• BMB Reports
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• 제43권3호
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• pp.205-211
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• 2010

Sprouty (Spry) proteins have previously been suggested as negative regulators of the MAPK pathway through interaction with Raf-1. However, the molecular basis of this inhibition has not been elucidated. In this study, we used cells expressing FLAGtagged Raf-1 with point mutations at known phosphorylation sites to reveal that activation of Raf-1 mutants does not correlate with their degree of interaction with Spry2. The association of Raf-1 with Spry2 in intact cells was further corroborated by immunofluorescence colocalization. Additionally, there was no significant change observed in the strength of interaction between Raf-1 mutants and Spry2 after paclitaxel treatment despite differences in the activation levels of these mutants. Thus, our study provides the evidence that Spry2 does not directly regulate Raf-1 kinase activity, but instead acts as a scaffolding protein that assists interactions between Raf-1 kinase and its direct regulators.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• 제21권8호
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• pp.22.1-22.7
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• 2018

Background: Apoptosis is a process of programmed cell death, and apoptosis defect results in serious diseases such as cancer. Apoptosis induction is one of the key mechanisms of anti-cancer agents. This study was aimed to find anti-prostate cancer compounds from marine-derived fungus Microsporum sp. Results: We found that physcion isolated from the fermentation broth extract of the marine fungus Microsporum sp. strain MFS-YL decreases the cell proliferation of PC3 human prostate cancer cells. Physcion induced cell apoptosis as determined by Annexin V/propidium iodide double staining. Physcion downregulated the anti-apopotoic proteins such as Ras, Bcl-xL, and Bcl-2, whereas upregulated the pro-apoptotic Bax. Physcion also activated caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9. Conclusion: These results suggest that physcion from Microsporum sp. inhibits the proliferation of PC3 human prostate cancer cells via the pathway leading to apoptotic cell death. Physcion may be a potential candidate in the field of anticancer drug discovery against human prostate cancer.

• 대한핵의학회지
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.1-10
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• 1999

Cancer cells are known to show increased rates of glycolysis metabolism. Based on this, PET studies using F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose have been used for the detection of primary and metastatic tumors. To account for this increased glucose uptake, a variety of mechanisms has been proposed. Glucose influx across the cell membrane is mediated by a family of structurally related proteins known as glucose transporters (Gluts). Among 6 isoforms of Gluts, Glut-1 and/or Glut-3 have been reported to show increased expression in various tumors. Increased level of Glut mRNA transcription is supposed to be the basic mechanism of Glut overexpression at the protein level. Some oncogens such as src or ras intensely stimulate Glut-1 by means of increased Glut-1 mRNA levels. Hexokinase activity is another important factor in glucose uptake in cancer cells. Especially hexokinase type II is considered to be involved in glycolysis of cancer cells. Much of the hexokinase of tumor cells is bound to outer membrane of mitochondria by the porin, a hexokinase receptor. Through this interaction, hexokinase may gain preferred access to ATP synthesized via oxidative phosphorylation in the inner mitochondria compartment. Other biologic factors such as tumor blood flow, blood volume, hypoxia, and infiltrating cells in tumor tissue are involved. Relative hypoxia may activate the anaerobic glycotytic pathway. Surrounding macrophages and newly formed granulation tissue in tumor showed greater glucose uptake than did viable cancer cells. To expand the application of FDG PET in oncology, it is important for nuclear medicine physicians to understand the related mechanisms of glucose uptake in cancer tissue.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.57-66
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• 2010

Programmed cell death systems are important for an active type of cell deaths. Among them, a type of programmed cell death, autophagy is activated in cancer cells in response to multiple stresses and has been demonstrated to promote tumor cell survival and drug resistance. Thus, in the area of cancer, over the time frame form around the 1940s to date, of the 155 small molecules, 73% are other than "synthetic", with 47% actually being either "natural products" or "directly derived therefrom". Autophagy has multiple physiological functions in multicellular organisms, including protein degradation and organelle turnover. Genes and proteins that constitute the basic machinery of the autophagic process were first identified in the yeast system and some of their mammalian orthologues have been characterized as well. Numerous oncogenes, including Akt1, Bcl-2, NF1, PDPK1, class I PI3K, PTEN, and Ras and oncosuppressors, inculuding Bec-1, Bif-1, DAPK-1, p53 and UVRAG suppress or promote the autophagy pathway. Regulation of autophagy in tumors is governed by similar principles of the normal cells, only in a much more complicated manner, given the frequently observed abnormal PI3K activation in cancer and the multitude of interactions between the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and other cell signaling cascades, often also deregulated in tumor cells. Autophagy induction by some anticancer agents underlines the potential utility of its induction as a new cancer treatment modality of development for natural medicines.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.175-185
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• 1996

