High Erk activity suppresses expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p27Kip1 in colorectal cancer cells.

ABSTRACT: The molecular heterogeneity of human cancer cells at the level of signaling protein activities remains poorly understood. Using a panel of 64 colorectal (CRC) cancer cell lines the activity status of the MAP kinases Erk1 and Erk2 was investigated. Erk1/2 activity varied greatly within the CRC cell line panel and was not detectably associated with the speed of cell growth in 10 CRC lines analyzed. As expected, mutations in K-Ras or B-Raf were often, albeit not always, linked to high Erk1/2 activity. The phosphorylation of several known Erk1/2 targets investigated did not generally reflect Erk1/2 activity in the 10 CRC lines analyzed. However, the reduction of Erk1/2 activity with MEK inhibitors generally abolished cell growth but only led to an increase of cellular p27Kip1 levels in CRC cel

SUBMITTER: Kress TR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3780716 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature