• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.357-362
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• 2010

To enhance therapeutic effects of insulin-sensitizing adipokine, ADN gene and potent agonists, rosiglitazone for the $PPAR{\gamma}$, cationic liposomes as non-viral vectors were formulated. The particle size and zeta potential of drug loaded and unloaded cationic liposomes were investigated. The complex formation between cationic liposomes and negatively charged plasmid DNA was confirmed and the protection from DNase was observed. In vitro transfection was investigated in HepG2, HeLa, and HEK293 cells by mRNA expression of ADN. Encapsulation efficacy of rosiglitazone-loaded liposomes was determined by UV detection. Particle sizes of cationic liposomes were in the range of 110-170 nm and those of rosiglitazone-loaded cationic liposomes were in the range of 130-180 nm, respectively. Gel retardation of complexes indicated that the complex was formed at weight ratios of cationic lipid to plasmid DNA higher than 20:1. Both complexes protected plasmid DNA from DNase either drug free or drug loading. Encapsulation efficiency of rosiglitazone-loaded emulsion was increased by drug dose. The mRNA expression levels of ADN were dose-dependently increased in cells transfected with plasmid DNA. Therefore, cationic liposomes could be potential co-delivery system for drug and gene.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.187-191
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• 2007

This study was canted out to develop cell lines overexpressing human H-transferase (HT). One of the approaches to prevent hyperacute rejection in xenotransplantation might be the expression of human HT in porcine cells. In this study, we cloned human HT gene from HepG2 cells using RT-PCR to establish HT-overexpressing vector. The full-length cDNA of human HT was inserted into the 3' end of CMV promoter for construction of the overexpression vector pRc/CMV-hHT. Using ietPEI DNA transfection reagent, the vector was introduced into porcine ear skin fibroblasts from newborn piglets. Transfected cells were selected by treatment of $300{\mu}g/ml$ G418 for 12 days. After antibiotic selection, survived colonies with approximately 5mm in diameter were picked and analysed for transgene human HT by PCR. The colonies proven to be human HT transfectants were analysed by RT-PCR to determine their expressions or human HT. In all colonies tested, human HT mRNA was detected. This result demonstrates the establishment of porcine cell lines overexpressing human HT, and these cell lines may be used for the development of transgenic pigs for xenotransplantation.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 2007

It is difficult to introduce DNA in non-invasive manner into oral cancer cells as well as primary cells for gene manipulation and expression in vivo. So far, several methods for a gene delivery have been performed to solve this problem. Magnetofection is one of the recent methods for gene transfer, and nanoparticles are applied under a magnetic field for DNA delivery. We investigated whether the magnetofection increases the efficiency of a gene delivery into several oral cell lines. By using a plasmid coding the green fluorescent protein (GFP), the efficiency of gene transfer by magnetofection was compared with those by using the calcium phosphate and the commercial transfection agent. Indeed, the magnetofection increased the green fluorescent signal in cells, suggested that this method apparently enhance the efficiency of gene delivery without any defects in various oral cancer cell lines. Finally, we have shown that magnetofection can be a useful technique for gene delivery to difficult-to-transfect cells to perform a functional study of genes in vivo.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.279-287
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• 1999

The aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a cytosolic protein that binds the environmental pollutant, dioxin. The liganded AhR translocates into the nucleus where it heterimerizes with a constitutive nuclear protein, AhR nuclear translocator (Arnt). The N-terminal regions of both AhR and Arnt contain basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) and Per-AhR-Arnt-Sim (PAS) motifs that are required for DNA binding, dimerization, and ligand binding whereas the C-terminal regions of both AhR and Arnt contain transactivation domains. Here, results from the mammalian two-hybrid system indicate that Arnt can make a homodimer but AhR cannot. In the presence of dioxin, the interaction between AhR and Arnt is stronger than that of the Arnt homodimer, suggesting that Arnt prefers to make a heterodimer with the liganded AhR rather than a homodimer. Transfection analyses using the GAL4-driven reporter system suggest that AhR's N-terminal region represses its own transactivation domain, as well as exogenous transactivation domains such as Sp 1 and VP16. Interestingly, the repressed transactivation domains of AhR are activated by ligand-dependent heterodimerization with Arnt. These observations suggest that heterodimerzation with Arnt is necessary not only for DNA binding but also for activation of the repressed transactivation capability of AhR.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.362-369
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• 2004

The human folate receptor (hFR) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) linked plasma membrane protein that mediates delivery of folates into cells. We studied the sorting of the hFR using transfection of the hFR cDNA into MDCK cells. MDCK cells are polarized epithelial cells that preferentially sort GPI-linked proteins to their apical membrane. Unlike other GPI-tailed proteins, we found that in MDCK cells, hFR is functional on both the apical and basolateral surfaces. We verified that the same hFR cDNA that transfected into CHO cells produces the hFR protein that is GPI-linked. We also measured the hFR expression on the plasma membrane of type III paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) human erythrocytes. PNH is a disease that is characterized by the inability of cells to express membrane proteins requiring a GPI anchor. Despite this defect, and different from other GPI-tailed proteins, we found similar levels of hFR in normal and type III PNH human erythrocytes. The results suggest the hypothesis that there may be multiple mechanisms for targeting hFR to the plasma membrane.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.61-69
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• 1996

