• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.499-507
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• 2024

Specific sensitivity of the skin to ultraviolet B (UVB) rays is one of the mechanisms responsible for widespread skin damage. This study tested whether 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene (THB), a compound abundant in marine products, might inhibit UVB radiationinduced NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) in both human HaCaT keratinocytes and mouse dorsal skin and explore its cytoprotective mechanism. The mechanism of action was determined using western blotting, immunocytochemistry, NADP⁺/NADPH assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection, and cell viability assay. THB attenuated UVB-induced NOX4 expression both in vitro and in vivo, and suppressed UVB-induced ROS generation via NADP⁺ production, resulting in increased cell viability with decreased apoptosis. THB also reduced the expression of UVB-induced phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). THB suppressed UVB-induced NOX4 expression and ROS generation by inhibiting AMPK and JNK signaling pathways, thereby inhibiting cellular damage. These results showed that THB could be developed as a UV protectant.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.1022-1033
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• 2023

Objective: p66Shc, a 66 kDa protein isoform encoded by the proto-oncogene SHC, is an essential intracellular redox homeostasis regulatory enzyme that is involved in the regulation of cellular oxidative stress, apoptosis induction and the occurrence of multiple age-related diseases. This study investigated the expression profile and functional characteristics of p66Shc during preimplantation embryo development in sheep. Methods: The expression pattern of p66Shc during preimplantation embryo development in sheep at the mRNA and protein levels were studied by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunofluorescence staining. The effect of p66Shc knockdown on the developmental potential were evaluated by cleavage rate, morula rate and blastocyst rate. The effect of p66Shc deficiency on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, DNA oxidative damage and the expression of antioxidant enzymes (e.g., catalase and manganese superoxide dismutase [MnSOD]) were also investigated by immunofluorescence staining. Results: Our results showed that p66Shc mRNA and protein were expressed in all stages of sheep early embryos and that p66Shc mRNA was significantly downregulated in the 4-to 8-cell stage (p<0.05) and significantly upregulated in the morula and blastocyst stages after embryonic genome activation (EGA) (p<0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed that the p66Shc protein was mainly located in the peripheral region of the blastomere cytoplasm at different stages of preimplantation embryonic development. Notably, serine (Ser36)-phosphorylated p66Shc localized only in the cytoplasm during the 2- to 8-cell stage prior to EGA, while phosphorylated (Ser36) p66Shc localized not only in the cytoplasm but also predominantly in the nucleus after EGA. RNAi-mediated silencing of p66Shc via microinjection of p66Shc siRNA into sheep zygotes resulted in significant decreases in p66Shc mRNA and protein levels (p<0.05). Knockdown of p66Shc resulted in significant declines in the levels of intracellular ROS (p<0.05) and the DNA damage marker 8-hydroxy2'-deoxyguanosine (p<0.05), markedly increased MnSOD levels (p<0.05) and resulted in a tendency to develop to the morula stage. Conclusion: These results indicate that p66Shc is involved in the metabolic regulation of ROS production and DNA oxidative damage during sheep early embryonic development.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.402-405
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• 2017

Vinegar has been widely produced for a variety of industrial and domestic use as well as medicinal use. For sale of the commercial vinegar with herbal extracts, we produced an experimental black vinegar through sequential fermentation of alcohol, followed by acetic acid according to the manufacturer's procedure. To investigate the effect of anti-obesity of black vinegar on biochemical values, we evaluated enzyme activities via acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), which plays a critical role in the lipid metabolism. We found that increased phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate (AMP) activated protein kinase (AMPK) and ACC in L6 mouse muscle cells treated with the manufactured vinegar. Based on the results, supplementation of experimental herbal black vinegar inactivates ACC, enhancing the phosphorylation of AMPK. Thus, the lipid oxidation and inhibitory effect of fatty acid synthesis by the black vinegar expects to facilitate the anti-obesity activity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.421-425
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• 2003

The serine/threonine protein kinase family is a large and diverse group of enzymes that are involved in the regulation of multiple cellular pathways. Elevated kinase activity has been implicated in many diseases and frequently targeted for the development of pharmacological inhibitors. Therefore, non-radioactive antibody-based kinase assays that allow high throughput screening of compound libraries have been developed. However, they require a generation of antibodies against the phosphorylated form of a specific substrate. We report here a time-resolved fluorescence assay platform that utilizes a commercially-available generic anti-phosphothreonine antibody and permits assaying kinases that are able to phosporylate threonin residues on protein substrates. Using this approach, we developed an assay for Cdc7/Dbf4 kinase activity, determined the $K_m$ for ATP, and identified rottlerin as a non-ATP competitive inhibitor of this enzyme.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.153-158
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• 1998

