• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.99-107
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• 2009

Naphthalene is bicyclic aromatic compound that is widely used in various domestic and commercial applications including lavatory scent disks, soil fumigants and moth balls. Exposure to naphthalene results in the development of bronchiolar damage, cataracts and hemolytic anemia in humans and laboratory animals. However, little information is available regarding the mechanism of naphthalene toxicity. We investigated gene expression profiles and potential signature genes in human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells and human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells after 3 h and 48 h incubation with the IC$_{20}$ and IC$_{50}$ of naphthalene by using 44 k agilent whole human genome oligomicroarray and operon human whole 35 k oligomicroarray, respectively. We identified 616 up-regulated genes and 2,088 down-regulated genes changed by more than 2-fold by naphthalene in HepG2 cells. And in HL-60, we identified 138 up-regulated genes and 182 down-regulated genes changed by more than 2-fold. This study identified several interesting targets and functions in relation to naphthalene-induced toxicity through a gene ontology analysis method. Apoptosis and cell cycle related genes are more commonly expressed than other functional genes in both cell lines. In summary, the use of in vitro models with global expression profiling emerges as a relevant approach toward the identification of biomarkers associated with toxicity after exposure to a variety of environmental toxicants.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.383-388
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• 2009

The dehydration responsive element binding protein 2C (DREB2C) is a dehydration responsive element/C-repeat (DRE/CRT)-motif binding transcription factor that induced by mild heat stress. Previous experiments established that overexpression of DREB2C cDNA driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter (35S:DREB2C) resulted in increased heat tolerance in Arabidopsis. We first analyzed the proteomic profiles in wild-type and 35S:DREB2C plants at a normal temperature ($22^{\circ}C$), but could not detect any differences between the proteomes of wild-type and 35S: DREB2C plants. The transcript level of DREB2C in 35S: DREB2C plants after treatment with mild heat stress was increased more than two times compared with expression in 35S:DREB2C plants under unstressed condition. A proteomic approach was used to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying thermotolerance in 35S:DREB2C Arabidopsis plants. Eleven protein spots were identified as being differentially regulated in 35S:DREB2C plants. Moreover, in silico motif analysis showed that peptidyl-prolyl isomerase ROC4, glutathione transferase 8, pyridoxal biosynthesis protein PDX1, and elongation factor Tu contained one or more DRE/CRT motifs. To our knowledge, this study is the first to identify possible targets of DREB2C transcription factors at the protein level. The proteomic results were in agreement with transcriptional data.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.159-165
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• 2014

Pyrazole, hydroxyimino, aldehyde and isoxazole derivatives exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activities such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities. With growing application on their synthesis and bioactivity, chemists and biologists in recent years have considerable attention on the research of these derivatives. In the view of potential importance of these derivatives, we have crystallized few of the derivatives and its report has been published. The present study focuses on docking studies of these derivatives against Phospholipases $A_2$ enzyme. This enzymes has implicated as potential targets for anti-inflammatory drug design. co-crystal structure (PDB ID: 1POE) of $PLA_2$ deposited in Protein Data Bank has been retrieved for docking analysis. Docking studies using Schrodinger's GLIDE reveals that these derivatives shows better binding energy and score in the defined active site. These results may provide a guiding role to design a lead molecule which may reduce inflamation.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.10
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• pp.649-655
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• 2010

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common age-dependent neurodegenerative disorder and shows progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. Intraneuronal filaments composed of aggregated hyperphosphorylated tau protein, called neurofibrillary tangles, along with extracellular accumulations of amyloid $\beta$ protein (A$\beta$), called senile plaques, are known to be the neuropathological hallmarks of AD. In light of recent studies, epigenetic modification has emerged as one of the pathogenic mechanisms of AD. Epigenetic changes encompass an array of molecular modifications to both DNA and chromatin, including transcription factors and cofactors. In this review, we summarize how DNA methylation and changes to DNA chromatin packaging by post-translational histone modification are involved in AD. In addition, we describe the role of SIRTs, histone deacetylases, and the effect of SIRT-modulating drugs on AD. Lastly, we discuss how amyloid precursor protein (APP) intracellular domain (AICD) regulates neuronal transcription. Our understanding of the epigenomes and transcriptomes of AD may warrant future identification of novel biological markers and beneficial therapeutic targets for AD.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.59-74
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• 2004

