Endocrinology Vol. 142, No. 10 4282-4287
Copyright © 2001 by The Endocrine Society
The Regulation of MAPKs in Y1 Mouse Adrenocortical Tumor Cells
Thuyanh Le and
Bernard P. Schimmer
Banting and Best Department of Medical Research and Department of
Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G
1L6
Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Bernard P. Schimmer, Ph.D., Professor, Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, University of Toronto, 112 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L6, Canada. E-mail: bernard.schimmer{at}utoronto.ca
 |
Abstract
|
|---|
The regulation of the MAPKs, Erk1 and Erk2,
and the MAPK kinase, Mek, were examined in the Y1 mouse adrenocortical
tumor cell line and in the protein kinase A-defective mutant, Kin-8.
ACTH and basic fibroblast growth factor each increased Mek
phosphorylation and stimulated Mek activity in both cell lines and also
activated the Erks at concentrations that paralleled their effects on
Mek. The specific Mek inhibitor, PD98059, blocked the activation of the
Erks by ACTH and basic fibroblast growth factor, indicating that Mek is
the upstream activator of Erk. PD98059 did not block the
phosphorylation of Mek, as might have been expected from previous
studies; instead PD98059 inhibited the activity of the activated
enzyme. In ACTH-stimulated, mutant Kin-8 cells, PD98059 paradoxically
increased the amount of phosphorylated Mek, while preventing the
activation of Erk. These results are interpreted as reflecting the loss
of a protein kinase A-mediated inhibitory influence on Mek
phosphorylation and activation.
 |
Introduction
|
|---|
THE MAPK CASCADE is an important regulatory
pathway in cell cycle progression and has been used as a biochemical
marker to evaluate the mitogenic potential of a variety of hormones and
growth factors. The MAPK pathway is involved not only in the mitogenic
effects of growth factors acting through receptor tyrosine kinases but
also in the mitogenic effects of many hormones acting through G
protein-coupled receptors that lack intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity
(1). The signals that link G protein-coupled receptors to
the MAPK pathway are complex and may involve the Ras pathway as
well as other convergent protein kinase cascades (1).
We previously examined the actions of ACTH on MAPK and its linkage to
mitogenesis in Y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cells. The Y1 cell line is
an ACTH-responsive, steroid-secreting cell line that behaves, in many
respects, like fasciculata cells from the normal adrenal cortex and is
used widely as a model system to study the regulation of adrenocortical
function (2, 3, 4). We found that ACTH stimulated the
phosphorylation of the p44 MAPK (Erk1) and the
p42 MAPK (Erk2), and consequently increased MAPK
activity in the Y1 cell line. These observations led to the discovery
of a mitogenic action of ACTH in the cell line that long had been
missed because of an overriding growth-inhibitory effect of the hormone
(5). Though it was clear that cAMP and PKA mediated the
growth inhibiting effects of ACTH (6, 7), cAMP and PKA
were not responsible for the activation of MAPK or for the mitogenic
effects of the hormone (5). Little else is known about the
pathways leading to the activation of MAPK in adrenocortical cells;
most studies published to date have focused on the regulation of MAPK
in cells derived from the adrenal zona glomerulosa
(8, 9, 10). In particular, the role of MAPK kinase (Mek) as
an upstream regulator of MAPK in these cells has been inferred only
through the use of the Mek inhibitor, PD98059.
In this study, we have compared the effects of ACTH and fibroblast
growth factor (FGF) on the activation of Mek and Erk in Y1 cells and
investigated the actions of the Mek inhibitor PD98059. We show that
ACTH and FGF both use Mek as an upstream regulator of MAPK and present
evidence for a negative influence of PKA on Mek activation.
Interestingly, PD98059 inhibits the activity of Mek without preventing
its phosphorylation, contrary to earlier findings
(11).
 |
Materials and Methods
|
|---|
Cells and cell culture
The cells used in this study were the Y1 mouse adrenocortical
tumor cell line (12) and Kin-8, a cAMP-resistant mutant,
of the Y1 cell line (7). Cells routinely were cultured as
monolayers at 6.5 C, under a humidified atmosphere of 95% air-5%
CO2, in Nutrient Mixture F10 supplemented with
15% heat-inactivated horse serum, 2.5% heat-inactivated FBS, and
antibiotics. Cells were arrested early in the G1 phase
of the cell cycle by transferring cells in the logarithmic phase of
growth to serum-free
MEM for 72 h (5).
