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The JNK Signaling Pathway


Edited By:

Anning Lin
University of Chicago

ISBN: 978-1-58706-120-2
Published: 2006-02-15

This book may be purchased as an eBook (pdf) for $99, or individual chapters (pdf) may be purchased from the list below for $19.




Signal transduction is one of the most exciting research areas in modern biology as it deals with how information flows from the extracellular environment into a living cell to change its metabolism, genotype and phenotype. With the completion of the genomes of human and several other species, it becomes even more important to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that govern cellular functions. The intracellular signaling network, which is composed of many signaling pathways, regulates most, if not all, fundamental cellular activities, from proliferation to programmed cell death (apoptosis). Over the past decade, many signaling pathways have been “mapped’ out. Nowadays, we know in great detail about how a specific signal is transmitted via specific signaling pathways, from the membrane to the nucleus, to change the functions of a cell. In this book, a group of experts present a comprehensive review of one of such signaling pathways, the JNK signaling pathway.


Chapters available from this book


The Structure of the Type 1 Insulin-Like Growth Factor Receptor

Colin W. Ward, Thomas P. J. Garrett, Mei Lou, Neil M. McKern, Timothy E. Adams, Thomas C. Elleman, Peter A. Hoyne, Maurice J. Frenkel, Leah J. Cosgrove, George O. Lovrecz, Lindsay G. Sparrow, Lynne Lawrence and V. Chandana Epa

The type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) is widely expressed across many cell types in fetal and postnatal tissues. Signalling through the IGF-1R is the principal pathway responsible for somatic growth in fetal mammals, while somatic growth in postnatal animals is achieved through ...

Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins (IGFBPs) and Apoptosis

Claire M. Perks and J. M. P. Holly

A cell and by extracellular cues from soluble survival factors and from cell contacts with its extracellular environment. For many cell types the most prevalent and potent survival factor is IGF-I. The family of six high affinity IGFBPs modulate the availability and hence the anti-apoptotic action...

IGF-I, Insulin and Cancer Risk: Linking the Biology and the Epidemiology

Michael Pollak

Insulin and insulin-like growth factor signaling systems arose early in evolution and play key roles in regulating cellular proliferation and survival, energy utilization at both the cellular and whole organism levels, and body size and longevity. In higher organisms, more specific regulatory ...

The Role of the IGF System in Prostate Cancer

Charles T. Roberts, Jr.

An important aspect of the IGF system in postnatal human physiology is its involvement in tumorigenesis. This was hardly unexpected, based upon the demonstrated role of IGF-I, in particular, as a potent growth regulator. Reports over the last several years of a strong association of circulatin...

Laron Syndrome: Primary GH Insensitivity or Resistance

Zvi Laron

An up to-date description of the etiology, clinical and laboratory pathology of the Laron Syndrome (Primary GH resistance or insensitivity). is presented. Laron Syndrome is a unique model to study the physiological role of IGF-I(primary IGF-I deficiency ) and the IGF-I /GH relationship. Invest...

Functional Relationships between Transforming Growth Factor-Beta and the Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins

Susan Fanayan and Robert C. Baxter

Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) modulate cell functions through IGF-dependent and independent mechanisms. The IGFBPs are subject to complex regulation, both inhibitory and stimulatory, by transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b) in various cell types, which may result in eithe...

The Insulin-Like Growth Factors in Mammary Development and Breast Cancer

Teresa L. Wood, Malinda A. Stull, Dawn Kardash-Richardson, Michael A. Allar and Aimee V. Loladze

Normal and abnormal growth of mammary or breast epithelium is coordinately controlled by circulating hormones and locally-produced growth factors. The insulin-like growth factors and their primary signaling receptor, the IGF type I receptor, have demonstrated roles in normal mammary gland deve...

IGF1 and Brain Development

Carolyn A. Bondy, Wei-Hua Lee and Clara M. Cheng

During the course of brain development, insulin-like growth factor (IGF1) and the IGF1 receptor are most highly expressed by maturing projection neurons during a time of rapid process growth and synaptogenesis. During this time, IGF1-expressing neurons grow the most extensive dendritic arbors ...

