Akt/protein kinase B controls cell growth, proliferation, and survival. We recently discovered a novel phosphatase PHLPP, for PH domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase, which terminates Akt signaling by directly dephosphorylating and inactivating Akt. Here we describe a second family member, PHLPP2, which also inactivates Akt, inhibits cell-cycle progression, and promotes apoptosis. The...

BACKGROUND Akt/protein kinase B signaling pathway has been implicated in tumorigenesis and progression. Previous studies showed the predictive potential of p-Akt-1, but total Akt-1 could provide more reliable information. We used image deconvolution, nanotechnology (quantum dots), and image analysis to improve Akt-1 quantification. DESIGN This tissue microarray study included 840 radical pros...

This study aimed to evaluate the expression of AKT and phosphorylated AKT (p-Akt) in human ameloblastoma (AB). Immunohistochemistry showed human AB was positive for Akt and Akt expression was mainly found in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells. The Akt expression in AB was significantly higher than that in normal oral mucosa (NOM), but still lower than that in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)....

Activation of the PI3k/Akt pathway controls key cellular processes and contributes to tumorigenesis in vivo, but investigation of the PI3k/Akt pathway has been limited by the lack of specific inhibitors directed against Akt. To develop Akt inhibitors, we used molecular modeling of the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of Akt to guide synthesis of structurally modified phosphatidylinositol ether l...

BACKGROUND Akt has been implicated in the oncogenesis of human malignant tumors, because Akt regulates many key effector molecules involved in cell survival. PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10) negatively regulates Akt activation. MATERIALS AND METHODS The expression of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), total Akt and PTEN was analyzed by Western blotting in 45 renal cell ...

The majority of human cancers harbour mutations promoting activation of the Akt protein kinase, and Akt inhibitors are being evaluated in clinical trials. An important question concerns the understanding of the innate mechanisms that confer resistance of tumour cells to Akt inhibitors. SGK (serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase) is closely related to Akt and controlled by identical upstrea...

BACKGROUND AKT plays an important role in the control of cell proliferation and survival. Aberrant activation of AKT frequently occurs in human cancers making it an attractive drug targets and leading to the synthesis of numerous AKT inhibitors as therapeutic candidates. Less is known regarding proteins that control AKT. We recently reported that quinone reductase 2 (NQO2) inhibited AKT activit...

A neurosecretory pathway regulates a reversible developmental arrest and metabolic shift at the Caenorhabditis elegans dauer larval stage. Defects in an insulin-like signaling pathway cause arrest at the dauer stage. We show here that two C. elegans Akt/PKB homologs, akt-1 and akt-2, transduce insulin receptor-like signals that inhibit dauer arrest and that AKT-1 and AKT-2 signaling are indispe...

Background: Pre-therapeutic analysis of three-dimensional spheroid cultures primary tumour samples is a promising approach assessing susceptibility to potential treatment. The phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/AKT serine/threonine kinase/mammalian target rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) signalling pathway frequently activated in colorectal cancer (CRC). In previous work, we showed combined inhibition AKT ...