The study of whole patterns of changes in protein expression and their modifications, or proteomics, presents both technological advances as well as formidable challenges to biological researchers. Nutrition research and the food sciences in general will be strongly influenced by the new knowledge generated by the proteomics approach. This review examines the different aspects of proteomics technologies, while emphasizing the value of consideration of "traditional" aspects of protein separation. These include the choice of the cell, the subcellular fraction, and the isolation and purification of the relevant protein fraction (if known) by protein chromatographic procedures. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of proteins and their peptides formed by proteolytic hydrolysis have been substantially enhanced by the development of mass spectrometry technologies in combination with nanoscale fluidics analysis. These are described, as are the pros and cons of each method in current use.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.11
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• pp.595-603
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• 2012

Human Ly-6/uPAR molecules are a superfamily composed of two subfamilies; one is the membrane bound proteins with a GPI-anchor and the other are secreted proteins without the GPI-anchor. Ly-6/uPAR molecules have remarkable amino acid homology through a distinctive 8-10 cysteine-rich domain that is associated predominantly with O-linked glycans. These molecules are encoded by multiple tightly linked genes located on Chr. 8q23, and have a conserved genomic organization. Ly-6/uPAR molecules have an interesting expression pattern during hematopoiesis and on specific tumors indicating that Ly-6/uPAR molecules are associated with development of the immune system and carcinogenesis. Thus, Ly-6/uPAR molecules are useful antigens for diagnostic and therapeutic targets. This review summarizes our understanding of human Ly-6/uPAR molecules with regard to molecular structure as well as what is known about their function in normal and malignant tissues and suggest Ly-6/uPAR molecules as target antigens for cancer immunotherapy.

• CELLMED
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.12.1-12.4
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• 2013

Identification of target protein is an important procedure in the course of drug discovery. Because of complexity, action mechanisms of herbal medicine are rather obscure, unlike small-molecular drugs. Inverse docking simulation is a reverse use of molecular docking involving multiple target searches for known chemical structure. This methodology can be applied in the field of target fishing and toxicity prediction for herbal compounds as well as known drug molecules. The aim of this review is to introduce a series of in silico works for predicting potential drug targets and side-effects based on inverse docking simulations.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.111-116
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• 2014

Objective: To study potential targets of Danshensu via dual inverse docking. Method: PharmMapper and idTarget servers were used as tools, and the results were checked with the molecular docking program autodock vina in PyRx 0.8. Result: The disease-related target HRas was rated top, with a pharmacophore model matching well the molecular features of Danshensu. In addition, docking results indicated that the complex was also matched in terms of structure, H-bonds, and hydrophobicity. Conclusion: Dual inverse docking indicates that HRas may be a potential anticancer target of Danshensu. This approach can provide useful information for studying pharmacological effects of agents of interest.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.143-151
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• 2006

In the past decade, the median duration of survival among patients with advanced colorectal cancer has increased from 12 months to about 18 months, primarily as a results of the introduction of irinotecan and oxaliplatin. Advances in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the development and progression of cancer have resulted in the discovery of new therapeutic interventions that target specific molecular abnormalities. Their specificity, and therefore their potential to bind preferentially and modify tumor-specific targets, sparing normal tissues and causing fewer side-effects compared to conventional cytotoxic agents, makes them an attractive therapeutic option. The future of this approach for the treatment of solid tumors is promising.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.10
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• pp.536-541
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• 2016

The prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes, two closely linked metabolic disorders, is increasing worldwide. Over the past decade, the connection between these disorders and the microbiota of the gut has become a major focus of biomedical research, with recent studies demonstrating the fundamental role of intestinal microbiota in the regulation and pathogenesis of metabolic disorders. Because of the complexity of the microbiota community, however, the underlying molecular mechanisms by which the gut microbiota is associated with metabolic disorders remain poorly understood. In this review, we summarize recent studies that investigate the role of the microbiota in both human subjects and animal models of disease and discuss relevant therapeutic targets for future research.