title: Altered cell adhesion and cell viability in a p38alpha mitogen-activated protein kinase-deficient mouse embryonic stem cell line.
abstract: p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase alpha (p38alpha) is a broadly expressed protein kinase that regulates growth and development. Most studies of p38alpha have been in somatic cells. Little is known about its function in embryonic stem (ES) cells. Using a ES cell line isolated from p38alpha knockout mouse embryos (p38alpha (-/-) ES cells), we investigated roles of p38alpha in the regulation of ES cell activities. p38alpha (-/-) ES cells displayed several altered features different from wild-type cells. The major findings are that p38alpha (-/-) ES cells have significantly increased cell adhesion to several extracelluar matrix proteins, correlating with elevated phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase and paxillin. p38alpha (-/-) ES cells also showed increased cell viability, correlating with increased expression of survivin and activation of AKT (protein kinase B), two molecules that are known to improve cell viability. p38alpha (-/-) ES cells reach confluence faster than wild-type cells in routine cell culture. However, this is not due to a higher cell proliferation rate in p38alpha (-/-) ES cells, but rather is likely a result of improved cell adhesion and/or cell viability. Together our results indicated that p38alpha may negatively regulate mouse ES cell adhesion and viability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA.
authors.forename: Yan-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Baohua
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002453:Cell Cycle; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D048308:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 14 / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D048308:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 14