• BMB Reports
• /
• v.44 no.6
• /
• pp.381-386
• /
• 2011

In the present study, we characterized the function of HS1-binding protein 3 (HS1BP3), which is mutated in essential tremor and may be involved in lymphocyte activation. We found that HS1BP3 localized to the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum partially. Overexpression of HS1BP3 induced apoptosis in HEK293T and HeLa cell lines. When these cell lines were transfected with HS1BP3, they exhibited nuclear DNA condensation, externalization of phosphatidylserine (PS), and cleavage of poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP). Furthermore, suppression of HS1BP3 or HS1 expression attenuates HS1BP3 induced apoptosis. In addition, HS1BP3 enhanced activator protein 1 (AP-1)-mediated transcription in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, we conclude that HS1BP3 regulates apoptosis via HS1 and stimulates AP-1-mediated transcription.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.32 no.12
• /
• pp.1547-1552
• /
• 2022

β-Amyrin is a pentacyclic triterpene widely distributed in leaves and stems worldwide. The ability of β-amyrin to induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in microorganisms suggests its potential as an antimicrobial agent. Thus, this study aimed to elucidate the antibacterial mode of action of β-amyrin. We treated Escherichia coli cells with β-amyrin and found that it triggered ROS accumulation. Excessive stress caused by ROS, particularly hydroxyl radicals, induces glutathione (GSH) dysfunction. GSH protects cells from oxidative and osmotic stresses; thus, its dysfunction leads to membrane depolarization. The resultant change in membrane potential leads to the release of apoptotic proteins, such as caspases. The activated caspases-like protein promotes the cleavage of DNA into single strands, which is a hallmark of apoptosis-like death in bacteria. Apoptotic cells usually undergo events such as DNA fragmentation and phosphatidylserine exposure, differentiating them from necrotic cells, and the cells treated with β-amyrin in this study were positive for annexin V and negative for propidium iodide, indicating apoptosis-like death. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the antibacterial mode of action of β-amyrin involves the induction of ROS, which resulted in apoptosis-like death in E. coli.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.211-215
• /
• 1998

Preparative isolation of lipid granules from Fhodotorula glutinis, which has been studied for long time to produce edible lipids, was carried out by flotation method in Ficoll-Linear density gradient. When the isolated lipid granules were suspended in a series of solutions containing varying concentration of osmotic stabilizer (sorbitoal and mannitol) ranging from 0.8M to 0M, the lipid granules appeared to be disrupted at a concentration between 0.8M and 0.7, and again at a concentration below 0.1M, suggesting that lipid granules have a membraneous structure and that at least two types of lipid granules are present. Compositional analysis of lipids from lipid granules revealed that lipids are composed mainly of neutral lipids (87.8% of total lipids), predominantly as triacylglycerols (71.89%). Marked differences were observed inphospholipids between lipids of lipid granules and those of whole cells . The major components of phospholipids in lipid granules and inwhole cells are phosphatidylcholine(38.6%) and phosphatidylserine(42.8%), respectively. In addition, significant differences were also observed in the fatty acid composition of phospholipids. As phospholipids are important structural components of membranes, these differences lead to the suggesting that the membrane of lipid granules may be distinct functionally and structurally from other membranes of yeast cells. The major fatty acid components of neutral lipidss of whole cells and lipid granules are palmitic , oleic and linoleic acid. However , degreeof fatty acid unsaturation of neutal lipids of lipid granules was much lower than that of neutral lipids of whole cells.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.101-105
• /
• 1997

Extracellular phospholipase $A_2$ activity has been detected in urine of patients with acute pyelonephritis (APN). This enzyme required micromolar $Ca^{2+}$ ion for its maximum activity and showed a broad range of pH (4.5~10) optimum. Urine enzyme hydrolyzed phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylserine (PS) more effectively than phosphatidylcholine (PC). $PLA_2$ activity in the urine of patients with APN was about 5-fold higher than that of healthy individuals. When urine was subjected to heparinSepharose column chromatography, phospholipase $A_2$ activity was detected in both heparin-non-binding and binding fractions. Both phospholipase $A_2$ activities were sensitive less than a micromolar calcium concentration and did not react with anti-human 14-kDa group II phospholipase $A_2$ monoclonal antibody, HP-l. These findings suggest that two kinds of novel extracellular phospholipase $A_2$. which may not belong to the 14-kDa group II phospholipase $A_2$ family, exist in the urine of patients with APN.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.145-149
• /
• 2006