모든 진핵세포에 존재하며 세포의 성장 및 분화에 주로 관계되는 신호전달물질의 하나인 Mitogen-activated protein(MAP)kinase의 mitogen에 의한 핵내 활성화와 기질 인산화에 대해 알아보기 위해 본 실험을 수행하였다. P388세포를 10% fetal bovine serum이 첨가된 DMEM배지에 배양한 후, 혈청이 들어있지 않은 배지에서 24시간 더 배양하고 serum 및 PMA를 농도별로 처리하여 세포성 장을 위한 최적 농도를 확인한 결과 serum은 5-20% 농도에서 세포성장을 촉진시켰고 PMA는 실험한 모든 농도에서 세포성장을 거의 촉진시키지 못하는 경향을 확인하였다. 이어 P388 세포를 serum 및 PMA로 10 분간 활성화하여 파쇄한후 세포질분획과 핵분획으로 분리하여 각 분획을 10% gel 상에서 전기영동 하여 nitrocellulose paper에 옳긴 후 anti-ERKI antibody를 이용해 확인해본 결과 serum, PMA로 처리된 세포 모두에서 MAP kinase의 핵내 이동이 관찰되었으며 특히 세포질 내에 주로 존재하는 42, 44 Kd의 MAP kinase isoform중 42 Kd의 isoform이 주로 핵내로 이동되는 것이 관찰되었다. MAP kinase의 기질인산화 실험을 위해 serum으로 활성화시킨 세포를 파쇄하여 SP-sephadex C-50, Phenyl superose, Mono Q column의 순서로 chromatography를 시 행하여 MAP kinase를 부분분리 하였다. 이와 같이 얻은 MAP kinase를 가지고 면역 T세포에 존재하는 tyrosine kinase인 $p56^{lck}$ 의 N-terminal peptide로 구성된 GST-fusion protein에 대한 인산화를 확인하였다. 또한 세포에서 분리한 MAP kinase를 가지고 transcription factor의 하나인 c-Jun protein에 대한 인산화실험을 실시한 결과 MAP kinase에 의해 인산화 됨이 확인되었다. 이상의 결과를 통해 P388세포는 (1)세포 성장시 외부 신호를 G-protein-coupled receptor/protein kinase C/MAP kinase의 경로보다는 주로 tyrosine kinase receptor protein/Ras/MAP kinase의 경로를 이용하여 핵으로 전달하는 것으로 추측되 며 (2) mitogen의 처리로 활성화된 MAP kinase중 주로 42 Kd isoform이 핵내로 이동하고, 분리한 MAP kinase가 GST-fusion protein과 transcription factor인 c-Jun을 모두 인산화 시키는 결과로 보아 MAP kinase의 isoform에 따라 표적 compartment가 다르고 결과적으로 표적 기질에 차이가 있을지 모른다고 간접적으로 추론할 수 있다.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.224-234
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• 2006

We employed human SK-MEL-28 cells as a model system to identify cellular proteins that accompany N-(4-methyl)phenyl-O-(4-methoxy)phenyl-thionocarbamate (MMTC)-induced apoptosis based on a proteomic approach. Cell viability tests revealed that SK-MEL-28 skin cancer cells underwent more cell death than normal HaCaT cells in a dose-dependent manner after treatment with MMTC. Two-dimensional electrophoresis in conjunction with matrixassisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry analysis or computer matching with a protein database further revealed that the MMTC-induced apoptosis is accompanied by increased levels of caspase-1, checkpoint suppressor-1, caspase-4, NF-kB inhibitor, AP-2, c-Jun-N-terminal kinase, melanoma inhibitor, granzyme K, G1/S specific cyclin D3, cystein rich protein, Ras-related protein Rab-37 or Ras-related protein Rab-13, and reduced levels of EMS (oncogene), ATP synthase, tyrosine-phosphatase, Cdc25c, 14-3-3 protein or specific structure of nuclear receptor. The migration suppressing effect of MMTC on SK-MEL-28 cell was tested. MMTC suppressed the metastasis of SK-MEL-8 cells. It was also identified that MMTC had little angiogenic effect because it did not suppress the proliferation of HUVEC cell line. These results suggest that MMTC is a novel chemotherapeutic and metastatic agents against the SK-MEL-28 human melanoma cell line.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권13호
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• pp.5437-5442
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• 2014

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most malignancies with a poor prognosis. The phospholipase $C{\varepsilon}$ gene (PLCE1) encodes a novel ras-related protein effector mediating the effects of R-Ras on the actin cytoskeleton and membrane protrusion. However, molecular mechanisms pertinent to ESCC are unclear. We therefore designed PLCE1-special small interfering RNA and transfected to esophageal squamous cell (EC) 9706 cells to investigat the effects of PLCE1 gene silencing on the cell cycle and apoptosis of ESCC and indicate its important role in the development of ESCC. Esophageal cancer tissue specimens and normal esophageal mucosa were obtained and assayed by immunohistochemical staining to confirm overexpression of PLCE1 in neoplasias. Fluorescence microscopy was used to examine transfection efficiency, while the result of PLCE1 silencing was examined by reverse transcription (RT-PCR). Flow cytometry and annexin V apoptosis assays were used to assess the cell cycle and apoptosis, respectively. Expression of cyclin D1 and caspase-3 was detected by Western-blotting. The level of PLCE1 protein in esophageal cancer tissue was significantly higher than that in normal tissue. After transfection, the expression of PLCE1 mRNA in EC 9706 was significantly reduced, compared with the control group. Furthermore, flow cytometry results suggested that the PLCE1 gene silencing arrested the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase; apoptosis was significantly higher than in the negative control group and mock group. PLCE1 gene silencing by RNAi resulted in decreased expression of cyclin D1 and increased expression of caspase-3. Our study suggests that PLCE1 may be an oncogene and play an important role in esophageal carcinogenesis through regulating proteins which control cell cycling and apoptosis.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제29권7호
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• pp.1303-1310
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• 2008