IGF-Independent Effects of the IGFBP Superfamily

Gillian E. Walker, Ho-Seong Kim, Yong-Feng Yang and Youngman Oh

The proposed “insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP) superfamily” is said to consist of the high affinity binding proteins, IGFBP-1 to -6 and low affinity binding proteins (IGFBP-related proteins). A key mechanism for regulating IGF bioactivities is the high-affinity IGFBPs, which ...

Diabetes

Tero Saukkonen and David B. Dunger

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) has effects on insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism, increasing peripheral glucose disposal and decreasing hepatic glucose output, thus enhancing insulin sensitivity, however, the mechanisms are poorly understood. It is thought that IGF-I may act directly ...

Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Stimulation of Growth: Autocrine, Paracrine and/or Endocrine Mechanisms of Action?

A. Joseph D'Ercole

The relationship between the sites of insulin-like Growth factor-I (IGF-I) expression and the sites of its growth promoting actions have been debated for years. There is compelling evidence for each potential mode of IGF-I action. Arguments for IGF-I endocrine actions include the findings that...

Insulin-Like Growth Factor II (IGF-II) and Non-Islet Cell Tumor Hypoglycemia (NICTH)

Naomi Hizuka, Izumi Fukuda, Yukiko Ishikawa and Kazue Takano

Extrapancreatic tumors associated with hypoglycemia (non-islet-cell tumor hypoglycemia, NICTH) is one of major causes of fasting hypoglycemia. In some patients with NICTH, insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) produced by and secreted from the tumor is thought to be a hypoglycemic agent. Howe...

Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I and the Kidney

Franz Schaefer and Ralph Rabkin

This review describes the multiple ways in which the kidney and the IGF-I system interact in both health and disease. IGF-I is an important physiological regulator of glomerular hemodynamics, renal growth and certain tubular functions. In several disease states the IGF-I system is an important...

IGFs and Sarcomas

Fariba Navid and Lee. J. Helman

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their receptors exert their effects on a variety of sarcomas through autocrine, paracrine and endocrine mechanisms. In addition to regulating the proliferation of normal as well as malignant cells of mesenchymal origin, IGFs and their receptors play a centr...

IGFs and the Nervous System

Gina M. Gehrke, Gary Meyer and Eva L. Feldman

The insulin-like growth factors-I and -II (IGF-I and IGF-II) are neurotrophic factors with sequence homology to pro-insulin. Through the type I IGF receptor (IGF-IR), the IGFs mediate proliferation, survival and differentiation of neuronal and non-neuronal cells.1,2 IGFs are of particular inte...

Epidemiologic Approaches to Evaluating Insulin-Like Growth Factor and Cancer Risk

Eva S. Schernhammer and Susan E. Hankinson

Epidemiologic studies that simply observe the natural cause of events often are referred to as observational studies. In contrast, studies in which the investigator intervenes to change some participants' behavior, assigning the exposure status of each participant, are referred to as int...

Regulation of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Gene Expression

Xia Wang and Martin L. Adamo

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) mRNAs is expressed in adults principally in liver, which secretes IGF-I to act as an endocrine growth factor. Liver IGF-I mRNAs are transcribed from multiple start sites within two promoters, giving rise to mRNAs containing either exon 1 or exon 2 as ...

IGF Action and Skeletal Muscle

David T. Kuninger and Peter S. Rotwein

The insulin-like growth factors, IGF-I and IGF-II, comprise a pair of structurally related, secreted proteins which control diverse cellular functions by regulating multiple signal transduction pathways. Gene targeting experiments have revealed essential roles for IGF action in normal mu...

IGFs and Epithelial Cancer

Walter Zumkeller

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), IGF receptors and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) are expressed in epithelial cancer. The IGF system is involved in the regulation of the proliferation of both normal and malignant epithelial cells. Proliferative effects of IGFs are mediated predominantl...

The IGF System in Breast Cancer

Janet L. Martin

Breast cancer remains one of the most common causes of mortality in women worldwide, despite intensive research aimed at identifying the factors involved in its establishment and progression. Many lines of evidence support a key role for the IGF system in the development and progressi...

IGFBP-5, A Multifunctional Protein, Is an Important Bone Formation Regulator

Subburaman Mohan, Yousef Amaar and David J Baylink

Bone formation is essential to all aspects of bone physiology, including growth, remodeling, and repair. In terms of potential messenger molecules that regulate bone formation, recent studies have provided strong evidence for a physiological role for IGFBP-5 in the regulation of bone ...

