241 human active and 13 inactive phosphatases in total;
194 phosphatases have substrate data;
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336 protein substrates;
83 non-protein substrates;
1215 dephosphorylation interactions;
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299 KEGG pathways;
876 Reactome pathways;
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last scientific update: 11 Mar, 2019
last maintenance update: 01 Sep, 2023
Cytoplasm Nucleus Nucleus, PML bodyNote=Translocates to the nucleus upon activation
Function (UniProt annotation)
Plays a role in various cellular processes such asproliferation, differentiation and cell survival The upstreamactivator of MAPK7 is the MAPK kinase MAP2K5 Upon activation, ittranslocates to the nucleus and phosphorylates various downstreamtargets including MEF2C EGF activates MAPK7 through a Ras-independent and MAP2K5-dependent pathway May have a role inmuscle cell differentiation May be important for endothelialfunction and maintenance of blood vessel integrity MAP2K5 andMAPK7 interact specifically with one another and not withMEK1/ERK1 or MEK2/ERK2 pathways Phosphorylates SGK1 at Ser-78 andthis is required for growth factor-induced cell cycle progressionInvolved in the regulation of p53/TP53 by disrupting the PML-MDM2interaction
The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is a highly conserved module that is involved in various cellular functions, including cell proliferation, differentiation and migration. Mammals express at least four distinctly regulated groups of MAPKs, extracellular signal-related kinases (ERK)-1/2, Jun amino-terminal kinases (JNK1/2/3), p38 proteins (p38alpha/beta/gamma/delta) and ERK5, that are activated by specific MAPKKs: MEK1/2 for ERK1/2, MKK3/6 for the p38, MKK4/7 (JNKK1/2) for the JNKs, and MEK5 for ERK5. Each MAPKK, however, can be activated by more than one MAPKKK, increasing the complexity and diversity of MAPK signalling. Presumably each MAPKKK confers responsiveness to distinct stimuli. For example, activation of ERK1/2 by growth factors depends on the MAPKKK c-Raf, but other MAPKKKs may activate ERK1/2 in response to pro-inflammatory stimuli.
Gap junctions contain intercellular channels that allow direct communication between the cytosolic compartments of adjacent cells. Each gap junction channel is formed by docking of two 'hemichannels', each containing six connexins, contributed by each neighboring cell. These channels permit the direct transfer of small molecules including ions, amino acids, nucleotides, second messengers and other metabolites between adjacent cells. Gap junctional communication is essential for many physiological events, including embryonic development, electrical coupling, metabolic transport, apoptosis, and tissue homeostasis. Communication through Gap Junction is sensitive to a variety of stimuli, including changes in the level of intracellular Ca2+, pH, transjunctional applied voltage and phosphorylation/dephosphorylation processes. This figure represents the possible activation routes of different protein kinases involved in Cx43 and Cx36 phosphorylation.
The interleukin 17 (IL-17) family, a subset of cytokines consisting of IL-17A-F, plays crucial roles in both acute and chronic inflammatory responses. IL-17A, the hallmark cytokine of the newly defined T helper 17 (TH17) cell subset, has important roles in protecting the host against extracellular pathogens, but also promotes inflammatory pathology in autoimmune disease, whereas IL-17F is mainly involved in mucosal host defense mechanisms. IL-17E (IL-25) is an amplifier of Th2 immune responses. IL-17C has biological functions similar to those of IL-17A. The functions of IL-17B and IL-17D remain largely elusive. The IL-17 family signals via their correspondent receptors and activates downstream pathways that include NF-kappaB, MAPKs and C/EBPs to induce the expression of antimicrobial peptides, cytokines and chemokines. The receptor proximal adaptor Act1 (an NF-kappaB activator 1) is considered as the master mediator in IL-17A signaling. It is likely that Act1 is a common signal adaptor also shared by other members mediated signalings in this family.
Neurotrophins are a family of trophic factors involved in differentiation and survival of neural cells. The neurotrophin family consists of nerve growth factor (NGF), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin 3 (NT-3), and neurotrophin 4 (NT-4). Neurotrophins exert their functions through engagement of Trk tyrosine kinase receptors or p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR). Neurotrophin/Trk signaling is regulated by connecting a variety of intracellular signaling cascades, which include MAPK pathway, PI-3 kinase pathway, and PLC pathway, transmitting positive signals like enhanced survival and growth. On the other hand, p75NTR transmits both positive and nagative signals. These signals play an important role for neural development and additional higher-order activities such as learning and memory.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion from the hypothalamus acts upon its receptor in the anterior pituitary to regulate the production and release of the gonadotropins, LH and FSH. The GnRHR is coupled to Gq/11 proteins to activate phospholipase C which transmits its signal to diacylglycerol (DAG) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3). DAG activates the intracellular protein kinase C (PKC) pathway and IP3 stimulates release of intracellular calcium. In addition to the classical Gq/11, coupling of Gs is occasionally observed in a cell-specific fashion. Signaling downstream of protein kinase C (PKC) leads to transactivation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), including extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK), Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAPK. Active MAPKs translocate to the nucleus, resulting in activation of transcription factors and rapid induction of early genes.
Oxytocin (OT) is a nonapeptide synthesized by the magno-cellular neurons located in the supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular (PVN) nuclei of the hypothalamus. It exerts a wide variety of central and peripheral effects. However, its best-known and most well-established roles are stimulation of uterine contractions during parturition and milk release during lactation. Oxytocin also influences cardiovascular regulation and various social behaviors. The actions of OT are all mediated by one type of OT receptor (OTR). This is a transmembrane receptor belonging to the G-protein-coupled receptor superfamily. The main signaling pathway is the Gq/PLC/Ins3 pathway, but the MAPK and the RhoA/Rho kinase pathways are also activated, contributing to increased prostaglandin production and direct contractile effect on myometrial cells. In the cardiovascular system, OTR is associated with the ANP-cGMP and NO-cGMP pathways, which reduce the force and rate of contraction and increase vasodilatation.
MicroRNA (miRNA) is a cluster of small non-encoding RNA molecules of 21 - 23 nucleotides in length, which controls gene expression post-transcriptionally either via the degradation of target mRNAs or the inhibition of protein translation. Using high-throughput profiling, dysregulation of miRNAs has been widely observed in different stages of cancer. The upregulation (overexpression) of specific miRNAs could lead to the repression of tumor suppressor gene expression, and conversely the downregulation of specific miRNAs could result in an increase of oncogene expression; both these situations induce subsequent malignant effects on cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis that lead to tumor growth and progress. The miRNA signatures of cancer observed in various studies differ significantly. These inconsistencies occur due to the differences in the study populations and methodologies used. This pathway map shows the summarized results from various studies in 9 cancers, each of which is presented in a review article.
Shear stress represents the frictional force that the flow of blood exerts at the endothelial surface of the vessel wall and plays a central role in vascular biology and contributes to the progress of atherosclerosis. Sustained laminar flow with high shear stress upregulates expressions of endothelial cell (EC) genes and proteins that are protective against atherosclerosis. The key shear stress-induced transcription factors that govern the expression of these genes are Kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-like 2 (Nrf2). On the other hand, disturbed flow with associated reciprocating, low shear stress generally upregulates the EC genes and proteins that promote oxidative and inflammatory states in the artery wall, resulting in atherogenesis. Important transcriptional events that reflect this condition of ECs in disturbed flow include the activation of activator protein 1 (AP-1) and nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB).
