• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.73-83
• /
• 2014

Objectives : This study was investigated the effects of the root of Polygala tenuifolia (POL) on learning and memory impairment induced by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion in rats. Methods : Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion was produced by permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (pBCAO). POL was administered orally once a day (130 mg/kg of water-extract) for 28 days starting at 4 weeks after the pBCAO. The acquisition of learning and the retention of memory were tested on 9th week after the pBCAO using the Morris water maze. In addition, effects of POL on $A{\beta}$ generation and expressions of APP and BACE1 were observed in the hippocampus of rats. Results : POL significantly prolonged the swimming time spent in target quadrant and significantly reduced the swimming time spent in the quadrant far from the target. POL significantly increased the percentage of swim in the targer quadrant in the retention test, while POL was not effective on the escape latencies in the acquisition training trials. POL significantly reduced the levels of $A{\beta}_{(1-40)}$ and $A{\beta}_{(1-42)}$ in the cerebral cortex and the level of $A{\beta}_{(1-42)}$ in the hippocampus produced by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. POL also significantly attenuated the up-regulation of APP and BACE1 expression in the hippocampus produced by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Conclusions : The results show that POL alleviated memory deficit and up-regulation of $A{\beta}$ and BACE1 expressions in the hippocampus. This result suggests that POL may exert ameliorating effect on memory deficit through inhibition of ${\beta}$-secretase activity and $A{\beta}$ generation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.12
• /
• pp.7375-7379
• /
• 2013

The main aim of this study was to investigate the roles of GST-${\pi}$ and $pol{\beta}$ genes in the chemoresistance of esophageal carcinoma cells. Eukaryotic expression vectors containing each gene were constructed and transfected into EC9706 cells, and the biological effects of the two genes assessed based on a resistance index. We additionally investigated the in vitro and in vivo anti-resistance effects of GST-${\pi}$ and $pol{\beta}$ genes using recombinant lentiviruses carrying siRNAs against the two genes. Our results showed that upregulation of GST-${\pi}$ and $pol{\beta}$ genes suppresses chemosensitivity of esophageal carcinoma cells to cisplatin, while downregulation of these two genes with RNAi technology reverses this chemoresistance. Multi-site injection of recombinant lentivirus targeting the GST-${\pi}$ gene into transplanted cDDP tumors effectively reversed their chemoresistant phenotype. However, the same treatment against the $pol{\beta}$ gene did not lead to significant efficacy against chemoresistance.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.1321-1324
• /
• 2012

Background: DNA polymerase beta ($pol{\beta}$) is a key enzyme in the base excision repair pathway. It is 39kDa protein, with two subunits, one large subunit of 31 kDa having catalytic activity between exon V to exon XIV, and an 8 kDa smaller subunit having single strand DNA binding activity. Exons V to VII have double strand DNA binding activity, whereas exons VIII to XI account for the nucleotidyl transferase activity and exons XII to XIV the dNTP selection activity. Aim: To examine the association between $pol{\beta}$ polymorphisms and the risk of ovarian cancer, the present case control study was performed using 152 cancer samples and non-metastatic normal samples from the same patients. In this study, mutational analysis of $pol{\beta}$ genomic DNA was undertaken using primers from exons IX to XIV - the portion having catalytic activity. Results: We detected alteration in DNA polymerase beta by SSCP. Two specific heterozygous point mutations of $pol{\beta}$ were identified in Exon 9:486, A->C (polymorphism 1; 11.18%) and in Exon 11:676, A->C (polymorphism 2; 9.86%). The correlation study involving polymorphism 1 and 4 types of tissue showed a significant correlation between mucinous type with a Pearson correlation value of 4.03 (p=0.04). The association among polymorphism 2 with serous type and stage IV together have shown Pearson ${\chi}^2$ value of 3.28 with likelihood ratio of 4.4 (p=0.07) with OR =2.08 (0.3-14.55). This indicates that there is a tendency of correlation among polymorphism 2, serous type and stage IV, indicating a risk factor for ovarian cancer. Conclusion: Hence, the results indicate that there is a tendency for $pol{\beta}$ polymorphisms being a risk factor for ovarian carcinogenesis in India.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.142-147
• /
• 2008