The Role of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 and Extracellular Matrix Protein Interaction in Controlling Cellular Responses to this Growth Factor

David R. Clemmons

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is a small polypeptide growth factor that is ubiquitously present in physiologic fluids. IGF-I is a potent stimulant of extracellular matrix protein (ECM) synthesis by all connective tissue cell types and it can control synthesis of basement membrane ...

The Insulin-Like Growth Factor System and Bone

Thomas L. Clemens and Clifford J. Rosen

In the last several years, investigators have begun to unravel the role of insulin like growth factor-I (IGF-I), and its family of IGF binding proteins, in the building and maintenance of the adult skeleton. Although it was nearly a half a century ago that the presence of a 'somatomed...

Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins (IGFBPs) and Apoptosis

C.M. Perks and J.M.P. Holly

Apoptosis is a physiologically regulated mode of cell death, which plays a critical role during development and maturation. Apoptosis is tightly controlled both within the cell and by extracellular cues from soluble survival factors and from cell contacts with its extracellular environme...

IGFBPs—Gene and Protein Structure

Leon A. Bach and Nigel J. Parker

IGF actions are regulated by a family of six high affinity binding proteins (IGFBPs), some of which also have IGF-independent actions. The IGFBPs have highly conserved N- and
C-domains, each of which contain internal disulfide links. The middle, 'linker' L-domains of the IGFBP...

Insulin-Like Growth Factors in Critical Illness

Greet Van den Berghe

Low circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and alterations in IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP-s) mark the catabolic state of critical illness. The origin of these changes appears different during the first hours to days after onset and in the more chronic phase of critical i...

Insulin-Like Growth Factors and Hematological Malignancies

Anne J. Novak and Diane F. Jelinek

Immune cell development and homeostasis is a highly coordinated process influenced by a network of cells and soluble factors. The endocrine system, in particular the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), has been shown to play a key role in development and maintenance of normal immune func...

Metabolic Effects of Insulin-Like Growth Factor I and Growth Hormone in vivo: A Comparison

Nelly Mauras

The metabolic effects of IGF-I are varied and remarkably similar in many respects to those of GH. IGF-I mediates some, but not all of the metabolic actions of GH in man. Both GH and IGF-I potently stimulate whole body protein synthesis rates in healthy subjects, with minimal effects in p...

Structure and Function of the IGF-1 and Mannose 6-phosphate/IGF-2 Receptors

Susan L. Spence and Peter Nissley

The IGF-1 receptor (IGF1R) gene is transcriptionally regulated by growth factors and tumor repressors and encodes a 210 kDa ab chain which is proteolytically cleaved and disulfide bonded to produce an a2b

IGF-I Receptor Signaling in Health and Disease

Renato Baserga, Marco Prisco and Tina Yuan

The type 1 insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) receptor is a tyrosine kinase receptor, conserved through evolution in metazoans, from C. elegans to mammals. It displays several functions, some of which are seemingly contradictory. This Chapter examines only selected functions of the IG...

The Molecular Basis of IGF-I Receptor Gene Expression in Human Cancer

Haim Werner

The insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) has a central role in normal cellular proliferation as well as in transformation processes. Transcription factors have been identified that modulate the activity of the IGF-IR gene. Transcription factors with tum...

Antisense and Triple Helix Strategies in Basic and Clinical Research: Challenge for Gene Therapy of Tumors Expressing IGF-I

L.C. UpeguiGonzalez, J.C. Francois, L.A. Trojan, A. Ly, R. Przewlocki, C. Malvy and J. Trojan

In prokaryotes and eukaryotes, genetic information is supported by doublestranded DNA, in which only one strand is usually transcribed in messenger RNA. Nevertheless, transcription could occur from both strands or from complementary strands, leading sometimes to the synthesis of compleme...

The Many Levels of Control of IGF-II Expression

P. Elly Holthuizen

The functions of IGF-II are very diverse. IGF-II plays a role in the development of the embryo, it is an important mitogenic factor for growing cells, it is involved in differentiation processes and it is highly expressed in many tumor tissues. Because of its pivotal role in these divers...


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