• BMB Reports
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.22-26
• /
• 1996

Agents that activate or inhibit the $Ca^{2+}$ release channel in cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) were tested for their abilities to affect the activity of the SR $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase. Vesicles of junctional SR (heavy SR, HSR) from terminal cisternae were prepared from porcine cardiac muscle by density gradient centrifugation. The steady-state activity of $Ca^{2+}$-ATPases in intact HSR vesicles was/$347{\pm}5\;nmol/min{\cdot}mg$ protein (${\pm}$ SD). When the HSR vesicles were made leaky, the activity was increased to $415{\pm}5\;nmol/min{\cdot}mg$ protein. This increase is probably due to the uncoupling of HSR vesicles. Caffeine (10 mM), an agonist of the SR $Ca^{2+}$ release channel, increased $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase activity in the intact HSR vesicle preparation to $394{\pm}30\;nmol/min{\cdot}mg$ protein. However, caffeine had no significant effect in the leaky vesicle preparation and in the purified $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase preparation. The effect of caffeine on SR $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase was investigated at various concentrations of $Ca^{2+}$. Caffeine increased the pump activity over the whole range of $Ca^{2+}$ concentrations, from $1\;{\mu}M$ to $250\;{\mu}M$, in the intact HSR vesicles. When the SR $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase was inhibited by thapsigargin, no caffeine effect was observed. These results imply that the caffeine effect requires the intact vesicles and that the increase in $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase activity is not due to a direct interaction of caffeine with the enzyme. We propose that the activity of SR $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase is linked indirectly to the activity of the $Ca^{2+}$ release channel (ryanodine receptor) and may depend upon the amount of $Ca^{2+}$ released by the channels.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.408-421
• /
• 2000

We tried to establish the culture method of the chondrocyte isolated from the epiphyseal cartilage and to investigate morphological changes of chondrocyte cultured with enzyme-digested costal cartilage, the perichondrium and experimentally damaged meniscus of rabbit. De novo chondrocyte pellets were prepared from epiphyseal plates by culturing isolated epiphyseal chondrocytes from 4 week. old rabbits. We morphologically assessed the cartilage formation of the chondrocyte culture with enzyme-digested costal carilage, the perichondrial culture, the cultured chondrocytes transplants into experimentally damaged meniscus of rabbits, the perichondrial culture, the cultured chondrocytes transplants into experimentally damaged meniscus of rabbit. In the 24 days, the epiphyseal chondrocytes maintained the typical phenotypes of the partial nodular cell formation. The 30 days cryopreserved chondrocytes showed abnormal and irregular shape. In the type II collagen added culture, the chondrocytes showed expanded rough endoplasmic reticulum and small and large round-like vesicles of processes. In the type IV collagen added culture, the chondrocytes showed large perinuclear vaculoes and abundant well-developed rough endoplasmic reticulum of processes. In the culture with enzyme- digested costal cartilage and the perichondrial culture, the chondrocytes showed a few swelling rough endoplasmic reticulum and vacuoles. The cultured epiphyseal chondrocytes maintained typical phenotype and the chondrocytes were grown faster and maintained more typical phenotype in the type II and IV collagen added culture. The transformed chondrocytes secreted abundant extracellular matrix in the type II collagen added culture, and showed processes in the type IV collagen added culture. The perichondrial chondrocytes were grown faster and their implants were able to transplant. The cultured chondrocytes transplanted into experimentally damaged meniscus were adapted between the meniscus tissues. And the immunocyto-chemical reaction of the type II collagen of the chondrocytes were found to be maintained. The chondrocytes cultured cartilage. The chondrocytes secreted abundantly. The cultured chondrocytes transplanted into experimentally damaged meniscus changed immature cells into enlarged mature cells with extracellular secretion.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.388-394
• /
• 1995

