• BMB Reports
• /
• v.55 no.12
• /
• pp.645-650
• /
• 2022

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-subtype gastric cancers have the worst prognosis due to their higher recurrence rate, higher probability of developing metastases and higher chemo-resistance compared to those of other molecular subtypes. Pharmacologically actionable somatic mutations are rarely found in EMT-subtype gastric cancers, limiting the utility of targeted therapies. Here, we conducted a high-throughput chemical screen using 37 gastric cancer cell lines and 48,467 synthetic small-molecule compounds. We identified YK-135, a small-molecule compound that showed higher cytotoxicity toward EMT-subtype gastric cancer cell lines than toward non-EMT-subtype gastric cancer cell lines. YK-135 exerts its cytotoxic effects by inhibiting mitochondrial complex I activity and inducing AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-mediated apoptosis. We found that the lower glycolytic capacity of the EMT-subtype gastric cancer cells confers synthetic lethality to the inhibition of mitochondrial complex I, possibly by failing to maintain energy homeostasis. Other well-known mitochondrial complex I inhibitors (e.g., rotenone and phenformin) mimic the efficacy of YK-135, supporting our results. These findings highlight mitochondrial complex I inhibitors as promising therapeutic agents for EMT-subtype gastric cancers and YK-135 as a novel chemical scaffold for further drug development.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.222-227
• /
• 1998

The activities of enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism have been determinated in the host cytosolic and bacteroid fractions of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) nodules formed with B. japonicum I 16 and in roots of nodulated cowpeas. The host cytosolic fraction of the nodules contained the enzymes of glycolytic pathway and the pentose phosphate pathway, whereas the bacteroids had only limited capacity for carbohydrate metabolism and appeared to be insufficient for the complete glycolytic pathway as well as starch synthesis and degradation. In a time-course study, using plants grown in a glasshouse, the acetylene-reducing activity (ARA) of the nodules increased in parallel with the total N content of plants and protein of the nodules until approximately 8 weeks after planting. Subsequently, the weight and size of the nodules and the weight of the plants continued to increase, but there was a sharp decrease in the ARA and the total N content of the plants.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.246-253
• /
• 2017

Objective: Present study explores the effect of hot summer period on the glycolytic rate of early post-mortem meat quality of Ghungroo and Large White Yorkshire (LWY) pig and comparative adaptability to high temperature between above breeds by shifting the expression of stress related genes like mono-carboxylate transporters (MCTs) and heat shock proteins (HSPs). Methods: Healthy pigs of two different breeds, viz., LYW and Ghungroo (20 from each) were maintained during hot summer period (May to June) with a mean temperature of about $38^{\circ}C$. The pigs were slaughtered and meat samples from the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles were analyzed for pH, glycogen and lactate content and mRNA expression. Following 24 h of chilling, LD muscle was also taken from the carcasses to evaluate protein solubility and different meat quality measurements. Results: LWY exhibited significantly (p<0.01) higher plasma cortisol and lactate dehydrogenase concentration than Ghungroo indicating their higher sensitivity to high temperature. LD muscle from LWY pigs revealed lower initial and ultimate pH values and higher drip loss compared to Ghungroo, indicating a faster rate of pH fall. LD muscle of Ghungroo had significantly lower lactate content at 45 min postmortem indicating normal postmortem glycolysis and much slower glycolytic rate at early postmortem. LD muscle of LWY showed rapid postmortem glycolysis, higher drip loss and higher degrees of protein denaturation. Ghungroo exhibited slightly better water holding capacity, lower cooking loss and higher protein solubility. All HSPs (HSP27, HSP70, and HSP90) and MCTs (MCT1, MCT2, and MCT4) in the LD muscle of pigs inclined to increase more in Ghungroo than LWY when exposed to high temperature. Conclusion: Effect of high temperature on the variation of HSPs and MCTs may play a crucial role in thermal tolerance and adaptation to different climatic conditions, pH regulation, muscle acidification, drip loss, protein denaturation and also in postmortem meat quality development.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.51 no.9
• /
• pp.429-436
• /
• 2018