We recently used degenerate PCR and locus-specific PCR methods to identify the endogenous retroviruses (ERV) in the bovine genome. Using the ovine ERV classification system, the bovine ERVs (BERVs) could be classified into four families. Here, we searched the most recently released bovine genome database with the partial nucleotide sequence of the pro/pol region of the BERV ${\beta}3$ family. This allowed us to obtain and analyze the complete genome of BERV ${\beta}3$. The BERV ${\beta}3$ genome is 7666 nucleotides long and has the typical retroviral organization, namely, 5'-long terminal repeat (LTR)-gag-pro-pol-env-LTR-3'. The deduced open reading frames for gag, pro, pol and env of BERV ${\beta}3$ en- code 507, 271, 879 and 603 amino acids, respectively. BERV ${\beta}3$ showed little amino acid similarity to other betaretroviruses. Phylogenetic analysis showed that it clusters with HERV-K. This is the first report describing the genetic structure and sequence of an entire BERV.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2009

Human genomic DNA is continuously attacked by oxygen radicals originated from cellular metabolic processes and numerous environmental carcinogens. 2-deoxyribonolactone (dL) is a major type of oxidized abasic (AP) lesion implicated in DNA strand scission, mutagenesis, and formation of covalent DNA-protein crosslink (DPC) with DNA polymerase (Pol) ${\beta}$. We show here that human DNA polymerase (Pol)${\iota}$ and mitochondrial $Pol{\gamma}$ give rise to stable DNA-protein crosslink (DPC) formation that is specifically mediated by dL lesion. $Pol{\gamma}$ mediates DPC formation at the incised dL residue by its 5'-deoxyribose-5-phosphate (dRP) lyase activity, while $Pol{\gamma}$ cross links with dL thorough its intrinsic dRP lyase and AP lyase activities. Reactivity in forming dL-mediated DPC was significantly higher with $Pol{\gamma}$ than with $Pol{\iota}$. DPC formation by $Pol{\gamma}$, however, can be reduced by an accessory factor of $Pol{\gamma}$ holoenzyme that may attenuate deleterious effects of crosslink adducts on mitochondrial DNA. Comparative kinetic analysis of DPC formation showed that the rate of DPC formation with either $Pol{\iota}$ or $Pol{\gamma}$ was lower than that with $Pol{\beta}$. These results revealed that the activity of catalytic lyase in DNA polymerases determine the efficiency of DPC formation with dL damages. Irreversible crosslink formation of such DNA polymerases by dL lesions may result in a prolonged strand scission and a suicide of DNA repair proteins, both of which could pose a threat to the genetic and structural integrity of DNA.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.100-105
• /
• 1995

The effects of DNA polymerase $\beta$ on the somatic chromosome mutations and mitotic recombinations were investigated using the transgenic Drosophila beating chimetic gene consisting of a promoter region of Drosophila actin 5C gene and rat DNA polymerase $\beta$. For detecting the somatic chromosome mutations and mitotic recombinations, the heterozygous (mwh/+) strains possessing or lacking transgene poi 13 were used. The spontaneous frequency of small mwh spots, due to deletion or nondisjunction etc., in the non-transgenic w strain and the transgenic p[pol $\beta$]-130 strain was 0.351 and 0.606, respectively. The spontaneous frequency (0.063) of large mwh spots, arises mostly from somatic recombination between the centromere and the locus mwh, in the transgenic p[pol $\beta$]-130 strain was about three times higher than that (0.021) of the non-transgenic w strain. The mutant clone frequencies of small and large mwh spots induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and ethyl methanesulfonate in the transformant p[pol $\beta$]-130 were higher than those in the host strain w. The present results suggest that rat DNA polymerase $\beta$ participate at least in the somatic chromosome mutations and mitotic recombination processes.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.18
• /
• pp.8177-8186
• /
• 2016

The present study was aimed at determining the effects of alkylating and oxidative stress inducing agents on a newly identified variant of DNA polymerase beta ($pol{\beta}{\Delta}_{208-304}$) specific for ovarian cancer. $Pol{\beta}{\Delta}_{208-304}$ has a deletion of exons 11-13 which lie in the catalytic part of enzyme. We compared the effect of these chemicals on HeLa cells and HeLa cells stably transfected with this variant cloned into in pcDNAI/neo vector by MTT, colony forming and apoptosis assays. $Pol{\beta}{\Delta}_{208-304}$ cells exhibited greater sensitivity to an alkylating agent and less sensitivity towards $H_2O_2$ and UV when compared with HeLa cells alone. It has been shown that cell death in $Pol{\beta}{\Delta}_{208-304}$ transfected HeLa cells is mediated by the caspase 9 cascade. Exon 11 has nucleotidyl selection activity, while exons 12 and 13 have dNTP selection activity. Hence deletion of this part may affect polymerizing activity although single strand binding and double strand binding activity may remain same. The lack of this part may adversely affect catalytic activity of DNA polymerase beta so that the variant may act as a dominant negative mutant. This would represent clinical significance if translated into a clinical setting because resistance to radiation or chemotherapy during the relapse of the disease could be potentially overcome by this approach.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.8
• /
• pp.4183-4186
• /
• 2012

