Expression Of MKK4 Research Articles

Molecular determinants that mediate selective activation of p38 MAP kinase isoforms.

The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) group is represented by four isoforms in mammals (p38alpha, p38beta2, p38gamma and p38delta). These p38 MAPK isoforms appear to mediate distinct functions in vivo due, in part, to differences in substrate phosphorylation by individual p38 MAPKs and also to selective activation by MAPK kinases (MAPKKs). Here we report the identification of two factors that contribute to the specificity of p38 MAPK activation. One mechanism of specificity is the selective formation of functional complexes between MAPKK and different p38 MAPKs. The formation of these complexes requires the presence of a MAPK docking site in the N-terminus of the MAPKK. The second mechanism that confers signaling specificity is the selective recognition of the activation loop (T-loop) of p38 MAPK isoforms. Together, these processes provide a mechanism that enables the selective activation of p38 MAPK in response to activated MAPKK.

Age-Sensitive and -Insensitive Pathways Leading to JNK Activation in Mouse CD4+ T-Cells

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) can be activated in T-cells either by the combination of TCR and CD28 costimulation or by a variety of stress-related stimuli including UV light, H2O2, and hyperosmolar sorbitol solutions. In T-lymphocytes, TCR/CD28 stimulation of JNK leads to induction of new gene expression via c-Jun, ATF-2, and Elk-1. Phosphorylation of c-Jun in CD4+ T-cells stimulated by CD3/CD4/CD28 cross-linking declines with age, due to diminished activation of JNK. Here we show that the age-related decline in TCR/CD28 activation of JNK reflects two effects of age: the accumulation of memory cells (in which JNK stimulation is poor regardless of donor age) and age-dependent declines in JNK activation within the naive subset. Cyclosporin A inhibits induction of JNK function by TCR/CD28, PMA/ionomycin, ceramide, or H2O2, but not induction by UV light or hyperosmolar sorbitol. Although aging impairs JNK induction by UV light, it has no effect on JNK activation by ceramide, H2O2, or sorbitol. The data as a whole indicate that there are at least four pathways that activate JNK in CD4+ T-cells, of which two are age-sensitive and two others unaffected by aging. Two of the pathways (UV and hyperosmolar sorbitol) are insensitive to cyclosporin inhibition. Finally, we show that the alterations in JNK function are not due to changes in the expression of MKK4, an upstream activator of JNK, and that another JNK kinase, MKK7, is not expressed in splenic T-cells.

Defective IL-12 production in mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase 3 (Mkk3)-deficient mice.

The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, like the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) MAPK pathway, is activated in response to cellular stress and inflammation and is involved in many fundamental biological processes. To study the role of the p38 MAPK pathway in vivo, we have used homologous recombination in mice to inactivate the Mkk3 gene, one of the two specific MAPK kinases (MAPKKs) that activate p38 MAPK. Mkk3(-/-) mice were viable and fertile; however, they were defective in interleukin-12 (IL-12) production by macrophages and dendritic cells. Interferon-gamma production following immunization with protein antigens and in vitro differentiation of naive T cells is greatly reduced, suggesting an impaired type I cytokine immune response. The effect of the p38 MAPK pathway on IL-12 expression is at least partly transcriptional, since inhibition of this pathway blocks IL-12 p40 promoter activity in macrophage cell lines and IL-12 p40 mRNA is reduced in MKK3-deficient mice. We conclude that the p38 MAP kinase, activated through MKK3, is required for the production of inflammatory cytokines by both antigen-presenting cells and CD4(+) T cells.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7 is an activator of the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase.

The c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) group of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases is activated by phosphorylation on Thr and Tyr. Here we report the molecular cloning of a new member of the mammalian MAP kinase kinase group (MKK7) that functions as an activator of JNK. In vitro protein kinase assays demonstrate that MKK7 phosphorylates and activates JNK, but not the p38 or extracellular signal-regulated kinase groups of MAP kinase. Expression of MKK7 in cultured cells causes activation of the JNK signal transduction pathway. MKK7 is therefore established to be a novel component of the JNK signal transduction pathway.

Targeted disruption of the MKK4 gene causes embryonic death, inhibition of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase activation, and defects in AP-1 transcriptional activity.

MKK4 is a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase group of dual specificity protein kinases that functions as an activator of the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) in vitro. To examine the function of MKK4 in vivo, we investigated the effect of targeted disruption of the MKK4 gene. Crosses of heterozygous MKK4 (+/-) mice demonstrated that homozygous knockout (-/-) animals die before embryonic day 14, indicating that the MKK4 gene is required for viability. The role of MKK4 in JNK activation was examined by investigation of cultured MKK4 (+/+) and MKK4 (-/-) cells. Disruption of the MKK4 gene blocked JNK activation caused by: (i) the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase MEKK1, and (ii) treatment with anisomycin or heat shock. In contrast, JNK activation caused by other forms of environmental stress (UV-C radiation and osmotic shock) was partially inhibited in MKK4 (-/-) cells. Regulated AP-1 transcriptional activity, a target of the JNK signal transduction pathway, was also selectively blocked in MKK4 (-/-) cells. Complementation studies demonstrated that the defective AP-1 transcriptional activity was restored by transfection of MKK4 (-/-) cells with an MKK4 expression vector. These data establish that MKK4 is a JNK activator in vivo and demonstrate that MKK4 is an essential component of the JNK signal transduction pathway.