Jun Phosphorylation (jun + phosphorylation)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Nucleoredoxin regulates the Wnt/planar cell polarity pathway in Xenopus

GENES TO CELLS, Issue 9 2008
Yosuke Funato
The Wnt signaling pathway is conserved across species, and is essential for early development. We previously identified nucleoredoxin (NRX) as a protein that interacts with dishevelled (Dvl) in vivo to negatively regulate the Wnt/,-catenin pathway. However, whether NRX affects another branch of the Wnt pathway, the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway, remains unclear. Here we show that NRX regulates the Wnt/PCP pathway. In Xenopus laevis, over-expression or depletion of NRX by injection of NRX mRNA or antisense morpholino oligonucleotide, respectively, yields the bent-axis phenotype that is typically observed in embryos with abnormal PCP pathway activity. In co-injection experiments of Dvl and NRX mRNA, NRX suppresses the Dvl-induced bent-axis phenotype. Over-expression or depletion of NRX also suppresses the convergent extension movements that are believed to underlie normal gastrulation. We also found that NRX can inhibit Dvl-induced up-regulation of c-Jun phosphorylation. These results indicate that NRX plays crucial roles in the Wnt/PCP pathway through Dvl and regulates Xenopus gastrulation movements. [source]


JS-K, a novel non-ionic diazeniumdiolate derivative, inhibits Hep 3B hepatoma cell growth and induces c-Jun phosphorylation via multiple MAP kinase pathways

JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2003
Zhenggang Ren
JS-K, a non-ionic diazeniumdiolate derivative, is capable of arylating nucleophiles and spontaneously generating nitric oxide (NO) at physiological pH. This recently synthesized low molecular weight compound is shown here to be an inhibitor of cell growth with concomitant activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) members ERK, JNK, and p38 and their downstream effectors c-Jun and AP-1. Inhibitors of these MAPK pathways abrogated the growth inhibitory actions of JS-K. In addition to the well-described actions of JNK as a kinase for c-Jun, we show that c-Jun is also an ERK target. Furthermore, JS-K generated NO in culture and NO inhibitors antagonized both MAPK induction and the growth inhibitory effects of JS-K. These results suggest two possible mechanisms for the mediation of JS-K growth inhibitory actions, namely NO-induction of MAPK pathway constituents as well as possible arylation reactions. The data support the idea that prolonged MAPK activation by JS-K action is important in mediating its growth-inhibitory actions. JS-K thus represents a promising platform for novel growth inhibitory analog synthesis. J. Cell. Physiol. 197: 426,434, 2003© 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


c-Jun Expression, activation and function in neural cell death, inflammation and repair

JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2008
Gennadij Raivich
Abstract Up-regulation of c-Jun is a common event in the developing, adult as well as in injured nervous system that serves as a model of transcriptional control of brain function. Functional studies employing in vivo strategies using gene deletion, targeted expression of dominant negative isoforms and pharmacological inhibitors all suggest a three pronged role of c-Jun action, exercising control over neural cell death and degeneration, in gliosis and inflammation as well as in plasticity and repair. In vitro, structural and molecular studies reveal several non-overlapping activation cascades via N-terminal c-Jun phosphorylation at serine 63 and 73 (Ser63, Ser73), and threonine 91 and 93 (Thr91, Thr93) residues, the dephosphorylation at Thr239, the p300-mediated lysine acetylation of the near C-terminal region (Lys268, Lys271, Lys 273), as well as the Jun-independent activities of the Jun N-terminal family of serine/threonine kinases, that regulate the different and disparate cellular responses. A better understanding of these non-overlapping roles in vivo could considerably increase the potential of pharmacological agents to improve neurological outcome following trauma, neonatal encephalopathy and stroke, as well as in neurodegenerative disease. [source]


PACAP and C2-ceramide generate different AP-1 complexes through a MAP-kinase-dependent pathway: involvement of c-Fos in PACAP-induced Bcl-2 expression

JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2006
Nicolas Aubert
Abstract The neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) inhibits C2-ceramide-induced cell death through blockade of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in rat cerebellar granule neurones. However, the gene induction processes and transcription factors involved in the anti-apoptotic effect of PACAP remain unknown. Here, we show that PACAP and C2-ceramide activate activator protein-1 (AP-1) DNA binding in a dose- and time-dependent manner, but generate different AP-1 dimers. Thus, PACAP increased the proportion of c-Fos and Jun D while C2-ceramide increased c-Jun and reduced c-Fos in AP-1 complexes. In addition, PACAP strongly activated c-Fos gene expression while C2-ceramide markedly increased c-Jun phosphorylation. The effect of PACAP on c-Fos expression was blocked by the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK) inhibitor, U0126, while phosphorylation of c-Jun induced by C2-ceramide was abrogated by the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) inhibitor, okadaic acid. Transfection of immature granule cells with c-Fos siRNA, which strongly reduced basal and PACAP-stimulated levels of the protein, totally prevented the stimulatory effect of PACAP on Bcl-2 expression. The present study demonstrates that AP-1 complexes containing c-Fos mediate the effect of PACAP on Bcl-2 gene expression in cerebellar granule neurones. Our data also indicate that different AP-1 dimers are associated with the pro-apoptotic effect of C2-ceramide and the anti-apoptotic effect of PACAP. [source]