Detection of phosphorylated Erks and Meks
Cell lysates were prepared in radioimmunoprecipitation
assay buffer in the presence of protease and phosphatase
inhibitors as described previously (5). Equivalent amounts
of the lysates (1025 µg protein) were electrophoresed on 10%
polyacrylamide-SDS gels and assayed for phosphorylated Erks and Meks by
Western blot analysis on nitrocellulose membranes (Schleicher & Schuell, Inc., Keene, NH). The phosphorylated forms of
Erk1 and Erk2 were detected
using a primary rabbit antibody that specifically recognizes the
tyrosine-204 phosphorylated forms of Erk1 and
Erk2. The phosphorylated forms of Mek were
detected using an antibody that specifically recognizes Mek
phosphorylated at both Ser-217 and Ser-221. Antibody interactions with
Erk and Mek were detected by chemiluminescence using a secondary
horseradish peroxidase-conjugated antirabbit antibody.
Mek kinase activity
Mek kinase activity was assayed using the protocol from a MEK
kinase assay kit provided by New England Biolabs, Inc.
(Mississauga, Ontario, Canada). Cells were scraped into a nondenaturing
lysis buffer containing protease and phosphatase inhibitors [20
mM Tris.HCl (pH 7.5), 150 mM NaCl, 1
mM EDTA, 1 mM EGTA, 1% NP40, 0.1% (wt/vol)
SDS, 2 mM dithiothreitol, 1 µg/ml aprotinin, 1 µg/ml
leupeptin, 1 mM phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride, 1
mM sodium pyrophosphate, 50 mM NaF, and 1
mM sodium orthovanadate]. The scraped cells were sonicated
in an ice-water bath and clarified by microcentrifugation for 10 min at
4 C. Phosphorylated Mek was immunoprecipitated from the supernatant
fraction using the phospho-Mek specific antibody described above
preabsorbed onto protein A-Sepharose beads. Cell extracts (100 µg
protein) were incubated with the antibody-bead complex in a total vol
of 200 µl nondenaturing lysis buffer at 4 C for 3 h with gentle
rocking. The beads were isolated by centrifugation, washed twice with
nondenaturing lysis buffer and twice with kinase assay buffer [25
mM Tris.HCl (pH 7.5), 5 mM
ß-glycerophosphate, 2 mM dithiothreitol, 0.1
mM sodium orthovanadate, and 10 mM
MgCl2], and resuspended in 50 µl kinase assay
buffer containing 200 µM ATP and 2 µg inactive
Erk2. The kinase reaction was carried out for 30
min at 30 C, chilled, and centrifuged for 1 min at 4 C to remove the
beads and terminate the reaction. When measuring the activity of
purified, activated Mek1 or purified, activated
Erk2, the enzyme was added directly to the kinase
assay buffer; Erk2 was assayed using 2 µg Elk-1
fusion protein as substrate. Samples were solubilized in SDS sample
buffer and processed for Western blot analysis of phosphorylated
Erk2 as described above. Phosphorylated Elk-1 was
detected by Western blot analysis using a phospho-specific Elk-1
primary antibody and a horseradish peroxidase-conjugated antirabbit
secondary antibody.
Reagents and chemicals
Tissue culture media and sera were obtained from Canadian
Life Technologies, Inc. (Burlington, Ontario, Canada).
Protein A-Sepharose beads were from Amersham Pharmacia Biotech (Baie dUrfé, Canada); antibodies for the
phosphorylated forms of Erk, Mek, and Elk-1 were obtained from
New England Biolabs, Inc., as were recombinant
Mek-activated Erk2, inactive (Lys52Arg)
Erk2, and Elk-1 fusion protein.
Recombinant, Raf-activated Mek1 was purchased from Upstate Biotechnology, Inc. (Lake Placid, NY). Chemiluminescence was
performed with Rennaissance Chemiluminescence Reagent Plus Detection
Kit (NEN Life Science Products, Boston, MA), and reactions
were visualized using X-Omat Blue XB-1 film (Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, NY). ACTH (Acthar) was from
Rh\|[ocirc ]\|ne-Poulenc Rorer Canada, Inc. (Mississauga,
Ontario, Canada); FGF (basic) was from Sigma (St. Louis,
MO); PD98059 was from Calbiochem (San Diego, CA).