ERK/MAPK kinases have a number of targets within the nucleus, usually transcription factors or other kinases. The best known targets, ELK1, ETS1, ATF2, MITF, MAPKAPK2, MSK1, RSK1/2/3 and MEF2 are annotated here
The location of neurotrophin stimulation appears to determine the nature of the transcriptional response through differential uses of individual MAP kinases. The ERK5 pathway has a unique function in retrograde signalling; in contrast, ERK1/2, which mediate nuclear responses following direct cell body stimulation, does not transmit a retrograde signal. Following neurotrophin stimulation of distal axons, phosphorylated TRK receptors are endocytosed and transported to the cell bodies, where MEK5 phosphorylates ERK5, leading to ERK5 nuclear translocation, phosphorylation of transcription factors, and neuronal survival. In contrast, neurotrophin stimulation of the cell bodies causes concurrent activation and nuclear transport of ERK1/2 as well as ERK5. Several distinctive features of the ERK5 pathway might be important for retrograde signalling. The ERK5 cascade does not depend on activation of the G-protein RAS. Instead, this pathway may use other G-proteins such as RAP that are associated with vesicles, or may not require any G-protein intermediate. Another distinctive feature is that the MEK5 isoform, which is expressed in the nervous system, exhibits a punctate staining pattern, suggesting a vesicular localization. ERK5 itself significantly differs from ERK1/2, and its substrate specificity also differs from ERK1/2. For instance, ERK5 directly activates transcription factors, including MEF2, that are not phosphorylated by ERK1/2. Conversely, ERK1/2, but not ERK5, activate transcription factors such as ELK1 and MITF
MAP Kinases are inactivated by a family of protein named MAP Kinase Phosphatases (MKPs). They act through dephosphorylation of threonine and/or tyrosine residues within the signature sequence -pTXpY- located in the activation loop of MAP kinases (pT=phosphothreonine and pY=phosphotyrosine). MKPs are divided into three major categories depending on their preference for dephosphorylating; tyrosine, serine/threonine and both the tyrosine and threonine (dual specificity phoshatases or DUSPs). The tyrosine-specific MKPs include PTP-SL, STEP and HePTP, serine/threonine-specific MKPs are PP2A and PP2C, and many DUSPs acting on MAPKs are known. Activated MAP kinases trigger activation of transcription of MKP genes. Therefore, MKPs provide a negative feedback regulatory mechanism on MAPK signaling, by inactivating MAPKs via dephosphorylation, in the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Some MKPs are more specific for ERKs, others for JNK or p38MAPK
The culture medium of senescent cells in enriched in secreted proteins when compared with the culture medium of quiescent i.e. presenescent cells and these secreted proteins constitute the so-called senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), also known as the senescence messaging secretome (SMS). SASP components include inflammatory and immune-modulatory cytokines (e.g. IL6 and IL8), growth factors (e.g. IGFBPs), shed cell surface molecules (e.g. TNF receptors) and survival factors. While the SASP exhibits a wide ranging profile, it is not significantly affected by the type of senescence trigger (oncogenic signalling, oxidative stress or DNA damage) or the cell type (epithelial vs. mesenchymal) (Coppe et al. 2008). However, as both oxidative stress and oncogenic signaling induce DNA damage, the persistent DNA damage may be a deciding SASP initiator (Rodier et al. 2009). SASP components function in an autocrine manner, reinforcing the senescent phenotype (Kuilman et al. 2008, Acosta et al. 2008), and in the paracrine manner, where they may promote epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and malignancy in the nearby premalignant or malignant cells (Coppe et al. 2008). Interleukin-1-alpha (IL1A), a minor SASP component whose transcription is stimulated by the AP-1 (FOS:JUN) complex (Bailly et al. 1996), can cause paracrine senescence through IL1 and inflammasome signaling (Acosta et al. 2013).
Here, transcriptional regulatory processes that mediate the SASP are annotated. DNA damage triggers ATM-mediated activation of TP53, resulting in the increased level of CDKN1A (p21). CDKN1A-mediated inhibition of CDK2 prevents phosphorylation and inactivation of the Cdh1:APC/C complex, allowing it to ubiquitinate and target for degradation EHMT1 and EHMT2 histone methyltransferases. As EHMT1 and EHMT2 methylate and silence the promoters of IL6 and IL8 genes, degradation of these methyltransferases relieves the inhibition of IL6 and IL8 transcription (Takahashi et al. 2012). In addition, oncogenic RAS signaling activates the CEBPB (C/EBP-beta) transcription factor (Nakajima et al. 1993, Lee et al. 2010), which binds promoters of IL6 and IL8 genes and stimulates their transcription (Kuilman et al. 2008, Lee et al. 2010). CEBPB also stimulates the transcription of CDKN2B (p15-INK4B), reinforcing the cell cycle arrest (Kuilman et al. 2008). CEBPB transcription factor has three isoforms, due to three alternative translation start sites. The CEBPB-1 isoform (C/EBP-beta-1) seems to be exclusively involved in growth arrest and senescence, while the CEBPB-2 (C/EBP-beta-2) isoform may promote cellular proliferation (Atwood and Sealy 2010 and 2011). IL6 signaling stimulates the transcription of CEBPB (Niehof et al. 2001), creating a positive feedback loop (Kuilman et al. 2009, Lee et al. 2010). NF-kappa-B transcription factor is also activated in senescence (Chien et al. 2011) through IL1 signaling (Jimi et al. 1996, Hartupee et al. 2008, Orjalo et al. 2009). NF-kappa-B binds IL6 and IL8 promoters and cooperates with CEBPB transcription factor in the induction of IL6 and IL8 transcription (Matsusaka et al. 1993, Acosta et al. 2008). Besides IL6 and IL8, their receptors are also upregulated in senescence (Kuilman et al. 2008, Acosta et al. 2008) and IL6 and IL8 may be master regulators of the SASP.
