Final Activity Report Summary - ARSSIGBYP38CASCADE (Biochemical and genetic characterisation of the p38 MAPK cascade that mediates arsenite signalling in human osteosarcoma cells)
The project aimed to characterise the network around the mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 that mediates gene activation by arsenite in osteosarcoma cells. The biochemical portion gave hints at a modular organisation of this pathway without providing proof sufficiently definitive for a scientific publication. In contrast, the genetic studies, using the recently develop technology of RNA interference, clearly identified the kinase MSK1 as the major partner of p38 in activating the genetic program of osteosarcoma cells to the tumour promoter and industrial pollutant arsenite.