• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.127-132
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• 2010

Phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-triphosphate ($PIP_3$) is a lipid second messenger that employs a wide range of downstream effector proteins for the regulation of cellular processes, including cell survival, polarization and proliferation. One of the most well characterized cytoplasmic targets of $PIP_3$, serine/threonine protein kinase B (PKB)/Akt, promotes cell survival by directly interacting with nucleophosmin (NPM)/B23, the nuclear target of $PIP_3$. Here, we report that nuclear $PIP_3$ competes with Akt to preferentially bind B23 in the nucleoplasm. Mutation of Arg23 and Arg25 in the PH domain of Akt prevents binding to $PIP_3$, but does not disrupt the Akt/B23 interaction. However, treatment with phosphatases PTEN or SHIP abrogates the association between Akt and B23, indicating that nuclear $PIP_3$ regulates the Akt/B23 interaction by controlling the concentration and subcellular dynamics of these two proteins.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2016

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate inhibitory effects of steamed Polygonatum odoratum extract (POE) on insulin resistance in rat skeletal muscle cells, L6 cells.Methods : Polygonatum odoratum (P. odoratum) extract was extracted with ethyl acetate. Activity of α-glucosidase in POE was measured for blood glucose regulation. MTT assay was examined for cell toxicity. Western blot analysis for measurement of adiponectine, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorγ (PPARγ), insulin receptor substrate (IRS), glucose transporter 4 (Glut-4) and phosphorylation of serine/threonine-specific protein kinase (Akt) expressions were performed. Akt signaling pathway were analyzed with LY294002, which is a specific PI3K/Akt inhibitor.Results : The results revealed that POE inhibited α-glucosidase activity. Treatment of POE in L6 cells inhibited the differentiation of L6 cells compared to those of vehicl control. Additionally, protein expressions of adiponectine, PPARγ, IRS and Glut-4 were significantly regulated compared to those of vehicle control (p < 0.05), respectively. Futhermore, phosphorylation of Akt was increased in L6 cells treated with POE compared to that of vehicle control (p < 0.05). pAkt expression was significantly accentuated with Akt inhibitor (LY294002).Conclusions : These results suggest that POE may have potential as a natural agent for prevention/improvement of diabetes, especially, regulation of blood glucose. Therefore, further additional study should be conducted to elucidate in depth the pharmaceutical efficacy of these.

• ALGAE
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.235-244
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• 2017

Freshwater algae living in shallow waters have evolved various photomovement to stay in the optimum light condition for survival. Previous action-spectra investigations showed that Spirogyra filaments have phototropic movement in blue light. To decipher the genetic control of phototropic movement, two phototropin homologues were isolated from Spirogyra varians, and named SvphotA and SvphotB. Both phototropins have similar molecular structure consisted of two light-oxygen-voltage domains (LOV1, LOV2) and a serine / threonine kinase domain. SvphotA and SvphotB had 48.7% sequence identity. Phylogenetic analysis showed SvphotA and SvphotB belong to different clades suggesting early divergence, possibly before the divergence of land plants from the Zygnematales. Quantitative PCR and northern blot analysis showed that SvphotA and SvphotB responded differently to red and blue light. SvphotA was consistently expressed in the dark and in blue light, while SvphotB was expressed only when the plants were exposed to light. When the filaments were exposed to red light, SvphotA was significantly downregulated whereas SvphotB was highly upregulated. These results suggest that the two phototropins may have different roles in the photoresponse in S. varians.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.637-640
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• 1997

Raf-1, a cytoplasmic serine/threonine protein kinase, serves as a central intermediate in many signaling pathways in cell proliferation, differentiation, and development. In this study, we investigated that B-raf, Drosophila homolog of the human c-raf-1, is involved in ultraviolet (UV) responsive events by using hypomorphic mutant $D-raf^{c110}$ and Draf-lacZ transgenic fly. At first, effect of UV damage on the survival of wild-type and $D-raf^{C110}$ strains was examined. In terms of $1/LD_{50}$ value, the relative ratio of UV sensitivities of wild-type versus $D-raf^{C110}$ strain was 1 : 2.2. By using quantitative $\beta$-galactosidase activity analysis, transcriptional activity of the D-raf gene promoter was also examined in UV-irradiated Draf-lacZ transgenic larvae. UV irradiation increased the expression of lacZ reporter gene in Draf-lacZ transgenic fly. However, in $D-raf^{C110}$ strain the transcriptional activity of D-raf gene promoter by UV irradiation was extensively reduced. Results obtained in this study suggest that D-raf plays a role in UV response, leading to better survival of Drosophila to UV damage.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.793-799
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• 2012

