title: Differential expression of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5) in normal and degenerated human nucleus pulposus tissues and cells.
abstract: Extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5) is a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family and regulates a wide variety of cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, necrosis, apoptosis and degeneration. However, the expression of ERK5 and its role in degenerated human nucleus pulposus (NP) is hitherto unknown. In this study, we observed the differential expression of ERK5 in normal and degenerated human nucleus pulposus tissues by using immunohistochemical staining and Western blot. Treatment of NP cells with Pro-inflammatory cytokine, TNF-α decreased ERK5 gene expression as well as NP marker gene expression; including the type II collagen and aggrecan. Suppression of ERK5 gene expression in NP cells by ERK5 siRNA resulted in decreased gene expression of type II collagen and aggrecan. Furthermore, inhibition of ERK5 activation by BIX02188 (5μM) decreased the gene expression of type II collagen and aggrecan in NP cells. Our results document the expression of ERK5 in degenerated nucleus pulposus tissues, and suggest a potential involvement of ERK5 in human degenerated nucleus pulposus.
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Institute of Traumatic Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510220, China. Electronic address: liangweiguo@tom.com.
authors.forename: Weiguo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Institute of Traumatic Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510220, China.
authors.forename: Dejian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Institute of Traumatic Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510220, China; School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Dongping
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Institute of Traumatic Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510220, China.
authors.forename: Longqiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Institute of Traumatic Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510220, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Institute of Traumatic Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510220, China.
authors.forename: Libing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Institute of Traumatic Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510220, China; School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Electronic address: jiake.xu@uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jiake
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D053674:Aggrecans / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D024043:Collagen Type II / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000503:physiopathology*; D048054:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 7 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D053674:Aggrecans; D000814:Aniline Compounds; C533206:BIX 02188; D024043:Collagen Type II; D007211:Indoles; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C481581:MAPK7 protein, human; D048054:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 7
keywords: Extracellular signal-regulated kinase-5 (ERK5) pathway; Nucleus pulposus; Nucleus pulposus degeneration; Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)