To analyze the effect of Maltol on the apoptosis of Human Neuroblastoma Cells (SH-SY5Y) treated by free radical which was generated from Hydrogen Peroxide ($H_2O_2$), flow cytometry analysis on Phosphatidylserine (PS) inverting percentage was applied to determine the apoptosis. MTT (3-(4,5-dimethythiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide) assay was employed to analyze the cell viability. DNA electrophoresis was used to detect DNA fragmentation. Moreover intracellular calcium of concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) was measured by fluorescence emission. Flow cytometry analysis on the function of mitochondria and Western blto analysis of NF-${\kappa}B$. The results showed that the pretreatment with maltol for 2 hours could prevent the $H_2O_2$-induced apoptosis. Maltol could reduce the inverting percentage of PS, DNA fragmentation and $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, and enhance the cellular function of mitochondria. NF-${\kappa}B$ activated by $H_2O_2$ is reduced. The experiments suggest that maltol could effectively inhibit the apoptosis induced by $H_2O_2$. As a novel anti-oxidant, maltol is a new promising drug in protecting the neurological cells from the damage by free radical.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.167-178
• /
• 2002

Objective : The present study was performed to investigate whether apoptosis occur in human embryos by annexin staining and detect the expression of Fas, Fas-ligand (FasL), Bax, and Bcl-2 in human fragmented embryos derived from IVF-ET by immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis. Materials and Methods: Using annexin staining, immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis on normal and fragmented embryos, we were able to detect apoptotsis and apoptotic gene products in fragmented embryos. Result: Phosphatidylserine (PS) translocation, the marker for apoptosis, were detected frequently in fragmented embryos. Bcl-2 and Bax protein were detected in both fragmented and non-fragmented embryos. When fragmented embryos compared to normal embryos, immunofluorescent intensity of Bcl-2 tended to be lower in fragmented embryos. Bax gene expression increased in the fragmented embryos compared to the normal embryos. This result supports a model in which the molar ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax determines whether apoptosis induced or inhibited in human embryo. Fas was highly expressed in human preimplantation embryos but not FasL. It suggests that embryo may undergo apoptosis by binding with FasL produced by follicular or immune cells. Conclusion: The over expression of Bax and Fas will trigger apoptosis to lead embryo fragmentation and change embryo to be nonviable.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.71-76
• /
• 2002

Soil samples were screened for actinomycete strains capable of producing phospholipase D, and a strain, Streptomyces sp. YU100, showing a high transphosphatidylation activity was isolated. This strain secreted phospholipase D in a culture broth after 12 h of cultivation, and its productivity continued to increase for 36 h of fermentation. In addition, its transphosphatidylation rate of phosphatidylcholine to phosphatidylserine was almost $68\%$ within 1 h. The morphological and chemotaxonomical characteristics showed that this strain could be classified as a number of the Streptomycetaceae family, particularly due to the spiral form of its spore chain consisting of 60-70 smooth spores $(0.75{\times}1.0{\mu}m$) on an aerial mycelium, FA-2c type of fatty acid profile in the cell wall, and LL-DAP component in the cell wall peptidoglycan. A phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA provided a clue that the strain YU100 was actually a member of the genus Streptomyces, because the determined sequence exhibited a higher homology with Streptomyes sp. ASB27, S. peucetius JCM9920, and S. griseus ATCC10137. A dendrogram based on the 16S rDNA sequences also showed a phylogenetic relationship between the strain YU100 and these strains. However, the strain YU100 has not yet been assigned to a particular species, because of absence of any other classified species with a high matching score.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.22 no.11
• /
• pp.1457-1466
• /
• 2012

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exert antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and viruses by various mechanisms. AMPs commonly possess particular characteristics by harboring cationic and amphipathic structures and binding to cell membranes, resulting in the leakage of essential cell contents by forming pores or disturbing lipid organization. These membrane disruptive mechanisms of AMPs are possible to explain according to the various structure forming pores in the membrane. Some AMPs inhibit DNA and/or RNA synthesis as well as apoptosis induction by reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction. Specifically, mitochondria play a major role in the apoptotic pathway. During apoptosis induced by AMPs, cells undergo cytochrome c release, caspase activation, phosphatidylserine externalization, plasma or mitochondrial membrane depolarization, DNA and nuclei damage, cell shrinkage, apoptotic body formation, and membrane blebbing. Even AMPs, which have been reported to exert membrane-active mechanisms, induce apoptosis in yeast. These phenomena were also discovered in tumor cells treated with AMPs. The apoptosis mechanism of AMPs is available for various therapeutics such as antibiotics for antibiotic-resistant pathogens that resist to the membrane active mechanism, and antitumor agents with selectivity to tumor cells.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.39-47
• /
• 2009

Gaegurin 4(GGN 4), an antimicrobial peptide isolated from a Korean frog, is five times more potent against Gram-positive than Gram-negative bacteria, but has little hemolytic activity. To understand the mechanism of such cell selectivity, we examined GGN4-induced $K^+$ efflux from target cells, and membrane conductances in planar lipid bilayers. The $K^+$ efflux from Gram-positive M. luteus(2.5 ${\mu}g/ml$) was faster and larger than that from Gram-negative E. coli(75 ${\mu}g/ml$), while that from RBC was negligible even at higher concentration(100 ${\mu}g/ml$). GGN4 induced larger conductances in the planar bilayers which were formed with lipids extracted from Gram-positive B. subtilis than in those from E. coli(p<0.01), however, the effects of GGN4 were not selective in the bilayers formed with lipids from E. coli and red blood cells. Addition of an acidic phospholipid, phosphatidylserine to planar bilayers increased the GGN4-induced membrane conductance(p<0.05), but addition of phosphatidylcholine or cholesterol reduced it(p<0.05). Transmission electron microscopy revealed that GGN4 induced pore-like damages in M. luteus and dis-layering damages on the outer wall of E. coli. Taken together, the present results indicate that the selectivity of GGN4 toward Gram-positive over Gram-negative bacteria is due to negative surface charges, and interaction of GGN4 with outer walls. The selectivity toward bacteria over RBC is due to the presence of phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol, and the trans-bilayer lipid asymmetry in RBC. The results suggest that design of selective antimicrobial peptides should be based on the composition and topology of membrane lipids in the target cells.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.9
• /
• pp.4223-4231
• /
• 2016

Background: Development of new apoptosis-inducing drugs is a promising trend in anticancer therapy. For this purpose several formamidinoderivatives of doxorubicin were synthesized. The aim of our study was to investigate effects of the five formamidinodoxorubicins in the ES-2 human ovarian clear cell carcinoma line, for comparison with data obtained previously for SKOV-3 human ovarian adenocarcinoma cells, to answer the question of whether and to what extent the histological cell type is a possible determinant of sensitivity to tested anthracyclines. Materials and Methods: In our experimental work the following methods were used: spectrophotometric assays with MTT; fluorimetric assays - double staining with Hoechst 33258 and propidium iodide (PI), measurement of caspase-3, -8, -9 activity, intracellular accumulation of DOX and analogues, estimation of drug uptake, mitochondrial transmembrane potential; flow cytometry - phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization with annexin V-FITC and PI fluorochromes. Results: Effects of the derivatives of doxorubicin were partially linked with the specific type of cancer cell although intracellular accumulation and cellular uptake of DOX and derivatives were similar in both. All of the investigated derivatives were considerably more cytotoxic than DOX. Formamidinodoxorubicins were able to induce caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death in both cell types. Conclusions: All new formamidine derivatives of DOX were able to induce caspase - dependent apoptosis in human ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV-3 and ES-2. Obtained results suggested that formamidine derivatives of DOX may be promising candidates for the prospective chemotherapeutic agents for the two different histological subtypes of ovarian cancer.