimulation of fibroblasts, are family members of ERKs/MAP2 kinases and that phosphorylation both on tyrosine and threonine residues is necessary for their activation.

3T3 Cells↗

LncRNA H19 promotes vascular remodeling by inhibiting MFN2.

Neointimal hyperplasia, featuring excessive proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), is crucial in vascular remodeling diseases. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 promotes vascular remodeling, yet underlying mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. Here, we investigated whether H19 acts via its derivative miR-675-5p. Bioinformatics found a conserved H19/miR-675-5p/MFN2 (mitofusin 2) axis. Cell assays were performed to evaluate the effects of H19 and miR-675-5p on VSMC proliferation and migration. The dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was used to assess the interaction between miR-675-5p and Mfn2 mRNA. The mouse model of common carotid artery ligation was used to evaluate the role of H19 in neointimal hyperplasia. Our data suggested that knockdown of H19 inhibited VSMC proliferation and migration, as well as neointimal hyperplasia. Mechanistically, H19 regulated MFN2 through miR-675-5p, leading to ERK1/2 (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2) activation. In conclusion, we suggest that targeting the H19/miR-675-5p/MFN2/ERK1/2 axis may help to treat vascular remodeling diseases.

Animals↗

Insulin and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate activation of two immunologically distinct myelin basic protein/microtubule-associated protein 2 (MBP/MAP2) kinases via de novo phosphorylation of threonine and tyrosine residues.

Two site-specific antibodies have been prepared by immunizing rabbits with chemically synthesized peptides derived from the partial cDNA-predicted amino acid sequence of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1), which has been proposed to encode the microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) kinase (Boulton, T. G., Yancopoulos, G. D., Gregory, J. S., Slauer, C., Moomaw, C., Hsu, J., and Cobb, M. H. (1990) Science 249, 64-67). With immunoprecipitation in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and Western blotting, an antibody to the peptide containing triple tyrosine residues (alpha Y91) resembling one of the insulin receptor autophosphorylation sites specifically recognized 42- and 44-kDa proteins. On the other hand, an antibody to the peptide corresponding to the COOH terminus portions (alpha C92) of the ERK1 cDNA gene product recognized the 44-kDa protein much more efficiently than the 42-kDa protein. With immunoprecipitation in the absence of SDS, alpha Y91 could barely recognize these two proteins and alpha C92 recognized the 44-kDa protein but failed to recognize the 42-kDa protein. Kinase assays in myelin basic protein (MBP)-containing gel, after SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, revealed that insulin or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-stimulated MBP kinase activity in alpha Y91 immunoprecipitates comigrated at molecular mass 42 and 44 kDa. On the other hand, the stimulated MBP kinase activity in alpha C92 immunoprecipitates comigrated only at molecular mass 44 kDa. Insulin stimulated the MBP kinase activity in gels and phosphorylation of these two proteins by greater than 10-fold with a maximal level at 5 min. Insulin and TPA rapidly stimulate the phosphorylation of the 42- and 44-kDa proteins via de novo threonine and tyrosine phosphorylation. Tryptic phosphopeptide mapping analysis of the 42- and 44-kDa proteins, respectively, revealed a single major phosphopeptide containing phosphothreonine and phosphotyrosine, which was common to both insulin- and TPA-stimulated phosphoproteins. Protein phosphatase 2A treatment of these two phosphoproteins caused a complete loss of kinase activity with selective dephosphorylation of phosphothreonine. These data strongly suggest that these two proteins are highly related to the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase with an apparent molecular mass of 42 kDa (Ray, L. B., and Sturgill, T. W. (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 3753-3757) and that these two immunologically similar but distinct MBP/MAP2 kinases may represent isozymic forms of MBP/MAP2 kinases. These data also demonstrate that insulin and TPA activate MBP/MAP2 kinase activity by de novo phosphorylation of threonine and tyrosine residues via a very similar pathway.

Amino Acid Sequence↗