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Author

Montserrat Camps

Other affiliations: University of Barcelona, Merck KGaA
Bio: Montserrat Camps is an academic researcher from Merck Serono. The author has contributed to research in topics: Mitogen-activated protein kinase & MAP2K7. The author has an hindex of 37, co-authored 73 publications receiving 8263 citations. Previous affiliations of Montserrat Camps include University of Barcelona & Merck KGaA.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Dual specificity phosphatases are an emerging subclass of the protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) gene superfam‐ily, which appears to be selective for dephosphorylating the critical phosphothreonine and phosphoty‐rosine residues within MAP kinases.
Abstract: Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases are important players in signal transduction pathways activated by a range of stimuli and mediate a number of physiological and pathological changes in cell function. MAP kinase activation requires phosphorylation on a threonine and tyrosine residue located within the activation loop of kinase subdomain VIII. This process is reversible even in the continued presence of activating stimuli, indicating that protein phosphatases provide an important mechanism for MAP kinase control. Dual specificity phosphatases (DSPs) are an emerging subclass of the protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) gene superfamily, which appears to be selective for dephosphorylating the critical phosphothreonine and phosphotyrosine residues within MAP kinases. Some DSPs are localized to different subcellular compartments and moreover, certain family members appear highly selective for inactivating distinct MAP kinase isoforms. This enzymatic specificity is due in part to powerful catalytic activation of the DSP phosphatase after tight binding of its amino-terminal to the target MAP kinase. DSP gene expression is induced strongly by various growth factors and/or cellular stresses, providing a sophisticated transcriptional mechanism for targeted inactivation of selected MAP kinase activities.

820 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that Pik3cg−/− mice are largely protected in mouse models of rheumatoid arthritis; this protection correlates with defective neutrophil migration, further validating PI3Kγ as a therapeutic target.
Abstract: Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) have long been considered promising drug targets for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders as well as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. But the lack of specificity, isoform selectivity and poor biopharmaceutical profile of PI3K inhibitors have so far hampered rigorous disease-relevant target validation. Here we describe the identification and development of specific, selective and orally active small-molecule inhibitors of PI3Kgamma (encoded by Pik3cg). We show that Pik3cg(-/-) mice are largely protected in mouse models of rheumatoid arthritis; this protection correlates with defective neutrophil migration, further validating PI3Kgamma as a therapeutic target. We also describe that oral treatment with a PI3Kgamma inhibitor suppresses the progression of joint inflammation and damage in two distinct mouse models of rheumatoid arthritis, reproducing the protective effects shown by Pik3cg(-/-) mice. Our results identify selective PI3Kgamma inhibitors as potential therapeutic molecules for the treatment of chronic inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.

770 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
22 May 1998-Science
TL;DR: Another homologous but nonselective phosphatase, MKP-4, bound and was activated by ERK2, JNK/SAPK, and p38 MAP kinases and was resistant to enzymatic inactivation by MKP.
Abstract: MAP kinase phosphatase-3 (MKP-3) dephosphorylates phosphotyrosine and phosphothreonine and inactivates selectively ERK family mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases. MKP-3 was activated by direct binding to purified ERK2. Activation was independent of protein kinase activity and required binding of ERK2 to the noncatalytic amino-terminus of MKP-3. Neither the gain-of-function Sevenmaker ERK2 mutant D319N nor c-Jun amino-terminal kinase-stress-activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK) or p38 MAP kinases bound MKP-3 or caused its catalytic activation. These kinases were also resistant to enzymatic inactivation by MKP-3. Another homologous but nonselective phosphatase, MKP-4, bound and was activated by ERK2, JNK/SAPK, and p38 MAP kinases. Catalytic activation of MAP kinase phosphatases through substrate binding may regulate MAP kinase activation by a large number of receptor systems.

