• 고려인삼학회:학술대회논문집
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• 고려인삼학회 1998년도 Advances in Ginseng Research - Proceedings of the 7th International Symposium on Ginseng -
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• pp.231-243
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• 1998

In the present study, we provide evidence that ginsenoside $Rh_2$ (G-$Rh_2$) as well as staurosporine induces apoptosis of human hepatoma SK-HEP-1 cells by caspase 3-mediated processing of $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ in the early stage of apoptosls. Immunoblottings showed that G-$Rh_2$ as well as statrosporine induced the processing of caspase-3 to an active form, pl7. In stable Bcl-2 transfectants however, G-$Rh_2$ induced DNA fragmentation, while staurosporine did not. In the early stage of apoptosis, $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ was detected to undergo proteolytic processing specifically conducted by caspase-3. $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ translated in vitro was cleaved into a p14 fragment, when incubated with cell extracts obtained from either G-$Rh_2$- or staurosporine-treated cells. Cleavage was equally inhibited in both cases by adding Ac-DEVD-cho, a specific caspase-3 inhibitor, but not by Ac-YVkD-cho, a specific caspase-l inhibitor. Similarly, $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ was efficiently leaved by recombinant caspase-3 overexpressed in E. coli. Moreover, the endogenous $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ of untreated-cell extracts was also cleaved by recombinant caspase-3. Mutation analysis allowed identification of two caspase-3 cleavage sites, $DHVD^{112}$/L and $SMTD^{149}$/F, which are located within, or near the interaction domains for cyclins, Cdks, and PCNA. Taken together, these results show that G-$Rh_2$ as well as staurosporine increases caspase-3 activity, which in turn directly cleaves $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ resulting in elevation of Cdk kinase activity in the early stages of apoptosis. We propose that proteolytic cleavage of $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ is a functionally relevant event that allows unleashing the cyclin/Cdk activity from the inhibitor seen in the earlier stage of apoptosis, the event of which may be associated with the triggering mechanism for the execution of apoptosis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제33권9호
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• pp.1206-1212
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• 2023

The Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays essential roles in regulating various cellular behaviors, including proliferation, survival, and differentiation [1-3]. The intracellular β-catenin level, which is regulated by a proteasomal degradation pathway, is critical to Wnt/β-catenin pathway control [4]. Normally, casein kinase 1 (CK1) and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), which form a complex with the scaffolding protein Axin and the tumor suppressor protein adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), phosphorylate β-catenin at Ser45, Thr41, Ser37, and Ser33 [5, 6]. Phosphorylated β-catenin is ubiquitinated by the β-transducin repeat-containing protein (β-TrCP), an F-box E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, and ubiquitinated β-catenin is degraded via a proteasome pathway [7, 8]. Colorectal cancer is a significant cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Abnormal up-regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is a major pathological event in intestinal epithelial cells during human colorectal cancer oncogenesis [9]. Genetic mutations in the APC gene are observed in familial adenomatous polyposis coli (FAP) and sporadic colorectal cancers [10]. In addition, mutations in the N-terminal phosphorylation motif of the β-catenin gene were found in patients with colorectal cancer [11]. These mutations cause β-catenin to accumulate in the nucleus, where it forms complexes with transcription factors of the T-cell factor/lymphocyte enhancer factor (TCF/LEF) family to stimulate the expression of β-catenin responsive genes, such as c-Myc and cyclin D1, which leads to colorectal tumorigenesis [12-14]. Therefore, downregulating β-catenin response transcription (CRT) is a potential strategy for preventing and treating colorectal cancer. Plant cytokinins are N⁶-substituted purine derivatives; they promote cell division in plants and regulate developmental pathways. Natural cytokinins are classified as isoprenoid (isopentenyladenine, zeatin, and dihydrozeatin), aromatic (benzyladenine, topolin, and methoxytopolin), or furfural (kinetin and kinetin riboside), depending on their structure [15, 16]. Kinetin riboside was identified in coconut water and is a naturally produced cytokinin that induces apoptosis and exhibits antiproliferative activity in several human cancer cell lines [17]. However, little attention has been paid to kinetin riboside's mode of action. In this study, we show that kinetin riboside exerts its cytotoxic activity against colon cancer cells by suppressing the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and promoting intracellular β-catenin degradation.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제27권10호
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• pp.1104-1110
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• 2017

히스톤 H3K4의 메칠화는 3T3-L1의 지방세포의 분화를 촉진하는 것으로 알려져 있으나, 히스톤 H3K4 메칠화 효소인 SET1A가 지방세포 분화를 조절하는지에 대해서는 보고된 바가 없다. 그러므로 본 연구에서는 SET1A의 3T3-L1 지방세포의 분화조절과 기전을 연구하였다. SET1A의 발현은 3T3-L1 지방세포 분화과정에서 증가함을 관찰하였다. 3T3-L1 지방전구세포에서 siRNA을 이용하여 SET1A의 발현을 감소시키면 3T3-L1 지방전구세포의 분화가 억제됨을 관찰하여 SET1A가 3T3-L1 지방전구세포의 분화를 촉진함을 알 수 있었다. 이에 대한 조절기전을 알기 위해, SET1A의 발현을 감소시킨 3T3-L1 지방전구세포의 세포증식을 측정한 결과, 분화 초기 단계인 분화 후 2일 동안 3T3-L1 지방세포의 증식이 감소하였다. 또한 분화 후 7일 동안 지방세포세포 분화 조절인자들의 발현을 측정한 결과, SET1A의 발현을 감소시킨 3T3-L1 지방세포에서 $PPAR{\gamma}$의 발현이 감소하였다. 위와 같은 연구결과를 바탕으로, SET1A는 분화초기단계에서는 mitotic clonal expansion 단계를 촉진하고, 분화후기단계에서는 $PPAR{\gamma}$의 발현을 증가시켜 3T3-L1 지방세포의 분화를 촉진함을 알 수 있었다.