Regulation of axotomy-induced dopaminergic neuron death and c-Jun phosphorylation by targeted inhibition of cdc42 or mixed lineage kinase

JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2006
Stephen J. Crocker
Abstract Mechanical transection of the nigrostriatal dopamine pathway at the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) results in the delayed degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). We have previously demonstrated that c-Jun activation is an obligate component of neuronal death in this model. Here we identified the small GTPase, cdc42, and mixed lineage kinases (MLKs) as upstream factors regulating neuronal loss and activation of c-Jun following MFB axotomy. Adenovirus-mediated expression of a dominant-negative form of cdc42 in nigral neurons blocked MFB axotomy-induced activation (phosphorylation) of MAP kinase kinase 4 (MKK4) and c-Jun, resulting in attenuation of SNpc neuronal death. Pharmacological inhibition of MLKs, MKK4-activating kinases, significantly reduced the phosphorylation of c-Jun and abrogated dopaminergic neuronal degeneration following MFB axotomy. Taken together, these findings suggest that death of nigral dopaminergic neurons following axotomy can be attenuated by targeting cell signaling events upstream of c-Jun N-terminal mitogen-activated protein kinase/c-Jun. [source]


Glomerular and tubular induction of the transcription factor c-Jun in human renal disease,

THE JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
MH De Borst
Abstract The transcription factor c-Jun regulates the expression of genes involved in proliferation and inflammation in many cell types but its role in human renal disease is largely unclear. In the current study we investigated whether c-Jun activation is associated with human renal disease and if c-Jun activation regulates pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic genes in renal cells. Activation of c-Jun was quantified by scoring renal expression of phosphorylated c-Jun (pc-Jun) in control human renal tissue and in biopsies from patients with various renal diseases (diabetic nephropathy, focal glomerulosclerosis, hypertension, IgA nephropathy, membranous glomerulopathy, minimal change disease, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, acute rejection, and Wegener's granulomatosis); this was correlated with parameters of renal damage. Furthermore, we studied the functional role of c-Jun activation in human tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) stimulated with TGF-,. Activated c-Jun was present in nuclei of glomerular and tubular cells in all human renal diseases, but only sporadically in controls. Across the diseases, the extent of pc-Jun expression correlated with the degree of focal glomerulosclerosis, interstitial fibrosis, cell proliferation, kidney injury molecule-1 (Kim-1) expression, macrophage accumulation, and impairment of renal function. In HK-2 cells, TGF-, induced c-Jun activation after 1 h (+40%, p < 0.001) and 24 h (+160%, p < 0.001). The specific c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor SP600125 abolished c-Jun phosphorylation at all time points and blunted TGF-,- or BSA-induced procollagen-1, 1 and MCP-1 gene expression in HK-2 cells. We conclude that in human renal disease, the transcription factor c-Jun is activated in glomerular and tubular cells. Activation of c-Jun may be involved in the regulation of inflammation and/or fibrosis in human renal disease. Copyright © 2007 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Jun N-terminal kinase pathway enhances signaling of monocytic differentiation of human leukemia cells induced by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3

JOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2003
Qing Wang
Abstract Recent studies revealed that the MEK/ERK module of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades is up-regulated in the early stages of 1,,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3)-induced monocytic differentiation of human leukemia cells HL60. In the present study, we investigated whether another MAPK module, the JNK pathway, also participates in this form of differentiation. We found that the dependence on the concentration of the inducer, the vitamin-hormone 1,25D3, in two types of human leukemia cells, HL60 and U937, and the kinetics of monocytic differentiation in HL60 cells, parallel the degree of the activation of the JNK pathway. A blockade of JNK signaling by a stable expression of dominant negative (dn) JNK1 mutant in U937 cells resulted in reduced c-jun phosphorylation, and the differentiation of these cells was markedly decreased. Similarly, inhibition of JNK1 and JNK2 activities by the selective inhibitor SP600125 led to both dose-dependent reduction of c-jun and ATF-2 phosphorylation, and of the differentiation of HL60 cells. In addition, we found that JNK activity is essential for the AP-1 DNA binding induced by 1,25D3 in HL60 and U937 cells. The results indicate that in cultured human leukemia cells, the JNK pathway participates in the induction of monocytic differentiation by 1,25D3, probably by activating the AP-1 transcription factor. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]