extracts were generated using lysis buffer (50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4,
150 mM NaCl, 1% Triton X-100, 1% sodium deoxycholate, 0.1% SDS, 1
mM EDTA) supplemented with PhosSTOP and Complete Phosphatase/Protease
Inhibitor Cocktails (Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim, Germany). Protein
extracts (20–25 μg per sample) were loaded onto sodium
dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) gels
and transferred electrophoretically to poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)
membranes. The following primary antibodies were used at a dilution
of 1:1000: ERK1/2 (p44/42) (ab17942, Abcam), p-ERK1/2 (p-p44/42) (Thr202/Tyr204)
(9101, Cell Signaling), MNK1 (2195, Cell Signaling), p-MNK1 (Thr197/202)
(2111, Cell Signaling), eIF4E (9742, Cell Signaling), p-eIF4E (p-Ser
209) (9741, Cell Signaling or NBP2-66802, Novus Biologicals), p38alpha
(9218, Cell Signaling), p38beta (2339, Cell Signaling), p-p38 (4511,
Cell Signaling), p-ATF2 (27934, Cell Signaling), Hsp27 (2402, Cell
Signaling), p-Hsp27 (S82) (2401, Cell Signaling), and p-p90 RSK (Thr573)
(9346, Cell Signaling). The primary HRP-conjugated antibody anti-β-actin
(Calbiochem) was used at a dilution of 1:20 000. Anti-mouse
and anti-rabbit HRP secondary antibodies were from Pierce and used
at a dilution of 1:10 000. Immunodetection of proteins was
performed using ECL Western Blotting Detection Reagents (GE Healthcare,
Buckinghamshire, U.K.).