Untransformed CD4(+) Th1 cells stimulated with Ag and APC demonstrated a dependence on B7- and CD28-mediated costimulatory signals for the expression and function of AP-1 proteins. The induction of transactivation by the c-fos gene regulator Elk-1 mirrored this requirement for TCR and CD28 signal integration. c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) (but not extracellular signal-regulated kinase or p38) p...

Cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase (CYP7A1), the rate-limiting enzyme in the neutral pathway of bile acid biosynthesis, is feedback-inhibited at the transcriptional level by hydrophobic bile acids. Recent studies show that bile acids are physiological ligands for farnesoid X receptor (FXR). Activated FXR indirectly represses CYP7A1 transcription through induction of small heterodimer protein (SHP-1...

Several cell-damaging effects of ethanol are due to its major metabolite acetaldehyde but its mechanisms are not known. We have studied the effect of acetaldehyde on p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and p46/p54 c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK 1/2) in rat hepatocytes. Acetaldehyde caused peak activation of p42/44 MAPK at 10 min followed by JNK activation at 1 h. These responses were a...

In response to extracellular cues, signal transduction activates downstream transcription factors like c-Jun to induce expression of target genes. We demonstrate that the ATAC (Ada two A containing) histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complex serves as a transcriptional cofactor for c-Jun at the Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) target genes Jra and chickadee. ATAC subunits are required for c-Jun occupan...

In this study, we investigated the effect of Solanum nigrum aerial parts (SNAP) on macrophage activation and autophagy in RAW264.7 cells. SNAP increased production immunostimulatory factors phagocytosis TLR4 inhibition blocked SNAP-mediated factors. addition, JNK reduced factors, was by inhibition. activated autophagy. p38 attenuated These findings indicate that may induce TLR4/JNK-mediated TLR...

Human DNA polymerase iota (pol ι) possesses high error-prone DNA replication features and performs translesion DNA synthesis. It may be specialized and strictly regulated in normal mammalian cells. Dysregulation of pol ι may contribute to the acquisition of a mutator phenotype. However, there are few reports describing the transcription regulatory mechanism of pol ι, and there is controversy re...

BACKGROUND Tetramethyl pyrazine (TMP) is a typical biologically active alkaloid isolated from the Chinese herb Ligusticum walliichi. It has been reported that TMP shows neuroprotective and stroke injury reductive properties in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) animal models. In the present study we sought to investigate the effect and potential intervention mechanism of TMP in anoxia/reoxygen...

BACKGROUND Najanalgesin, a toxin isolated from the venom of Naja naja atra, has been shown to exert significant analgesic effects in a neuropathic pain model in rats. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this protective effect of najanalgesin is poorly understood. The present study sought to evaluate the intracellular signaling pathways that are involved in the antinociceptive effect of ...

Sphingomyelinase (SMase) and its product ceramide have recently attracted a great deal of attention because of their possible role in the signal transduction pathway. However, the role of sphingomyelinase in UV-induced c-June N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation is still unclear. Thus, we investigated this issue directly using a genetic SMase-deficient (2 approximately 3% residual acid SMase acti...

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are involved in inflammation and tissue destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In particular, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is highly activated in RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes and synovium. However, defining the precise function of this kinase has been difficult because a selective JNK inhibitor has not been available. We now report the use...