Inhibitors of farnesyltransferase (FT), a key enzyme in the post-translational modifications of Ras proteins, have been extensively studied as novel anticancer agents in the preclinical stages, some of which are currently in clinical development. Previously, it has been reported that a novel FT inhibitor LB42907 inhibits Ras farnesylation in the nanomolar range in vitro. The aim of this study was to assess the antitumor efficacy of LB42907 in vitro and in vivo. Anchorage-independent growth of various human tumor cell lines was potently inhibited by treatment with LB42907, comparable to other FT inhibitors in clinical development. In the nude mouse, oral administration of LB42907 demonstrated potent antitumor activity in several human tumor xenograft models including bladder, lung and pancreas origin. Interestingly, significant tumor regression in EJ (bladder) and A549 (lung) xenografts was induced by LB42907 treatment. The effectiveness of LB42907 was also investigated in simultaneous combination with paclitaxel, vincristine, cisplatin or gemcitabine against NCI-H460, A549, and HCT116 cells in vitro using median-effect analysis. LB42907 markedly synergized with most anticancer drugs tested in this study in NCI-H460 cell. In contrast, LB42907 displayed antagonism or partial synergism with these drugs in A549 and HCT116 cells, depending on the class of combined drugs and/ or the level of cytotoxicity. Our results demonstrate that LB42907 is an effective antitumor agent in vitro and in vivo and combination of LB42907 with other chemotherapeutic drugs results in synergistic or antagonistic effects mainly in a cell line-dependent manner. Further preclinical study is warranted.

• BMB Reports
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• 제43권7호
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• pp.485-490
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• 2010

Neurotrophins regulate many aspects of neuronal function through activation of the high affinity Trk receptors. Shc family proteins are implicated in the coupling of RTK to the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling cascade. Here we report that the fourth Shc family member, ShcD, associates with TrkB receptor and regulates BDNF-induced MAPK activation. Yeast two-hybrid assay and Co-IP experiments demonstrate ShcD interacts with TrkB in a kinase-activity-dependent manner. Confocal analysis shows ShcD cololizes well with TrkB in transfected 293T cells. Subsequent mapping experiments and mutational analysis indicate that both PTB and SH2 domains are capable of binding to TrkB and PTB domain binds to TrkB NPQY motif. Furthermore, ShcD is involved in BDNF-induced MAPK activation. In summary, we demonstrate that ShcD is a substrate of TrkB and mediates TrkB downstream signaling pathway.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제25권5호
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• pp.561-571
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• 2002

The action mechanisms of several chemopreventive agents derived from herbal medicine and edible plants have become attractive issues in cancer research. Tea is the most widely consumed beverage worldwide. Recently, the cancer chemopreventive actions of tea have been intensively investigated. It have been demonstrated that the active principles of tea were attributed to their tea polyphenols. Recently, tremendous progress has been made in elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cancer chemoprevention by tea and tea polyphenols. The suppression of various tumor biomarkers including growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases, cytokine receptor kinases, P13K, phosphatases, ras, raf, MAPK cascades, NㆍFB, IㆍB kinase, PKA, PKB, PKC, c-jun, c-fos, c-myc, cdks, cyclins, and related transducing proteins by tea polyphenols has been studied in our laboratory and others. The IㆍB kinase (IKK) activity in LPS-activated murine macrophages (RAW 264.7 cells) was found to be inhibited by various tea polyphenols including (-) epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), theaflavin (TF-1), theaflavin-3-gal-late (TF-2) and theaflavin-3,3'-digallate (TF-3). TF-3 inhibited IKK activity in activated macrophages more strongly than did the other tea polyphenols. TF-3 inhibited both IKK1 and IKK2 activity and prevented the degradation of IㆍBㆍand IㆍBㆍin activated macrophage cells. The results suggested that the inhibition of IKK activity by TF-3 and other tea polyphenols could occur by a direct effect on IKKs or on upstream events in the signal transduction pathway. TF-3 and other tea polyphenols blocked phosphorylation of IB from the cytosolic fraction, inhibited NFB activity and inhibited increases in inducible nitric oxide synthase levels in activated macrophage. TF-3 and other tea polyphenols also inhibited strongly the activities of xanthine oxidase, cyclooxygenase, EGF-receptor tyrosine kinase and protein kinase C. These results suggest that TF-3 and other tea polyphenols may exert their cancer chemoprevention through suppressing tumor promotion and inflammation by blocking signal transduction. The mechanisms of this inhibition may be due to the blockade of the mitogenic and differentiating signals through modulating EGFR function, MAPK cascades, NFkB activation as wll as c-myc, c-jun and c-fos expression.