Cardiotrophin 1 (CT-1) inhibition of cardiac myocyte apoptosis via a mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent pathway. Divergence from downstream CT-1 signals for myocardial cell hypertrophy.
Cardiac myocyte survival is of central importance in the maintenance of the function of heart, as well as in the development of a variety of cardiac diseases. To understand the molecular mechanisms that govern this function, we characterized apoptosis in cardiac muscle cells following serum deprivation. Cardiotrophin 1 (CT-1), a potent cardiac survival factor (Sheng, Z., Pennica, D., Wood, W. I., and Chien, K. R. (1996) Development (Camb.) 122, 419-428), is capable of inhibiting apoptosis in cardiac myocytes. To explore the potential downstream pathways that might be responsible for this effect, we documented that CT-1 activated both signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)- and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase-dependent pathways. The transfection of a MAP kinase kinase 1 (MEK1) dominant negative mutant cDNA into myocardial cells blocked the antiapoptotic effects of CT-1, indicating a requirement of the MAP kinase pathway for the survival effect of CT-1. A MEK-specific inhibitor (PD098059) (Dudley, D. T., Pang, L., Decker, S.-J., Bridges, A. J., and Saltiel, A. R. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 7686-7689) is capable of blocking the activation of MAP kinase, as well as the survival effect of CT-1. In contrast, this inhibitor did not block the activation of STAT3, nor did it have any effect on the hypertrophic response elicited following stimulation of CT-1. Therefore, CT-1 promotes cardiac myocyte survival via the activation of an antiapoptotic signaling pathway that requires MAP kinases, whereas the hypertrophy induced by CT-1 may be mediated by alternative pathways, e.g. Janus kinase/STAT or MEK kinase/c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase.
Sheng
Z
Z
Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
Knowlton
K
K
Chen
J
J
Hoshijima
M
M
Brown
J H
JH
Chien
K R
KR
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000494:pharmacology; D048369:MAP Kinase Kinase 1; D051379:Mice; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism
D016207:Cytokines; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D015850:Interleukin-6; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494087:Stat3 protein, mouse; C494088:Stat3 protein, rat; D015534:Trans-Activators; C092073:cardiotrophin 1; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048369:MAP Kinase Kinase 1; C482127:Map2k1 protein, mouse; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one