Fructose in the form of sucrose and high fructose corn syrup is absorbed by the intestinal transporter and mainly metabolized in the small intestine. However, excess intake of fructose overwhelms the absorptive capacity of the small intestine, leading to fructose malabsorption. Carbohydrate response element-binding protein (ChREBP) is a basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper transcription factor that plays a key role in glycolytic and lipogenic gene expression in response to carbohydrate consumption. While ChREBP was initially identified as a glucose-responsive factor in the liver, recent evidence suggests that ChREBP is essential for fructose-induced lipogenesis and gluconeogenesis in the small intestine as well as in the liver. We recently identified that the loss of ChREBP leads to fructose intolerance via insufficient induction of genes involved in fructose transport and metabolism in the intestine. As fructose consumption is increasing and closely associated with metabolic and gastrointestinal diseases, a comprehensive understanding of cellular fructose sensing and metabolism via ChREBP may uncover new therapeutic opportunities. In this mini review, we briefly summarize recent progress in intestinal fructose metabolism, regulation and function of ChREBP by fructose, and delineate the potential mechanisms by which excessive fructose consumption may lead to irritable bowel syndrome.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.19 no.10
• /
• pp.1127-1134
• /
• 2009

Escherichia coli excretes acetate during aerobic growth on glycolytic carbon sources, which has been explained as an overflow metabolism when the carbon flux into the cell exceeds the capacity of central metabolic pathways. Nonacetogenic growth of E. coli on gluconeogenic carbon sources like succinate or in carbon-limited slow growth conditions is believed an evidence for the explanation. However, we found that a strain defected in the acs (acetyl Co-A synthetase) gene, the product of which is involved in scavenging acetate, accumulated acetate even in succinate medium and in carbon-limited low growth rate condition, where as its isogenic parental strain did not. The acs promoter was inducible in noncatabolite repression condition, whereas the expression of the ackA-pta operon encoding acetate kinase and phosphotransacetylase for acetate synthesis was constitutive. Results in this study suggest that E. coli excretes and scavenges acetate simultaneously in the carbon-limited low growth condition and in nonacetogenic carbon source, and the activity of the acetate consumption pathway directly affects the accumulation level of acetate in the culture broth.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.20 no.10
• /
• pp.1618-1623
• /
• 2007

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dehairing methods and sex on various traits of pork quality, as well as on tissue levels of the boar taint compounds androstenone and skatole. At the early postmortem period, dehided pigs showed higher muscle pH levels (p<0.05), lower temperatures (p<0.05) and lower drip loss (p<0.001) than scalded pigs. Thus, the dehairing method can affect the early postmortem glycolytic rate and water-holding capacity. Moreover, the differences in meat quality traits between the genders were small, and not considered to have practical importance. The scalding method had only a limited effect on the androstenone content. On the other hand, the scalded entire males exhibited a lower content of skatole than the dehided entire males (p<0.01). These results appear to indicate that the heating treatment from the scalding process influenced the reduction of skatole content for the scalded entire males.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.14 no.5
• /
• pp.639-644
• /
• 2005

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the myosin light chain (MLC) isoforms on the muscle fiber characteristics and meat quality traits in porcine longissimus muscle. Pale, soft, exudative (PSE) samples had a lower content of essential light chain (ELC) 1S isoforms and a higher proportion of the fiber type IIB than the reddish-pink, firm, non-exudative (RFN) samples. These compositions suggest that the PSE pork has a higher glycolytic and a lower oxidative capacity than the RFN pork. Therefore, these characteristics of PSE pork might affect the metabolic rate and meat quality traits, including protein solubility. In addition, the indicator traits of the postmortem metabolic rate were related to the ELC 1F/3F ratio ($pH_{45\;min}$: r = -0.43, P < 0.001; R-value: r = 0.53, P < 0.001). These results suggest that the MLC isoform composition can affect the postmortem metabolic rate and meat quality traits.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.43 no.11
• /
• pp.964-973
• /
• 2020