Quantitation of results and statistical analyses
Signals from immunoblots were quantitated by densitometric
analysis using the NIH 1.52 Image gel plotting and quantitation
program. The signals obtained were within the linear range, with
respect to protein concentration for the phosphorylated forms of Erk
and Mek. Data were analyzed for statistical significance using
Peritzs F test (a parametric, multiple comparison test for all
differences among group means) (13).
 |
Results
|
|---|
Effects of ACTH and FGF on the phosphorylation of Erk and Mek in Y1
cells
Y1 cells were placed in serum-free medium for 72 h to
arrest cells early in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Cells were pulsed
with ACTH at concentrations ranging from 1.5 x
10-10 to 1.5 x 10-8
M; extracts were then prepared and assayed for the
phosphorylated forms of Erk and Mek by Western blot analysis. As shown
in Fig. 1
, the effects of ACTH on Erk
phosphorylation were observed only in cells that were first
growth-arrested by serum deprivation. In cells growing logarithmically
in serum-supplemented medium, the levels of phosphorylated
Erks and Erk2 were high and
not affected by the hormone (Fig. 1a
). This finding is consistent with
the overexpression of c-Ki-ras in this cell line (14) and
with the observation that approximately 60% of logarithmically growing
Y1 cells are distributed in the G1 phase of the cell cycle
(15). In contrast, the levels of phosphorylated
Erk1 and Erk2 were
considerably lower in cells arrested early in G1 by
serum deprivation (Fig. 1b
). Treatment of these growth-arrested cells
with ACTH increased the levels of phosphorylated
Erk1 and Erk2 in a
dose-dependent manner; with increases detectable at ACTH concentrations
as low as 1.5 x 10-10 M (Fig. 1b
). The increased levels of phosphorylated Erks reflect activation of
MAPK activity, as we demonstrated previously (5). As shown
in Fig. 1c
, ACTH also stimulated the accumulation of phosphorylated Mek
over a concentration range that paralleled the effects on Erk
phosphorylation. Both Mek1 and
Mek2 are detected by the antibody, but the
isoforms are poorly resolved on the electrophoretic gels.

View larger version (44K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Figure 1. Effects of ACTH on Erk and Mek phosphorylation in
Y1 cells. Logarithmically growing cells (a) or cells growth-arrested by
serum starvation (b and c) were treated with varying concentrations of
ACTH for 5 min. Cell extracts then were immunoblotted for
phosphorylated Erks (a and b) or Meks (c) as described in
Materials and Methods. The results are representative of
three separate experiments.
|
|
The effects of FGF on Erk and Mek phosphorylation were determined using
the experimental paradigm described for ACTH above. Like ACTH, FGF also
caused parallel increases in Erk and Mek phosphorylation (Fig. 2
, a and b), with effects detectable at
FGF concentrations as low as 0.3 ng/ml (approximately 2 x
10-11 M). Although serum-deprived Y1
cells had very low levels of phosphorylated Erk and Mek before
stimulation (Figs. 1
and 2
), the levels of total Erk and Mek under
basal conditions were appreciable and did not change upon stimulation
with FGF (Fig. 2
, c and d). Thus, the changes in amounts of
phosphorylated Erk and Mek reflected increases in protein
phosphorylation rather than increases in protein synthesis.

View larger version (29K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Figure 2. Effects of FGF on Erk and Mek Phosphorylation in
Y1 cells. Cells were growth-arrested by serum starvation and treated
for 5 min with varying concentrations of FGF as indicated. Cell
extracts were immunoblotted for phosphorylated Erks (a), phosphorylated
Meks (b), total Erks (c), or total Meks (d) as described in
Materials and Methods. The results in A and B are
representative of four separate experiments, whereas the results in c
and d are representative of two separate experiments.
|
|
Effects of the Mek inhibitor, PD98059, on Erk and Mek
phosphorylation
PD98059 is a Mek-specific inhibitor commonly used to study
Mek-dependent signal transduction. This inhibitor blocks the
Mek-dependent activation of MAPK activity and other Mek-dependent
downstream events in a variety of cell lines (e.g. Ref.
16) and has been reported to act by blocking Mek
phosphorylation (11). We thus examined the effects of
PD98059 on Mek phosphorylation and activity and the consequent effects
on Erk phosphorylation in Y1 cells.
