• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.2873-2876
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• 2010

Excess free iron generates oxidative stress that may contribute to the pathogenesis of various causes of neurodegenerative diseases. Previous studies have shown that one of the primary causes of increased brain iron may be the release of excess iron from intracellular iron storage molecules. In this study, we attempted to characterize the oxidative damage of DNA induced by the reaction of ferritin with $H_2O_2$. When DNA was incubated with ferritin and $H_2O_2$, DNA strand breakage increased in a time-dependent manner. Hydroxyl radical scavengers strongly inhibited the ferritin/$H_2O_2$ system-induced DNA cleavage. We investigated the generation of hydroxyl radical in the reaction of ferritin with $H_2O_2$ using a chromogen, 2,2'-azinobis-(2-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS), which reacted with ${\cdot}OH$ to form $ABTS^{+\cdot}$. The initial rate of $ABTS^{+\cdot}$ formation increased as a function of incubation time. These results suggest that DNA strand breakage is mediated in the reaction of ferritin with $H_2O_2$ via the generation of hydroxyl radicals. The iron-specific chelator, deferoxamine, also inhibited DNA cleavage. Spectrophotometric study using a color reagent showed that the release of iron from $H_2O_2$-treated ferritin increased in a time-dependent manner. Ferritin enhanced mutation of the lacZ' gene in the presence of $H_2O_2$ when measured as a loss of $\alpha$-complementation. These results indicate that ferritin/$H_2O_2$ system-mediated DNA cleavage and mutation may be attributable to hydroxyl radical generation via a Fenton-like reaction of free iron ions released from oxidatively damaged ferritin.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.8 s.88
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• pp.1063-1067
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• 2007

The Bcl-2 family proteins play critical roles in regulation of apoptosis, and the balanced interaction of pro- and anti-death members is a key factor in determining the cell fate. Noxa, a BH3-only Bcl-2-family member, has been originally identified as a target gene of p53. To understand the mechanism by which human Noxa (hNoxa) regulates the cell death, we screened the hNoxa binding partner using the yeast two hybrid screening and found that anti-death protein Mcl-1 binds to hNoxa. The binding of hNoxa to Mcl-1 was confirmed by immunoprecipitation in human colon cancer cell line HCT 116 cells. Mcl-1 significantly inhibited the hNoxa-induced cell death in HCT 116 cells. During the cell death induced by hNoxa, Mcl-1 protein was degraded. Its degradation was inhibited by z-VAD-fmk, a pancaspase inhibitor, suggesting caspase is responsible for Mcl-1 degradation in response to hNoxa. Together, the results indicate that hNoxa binds to Mcl-1 that is degraded by cas-pases during hNoxa-induced cell death.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1258-1263
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• 2012

2,3-Butanediol (2,3-BD) is a major metabolite produced by Klebsiella pneumoniae KCTC2242, which is a important chemical with wide applications. Three genes important for 2,3-BD biosynthesis acetolactate decarboxylase (budA), acetolactate synthase (budB), and alcohol dehydrogenase (budC) were identified in K. pneumoniae genomic DNA. With the goal of enhancing 2,3-BD production, these genes were cloned into pUC18K expression vectors containing the lacZ promoter and the kanamycin resistance gene to generate plasmids pSB1-7. The plasmids were then introduced into K. pneumoniae using electroporation. All strains were incubated in flask experiments and 2,3-BD production was increased by 60% in recombinant bacteria harboring pSB04 (budA and budB genes), compared with the parental strain K. pneumoniae KCTC2242. The maximum 2,3-BD production level achieved through fed-batch fermentation with K. pneumoniae SGJSB04 was 101.53 g/l over 40 h with a productivity of 2.54 g/l.h. These results suggest that overexpression of 2,3-BD synthesis-related genes can enhance 2,3-BD production in K. pneumoniae by fermentation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.308-313
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• 2003