487 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: From a drug discovery perspective, DUSP family members are promising drug targets for manipulating MAPK-dependent immune responses in a cell-type and disease-context-dependent manner, to either boost or subdueimmune responses in cancers, infectious diseases or inflammatory disorders.
Abstract: Dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) are a subset of protein tyrosine phosphatases, many of which dephosphorylate threonine and tyrosine residues on mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and hence are also referred to as MAPK phosphatases (MKPs). The regulated expression and activity of DUSP family members in different cells and tissues controls MAPK intensity and duration to determine the type of physiological response. For immune cells, DUSPs regulate responses in both positive and negative ways, and DUSP-deficient mice have been used to identify individual DUSPs as key regulators of immune responses. From a drug discovery perspective, DUSP family members are promising drug targets for manipulating MAPK-dependent immune responses in a cell-type and disease-context-dependent manner, to either boost or subdue immune responses in cancers, infectious diseases or inflammatory disorders.

454 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This is the first report of Bcl-2 phosphorylation by the JNK/SAPK class of MAP kinases and could indicate a key modification allowing control of B cl-2 function by cell surface receptors, Rho family GTPases, and/or cellular stresses.

417 citations


Cited by
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Book ChapterDOI
TL;DR: This chapter demonstrates the functional importance of dopamine to working memory function in several ways and demonstrates that a network of brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex, is critical for the active maintenance of internal representations.
Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the modern notion of short-term memory, called working memory. Working memory refers to the temporary maintenance of information that was just experienced or just retrieved from long-term memory but no longer exists in the external environment. These internal representations are short-lived, but can be maintained for longer periods of time through active rehearsal strategies, and can be subjected to various operations that manipulate the information in such a way that makes it useful for goal-directed behavior. Working memory is a system that is critically important in cognition and seems necessary in the course of performing many other cognitive functions, such as reasoning, language comprehension, planning, and spatial processing. This chapter demonstrates the functional importance of dopamine to working memory function in several ways. Elucidation of the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying human working memory is an important focus of cognitive neuroscience and neurology for much of the past decade. One conclusion that arises from research is that working memory, a faculty that enables temporary storage and manipulation of information in the service of behavioral goals, can be viewed as neither a unitary, nor a dedicated system. Data from numerous neuropsychological and neurophysiological studies in animals and humans demonstrates that a network of brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex, is critical for the active maintenance of internal representations.

10,081 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
28 Aug 1998-Science
TL;DR: Bcl-2 and related cytoplasmic proteins are key regulators of apoptosis, the cell suicide program critical for development, tissue homeostasis, and protection against pathogens.
Abstract: Bcl-2 and related cytoplasmic proteins are key regulators of apoptosis, the cell suicide program critical for development, tissue homeostasis, and protection against pathogens. Those most similar to Bcl-2 promote cell survival by inhibiting adapters needed for activation of the proteases (caspases) that dismantle the cell. More distant relatives instead promote apoptosis, apparently through mechanisms that include displacing the adapters from the pro-survival proteins. Thus, for many but not all apoptotic signals, the balance between these competing activities determines cell fate. Bcl-2 family members are essential for maintenance of major organ systems, and mutations affecting them are implicated in cancer.

5,380 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
13 Oct 2000-Cell
TL;DR: This review will focus on the JNK group of MAP kinases, which are characterized by the sequence TEY and the two stress-activatedMAP kinases: p38 with the sequence TGY, and the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases (JNK) with the sequences TPY.

4,228 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Nonenzymatic mechanisms that impact MAP kinase functions and findings from gene disruption studies are highlighted and particular emphasis is on ERK1/2.
Abstract: Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases comprise a family of ubiquitous proline-directed, protein-serine/threonine kinases, which participate in signal transduction pathways that control intracellular events including acute responses to hormones and major developmental changes in organisms. MAP kinases lie in protein kinase cascades. This review discusses the regulation and functions of mammalian MAP kinases. Nonenzymatic mechanisms that impact MAP kinase functions and findings from gene disruption studies are highlighted. Particular emphasis is on ERK1/2.

4,040 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Observations to date suggest that oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and cancer are closely linked.

3,922 citations