As shown in Fig. 3
, PD98059 inhibited the
ACTH-induced phosphorylation of Erk1 and
Erk2 in a dose-dependent manner, with an apparent
ED50 of 5.4 ± 1.0 µM. Results
from a representative Western blot are shown in Fig. 3a
; results
compiled from eight experiments are shown in Fig. 3b
. Surprisingly,
PD98059 did not inhibit Mek phosphorylation (Fig. 3
), indicating that
the inhibitor blocked the phosphorylation and activation of the Erks
without affecting the phosphorylation of Mek.

View larger version (37K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Figure 3. Effects of PD98059 on ACTH-stimulated Erk and Mek
phosphorylation in Y1 cells. Y1 cells were growth-arrested by serum
starvation, incubated for 30 min in the presence of varying
concentrations of PD98059, and then stimulated with ACTH (1.5
nM) for 5 min in the continued presence of the inhibitor.
Cell extracts were immunoblotted for phospho-Erk and phospho-Mek as
described in Materials and Methods. A representative
Western blot is shown in a. Chemiluminescent signals for phospho-
Erk1, phospho-Erk2, and phospho-Mek
(Mek1 + Mek2) were quantitated by densitometry
after ensuring that they were linear with respect to protein
concentration. Results were compiled from eight experiments and
expressed as a percentage of the signal obtained in the absence of
inhibitor. Asterisks denote statistically significant
inhibition of phosphorylation (P <
0.05).
|
|
PD98059 also inhibited FGF-stimulated Erk phosphorylation without
affecting FGF-stimulated Mek phosphorylation (Fig. 4
). The inhibitor, however, seemed to be
less effective in blocking FGF action than in blocking ACTH action. As
seen from a representative Western blot, PD98059 inhibited the
phosphorylation of Erk1 and
Erk2 to the same extent (Fig. 4
). The
concentrations of PD98059 that were required to inhibit Erk
phosphorylation in response to FGF (1 ng/ml) were approximately 6-fold
higher than those required to inhibit ACTH-stimulated Erk
phosphorylation (Fig. 4b
). Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of
PD98059 could be overcome by raising FGF concentrations to 10 ng/ml
(data not shown), as reported previously for mouse fibroblasts
(11).

View larger version (41K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Figure 4. Effects of PD98059 on FGF-stimulated Erk and Mek
phosphorylation in Y1 cells. Phospho-Erk and phospho-Mek were analyzed
as described in the legend to Fig. 3 , except that cells were stimulated
with FGF (1 ng/ml) instead of with ACTH. A representative Western blot
is shown in a. Results compiled from quantitative densitometric
analysis of at least six experiments are shown in b and are expressed
as a percentage of the signals obtained for Erk1 +
Erk2 (open bars) and Mek (filled
bars) in the absence of inhibitor. Asterisks
denote statistically significant inhibition of phosphorylation
(P < 0.05).
|
|
The finding that PD98059 did not inhibit ACTH- or FGF-stimulated Mek
phosphorylation prompted us to examine the effects of the inhibitor on
Mek activity. For these experiments, growth-arrested Y1 cells were
treated with ACTH (1.5 x 10-9
M) or FGF (1 ng/ml) for 5 min; phosphorylated Mek then was
immunoprecipitated and assayed for its ability to phosphorylate
Erk2. As shown in Fig. 5a
, Y1 cells treated with either FGF or
ACTH exhibited increased Mek activity (lanes 3, 4, and 6) when compared
with unstimulated controls (lane 1). The signals obtained in the
unstimulated controls reflected cross-reactivity of the antibody with
the unphosphorylated Erk2 substrate rather than a
residual basal Mek activity (data not shown). Adding PD98059 (60
µM) to intact cells before treatment with ACTH inhibited
Mek activity (lane 8). PD98059 also inhibited Mek activity when added
directly to assays containing phosphorylated, activated Mek
immunoprecipitated from FGF- or ACTH-stimulated cells (lane 5
vs. lane 4, and lane 7 vs. lane 6,
respectively).