IGFBP7 is also an SASP component that is upregulated in response to oncogenic RAS-RAF-MAPK signaling and oxidative stress, as its transcription is directly stimulated by the AP-1 (JUN:FOS) transcription factor. IGFBP7 negatively regulates RAS-RAF (BRAF)-MAPK signaling and is important for the establishment of senescence in melanocytes (Wajapeyee et al. 2008).
Please refer to Young and Narita 2009 for a recent review
Gastrin is a hormone whose main function is to stimulate secretion of hydrochloric acid by the gastric mucosa, which results in gastrin formation inhibition. This hormone also acts as a mitogenic factor for gastrointestinal epithelial cells. Gastrin has two biologically active peptide forms, G34 and G17.Gastrin gene expression is upregulated in both a number of pre-malignant conditions and in established cancer through a variety of mechanisms. Depending on the tissue where it is expressed and the level of expression, differential processing of the polypeptide product leads to the production of different biologically active peptides. In turn, acting through the classical gastrin cholecystokinin B receptor CCK-BR, its isoforms and alternative receptors, these peptides trigger signalling pathways which influence the expression of downstream genes that affect cell survival, angiogenesis and invasion (Wank 1995, de Weerth et al
The RET proto-oncogene encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase expressed primarily in urogenital precursor cells, spermatogonocytes, dopaminergic neurons, motor neurons and neural crest progenitors and derived cells. It is essential for kidney genesis, spermatogonial self-renewal and survivial, specification, migration, axonal growth and axon guidance of developing enteric neurons, motor neurons, parasympathetic neurons and somatosensory neurons (Schuchardt et al. 1994, Enomoto et al. 2001, Naughton et al. 2006, Kramer et al. 2006, Luo et al. 2006, 2009). RET was identified as the causative gene for human papillary thyroid carcinoma (Grieco et al. 1990), multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2A (Mulligan et al. 1993), type 2B (Hofstra et al. 1994, Carlson et al. 1994), and Hirschsprung's disease (Romeo et al. 1994, Edery et al. 1994). RET contains a cadherin-related motif and a cysteine-rich domain in the extracellular domain (Takahashi et al. 1988). It is the receptor for members of the glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family of ligands, GDNF (Lin et al. 1993), neurturin (NRTN) (Kotzbauer et al. 1996), artemin (ARTN) (Baloh et al. 1998), and persephin (PSPN) (Milbrandt et al. 1998), which form a family of neurotrophic factors. To stimulate RET, these ligands need a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored co-receptor, collectively termed GDNF family receptor-alpha (GFRA) (Treanor et al. 1996, Jing et al. 1996). The four members of this family have different, overlapping ligand preferences. GFRA1, GFRA2, GFRA3, and GFRA4 preferentially bind GDNF, NRTN, ARTN and PSPN, respectively (Jing et al. 1996, 1997, Creedon et al. 1997, Baloh et al. 1997, 1998, Masure et al. 2000). The GFRA co-receptor can come from the same cell as RET, or from a different cell. When the co-receptor is produced by the same cell as RET, it is termed cis signaling. When the co-receptor is produced by another cell, it is termed trans signaling. Cis and trans activation has been proposed to diversify RET signaling, either by recruiting different downstream effectors or by changing the kinetics or efficacy of kinase activation (Tansey et al. 2000, Paratcha et al. 2001). Whether cis and trans signaling has significant differences in vivo is unresolved (Fleming et al. 2015). Different GDNF family members could activate similar downstream signaling pathways since all GFRAs bind to and activate the same tyrosine kinase and induce coordinated phosphorylation of the same four RET tyrosines (Tyr905, Tyr1015, Tyr1062, and Tyr1096) with similar kinetics (Coulpier et al. 2002). However the exact RET signaling pathways in different types of cells and neurons remain to be determined