title: Activation of MEK kinase 1 by the c-Abl protein tyrosine kinase in response to DNA damage.
abstract: The c-Abl protein tyrosine kinase is activated by certain DNA-damaging agents and regulates induction of the stress-activated c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (SAPK). Here we show that nuclear c-Abl associates with MEK kinase 1 (MEKK-1), an upstream effector of the SEK1-->SAPK pathway, in the response of cells to genotoxic stress. The results demonstrate that the nuclear c-Abl binds to MEKK-1 and that c-Abl phosphorylates MEKK-1 in vitro and in vivo. Transient-transfection studies with wild-type and kinase-inactive c-Abl demonstrate c-Abl kinase-dependent activation of MEKK-1. Moreover, c-Abl activates MEKK-1 in vitro and in response to DNA damage. The results also demonstrate that c-Abl induces MEKK-1-mediated phosphorylation and activation of SEK1-SAPK in coupled kinase assays. These findings indicate that c-Abl functions upstream of MEKK-1-dependent activation of SAPK in the response to genotoxic stress.
authors.affiliation: Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. surender_kharbanda@dfci.harvard.edu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kharbanda
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaneki
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bharti
authors.forename: Z M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ghanem
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rana
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weichselbaum
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kufe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D048728:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 1; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016315:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-abl / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D020298:U937 Cells
chemical_list: D016315:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-abl; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048728:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 1; C482576:MAP3K1 protein, human; C482578:Map3k1 protein, mouse; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; C482559:MAP2K4 protein, human; C482562:Map2k4 protein, mouse; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D002945:Cisplatin