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) were manipulated as part of the system to produce transgenic chickens. PGCs were isolated from the germinal crescent of developmental stage 6 to 8 donor emhryos of the Korean Native Ogol Chickens (KNOC). These PGCs were transfected with plasmid DNA containing the lac Z gene by liposome mediated transfection methods. The lac Z gene was transfected and expressed in the PGCs. These transfected PGCs were injected into the germinal crescent of White Leghorn embryos (stage 6 to 8). The injected transfected PGCs migrated via the circulatory system into the future gonad and expression observed in the gonads of 3 day old chick. Of the 47 embryos and 3 day old chickens, one positive PGCs gonad from sacrificed young chickens was detected by appearance of blue cells. Plasmid DNA with the foreign gene was incorporated into the population of germ cells in the gonad. These results demonstrate that PGCs can he transfected and then transferred for colonization into the gonad, and show the potential to ultimately manipulate the genetic material of the chicken gernline.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.102-108
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• 1998

The nascent from of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins possesses both amino and carboxy terminal hydrophobic signal sequences to direct processing in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Following cleavage of the amino-terminal signal peptide, the carboxy-terminal peptide is processed. Previously, mouse lymphocyte NDA: agrinine ADP-ribosyltransferase (Yac-1) was cloned and the deduced amino acid sequence of the Yac-1 transferase contained hydrophobic amino and carboxy termini, consistent with known signal sequences of GPI-anchored proteins. This tranferase was present on the surface of NMU (rat mammary adenocarcinoma) cells transfected with the wildtype cDNA and was released with phosphatidylinositol-specific phosphilpase C. Expression of the mutant protein, lacking the carboxy terminal hydrophobic sequence, resulted in the peoduction of soluble, secreted from of the transferase. This result shows that carboxy terminal sequence is important for GPI-attachment.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.3 no.6
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• pp.597-603
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• 1999

Caldesmon (CaD), one of microfilament-associated proteins, plays a key role in microfilament assembly in mitosis. We have investigated the effects of overexpression of the high molecular weight isoform of CaD (h-CaD) on the physiology of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Rat aortic VSMCs were stably transfected with plasmids carrying a full length human h-CaD cDNA under control of cytomegalovirus promoter. The majority of the overexpressed h-CaD appears to be localized predominantly on cytoskeleton structures as determined by detergent lysis. The overexpression of h-CaD, however, does not decrease the level of endogenous low molecular weight isoform of CaD. h-CaD overexpressing VSMCs (h-CaD/VSMCs) show a decreased growth rate than that of vector-only transfected cells when determined by $[^3H]thymidine$ uptake and cell counting after fetal bovine serum (FBS) stimulation. h-CaD/VSMCs were smaller than vector-transfected cells by 18% in cell diameter. These data suggest that overexpression of h-CaD can inhibit the poliferation and the cell volume of VSMCs stimulated by growth factors and that the gene therapy with h-CaD may be helpful to prevent the conditions associated with hypertrophy and/or hyperplasia of VSMCs after arterial injuries.

• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.290-295
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• 2018

Y-box binding protein 1 (YB-1) is a member of the cold-shock domain (CSD) protein superfamily. It participates in a wide variety of cellular events, including transcription, RNA splicing, translation, DNA repair, drug resistance, and stress responses. We investigated putative functions of YB-1 in HIV-1 replication. Functional studies using overexpression or knockdown of YB-1 in conjunction with transfection of proviral DNA showed that YB-1 enhances virus production. We found YB-1 regulates HIV-1 production by stimulating viral transcription using HIV-1 LTR sequence U3RU5 with Luciferase assay. We also identified a specific region from amino acids 1 to 324 of YB-1 as necessary for the participation of the protein in the production of virions.

• BMB Reports
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.562-567
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• 2002

In order to find the cellular interaction factors of the Heliothis armigera nuclear polyhedrosis virus capsid protein VP39, a Heliothis armigera cell cDNA library was constructed. Then VP39 was used as bait. The host actin gene was isolated from the cDNA library with the yeast two-hybrid system. This demonstrated that VP39 could interact with its host actin in yeast. In order to corroborate this interaction in vivo, the vp39 gene was fused with the green fluorescent protein gene in plasmid pEGFP39. The fusion protein was expressed in the Hz-AM1 cells under the control of the Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus immediate early gene promoter. The host actin was labeled specifically by the red fluorescence substance, tetramethy rhodamine isothicyanete-phalloidin. Observation under a fluorescence microscopy showed that VP39, which was indicated by green fluorescence, began to appear in the cells 6 h after being transfected with pEGFP39. Red actin cables were also formed in the cytoplasm at the same time. Actin was aggregated in the nucleus 9 h after the transfection. The green and red fluorescence always appeared in the same location of the cells, which demonstrated that VP39 could combine with the host actin. Such a combination would result in the actin skeleton rearrangement.