• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.55-58
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• 2008

Clusterin is an 80 kDa heterodimetric glycosylated protein and it plays diverse biological roles in various tissues and organs. Clusterin is reported to be associated with the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis. Therefore, we investigated the genotype for the A/G polymorphism at the position 4,183 of clusterin gene in Koreans and compared genotype of patients with control group. 100 patients (Male 63, Female 37), who previously underwent coronary artery stent due to ischemic heart disease and 100 controls (Male 36, Female 64) participated in this study. There was a significant association between 4,183 A/G polymorphism in clusterin gene and coronary artery disease (CAD). The present study shows that clusterin gene A/G polymorphism may be associated with the pathogenesis of CAD. Further studies with larger population may be needed for the development of diagnostic methods at genetic level such as DNA chip.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.584-588
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• 2010

Clusterin is an 80 kDa heterodimetric glycosylated protein which plays diverse biological roles in various tissues and organs. Clusterin is reported to be associated with the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis. Therefore, we investigated the genotype for the T

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.97-104
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• 2005

To investigate apoptosis in HC11 mammary epithelial cells, we compared the gene expression profiles of actively growing and serum-starved apoptotic cells using a mouse apoptosis gene array and $^{33}P$-labeled cDNA prepared from the RNA of the two cultures. Analysis of the arrays showed that expression of several genes such as clusterin, secreted frizzled related protein mRNA (sFRP-1), CREB-binding protein (CBP), and others was higher in the apoptotic cells whereas expression of certain genes including survivin, cell division cycle 2 homolog A (CDC2), and cyclin A was lower. These expression patterns were confirmed by RT-PCR and/or Northern analyses. We compared the expression of some of these genes in the mouse mammary gland under various physiological conditions. The expression levels of genes (clusterin, CBP, and M6P-R) up-regulated in apoptotic conditions were higher at involution than during lactation. On the other hand, genes (Pin, CDC2) downregulated in apoptotic conditions were relatively highly expressed in virgin and pregnant mice. We conclude that certain genes such as clusterin, sFRP-1, GAS1 and CBP are induced in apoptotic mammary epithelial cells, and others are repressed. Moreover, the apoptosis array is an efficient technique for comparing gene expression profiles in different states of the same cell type.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.184-189
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• 2008

The proto-oncogene protein DEK has been implicated in various human disease including cancer. We have shown that DEK induces caspase-dependent apoptosis in Drosophila by regulating histone acetylation. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method based on annealing control primers was used to screen and identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in DEK overexpressed HeLa cells. Among the genes identified, clusterin and fibrillarin have major role in apoptosis pathway regulation. TFIIIC and RPS24 are implicated in HAT mediated transcriptional initiation and cololectal cancer, respectively. To further analyze DEK's role in apoptosis, multiplex PCR was performed. Caspase-3, -7, and -10 and proapoptotic gene bid were newly identified as possible target genes regulated by DEK expression.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.8-14
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• 2005

Although much is known about the molecular biology of platelets, the megakaryocytes' (MKs) molecular biology was not understood so well because of their rareness. By the cloning and characterization of thrombopoietin (TPO), which is the principal regulator of the growth and development of the MKs, researches on the MKs have been growing rapidly. To understand megakaryocytopoiesis, we investigated the gene expression profile of the MKs using oligonucleotide microarray where 10,108 unique genes were spotted. Comparing the fluorescence intensities of which ratio is $\ge$ ${\mid}2{\mid}$, 372 genes were up-regulated and 541 genes were down-regulated in MKs. For confirmatory expression, RNase protection assay (RPA) establishing abundant apoptotic gene expression was carried out. In MKs, many of the known genes, including several platelet related genes, GATA binding protein were highly expressed. Particularly, TGF beta, clusterin (complement lysis inhibitor), and thymosin beta 4 (actin-sequestering molecules) were expressed highly in MKs. As MKs specific expressed genes may regulate normal and pathologic platelet (and/or MK) functions, the transcript profiling using microarray was useful on molecular understanding of MKs,

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2007

Background: Photodynamic therapy is a viable option for lung cancer treatment, and many studies have shown that it is capable of inducing cell death in lung cancer cells. However, the precise mechanism of this cell death has not been fully elucidated. To investigate the early changes in cancer cell transcription, we treated A549 cells with the photosensitizer DH-I-180-3 and then we illuminated the cells. Methods: We investigated the gene expression profiles of the the A549 lung cancer cell line, using a DEG kit, following photodynamic therapy and we evaluated the cell viability by performing flow cytometry. We identified the genes that were significantly changed following photodynamic therapy by performing DNA sequencing. Results: The FACS data showed that the cell death of the lung cancer cells was mainly caused by necrosis. We found nine genes that were significantly changed and we identified eight of these genes. We evaluated the expression of two genes, 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase and ribosomal protein S29. The expressed level of carbonic anhydrase XII, clusterin, MRP3s1 protein, complement 3, membrane cofactor protein and integrin beta 1 were decreased. Conclusion: Many of the gene products are membrane-associated proteins. The main mechanism of photodynamic therapy with using the photosensitizing agent DH-I-180-3 appears to be necrosis and this may be associated with the altered production of membrane proteins.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.178-186
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• 2014

Differential transcription of the clusterin (CLU) gene yields two CLU isoforms, a nuclear form (nCLU) and a secretory form (sCLU), which play crucial roles in prostate tumorigenesis. Pro-apoptotic nCLU and anti-apoptotic sCLU have opposite effects and are differentially expressed in normal and cancer cells; however, their regulatory mechanisms at the transcriptional level are not yet known. Here, we examined the transcriptional regulation of nCLU in response to hypoxia. We identified three putative hypoxia response elements (HREs) in the human CLU promoter between positions -806 and +51 bp. Using a luciferase reporter, electrophoretic gel mobility shift, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, we further showed that hypoxia-inducible factor-$1{\alpha}$ (HIF-$1{\alpha}$) bound directly to these sites and activated transcription. Exposure to the hypoxia-mimetic compound $CoCl_2$, incubation under 1% $O_2$ conditions, or overexpression of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ enhanced nCLU expression and induced apoptosis in human prostate cancer PC3M cells. However, LNCaP prostate cancer cells were resistant to hypoxia-induced cell death. Methylation-specific PCR analysis revealed that the CLU promoter in PC3M cells was not methylated; in contrast, the CLU promoter in LNCap cells was methylated. Co-treatment of LNCaP cells with $CoCl_2$ and a demethylating agent promoted apoptotic cell death through the induction of nCLU. We conclude that nCLU expression is regulated by direct binding of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ to HRE sites and is epigenetically controlled by methylation of its promoter region.