• Macromolecular Research
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• 제16권6호
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• pp.481-488
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• 2008

Apoptosis is a natural cell suicide mechanism to maintain homeostasis. However, many of the diseases encountered today are caused by aberrant apoptosis where excessive apoptosis leads to neurodegenerative disorders, ischemic heart disease, autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases, etc. A variety of antiapoptotic agents have been reported to interfere with the apoptosis pathway. These agents can be potential drug candidates for the treatment or prevention of diseases caused by dysregulated apoptosis. Obviously, world-wide pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are gearing up to develop antiapoptotic drugs with some products being commercially available. Polymeric drug delivery systems are essential to their success. Recent R&D efforts have focused on the chemical or bioconjugation of antiapoptotic proteins with the protein transduction domain (PTD) for higher cellular uptake with antibodies for specific targeting as well as with polymers to enhance the protein stability and prolonged effect with success observed both in vivo and in vitro. All these different fusion antiapoptotic proteins provide promising results for the treatment of dysregulated apoptosis diseases.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제22권6호
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• pp.503-509
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• 2014

Paraquat has been suggested to induce apoptosis by generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, little is known about the mechanism of paraquat-induced apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate that extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) is required for paraquat-induced apoptosis in NIH3T3 cells. Paraquat treatment resulted in activation of ERK, and U0126, inhibitors of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway, prevented apoptosis. Moreover, paraquat-induced apoptosis was associated with cytochrome C release, which could be prevented by treatment with the MEK inhibitors. Taken together, our findings suggest that ERK activation plays an active role in mediating paraquat-induced apoptosis of NIH3T3 cells.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.350-355
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• 2008

Chk2 is a well characterized protein kinase with key roles in the DNA damage response. Chk2 is activated by phosphorylation following DNA damage, and relays that signal to various substrate proteins to induce cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, and apoptosis. In order to identify novel components of the Chk2 signaling pathway in Drosophila, we screened 2,240 EP misexpression lines for dominant modifiers of an adult rough eye phenotype caused by Chk2 overexpression in postmitotic cells of the eye imaginal disc. The rough eye phenotype was suppressed by mutation of the ATM kinase, a well-described activator of Chk2. Twenty-five EP modifiers were identified (three enhancers and 22 suppressors), none of which correspond to previously known components of Chk2 signaling. Three EPs caused defects in G2 arrest after irradiation with incomplete penetrance when homozygous, and are likely directly involved in the response to DNA damage. Possible roles for these modifiers in the DNA damage response and Chk2 signaling are discussed.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.26-30
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• 2016

Peroxiredoxins are ubiquitous thiol proteins that catalyse the breakdown of peroxides and regulate redox activity in the cell. Kinetic analysis of their reactions is required in order to identify substrate preferences, to understand how molecular structure affects activity and to establish their physiological functions. Various approaches can be taken, including the measurement of rates of individual steps in the reaction pathway by stopped flow or competitive kinetics, classical enzymatic analysis and measurement of peroxidase activity. Each methodology has its strengths and they can often give complementary information. However, it is important to understand the experimental conditions of the assay so as to interpret correctly what parameter is being measured. This brief review discusses different kinetic approaches and the information that can be obtained from them.

• Journal of mucopolysaccharidosis and rare diseases
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.46-49
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• 2016

Achondroplasia is autosomal dominant genetic disease and fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) is currently known to be the only gene that causes achondroplasia. Gain-of function mutation in fibroblast-growth-factor-receptor 3 (FGFR3) causes the disease and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) antagonizes FGFR3 downstream signaling by inhibiting the pathway of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). As FGFR3-related skeletal dysplasias are caused by growth attenuation of the cartilage, chondrocytes appear to be unique in their response to FGFR3 activation. However, the full spectrum of molecular events by which FGFR3 mediates its signaling is just beginning to emerge. This article summaries the mechanisms of FGFR3 function in skeletal dysplasias, the extraordinary cellular manifestations of FGFR3 signaling in chondrocytes, and finally, the progress toward therapy for ACH.