A gene related to high pristinamycin yield in Streptomyces pristinaespiralis was selected by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and its functions were investigated by gene disruption. First, a 561 bp polymorphic sequence was acquired by AFLP from high-yield recombinants compared with the S. pristinaespiralis ancestor ATCC25486, indicating that this approach is an effective means of screening for valuable genes responsible for antibiotic yield. Then, a 2,127 bp open reading frame of a gene designated spy1 that overlaps with the above fragment was identified and its structure and biological functions were investigated. In silico analysis of spy1 encoding a deduced 708-amino-acid-long serine/threonine protein kinase showed that it only contains a catalytic domain in the N-terminal region, which is different from some known homologs. Gene inactivation of chromosomal spy1 indicated that it plays a pleiotropic regulatory function in pristinamycin production, with a positive correlation to pristinamycin I biosynthesis and a negative correlation to pristinamycin II biosynthesis.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2016

The serine/threonine kinase mTOR is essential for the phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) signaling pathway, and regulates the development and function of immune cells. Aberrant activation of mTOR signaling pathway is associated with many cancers including leukemia. Here, we report the contributions of mTOR signaling to growth of human leukemic cell lines and mouse T-cell acute leukemia (T-ALL) cells. Torin, an ATP-competitive mTOR inhibitor, was found to have both cytotoxic and cytostatic effects on U-937, THP-1, and RPMI-8226 cells, but not on Jurkat or K-562 cells. All cells were relatively resistant to rapamycin even with suppressed activity of mTOR complex 1. Growth of T-ALL cells induced by Notch1 was profoundly affected by torin partially due to increased expression of Bcl2l11 and Bbc3. Of note, activation of Akt or knockdown of FoxO1 mitigated the effect of mTOR inhibition on T-ALL cells. Our data provide insight on the effect of mTOR inhibitors on the survival and proliferation of leukemic cells, thus further improving our understanding on cell-context-dependent impacts of mTOR signaling. [BMB Reports 2016; 49(1): 63-68]

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.276-282
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• 2007

Protein phosphorylation is one of the major mechanisms by which eukaryotic cells transduce extracellular signals into intracellular responses. Calcium/calmodulin ($Ca^{2+}/CaM$)-dependent protein phosphorylation has been implicated in various cellular processes, yet little is known about $Ca^{2+}/CaM$-dependent protein kinases (CaMKs) in plants. From an Arabidopsis expression library screen using a horseradish peroxidase-conjugated soybean calmodulin isoform (SCaM-1) as a probe, we isolated a full-length cDNA clone that encodes AtCK (Arabidopsis thaliana calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase). The predicted structure of AtCK contains a serine/threonine protein kinase catalytic domain followed by a putative calmodulin-binding domain and a putative $Ca^{2+}$-binding domain. Recombinant AtCK was expressed in E. coli and bound to calmodulin in a $Ca^{2+}$-dependent manner. The ability of CaM to bind to AtCK was confirmed by gel mobility shift and competition assays. AtCK exhibited its highest levels of autophosphorylation in the presence of 3 mM $Mn^{2+}$. The phosphorylation of myelin basic protein (MBP) by AtCK was enhanced when AtCK was under the control of calcium-bound CaM, as previously observed for other $Ca^{2+}/CaM$-dependent protein kinases. In contrast to maize and tobacco CCaMKs (calcium and $Ca^{2+}/CaM$-dependent protein kinase), increasing the concentration of calmodulin to more than $3{\mu}M$ suppressed the phosphorylation activity of AtCK. Taken together our results indicate that AtCK is a novel Arabidopsis $Ca^{2+}/CaM$-dependent protein kinase which is presumably involved in CaM-mediated signaling.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.506-517
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• 2015

