Protein stabilization: a common consequence of mutations in independently derived v-Myc alleles.
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Myc is overexpressed in many cancers as a result of gene rearrangement or amplification, but coding sequence changes which cluster in the N-terminal transactivation domain also appear to play a role in tumour progression. The prototypic v-Myc gene of MC29 virus differs from avian c-Myc by a series of mutations, including a change at a regulatory phosphorylation site within the mutational hotspot (thr-61) which is known to potentiate transformation in vitro. We now show that the mutation at thr-61 stabilizes the v-Myc protein (turnover difference) and that this single mutation is both necessary and sufficient for the phenotype. A major involvement of the proteasome in Myc degradation was confirmed, but surprisingly, a dilysine motif adjacent to thr-61 proved not to be the ubiquitin target. Two other v-Myc genes which carry a mutation at thr-61 (avian MH2) or a large deletion encompassing this domain (feline T17) were found to be stabilized to a similar extent as MC29, showing that stabilization is a common feature of independently derived Myc oncogenes. These results suggest a common selective process in the genesis of these three viral oncoproteins and a mechanistic link with Jun, Fos and Myb oncoproteins which are also stabilized relative to their cellular counterparts. (+info)
A novel apoptotic pathway induced by nerve growth factor-mediated TrkA activation in medulloblastoma.
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Nerve growth factor (NGF) induces apoptosis in a human medulloblastoma cell line (MED283) engineered to express TrkA (MED283-TrkA) (Muragaki, Y., Chou, T. T., Kaplan, D. R., Trojanowski, J. Q., and Lee, V. M. (1997) J. Neurosci. 17, 530-542). To dissect the molecular signaling pathway that mediates this novel effect, specific receptor mutations in Trk have been employed. We showed that phosphorylation of tyrosine 490 is required for activation of phosphoinositide 3-OH kinase, whereas phosphorylation of tyrosine 785 is required for activation of phospholipase C-gamma. TrkA-mediated apoptosis was abolished when either the ATP-binding site or both tyrosines 490 and 785 were mutated. Because tyrosines 490 and 785 mediate redundant signaling through the Ras-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Ras-ERK) pathway, we examined the role of Ras-ERK signaling in NGF-induced apoptosis. We found that MED283-TrkA cells expressing a dominant negative Ras inhibitor (N17Ras) failed to undergo ERK activation and apoptosis following NGF treatment, whereas the ERK kinase (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase) inhibitors PD98059 and U0126 eliminated ERK activation but had no effect on apoptosis. We infer from these data that NGF-induced apoptosis is mediated by a novel Ras and/or Raf signaling pathway. (+info)
Differential induction of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes by fenvaleric acid in male rats.
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Racemic fenvaleric acid [2-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-methyl-butanoic acid], the principal metabolite of fenvalerate, was administrated orally at 0.75, 1.5, and 3.0 mmol/kg body weight/day to Fisher-344 male rats for 7 days. Both pure enantiomers of fenvaleric acid were administered at 1.5 mmol/kg body weight/day; the clofibric acid at the same concentration was used as a positive control. Hepatic enzyme activities were measured. Results obtained clearly show that fenvaleric acid induced numerous hepatic drug metabolism enzymes in F344 rats. The (R) enantiomer of this compound induces a proliferation of peroxisomes, whereas the (S) enantiomer induces CYP2B and mEH activities. Therefore, high exposure to pyrethroid insecticides could interact with the normal metabolism of drugs or xenobiotics. (+info)
Sperm-induced calcium oscillations at fertilisation in ascidians are controlled by cyclin B1-dependent kinase activity.
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The generation of calcium oscillations at fertilisation and during mitosis appears to be controlled by the cell cycle machinery. For example, the calcium oscillations in oocytes and embryos occur during metaphase and terminate upon entry into interphase. Here we report the manipulation of sperm-triggered calcium oscillations by cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activity, the major component of maturation/M phase promoting factor (MPF). To control the CDK activity we microinjected mRNAs encoding full-length GFP-tagged cyclin B1 or a truncated and therefore stabilised form of cyclin B1 ((delta)90) into unfertilised oocytes. In the presence of full-length cyclin B1, the calcium oscillations terminate when cyclin B1 levels fall along with the concomitant fall in the associated CDK activity. In addition, when the CDK activity is elevated indefinitely with (delta)90 cyclin B1, the calcium oscillations also continue indefinitely. Finally, in oocytes that contain low mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activity and elevated CDK activity, the sperm-triggered calcium oscillations are again prolonged. We conclude that the CDK activity of the ascidian oocyte can be regarded as a positive regulator of sperm-triggered calcium oscillations, a finding that may apply to other oocytes that display sperm-triggered calcium oscillations at fertilisation. Furthermore, these findings may have a bearing upon the mitotic calcium signals of early embryos. (+info)
Denitration of nitroaromatic compounds by arylnitrile radical cations.
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Substituted nitrobenzenes react with substituted benzonitrile radical cations in an ion trap mass spectrometer by a novel ion/molecule reaction involving NO2 elimination. Formation of an arylated nitrile, Ar1+N identical to CAr2 (where Ar1, Ar2 = aryl), is indicated by collision induced dissociation and comparison with the behavior of the authentic ion. Ab initio calculations (MP2/6-31G*/ /HF/6-31G*) show the reaction of the unsubstituted compounds (Ar1, Ar2 = phenyl) to be exothermic by 48 kcal/mol, consistent with the experimental observation that the reaction rate decreases as the collision energy is increased. Electron withdrawing and donating substituents on either the ionic or the neutral reagent have little effect on the relative amount of product observed, pointing to a radical mechanism. Related denitration reactions were found to occur, between nitrobenzene and its radical cation and between phenylisonitrile and ionized nitrobenzene. These reactions are suggested to yield Ar1+N(= O)OAr2 and Ar2+N identical to CAr1, respectively. The denitration reaction was applied to trinitrotoluene (TNT) as a possible diagnostic reaction for the presence of nitroaromatic explosives. (+info)
Specificity of alpha-cyano-beta-hydroxy-beta-methyl-n-[4-(trifluoromethoxy)phe nyl]-propenamide as an inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase.