The collagenase gene from Vibrio parahaemolyticus 04 was subcloned into an expression vector pET-29b. The recombinant collagenase was expressed in Escherichia coli BL2l(DE3) and partially purified by Hi-Trap affinity and Sephacryl S-100 size exclusion chromatographies. The recombinant enzyme was purified by 43.7-fold and the yield was 73%. SDS-PAGE revealed that the molecular weight of the enzyme was approximately 35 kDa. Substrate specificity study of the enzyme displayed that the enzyme showed the highest activity with the type I collagen and the synthetic peptide, Z-GPGGPA, indicating that the enzyme was indeed a collagenase. The enzyme showed broad pH optimum around pH 6-12 and was stable between pH 5.5 and 11.5. The optimum temperature for the type I collagen degradation was $35^{\circ}C$. The thermostability measurement of the enzyme indicated that the enzyme was stable up to $55^{\circ}C$, but the activity was diminished quickly above $60^{\circ}C.$

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.297-300
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• 1988

Ammonium p-methylbenzenesulfonate, $C_7H_11NO_3S$, Mr = 189.23, orthorhombic, space group $Pna2-1$, a = 20.406(4), b = 6.271(1), c = 7.067(2)${\AA}$, V = 904.19 ${\AA}^3$, Z = 4, $D_x$ = 1.39, $D_m =1.38g{\cdot}cm^{-3}$, ${\lambda}(M_o K_{\alpha})$ = 0. 71069 ${\AA}$, ${\mu}=3.1 cm^{-1}$, T = 298K, F(000) = 400, final R = 0.057 for 994 unique observed reflections with I > $16{\sigma}(I)$. The methylbenzene portion including the sulfur atom is nearly planar. Between the $SO_3$ groups and the ammonium ion, there are three unique hydrogen bonds; two of which make the anions linked along the c-axis and the remaining one along the b-axis. These hydrogen bonds make two-dimensionally hydrogen-bonded molecular layers. Among these hydrophilic layers, the methylbenzene moieties cluster together to form hydrophobic layers.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.385-394
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• 2012

In this study, crude extracts of the marine eelgrass Zostera japonica and their solvent-partitioned fractions were evaluated for their inhibitory effect against AGS, HT-1080 and MCF-7 human cancer cells using MTT assay. Each of the crude extracts (acetone/methylene, chloride, and methanol) of Z. japonica showed a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of human cancer cells. The combined crude extracts were partitioned between $CH_2Cl_2$ and water. The organic layer was further partitioned between 85% aq. MeOH and n-hexane, and the aqueous layer was then fractionated into n-BuOH and $H_2O$, successively. Growth inhibition effects of solvent-partitioned fractions from Z. japonica on human cancer cells increased in a dose-dependent manner. Among these tested samples, the 85% aq. MeOH fraction revealed good inhibitory effects on the growth of AGS and HT-1080 human cancer cells, while the n-hexane fraction exhibited good inhibitory effects on the growth of AGS and MCF-7 human cancer cells. In addition, 85% aq. MeOH and n-hexane fractions enhanced mRNA expression of p53 gene. These results suggest that there is further scope for the isolation of active compounds from Z. japonica, which should show much stronger anticancer activity.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.98-103
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• 2009

The potential utility of the rockbream (Oplegnathus fasciatus) $\beta$-actin 5'-upstream sequence as a regulatory element for DNA vaccination was evaluated based on in vitro and in vivo heterologous expression assays. In the in vitro transfection experiment, the efficacy of the rockbream $\beta$-actin promoter to drive the expression of a downstream lacZ gene was significantly higher (more than fourfold) than that of the human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) promoter in two fish cell lines (grunt Haemulon plumierii fin and bluegill Lepomis macrochirus fry cell lines). In contrast, the functional activity of the rockbream $\beta$-actin promoter was hardly detectable in a mammalian mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line. Rockbream skeletal muscles injected in vivo with a GFP reporter construct driven by the $\beta$-actin promoter displayed the significantly higher expression of a GFP protein (more than threefold) than did those injected with hCMV promoter driven construct. Data from this study suggest that the homologous rockbream $\beta$-actin promoter could be used as a potential regulator for DNA vaccination in this species.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.36-36
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• 1998