View larger version (29K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Figure 5. Effects of PD98059 on Mek activity in Y1 cells. a,
Growth-arrested Y1 cells, either unstimulated (lane 1), treated with 1
ng/ml FGF (lanes 25), or treated with 1.5 nM ACTH (lanes
68), were tested for Mek activity by measuring the phosphorylation of
an inactive Erk2 substrate (arrow) as
described in Materials and Methods. Lane 2 shows the
activity obtained in the absence of the exogenously added
Erk2 substrate. For some samples, 60 µM
PD98059 (lanes 5 and 7) or diluent (3% DMSO, lane 4) was added to cell
extracts during the assay for Mek activity. In lane 8, PD98059 (60
µM) was added to growth-arrested cells 30 min before the
addition of ACTH. The results are representative of three independent
experiments. b, Activated recombinant Mek1 (50500 fmol)
was assayed for protein kinase activity, in the absence (-) or
presence (+) of PD98059 (60 µM), by measuring the
phosphorylation of Erk2. Activated recombinant
Erk2 (24240 fmol) was assayed for activity, in the
absence or presence of PD98059, by monitoring the phosphorylation of
Elk-1. The change in mobility of phosphorylated Elk-1, with increasing
concentrations of Erk2, likely reflects progressive
phosphorylation of the substrate. Results are representative of three
independent experiments.
|
|
The ability of PD98059 to inhibit the kinase activity of activated Mek
was further tested using purified, preactivated enzymes from commercial
sources. As shown in Fig. 5B
, PD98059 (60 µM) markedly
inhibited the protein kinase activity of Raf-activated
Mek1. In contrast, PD98059 had no effect on the
activity of a purified, Mek2-activated
Erk2, confirming the specificity of PD98059 for
Mek.
Effects of PD98059 on Mek and Erk phosphorylation in the PKA
mutant, Kin-8
To assess the involvement of cAMP and PKA in the actions of ACTH,
Erk and Mek regulation were investigated in the PKA-defective mutant,
Kin-8 (6). ACTH increased Erk phosphorylation in the
mutant over the same concentration range as in parent Y1 cells and also
increased Mek phosphorylation, though only at higher concentrations of
the hormone (Fig. 6
). The basis for this
difference in sensitivity of the Erks and Meks to ACTH in the Kin-8
mutant is not known; however, the finding that PD98059 inhibited
ACTH-induced phosphorylation of the Erks in Kin-8 (Fig. 7
) indicates that the phosphorylation of
Erk is Mek-dependent. It is possible that at the lowest concentrations
tested, ACTH induced only small changes in phosphorylated Mek that
escaped detection. PD98059 seemed to be a much more effective inhibitor
of ACTH-stimulated Erk phosphorylation in the Kin-8 mutant
(ED50 = 0.9 ± 0.2 µM, n
= 4) than in parent Y1 cells. Concentrations of PD98059 as low as 5
µM maximally inhibited the ACTH-stimulated accumulation
of Erk1 and Erk2
(P < 0.05), reducing the levels to values that were
below the basal level. Intriguingly, PD98059 increased the levels of
phosphorylated Mek in ACTH-treated Kin-8 cells despite the persistent
inhibition of Erk phosphorylation (Fig. 7
).

View larger version (39K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Figure 6. Effects of ACTH on Erk and Mek phosphorylation in
the PKA mutant, Kin-8. Kin-8 cells were growth-arrested by serum
starvation and treated with varying concentrations of ACTH for 5 min.
Cell extracts were prepared and immunoblotted for phosphorylated Erks
(a) or Meks (b) as described in Materials and Methods.
The results are representative of an experiment carried out in
triplicate.
|
|

View larger version (31K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Figure 7. Effects of PD98059 on Erk and Mek phosphorylation
in the Kin-8 mutant. Kin-8 cells were growth-arrested by serum
starvation, incubated for 30 min in the presence of varying
concentrations of PD98059, and then stimulated with ACTH (1.5
nM) for 5 min in the continued presence of the inhibitor.
Cell extracts were immunoblotted for phospho-Erk1,
phospho-Erk2, and phospho-Mek as described in
Materials and Methods. A representative Western blot is
shown in a. Results in b were compiled from three separate experiments
and expressed as percentages (mean ± SE) of the
corresponding signals obtained in the absence of PD98059.
|
|
 |
Discussion
|
|---|
The Erks are MAPK isoforms that have been shown to be critical
molecules for the transduction of proliferative signals from hormones
and growth factors. Erk activation depends on phosphorylation at
specific Thr and Tyr residues by Mek isozymes. The Meks, in turn, are
activated by phosphorylation at specific Ser residues by upstream Mek
kinases. Although the Meks are the only known activators of the Erks so
far (17), Mek-independent pathways for the activation of
Erks have been proposed (18). The results presented here
demonstrate the essential role of Mek in the activation of the MAPK
cascade in the Y1 mouse adrenocortical cell line. FGF (a receptor
tyrosine kinase agonist) and ACTH (a G protein-coupled receptor
agonist) both rapidly increased the phosphorylation of Mek and Erk
isoforms and increased Mek activity in Y1 cells. On a molar basis, FGF
was approximately 10-times more potent than was ACTH; however, in each
case, the concentrations of agonist required to activate the Meks
paralleled those required to activate the Erks. Furthermore, the
specific Mek inhibitor, PD98059 (11, 16), inhibited both
FGF-stimulated and ACTH-stimulated Erk phosphorylation.