• Journal of Breast Cancer
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.354-362
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• 2018

Cellular stress severely disrupts endoplasmic reticulum (ER) function, leading to the abnormal accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the ER and subsequent development of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). To accommodate the occurrence of ERS, cells have evolved a highly conserved, selfprotecting signal transduction pathway called the unfolded protein response. Notably, ERS signaling is involved in the development of a variety of diseases and is closely related to tumor development, particularly in breast cancer. This review discusses recent research regarding associations between ERS and tumor metastasis. The information presented here will help researchers elucidate the precise mechanisms underlying ERS-mediated tumor metastasis and provide new directions for tumor therapies.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.305-310
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• 2018

Microglia are emerging as critical regulators of innate immune responses in AD and other neurodegenerative disorders, highlighting the importance of understanding their molecular and cellular mechanisms. We attempted to determine the role of crosstalk signaling between $IFN-{\gamma}$ and $TGF-{\beta}$ in $A{\beta}$ clearance by microglia cells. We used in vitro and in vivo mouse models that recapitulated acute and chronic aspects of microglial responses to $A{\beta}$ peptides. We showed that crosstalk signaling between $TGF-{\beta}$ and Smad2 was an important mediator of neuro-inflammation. These findings suggest that microglial $TGF-{\beta}$ activity enhances the pathological progression to AD. As $TGF-{\beta}$ displays broad regulatory effects on beneficial microglial functions, the activation of inflammatory crosstalk signaling between $TGF-{\beta}$ and Smad2 may be a promising strategy to restore microglial functions, halt the progression of $A{\beta}$-driven pathology, and prevent AD development.

• 대한약학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한약학회 2003년도 Proceedings of the Convention of the Pharmaceutical Society of Korea Vol.2-2
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• pp.165.2-165.2
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• 2003

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and Rac play important roles that regulate cellular functions including cell survival and migration. In the present study, we investigated the functional roles of PI3K and Rac1 pathways in H-ras-induced invasive phenotype and motility of MCF10A cells. Akt, a downstream molecule of PI3K, was effectively activated not only by H-ras but also by N-ras, suggesting that the activation of PI3K pathway is not sufficient to induce metastatic potential of MCF10A cells. (omitted)

• 대한약학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한약학회 2002년도 Proceedings of the Convention of the Pharmaceutical Society of Korea Vol.2
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• pp.346.3-346.3
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• 2002

The polyamine pathway represents a logical target for chemotherapeutic intervention, since depletion of polyamines results in the disruption of a variety of cellular functions, and may in specific cases result in cytotoxicity. Polyamine interaction with DNA has also long been thought to be an important function of the natural polyamines and as more is learned about the specific interactions and the resultant conformational changes which can be influenced by the polyamine binding to DNA the potential for regional and gene-specific changes are becoming more evident. We have prepraed the elaborate polyamines by the reaction of simpler polyamines with polyalkyating agents. Synthesized polyamines were separated and purified by metal complex formation and ion-exchange chromatography. They were characterized by X-ray crystal structure determinations of their metal complexes.

• BMB Reports
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• 제55권11호
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• pp.535-540
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• 2022

Ribosomes, acting as the cellular factories for protein production, are essential for all living organisms. Ribosomes are composed of both proteins and RNAs and are established through the coordination of several steps, including transcription, maturation of ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and assembly of ribosomal proteins. In particular, diverse factors required for ribosome biogenesis, such as transcription factors, small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA)-associated proteins, and assembly factors, are tightly regulated by various post-translational modifications. Among these modifications, small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) targets lots of proteins required for gene expression of ribosomal proteins, rRNA, and snoRNAs, rRNA processing, and ribosome assembly. The tight control of SUMOylation affects functions and locations of substrates. This review summarizes current studies and recent progress of SUMOylation-mediated regulation of ribosome biogenesis.