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The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase has an essential function for the survival of human breast cancer cells. In a systematic effort to design potent and specific inhibitors of this receptor family protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) as antibreast cancer agents, we recently reported the construction of a three-dimensional homology model of the EGFR kinase domain. In this model, the catalytic site is defined by two beta-sheets that form an interface at the cleft between the NH2-terminal and COOH-terminal lobes of the kinase domain. Our modeling studies revealed a distinct, remarkably planar triangular binding pocket within the kinase domain with approximate dimensions of 15 A x 12 A x 12 A, and the thickness of the binding pocket is approximately 7 A with an estimated volume of approximately 600 A3 available for inhibitor binding. Molecular docking studies had identified alpha-cyano-beta-hydroxy-beta-methyl-N-[4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl]-p ropenamide (LFM-A12) as our lead inhibitor, with an estimated binding constant of 13 microM, which subsequently inhibited EGFR kinase in vitro with an IC50 value of 1.7 microM. LFM-A12 was also discovered to be a highly specific inhibitor of the EGFR. Even at very high concentrations ranging from 175-350 microM, this inhibitor did not affect the enzymatic activity of other PTKs, including the Janus kinases JAK1 and JAK3, the Src family kinase HCK, the Tec family member Bruton's tyrosine kinase, SYK kinase, and the receptor family PTK insulin receptor kinase. This observation is in contrast to the activity of a quinazoline inhibitor tested as a control, 4-(3-bromo, 4-hydroxyanilino)-6,7-dimethoxyquinazoline, which was shown to inhibit EGFR and other tyrosine kinases such as HCK, JAK3, and SYK. (+info)
Cytochromes P-450 from cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) catalyzing the first steps in the biosynthesis of the cyanogenic glucosides linamarin and lotaustralin. Cloning, functional expression in Pichia pastoris, and substrate specificity of the isolated recombinant enzymes.
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The first committed steps in the biosynthesis of the two cyanogenic glucosides linamarin and lotaustralin in cassava are the conversion of L-valine and L-isoleucine, respectively, to the corresponding oximes. Two full-length cDNA clones that encode cytochromes P-450 catalyzing these reactions have been isolated. The two cassava cytochromes P-450 are 85% identical, share 54% sequence identity to CYP79A1 from sorghum, and have been assigned CYP79D1 and CYP79D2. Functional expression has been achieved using the methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris. The amount of CYP79D1 isolated from 1 liter of P. pastoris culture exceeds the amounts that putatively could be isolated from 22,000 grown-up cassava plants. Each cytochrome P-450 metabolizes L-valine as well as L-isoleucine consistent with the co-occurrence of linamarin and lotaustralin in cassava. CYP79D1 was isolated from P. pastoris. Reconstitution in lipid micelles showed that CYP79D1 has a higher k(c) value with L-valine as substrate than with L-isoleucine, which is consistent with linamarin being the major cyanogenic glucoside in cassava. Both CYP79D1 and CYP79D2 are present in the genome of cassava cultivar MCol22 in agreement with cassava being allotetraploid. CYP79D1 and CYP79D2 are actively transcribed, and production of acyanogenic cassava plants would therefore require down-regulation of both genes. (+info)
5-Hydroxytryptamine-induced potentiation of endothelin-1- and norepinephrine-induced contraction is mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway dependent.
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5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)-induced arterial contraction depends on activation of the tyrosine kinase-dependent extracellular signal-regulated mitogen-activated protein kinase (Erk MAPK) pathway. The importance of 5-HT in the control of peripheral resistance has been questioned because circulating free levels of 5-HT are low (in the nanomolar range). We tested the hypothesis that physiologically relevant concentrations of 5-HT potentiate arterial contraction in response to agonists proved to have importance in blood pressure maintenance (norepinephrine [NE] and endothelin-1 [ET-1]) in a tyrosine kinase- and an Erk MAPK-dependent manner. Strips of endothelium-denuded rat tail artery were used for the measurement of isometric force. The general tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein (5 micromol/L) and the inhibitor of MAPK/Erk kinase activation PD098059 (10 micromol/L) shifted concentration-response curves to 5-HT (1x10(-9) to 3x10(-4) mol/L) rightward but did not shift concentration-response curves to NE or ET-1. In separate experiments, 5-HT (10 nmol/L) potentiated contraction in response to NE (20 nmol/L) by approximately 200% to 300% and to ET-1 (0.3 and 1 nmol/L) by 640% and 180%, respectively. Genistein and PD098059 significantly (66% to 100%) reduced 5-HT-induced potentiation of both NE (20 nmol/L)- and ET-1 (0.3 and 1 nmol/L)-induced contraction. Thus, these data support the ability of low physiological concentrations of 5-HT to amplify arterial responses to hormones with bona fide effects on blood pressure in the novel manner of depending on a tyrosine kinase/Erk MAPK pathway. Although these findings were generated in large arteries, we speculate that they may be applicable to vascular functioning in the deoxycorticosterone acetate salt model of hypertension in which all 3 hormones, 5-HT, NE, and ET-1, have been implicated as causal factors. (+info)