PD98059 did not block the phosphorylation of Mek by FGF or by ACTH; a
finding that was unanticipated. Alessi et al.
(11) previously reported that PD98059 failed to inhibit
bacterially-expressed Mek that was phosphorylated and activated by
c-Raf in vitro but did prevent the in vitro
phosphorylation and activation of Mek by c-Raf or by Mek kinase. On the
basis of these findings, they concluded that PD98059 inhibited Mek by
preventing its phosphorylation. Our results, however, show that PD98059
did not prevent the phosphorylation of Mek in Y1 adrenal cells; rather,
the inhibitor blocked the activity of the phosphorylated, activated
enzyme. PD98059 had no effect on the kinase activity of activated
Erk2, confirming the specificity of PD98059 for
Mek and establishing that PD98059 inhibits the MAPK cascade
via inhibition of Mek. The basis for the difference in
findings presented here and in the work by Alessi et al. is
not clear.
The ability of ACTH to activate the MAPK pathway was not disrupted in
the PKA-defective Kin-8 mutant (5) and was not mimicked by
forskolin, a general activator of adenylyl cyclase (data not shown),
indicating that cAMP and PKA did not mediate this action of ACTH.
Nevertheless, the activation of Erk phosphorylation was considerably
more sensitive to inhibition by PD98059 in the Kin-8 mutant than in
parent Y1 cells. We have shown previously that PKA mutations disrupt
the expression of the P-glycoprotein drug efflux pump, an important
determinant of drug sensitivity and resistance (19).
Although we do not know the contribution of the P-glycoprotein drug
efflux pump to the intracellular accumulation of PD98059, it is
interesting to speculate that the increased sensitivity of the Kin-8
mutant to the Mek inhibitor resulted from the decreased expression of
the multidrug resistance gene. Strikingly, PD98059 increased the levels
of phosphorylated Mek in the Kin mutant after ACTH treatment without
producing a significant effect on Mek phosphorylation in ACTH-treated
parent Y1 cells. The regulation of Mek is complex and not only involves
its phosphorylation and activation by upstream protein kinases such as
the Rafs but also involves negative feedback regulation by the
downstream Erks (20). In addition, PKA has been
reported to inhibit the MAPK cascade by phosphorylating upstream Rafs,
thereby preventing Ras-GTP binding to Raf and Raf activation
(21). Thus, the levels of phosphorylated Mek (at Ser-217
and Ser-221) observed after ACTH stimulation are the net result of
activation by ACTH, feedback inhibition by Erk, and PKA-mediated
inhibition of upstream Rafs. We suggest that the PD98059-dependent
increase in Mek phosphorylation seen in the Kin-8 mutant after ACTH
treatment may reflect the combined effects of PD98059 (which relieves
Erk-dependent feedback inhibition) and the PKA mutation (which relieves
the PKA-mediated inhibition of upstream rafs).
 |
Acknowledgments
|
|---|
We thank Jennivine Tsao for excellent technical assistance.
 |
Footnotes
|
|---|
This work was supported by a research grant from the National Cancer
Institute of Canada with funds provided by the Canadian Cancer
Society.
Abbreviations: FGF, Fibroblast Growth factor; Mek, MAPK
kinase.
Received April 11, 2001.