We investigated ultrastuctural change of small intestinal mucosal epithelial cell, columnar cell and mucous cell, of hibernating ground squirrel during activating and hibernating stages. In active columnar cells, many mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum were observed. In hibernating columnar cells, more free nhosome than rough endoplasmic reticulum were observed. In active mucous cells, large and many mucosal granules, mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum were observed. Mucosal granules have been secreted excellently. In hibernating mucous cells, small and little mucosal granules and many free ribosome were observed.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.613-615
• /
• 2011

ERp29 is a endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumenal resident protein that shows sequence similarity to the protein disulfide isomerase family. Its biological function is thought to play a role in the processing of secretory proteins within the ER, possibly by participating in the folding of proteins in the ER. Although some data on ERp29 have been reported, its normal functions are still unclear. To gain insights into the function of ERp29, we identified ARF5 protein as a protein that interacts with ERp29 using yeast two-hybrid screening and GST pull-down assay. Interaction between ERp29 and ARF5 was detected under normal cell conditions but not under ER stress conditions. This result may provide a clue for understanding ERp29 biological functions.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.274-283
• /
• 1996

In this study, the effects of red ginseng components [ginsenosides (total saponins and $Rg_1$) on the function of ryanodine receptor (RyR) -$Ca^{2+}$ release channel complex protein (named as RyR or $Ca^{2+}$ channel), a membrane protein in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of rabbit skeletal muscle were examined at the SR vesicle's level and the molecular levels with Chaps-solubilized and purified $Ca^{2+}$ channel protein and with reconstituted proteoliposomes by dialysis. The results were as follows. 1. The binding of ryanodine known as inhibitor of muscle contraction to the RyR was decreased at the whole range of concentration ($10^2$~$10^7$%) by these two ginseng components. In heavy SR vesicles, Chaps-solubilized and purified $Ca^{2+}$ channel protein, and reconstituted vesicles, its maximal inhibition by total saponins was shown at the concentration of $10^3$, $10^3$%, and $10^5$% respectively, and by gin- senoside $Rg_1}$) each was $10^3$%, $10^3$%, and $10^4$%. 2. The release of $Ca^{2+}$ ion through $Ca^{2+}$ channel in heavy SR vesicles and reconstituted proteoliposomes was increased as a whole by these two ginseng components, and particularly maximal release by both of them was shown at the range of $10^4$~$10^6$%. These results were seemed to be caused by conformational change of $Ca^{2+}$ release channel protein (RyR) by red ginseng components [ginsenosides (total saponins and $Rg_1}$).

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.150-156
• /
• 2000

This experiment was performed to evaluate the effect of TSH (thyroid-stimulating) on the ERp29 (endoplasmic reticulum resident 29 kDa protein) gene expression in the rat thyrocytes of FRTL-5 cells. Although ERp29 mRNA was constantly expressed, its expression began to increase remarkably from 10-9 M TSH. and its maximum expression was at 5×10-9 M TSH (about 3.5 fold). On the other hand, the effect of TSH on the abundance of ERp29 mRNA started within 6 h, and peaked at 8 h (about 2.5 fold). Actinomycin D (transcription inhibitor) strongly blocked this effect while cycloheximide (translation inhibitor) did not. The half-life of ERp29 mRNA was about 4.5 h in the presence or absence of TSH that was not affected by the stability of ERp29 mRNA. The effect of TSH on the ERp29 gene expression was specific, while other growth factors (transfferin, insulin, and hydrocortisone) did not alter its expression. Our data indicate for the first time that the expression of ERp29 is regulated transcriptionally by TSH in the thyrocytes.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.17 no.6 s.86
• /
• pp.847-858
• /
• 2007

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an important intracellular organelle for folding and maturation of newly synthesized transmembrane and secretory proteins. The ER provides stringent quality control systems to ensure that only correctly folded proteins exit the ER and unfolded or misfolded proteins are retained and ultimately degraded. The ER has evolved stress response both signaling pathways the unfolded protein response (UPR) to cope with the accmulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins and ER overload response (EOR). Accumulating evidence suggests that, in addition to responsibility for protein processing, ER is also an important signaling compartment and a sensor of cellular stress. In this respect, production of bio-functional recombinant-proteins requires efficient functioning of the ER secretory pathway in host cells. This review briefly summarizes our understanding of the ER signaling developed in the recent years to help of the secretion capacities of recombinant cells.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.145-150
• /
• 2015