Background: Ovarian cancer is the number one killer among all the gynecological cancers. We undertook association study to identify potential alterations in the genomic DNA of a DNA repair gene, DNA polymerase beta ($pol{\beta}$), involved in base excision repair (BER), in ovarian carcinomas of patients from Haldia, India. Mutations, splice variants have been reported earlier in different tumors other than ovarian tumors. Aim: In this study we explored the possibility of association of any mutation of $pol{\beta}$ (Exon 8) with prognosis in 152 ovarian cancer samples. Results: Alteration in the exon 8 region (Exon 8:468, $A{\rightarrow}C$; 15.1%) was noted among fifty seven polymorphism positive samples. Alteration in the intervening sequence 8 (IVS8, -25, $A{\rightarrow}C$; 3.9%) was also noted. All alterations are heterozygous in nature. Conclusions: We found no significant association among the samples from serous type, stage IV, and the $pol{\beta}$ mutations ($P{\leq}0.01$). Only a slight tendency of association was evident between IVS8, -25, A to C; and stage III. Further analysis with a larger number of samples is needed.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.79-85
• /
• 2005

Oxidized abasic residues arise as a major class of DNA damage by a variety of agents involving free radical attack and oxidation of deoxyribose sugar components. 2-deoxyribonolactone (dL) is a C1'-oxidized abasic lesion implicated in DNA strand scission, mutagenesis, and covalent DNA-protein cross-link (DPC). We show here that mammalian cell-free extract give rise to stable DPC formation that is specifically mediated by dL residue. When a duplex DNA containing dL at the site-specific position was incubated with cell-free extracts of Po ${\beta}-proficient$ and -deficient mouse embryonic fibroblast cells, the formation of major dL-mediated DPC was dependent on the presence of DNA polymerase (Pol) ${\beta}$. Formation of dL-specific DPC was also observed with histones and FEN1 nuclease, although the reactivity in forming dL-mediated DPC was significantly higher with Pol ${\beta}$ than with histones or FEN1. DNA repair assay with a defined DPC revealed that the dL lesion once cross-linked with Pol ${\beta}$ was resistant to nucleotide excision repair activity of cell-free extract. Analysis of nucleotide excision repair utilizing a model DNA substrate containing a (6-4) photoproduct suggested that excision process for DPC was inhibited because of DNA single-strand incision at 5' of the lesion. Consequently DPC mediated by dL lesion may not be readily repaired by DNA excision repair pathway but instead function as unusual DNA damage causing a prolonged DNA strand break and trapping of the major base excision repair enzyme.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.5
• /
• pp.1999-2002
• /
• 2012

Background: DNA polymerase is a single-copy gene that is considered to be part of the DNA repair machinery in mammalian cells. The encoded enzyme is a key to the base excision repair (BER) pathway. It is evident that pol beta has mutations in various cancer samples, but little is known about ovarian cancer. Aim: Identification of any variant form of $pol{\beta}$ cDNA in ovarian carcinoma and determination of association between the polymorphism and ovarian cancer risk in Indian patients. We used 152 samples to isolate and perform RT-PCR and sequencing. Results: A variant of polymerase beta (deletion of exon 4-6 and 11-13, comprising of amino acid 63-123, and 208-304) is detected in heterozygous condition. The product size of this variant is 532 bp while wild type pol beta is 1 kb. Our study of association between the variant and the endometrioid type shows that it is a statistically significant factor for ovarian cancer [OR=31.9 (4.12-246.25) with p<0.001]. The association between variant and stage IV patients further indicated risk (${\chi}^2$ value of 29.7, and OR value 6.77 with 95% CI values 3.3-13.86). The correlation study also confirms the association data (Pearson correlation values for variant/stage IV and variant/endometrioid of 0.44 and 0.39). Conclusion: Individuals from this part of India with this type of variant may be at risk of stage IV, endometrioid type ovarian carcinoma.