Tumorigenicity of benzo(a)pyrene (BP) and benzo(a)pyrene diol epoxides ((+)BPDE-1, (-)BPDE-1) was investigated in transgenic TG-AC mice carrying v-Ha-ras oncogene fused to the promoter of the mouse embryonic a-like, z-globin gene. Animals were topically treated twice per week for 25weeks with BPDE (10$\mu$g/mouse) and BP (10, 20, 40$\mu$g/mouse). In addition, animals were treated with BPDE or BP (initiated) followed by TPA (2$\times$2.5$\mu$g/week, for 4 weeks) for promotion study. In the continuous treatment of BPDE or BP, animals treated with 40$\mu$g BP showed $100\%$ tumor response after 20 weeks, $40\%$ of mice for 20$\mu$g BP, and $20\%$ for (+)BPDE-1, but (-)BPDE-1 and 10$\mu$g BP did not show any tumor response. After 25 weeks, most tumors turned out to be carcinomas in animals treated with 40$\mu$g BP. In BPDE or BP/TPA Initiation-promotion study, papilloma response occurred earlier (6 weeks after TPA treatment) than in continuously treated animals with BPDE or BP. RT-PCR assay for transgene expression showed that BP or BPOE was not transgene dependent in its tumorigenicity, but TPA was. Several Cytokine genes(TGF-a, TNF-a) and c-myc gene expressions were monitored in skin tissues during BP carcinogenesis. In early stage of BP treatment, the gene expressions were elevated(c-myc,TGF-a) or unchanged(TNF-a) compared to control, but the levels were gradually decreased during both middle and late stages of cacinogenesis, Gene expression levels of skin papillomas in acetone initiated-TPA promoted animals were close to those of middle stage or between middle and late stages. i-NOS was also highly expressed in carcinoma and papilloma, These data suggest that transgene expressions of TG-AC mice were not dependent on BP carcinogenesis and that TG-AC mice were more sensitive to TPA regardless of types of initiators. In addition, genes(TGF-a, c-myc, TNF-a, i-NOS) were modulated in the skin during BP cacinogenesis or TPA promotion.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1527-1535
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• 2009

Polyphosphate (polyP) plays diverse physiological functions in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, but most of their detailed mechanisms are still obscure. Here, we show that deletion of polyphosphate kinase (PPK), the principal enzyme responsible for synthesis of polyP, resulted in augmented expression of cAMP receptor protein (CRP) and rpoS and lowered $H_2O_2$ sensitivity in Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC14028. The binding of cAMP-CRP complex to rpoS promoter and further stimulation of its transcription were proved through electrophoretic mobility shift assay, lacZ fusion, and exogenous cAMP addition, respectively. The rpoS expression increased in cpdA (cAMP phosphodiesterase coding gene) mutant, further suggesting that cAMP-CRP upregulated rpoS expression. These results demonstrate that PPK affects oxidative stress response by modulating crp and rpoS expression in S. Typhimurium.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.153-159
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• 2006

A 2,656 bp fragment of chicken ghrelin gene was cloned and SNPs were detected by PCR-RFLP and Allele Specific PCR (ASP) in 12 Chinese indigenous chicken breeds and a commercial chicken population. The results showed that there were 23 base variations and an amino acid change ($Gln{\rightarrow}Arg$) in cloned chicken ghrelin gene. Three SNPs were confirmed in 13 populations and associations between this gene and growth traits of Tibetan chicken (TC) and Recessive White chicken (RW) were investigated. The results of haplotype analysis revealed that 26 haplotype genotypes were composed of eight haplotypes. The results of $x^2$ tests indicated that there were significant differences between genotypes or haplotype genotype frequencies in some of the breeds or sexes at 0.05 or 0.01 levels. The results of ANOVA revealed that there were significant differences between genotypes or haplotype genotypes on some growth traits of TC and RW chicken breeds at 0.05 or 0.01 levels. Multiple comparisons showed that there were significant associations between genotype CT at site 71 and some growth traits of two chicken breeds and between genotype AG at site 1,215 and body weight at 16 wk of two chicken breeds, and there was a significant association between haplotype genotype CAA/CAG and body weight and shank girth at 16 wk of two chicken breeds.