Recent studies have highlighted that early enhancement of the glycolytic pathway is a mode of maintaining the proinflammatory status of immune cells. Thiamine, a wellknown co-activator of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, a gatekeeping enzyme, shifts energy utilization of glucose from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation. Thus, we hypothesized that thiamine may modulate inflammation by alleviating metabolic shifts during immune cell activation. First, using allithiamine, which showed the most potent anti-inflammatory capacity among thiamine derivatives, we confirmed the inhibitory effects of allithiamine on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine production and maturation process in dendritic cells. We applied the LPS-induced sepsis model to examine whether allithiamine has a protective role in hyper-inflammatory status. We observed that allithiamine attenuated tissue damage and organ dysfunction during endotoxemia, even when the treatment was given after the early cytokine release. We assessed the changes in glucose metabolites during LPS-induced dendritic cell activation and found that allithiamine significantly inhibited glucose-driven citrate accumulation. We then examined the clinical implication of regulating metabolites during sepsis by performing a tail bleeding assay upon allithiamine treatment, which expands its capacity to hamper the coagulation process. Finally, we confirmed that the role of allithiamine in metabolic regulation is critical in exerting anti-inflammatory action by demonstrating its inhibitory effect upon mitochondrial citrate transporter activity. In conclusion, thiamine could be used as an alternative approach for controlling the immune response in patients with sepsis.

• Animal Bioscience
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.697-708
• /
• 2024

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of dietary supplementation of Eucommia ulmoides leaf extract (ELE) on muscle metabolism and meat quality of pigs with and without pre-slaughter transportation. Methods: In a 43-day feeding experiment, a total of 160 pigs with an initial body weight 60.00±2.00 kg were randomly assigned into four groups in a completely randomized design with 10 replicates. Pigs in groups A and C were fed a basal diet and pigs in groups B and D were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0.5% ELE. Pigs were slaughtered with (group B and D) or without (group A and C) pre-slaughter transport. Muscle chemical composition, postmortem glycolysis, meat quality and muscle metabolome were analyzed. Results: Dietary ELE supplementation had no effect on the proximate composition of porcine muscle, but increased free phenylalanine, proline, citruline, norvaline, and the total free amino acids in muscle. In addition, dietary ELE increased decanoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, but decreased heptadecanoic acid, oleic acid, trans-oleic acid, and monounsaturated fatty acids in muscle. Meat quality measurement demonstrated that ELE improved meat water holding capacity and eliminated the negative effects of pre-slaughter transport on meat cooking yield and tenderness. Dietary ELE reduced muscle glycolytic potential, inhibited glycolysis and muscle pH decline in the postmortem conversion of muscle to meat and increased the activity of citrate synthase in muscle. Metabolomics analysis by liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometric showed that ELE enhanced muscle energy level, regulated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling, modulated glycogenolysis/glycolysis, and altered the metabolism of carbohydrate, fatty acids, ketone bodies, amino acids, purine, and pyrimidine. Conclusion: Dietary ELE improved meat quality and alleviated the negative effect of pre-slaughter transport on meat quality by enhancing muscle oxidative metabolism capacity and inhibiting glycolysis in postmortem muscle, which is probably involved its regulation of AMPK.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.398-403
• /
• 2020

In this study, six kinds of rice grown in Cheongwon area were extracted using glycolytic and proteolytic enzymes, and also antioxidant effects and water holding capacity of rice protein extracts were compared and analyzed. Protein contents of rice cultivars protein extract showed that black rice (BR) extract was the highest at 4,900 ㎍/mL, and flavored brown rice (FBR) extract was the lowest at 3,700 ㎍/mL. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate free radical scavenging activity was confirmed the superior activity of more than 80.0% at a concentration of 2 mg/mL with BR and red brown rice (RBR) extracts. 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activity at a concentration of 2 mg/mL with BR and RBR extracts was more than 70.0% The water holding capacity for extracts using RBR, red-kerneled brown rice (RKBR), BR and FBR was more than 110.0%. Overall, the rice protein extract using BR has excellent antioxidant and water holding capacity which can be used as a potential skin moisturizer and antioxidant functional cosmetic material.