title: Anthrax lethal factor causes proteolytic inactivation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase.
abstract: A search of the National Cancer Institute's Anti-Neoplastic Drug Screen for compounds with an inhibitory profile similar to that of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK) inhibitor PD098059 yielded anthrax lethal toxin. Anthrax lethal factor was found to inhibit progesterone-induced meiotic maturation of frog oocytes by preventing the phosphorylation and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Similarly, lethal toxin prevented the activation of MAPK in serum stimulated, ras-transformed NIH3T3 cells. In vitro analyses using recombinant proteins indicated that lethal factor proteolytically modified the NH2-terminus of both MAPKK1 and 2, rendering them inactive and hence incapable of activating MAPK. The consequences of this inactivation upon meiosis and transformed cells are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: ABL-Basic Research Program, NCI-FCRDC, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Duesbery
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Vande Woude
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001408:Bacillus anthracis; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D008540:Meiosis / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011898:Ranidae; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; C030325:anthrax toxin; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one