• BMB Reports
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.24-27
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• 2002

Apoptotic cell death is an active process mediated by various signaling pathways, which include the caspase cascade and the stress-activated protein kinase pathways. The caspase cascade is activated by two distinct routes: one from cell surface and the other from mitochondria. Activation of the route from cell surface requires the cellular components that include membrane receptors, adaptor proteins such as TRADD and FADD, and caspase-8, while activation of the other from mitochondria requires Apaf-1, caspase-9, and cytosolic cytochrome c. On the other hand, persistent stimulation of the stress-activated protein kinase pathway is also shown to mediate apoptosis in many cell types. Gene-targeting studies with jnk- or jip-null mice, in particular, strongly suggest that this signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in the cellular machinery for apoptosis.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.155-160
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• 2002

It is not known whether gender differences play a role in susceptibility to ischemic acute renal failure. Thus, we examined if there were any differences in susceptibility between male and female mice to kidney ischemic injury, and if so, whether it is due to differences in mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) or inflammatory responses to ischemia. Female mice were protected against kidney ischemia when compared with males. Thirty minutes of bilateral ischemia resulted in marked functional and morphological damages in males, but not in females. The ischemia-induced phosphorylation of c-jun N-terminal stress-activated protein kinases (JNKs) was higher in males than in females. Phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) was lower in males than in females. Post- ischemia medullary infiltration of RAW 264.7 cell, a monocyte-macrophage cell, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were greater in males than in females. In conclusion, males were much more susceptible to ischemia than females. The enhanced propensity to ischemic injury in males was correlated with greater activation of JNKs, greater expression of ICAM-1, and greater trapping of leukocytes in the medulla.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2002

A role of Src family protein Tyrosine kinases (SFK) as mediators of receptor-ligand initiated responses is well established. Well documented, but less well understood is the role of SFK in cellular reaction to stresses. Evidence from the wide variety of experimental systems indicates that SFK mediate responses to all major classes of stress, including oxidation, DNA damage, mechanical impacts, and protein denaturing. SFK may be activated by stresses directly or via regulatory circuits whose identity is not yet fully understood. Depending on the cell type and the nature of activating stimulus, SFK may activate known downstream signaling cascades leading to cell survival, proliferation, cytoskeletal rearrangement, and apoptosis; the identity of these cascades is discussed. As in the case of receptor-initiated signaling, roles of individual SFK in various stress response may be redundant or non-redundant. Although signals generated by different stresses are generally transduced via distinct SFK pathways, these pathways may overlap or exhibit crosstalk. In some cell types stress-induced activation of SFK promotes survival and inhibits apoptosis, whereas the opposite may be true for other cell types. Stress responses constitute a new and rapidly developing area of SFK-mediated signaling.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.1311-1319
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• 2016

Alternaria brassicicola (Schwein.) invades Brassicaceae and causes black spot disease, significantly lowering productivity. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and their upstream kinases, including MAPK kinases (MAPKKs) and MAPKK kinases (MAPKKK), comprise one of the most important signaling pathways determining the pathogenicity of diverse plant pathogens. The AbSte7 gene in the genome of A. brassicicola was predicted to be a homolog of yeast Ste7, a MAPKK; therefore, the function was characterized by generating null mutant strains with a gene replacement method. AbSte7 replacement mutants (RMs) had a slower growth rate and altered colony morphology compared with the wild-type strain. Disruption of the AbSte7 gene resulted in defects in conidiation and melanin accumulation. AbSte7 was also involved in the resistance pathways in salt and oxidative stress, working to negatively regulate salt tolerance and positively regulate oxidative stress. Pathogenicity assays revealed that AbSte7 RMs could not infect intact cabbage leaves, but only formed very small lesions in wounded leaves, whereas typical lesions appeared on both intact and wounded leaves inoculated with the wild-type strain. As the first studied MAPKK in A. brassicicola, these data strongly suggest that the AbSte7 gene is an essential element for the growth, development, and pathogenicity of A. brassicicola.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.142-147
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• 2009

Small-molecule inhibitors of protein kinases have contributed immensely to our understanding of biological signaling path-ways and have been exploited therapeutically for the treatment of cancers and other disease states. The pyridinyl imidazole compounds SB 203580 and SB 202190 were identified as ATP competitive antagonists of the p38 stress-activated protein kinases and have been widely used to elucidate p38-dependent cellular processes. Here, we identify SB 203580 and SB 202190 as potent inhibitors of stress-induced CREB phosphorylation on Serine 111 (Ser-111) in intact cells. Unexpectedly, we found that the inhibitory activity of SB 203580 and SB 202190 on CREB phosphorylation was independent of p38, but instead correlated with inhibition of casein kinase 1 (CK1) in vitro. The inhibition of CK1-mediated CREB phosphorylation by concentrations of pyridinyl imidazoles commonly employed to suppress p38, suggests that in some cases conclusions of p38-dependence derived solely from the use of these inhibitors may be invalid.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Biotechnology Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.103-103
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• 2003

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2003.08a
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• pp.180.2-180
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• 2003

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.191-191
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• 2002

• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.104-104
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• 2004

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.57-65
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• 2008

Purpose: Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a group of proteins that are activated when cells are exposed to a variety of environmental stresses, such as infection, inflammation, exposure to toxins, starvation, hypoxia, brain injury, or water deprivation. The activation of HSPs by environmental stress plays a key role in signal transduction, including cytoprotection, molecular chaperone, anti-apoptotic effect, and anti-aging effects. However, the precise mechanism for the action of small HSPs, such as HSP27 and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs: extracellular-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), p38MAPK, stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK), is not completely understood, particularly in application of cell stimulators including platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), angiotensin II (AngII), tumor necrosis factor $\alpha$ (TNF$\alpha$), and $H_2O_2$. This study examined the relationship between stimulators-induced enzymatic activity of HSP27 and MAPKs from rat smooth and skeletal muscles. Methods: 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) and matrix assisted laser desorption ionizationtime-of-flight/time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF/TOF) analysis were used to identify HSP27 from the intact vascular smooth and skeletal muscles. Three isoforms of HSP27 were detected on silver-stained gels of the whole protein extracts from the rat aortic smooth and skeletal muscle strips. Results: The expression of PDGF, AngII, TNF$\alpha$, and $H_2O_2$-induced activation of HSP27, p38MAPK, ERK1/2, and SAPK/JNK was higher in the smooth muscle cells than the control. SB203580 (30${\mu}$M), a p38MAPK inhibitor, increased the level of HSP27 phosphorylation induced by stimulators in smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, the age-related and starvation-induced activation of HSP27 was higher in skeletal muscle cells (L6 myoblast cell lines) and muscle strips than the control. Conclusion: These results suggest, in part, that the activity of HSP27 and MAPKs affect stressors, such as PDGF, AngII, TNF$\alpha$, $H_2O_2$, and starvation in rat smooth and skeletal muscles. However, more systemic research will be needed into physical therapy, including thermotherapy, electrotherapy, radiotherapy and others.