Effects of cyclic (c) AMP and G-protein related reagents (3-isobutyl-l-methyxanthine (IBMX), Forskolin (FSK), cholera toxin (CTX), and pertussis toxin (PTX≫ on estradiol-17$\beta$ induced vitellogenin (VTG) induction were examined in primary hepatocyte cultures in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. The addition of IBMX, FSK, or CTX to the incubation medium markedly increased VTG production, while PTX was not effective in stimulating the production. It is well known that cAMP regulates phosphorylation and dephosphorylation through mediation of protein kinase A. These results suggest that VTG production is highly dependent on cAMP state in hepatocytes because of its highly phosphorylated nature.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.163-171
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• 2021

Emiliania huxleyi is a marine phytoplankton that plays a critical role in global carbon and sulfur cycling. The genome of E. huxleyi has been sequenced, and an in-depth proteomic profile of this organism has been reported. This study analyzed the phosphoproteome of E. huxleyi and identified its changes under calcium-limited conditions. A TiO₂ microcolumn was used for phosphopeptide enrichment, followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Overall, we identified 7,010 phosphorylated sites on 3,355 phosphopeptides associated with 2,929 phosphoproteins in E. huxleyi. Quantitative analysis revealed changes in the phosphoproteome in E. huxleyi when ambient conditions changed to calcium-limited conditions, notably the phosphorylation of some transporters was altered. This study provides an overview of protein phosphorylation in E. huxleyi and paves the way for further investigations of its biological functions.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.75.3-76
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• 2003

The present study was performed to examine mitogen-activated protein kinase associated pathways in mediation of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced cell apoptosis in cultured Jurkat T cells. TCDD significantly decreased cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner (p<0.05 at 10-300 nM). TCDD (10 nM) also time-dependently decreased cell viability (p<0.05 at 12-48 h). c-Jun NH$_2$-terminal kinase was significantly phosphorylated with TCDD treatment in a time dependent manner. (omitted)

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.335-337
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• 2002

Blue light (BL) induces stomatal opening through activation of H$^{+}$ pump, which creates electrical gradient across the plasma membrane for $K^{+}$ uptake into guard cells. The pump is the plasma membrane H$^{+}$ -ATPase and is activated via phosphorylation of the C-terminus with concomitant binding of the 14-3-3 protein. The opening is initiated by the perception of BL through phototropin (phot), which are recently identified as BL receptors in stomatal guard cells. In this study, we provide the biochemical evidence for phots as BL receptors in stomatal guard cells. vfphot was phosphorylated reversibly by BL, and phosphorylation levels of vfphot increased earlier than those of the plasma membrane W-ATPase. BL-dependent phosphorylations of vfphot and H$^{+}$-ATPase showed similar fluence dependency. Staurosporin, an inhibitor of serine/threonine protein kinase, and diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI), an inhibitor of flavoprotein, inhibited BL-dependent phosphorylations of vfphot and H$^{+}$ -ATPase. These results indicate that vfphot acts as a BL-receptor mediating stomatal opening.l opening.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.221-229
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• 2020

This study was undertaken to investigate the protective effect of rice bran oil (RBO) on amyloid β protein (Aβ) (25-35)-induced memory impairment and brain damage in an ICR mouse model. Memory impairment was produced by intracerebroventricular microinjection of 15 nmol Aβ (25-35) and assessed using the passive avoidance test. Treatment with RBO at 0.1, 0.5, or 1 mL/kg (p.o. daily for 8 days) protected against Aβ (25-35)-induced memory impairment. Furthermore, Aβ (25-35)-induced decreases in glutathione and increases in lipid peroxidation and cholinesterase activity in brain tissue were inhibited by RBO, and Aβ (25-35)-induced increases of phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and inflammatory factors, and changes in the levels of apoptosis-related proteins were significantly inhibited by RBO. Furthermore, Aβ (25-35) suppressed the PI3K/Akt pathway and the phosphorylation of CREB, but increased phosphorylation of tau (p-tau) in mice brain; these effects were significantly inhibited by administration of RBO. These results suggest that RBO inhibits Aβ (25-35)-induced memory impairment by inducing anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects, promoting PI3K/Akt/CREB signaling, and thus, inhibiting p-tau formation.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.178-182
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• 2005

Nitric oxide (NO) produced from endothelial cells plays a critical role in vascular physiology. The regulation of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) involves various mechanisms including multiple Ser/Thr phosphorylations. Recently, eNOS-Ser617 was newly recognized to be phosphorylated in response to humoral factors including vascular endothelial growth factor. However, it remains unknown whether and how eNOS-Ser617 phosphorylation is stimulated by shear stress, the primary stimulus of endothelial NO production. This issue was explored in the present study using cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs). Over-expression of a constitutively active protein kinase B(Akt) mutant in BAECs increased Ser617 phosphorylation while constitutively active protein kinase A mutant had no effect. When BAECs were subjected to an arterial level of laminar shear stress, eNOS-Ser617 phosphorylation was clearly increased in a time-dependent manner. Shear stress also stimulated Akt phosphorylation at Thr308, one of the key regulatory sites. The time courses of eNOS-Ser617 and Akt-Thr308 phosphorylations appeared to be very similar. These results suggested that eNOS-Ser617 phosphorylation, mediated by Akt, is a physiological response to the mechanical shear stress, involved in the regulation of NO production in endothelial cells.