Accepted for publication June 25, 2001.
 |
References
|
|---|
-
Gutkind JS 1998 The pathways connecting G
protein-coupled receptors to the nucleus through divergent
mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades. J Biol Chem 273:18391842[Free Full Text]
-
Schimmer BP 1981 The adrenocortical tumor cell
line, Y1. In: Sato G, ed. Functionally differentiated cell lines. New
York: Alan R. Liss, Inc.; 6192
-
Schimmer BP 1989 Cyclic AMP and other effectors of
cyclic AMP-dependent pathways. In: Gupta RS, ed. Drug resistance in
mammalian cells. Boca Raton: CRC Press, Inc.; vol 1:185210
-
Schimmer BP 1995 The 1994 Upjohn Award Lecture:
molecular and genetic approaches to the study of signal transduction in
the adrenal cortex. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 73:10971107[Medline]
-
Lotfi CFP, Todorovic Z, Armelin HA, Schimmer BP 1997 Unmasking a growth-promoting effect of the adrenocorticotropic
hormone in Y1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cells. J Biol Chem 272:2988629891[Abstract/Free Full Text]
-
Olson MF, Krolczyk AJ, Gorman KB, Steinberg RA,
Schimmer BP 1993 Molecular basis for the 3',5'-cyclic adenosine
monophosphate resistance of kin mutant Y1 adrenocortical tumor cells.
Mol Endocrinol 7:477487[Abstract/Free Full Text]
-
Rae PA, Gutmann NS, Tsao J, Schimmer BP 1979 Mutations in cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and corticotropin
(ACTH)-sensitive adenylate cyclase affect adrenal steroidogenesis. Proc
Natl Acad Sci USA 76:18961900[Abstract/Free Full Text]
-
Chorvatova A, Gendron L, Bilodeau L, Gallo-Payet N,
Payet MD 2000 A Ras-dependent chloride current activated by
adrenocorticotropin in rat adrenal zona glomerulosa cells.
Endocrinology 141:684692[Abstract/Free Full Text]
-
Cote M, Muyldermans J, Chouinard L, Gallo-Payet N 1998 Involvement of tyrosine phosphorylation and MAPK activation in the
mechanism of action of ACTH, angiotensin II and vasopressin. Endocr Res 24:415419[Medline]
-
Smith RD, Baukal AJ, Dent P, Catt KJ 1999 Raf-1
kinase activation by angiotensin II in adrenal glomerulosa cells: roles
of Gi, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and Ca2+
influx. Endocrinology 140:13851391[Abstract/Free Full Text]
-
Alessi DR, Cuenda A, Cohen P, Dudley DT, Saltiel AR 1995 PD 098059 is a specific inhibitor of the activation of
mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase in vitro and
in vivo. J Biol Chem 270:2748927494[Abstract/Free Full Text]
-
Schimmer BP 1979 Adrenocortical Y1 cells. Methods
Enzymol 52:570574
-
Harper J 1984 Peritzs F test: basic program of a
robust multiple comparison test for statistical analysis of all
differences among group means. Comput Biol Med 14:437445[CrossRef][Medline]
-
George DL, Scott AF, Trusko S, Glick B, Ford E, Dorney
DJ 1985 Structure and expression of amplified cKi-ras gene
sequences in Y1 mouse adrenal tumor cells. EMBO J 4:11991203[Medline]
-
Weidman ER, Gill GN 1977 Differential effects of
ACTH or 8-Br-cAMP on growth and replication in a functional adrenal
tumor cell line. J Cell Physiol 90:91104[CrossRef][Medline]
-
Dudley DT, Pang L, Decker SJ, Bridges AJ, Saltiel
AR 1995 A synthetic inhibitor of the mitogen-activated protein
kinase cascade. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 92:76867689[Abstract/Free Full Text]
-
Boulton TG, Yancopoulos GD, Gregory JS, et
al. 1990 An insulin-stimulated protein kinase similar to yeast
kinases involved in cell cycle control. Science 249:6467[Abstract/Free Full Text]
-
Saeki Y, Hazeki K, Hazeki O, et al. 2000 Participation of a MEK-independent pathway in MAP kinase activation and
modulation of cell growth in mouse hepatoma cell lines. Int J
Mol Med 6:155160[Medline]
-
Chin K-V, Chauhan SS, Abraham I, et al. 1992 Reduced mRNA levels for the multidrug-resistance genes in
cAMP-dependent protein kinase mutant cell lines. J Cell Physiol 152:8794[CrossRef][Medline]
-
Brunet A, Pages G, Pouyssegur J 1994 Growth
factor-stimulated MAP kinase induces rapid retrophosphorylation and
inhibition of MAP kinase kinase (MEK1). FEBS Lett 346:299303[CrossRef][Medline]
-
Sugden PH, Clerk A 1997 Regulation of the Erk
subgroup of MAP kinase cascades through G protein-coupled receptors.