Arabidopsis Shaggy-like protein kinases (ASKs) are Arabidopsis thaliana homologs of glycogen synthase kinase 3/SHAGGY-like kinases (GSK3/SGG), which are comprised of 10 genes with diverse functions. To dissect the function of $ASK{\beta}$ (AtSK32), $ASK{\beta}$ antisense transgenic plants were generated, revealing the effects of $ASK{\beta}$ down-regulation in Arabidopsis. Suppression of $ASK{\beta}$ expression specifically interfered with pollen development and fertility without altering the plants' vegetative phenotypes, which differed from the phenotypes reported for Arabidopsis plants defective in other ASK members. The strength of these phenotypes showed an inverse correlation with the expression levels of $ASK{\beta}$ and its co-expressed genes. In the aborted pollen of $ASK{\beta}$ antisense plants, loss of nuclei and shrunken cytoplasm began to appear at the bicellular stage of microgametogenesis. The in silico analysis of promoter and the expression characteristics implicate $ASK{\beta}$ is associated with the expression of genes known to be involved in sperm cell differentiation. We speculate that $ASK{\beta}$ indirectly affects the transcription of its co-expressed genes through the phosphorylation of its target proteins during late pollen development.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.8
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• pp.506-511
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• 2011

Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase and that forms two multiprotein complexes known as the mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2). mTOR regulates cell growth, proliferation and survival. mTORC1 is composed of the mTOR catalytic subunit and three associated proteins: raptor, mLST8/$G{\beta}L$ and PRAS40. mTORC2 contains mTOR, rictor, mLST8/$G{\beta}L$, mSin1, and protor. Here, we discuss mTOR as a promising anti-ischemic agent. It is believed that mTORC2 lies down-stream of Akt and acts as a direct activator of Akt. The different functions of mTOR can be explained by the existence of two distinct mTOR complexes containing unique interacting proteins. The loss of TSC2, which is upstream of mTOR, activates S6K1, promotes cell growth and survival, activates mTOR kinase activities, inhibits mTORC1 and mTORC2 via mTOR inhibitors, and suppresses S6K1 and Akt. Although mTOR signaling pathways are often activated in human diseases, such as cancer, mTOR signaling pathways are deactivated in ischemic diseases. From Drosophila to humans, mTOR is necessary for Ser473 phosphorylation of Akt, and the regulation of Akt-mTOR signaling pathways may have a potential role in ischemic disease. This review evaluates the potential functions of mTOR in ischemic diseases. A novel mTOR-interacting protein deregulates over-expression in ischemic disease, representing a new mechanism for controlling mTOR signaling pathways and potential therapeutic strategies for ischemic diseases.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.11
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• pp.837-846
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• 2017

As a component of the neurovascular unit, cerebral smooth muscle cells (CSMCs) are an important mediator in the development of cerebral vascular diseases such as stroke. Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) are the products of arachidonic acid catalyzed by cytochrome P450 epoxygenase. EETs are shown to exert neuroprotective effects. In this article, the role of EET in the growth and apoptosis of CSMCs and the underlying mechanisms under oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) conditions were addressed. The viability of CMSCs was decreased significantly in the OGD group, while different subtypes of EETs, especially 14,15-EET, could increase the viability of CSMCs under OGD conditions. RAPA (serine/threonine kinase Mammalian Target of Rapamycin), a specific mTOR inhibitor, could elevate the level of oxygen free radicals in CSMCs as well as the anti-apoptotic effects of 14,15-EET under OGD conditions. However, SP600125, a specific JNK (c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase) pathway inhibitor, could attenuate oxygen free radicals levels in CSMCs as well as the anti-apoptotic effects of 14,15-EET under OGD conditions. These results strongly suggest that EETs exert protective functions during the growth and apoptosis of CSMCs, via the JNK/c-Jun and mTOR signaling pathways in vitro. We are the first to disclose the beneficial roles and underlying mechanism of 14,15-EET in CSMC under OGD conditions.