Continuous intra- and extracellular stresses induce disorder of $Ca^{2+}$ homeostasis and accumulation of unfolded protein in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which results in ER stress. Severe long-term ER stress triggers apoptosis signaling pathways, resulting in cell death. Neural epidermal growth factor-like like protein 2 (NELL2) has been reported to be important in protection of cells from cell death-inducing environments. In this study, we investigated the cytoprotective effect of NELL2 in the context of ER stress induced by thapsigargin, a strong ER stress inducer, in Cos7 cells. Overexpression of NELL2 prevented ER stress-mediated apoptosis by decreasing expression of ER stress-induced C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) and increasing ER chaperones. In this context, expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL was increased by NELL2, whereas NELL2 decreased expression of pro-apoptotic proteins, such as cleaved caspases 3 and 7. This anti-apoptotic effect of NELL2 is likely mediated by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling, because its inhibitor, U0126, inhibited effects of NELL2 on the expression of anti- and pro-apoptotic proteins and on the protection from ER stress-induced cell death.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.10-18
• /
• 1985

The posterior hypothalamus of the hibernating greater horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum korai Kuroda) were observed with an electron microscope. The posterior hypothalamus is known to be closely related to the reflex responses activated by cold, and the following observations were obtained in the cellular type of nerve cells: there are three types of neurons in the posterior hypothalamus. 1. The first type of neuron was the largest, ovoid or conical in shape, the nucleus was elliptic and the nuclear envelope had many deep invaginations. The cell organelles were well developed, in particular there was an abundance of variously shaped mitochondria, and the Golgi complex and the polysomes were observed in the cytoplasm. 2. The second type of neuron was moderate in size, ovoid or elliptic in shape, the nucleus was located nearer to the plasma membrane and the nuclear envelope had. a few invaginations. The cytoplasm was rich in amount compared with that of the third type of neuron, and the cell organelles, especially the rough endoplasmic reticulum were well developed. Also lipofuscin pigments were observed. 3. The third type of neuron was the smallest in size and round in shape. The nucleus and the nucleolus were observed in the central portion of the cell body and the nuclear envelope had a few invaginations. The cytoplasm was small compared with those of the first and second types, but the rough endoplasmic reticulum, the mitechondria and the polysomes were relatively well developed. The cytoplasm was characterized by the presence of membrane-bound small bodies with a single membrane containing a fine particular substance around the rough endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi complexes.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.73-83
• /
• 2018

This study investigates the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and subsequent apoptosis in duced during somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) process of porcine SCNT embryos. Porcine SCNT and in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos were sampled at 3 h and 20 h after SCNT or IVF and at the blastocyst stage for mRNA extraction. The x-box binding protein 1 (Xbp1) mRNA and the expressions of ER stress-associated genes were confirmed by RT-PCR or RT-qPCR. Apoptotic gene expression was analyzed by RT-PCR. Before commencing SCNT, somatic cells treated with tunicamycin (TM), an ER stress inducer, confirmed the splicing of Xbp1 mRNA and increased expressions of ER stress-associated genes. In all the embryonic stages, the SCNT embryos, when compared with the IVF embryos, showed slightly increased expression of spliced Xbp1 (Xbp1s) mRNA and significantly increased expression of ER stress-associated genes (p<0.05). In all stages, apoptotic gene expression was slightly higher in the SCNT embryos, but not significantly different from that of the IVF embryos except for the Bax/Bcl2L1 ratio in the 1-cell stage (p<0.05). The result of this study indicates that excessive ER stress can be induced by the SCNT process, which induce apoptosis of SCNT embryos.