Cell Signal 9:337351[CrossRef][Medline]
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. Hoeflich and M. Bielohuby
Mechanisms of adrenal gland growth: signal integration by extracellular signal regulated kinases1/2
J. Mol. Endocrinol.,
March 1, 2009;
42(3):
191 - 203.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. Bielohuby, M. Sawitzky, I. Johnsen, D. Wittenburg, F. Beuschlein, E. Wolf, and A. Hoeflich
Decreased p44/42 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphorylation in Gender- or Hormone-Related But Not during Age-Related Adrenal Gland Growth in Mice
Endocrinology,
March 1, 2009;
150(3):
1269 - 1277.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. E. Janes, K. M. E. Chu, A. J. L. Clark, and P. J. King
Mechanisms of Adrenocorticotropin-Induced Activation of Extracellularly Regulated Kinase 1/2 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in the Human H295R Adrenal Cell Line
Endocrinology,
April 1, 2008;
149(4):
1898 - 1905.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. Doufexis, H. L. Storr, P. J. King, and A. J. L. Clark
Interaction of the melanocortin 2 receptor with nucleoporin 50: evidence for a novel pathway between a G-protein-coupled receptor and the nucleus
FASEB J,
December 1, 2007;
21(14):
4095 - 4100.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
P. R Manna, Y. Jo, and D. M Stocco
Regulation of Leydig cell steroidogenesis by extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2: role of protein kinase A and protein kinase C signaling
J. Endocrinol.,
April 1, 2007;
193(1):
53 - 63.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. G Ferreira, C. D Cruz, D. Neves, and D. Pignatelli
Increased extracellular signal regulated kinases phosphorylation in the adrenal gland in response to chronic ACTH treatment
J. Endocrinol.,
March 1, 2007;
192(3):
647 - 658.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
B. P. Schimmer, M. Cordova, H. Cheng, A. Tsao, A. B. Goryachev, A. D. Schimmer, and Q. Morris
Global Profiles of Gene Expression Induced by Adrenocorticotropin in Y1 Mouse Adrenal Cells
Endocrinology,
May 1, 2006;
147(5):
2357 - 2367.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. N. Winnay and G. D. Hammer
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone-Mediated Signaling Cascades Coordinate a Cyclic Pattern of Steroidogenic Factor 1-Dependent Transcriptional Activation
Mol. Endocrinol.,
January 1, 2006;
20(1):
147 - 166.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
T. Hoang, I. S. Fenne, C. Cook, B. Borud, M. Bakke, E. A. Lien, and G. Mellgren
cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Regulates Ubiquitin-Proteasome-mediated Degradation and Subcellular Localization of the Nuclear Receptor Coactivator GRIP1
J. Biol. Chem.,
November 19, 2004;
279(47):
49120 - 49130.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. Fassnacht, S. Hahner, I. A. Hansen, T. Kreutzberger, M. Zink, K. Adermann, F. Jakob, J. Troppmair, and B. Allolio
N-Terminal Proopiomelanocortin Acts as a Mitogen in Adrenocortical Tumor Cells and Decreases Adrenal Steroidogenesis
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.,
May 1, 2003;
88(5):
2171 - 2179.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
P. Bey, A. B. Gorostizaga, P. M. Maloberti, R. C. Lozano, C. Poderoso, F. C. Maciel, E. J. Podesta, and C. Paz
Adrenocorticotropin Induces Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphatase 1 in Y1 Mouse Adrenocortical Tumor Cells
Endocrinology,
April 1, 2003;
144(4):
1399 - 1406.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. Desclozeaux, I. N. Krylova, F. Horn, R. J. Fletterick, and H. A. Ingraham
Phosphorylation and Intramolecular Stabilization of the Ligand Binding Domain in the Nuclear Receptor Steroidogenic Factor 1
Mol. Cell. Biol.,
October 15, 2002;
22(20):
7193 - 7203.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. B. Sewer and M. R. Waterman
Adrenocorticotropin/Cyclic Adenosine 3',5'-Monophosphate-Mediated Transcription of the Human CYP17 Gene in the Adrenal Cortex Is Dependent on Phosphatase Activity
Endocrinology,
May 1, 2002;
143(5):
1769 - 1777.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
D. A. Dewi, D. R. E. Abayasekara, and C. P. D. Wheeler-Jones
Requirement for ERK1/2 Activation in the Regulation of Progesterone Production in Human Granulosa-Lutein Cells Is Stimulus Specific
Endocrinology,
March 1, 2002;
143(3):
877 - 888.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|