• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.8
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• pp.411-416
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• 2017

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane protein complex subunit 6 (EMC6) is a novel human autophagy-related molecule. Here, using tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry, we report that EMC6 protein is lost or reduced in glandular cells of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma, compared to normal stomach mucosa. Overexpression of EMC6 in gastric cancer cells inhibited cell growth, migration, invasion, and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at S-phase. Further investigation suggested that EMC6 overexpression in BGC823 human adenocarcinoma gastric cancer cells reduced tumorigenicity in a xenograft model, demonstrating that EMC6 has the characteristics of a tumor suppressor. This is the first study to show that EMC6 induces cell death in gastric cancer cells. The molecular mechanism of how EMC6 functions as a tumor suppressor needs to be further explored.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.81-87
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• 2015

In order to effectively protect electrical and electronic circuits which are extremely susceptible to lightning surges, multi-stage surge protection circuits are required. This paper presents the operational characteristics of the two-stage hybrid surge protection circuit in extra-low voltage DC power lines. The hybrid surge protective device consists of the gas discharge tube, transient voltage suppressor, and series inductor. The response characteristics of the proposed hybrid surge protective device to combination waves were investigated. As a result, the proposed two-stage surge protective device to combination wave provides the tight clamping level of less than 50V. The firing of the gas discharge tube to lightning surges depends on the de-coupling inductance and the rate-of-change of the current flowing through the transient voltage suppressor. The coordination between the upstream and downstream components of the hybrid surge protective device was satisfactorily achieved. The inductance of a de-coupler in surge protective circuits for low-voltage DC power lines, relative to a resistance, is sufficiently effective. The voltage drop and power loss due to the proposed surge protective device are ignored during normal operation of the systems.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.261-265
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• 2011

Parkin is a putative tumor suppressor protein and its expression is frequently reduced or absent in several types of tumors. In this study, we examined the role of Parkin in mRNA expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) in the breast cancer cell line MCF7. Expression of MCP-1 mRNA increased after TNF-${\alpha}$ treatment. However, overexpression of Parkin induced a decrease in expression of MCP-1 mRNA in TNF-${\alpha}$-stimulated MCF7. This decrease in MCP-1 mRNA by Parkin overexpression occurred in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Using a wound scratch assay, we found that Parkin overexpression in MCF7 cells also resulted in a decrease in cell migration. These results suggest that Parkin down-regulates MCP-1 synthesis leading to decreased migration of tumor cells. We suggest that one possible mechanism by which Parkin acts as a tumor suppressor is by inhibiting migration or metastasis of cancer cells.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.161-168
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• 2016

Abnormal localization of tumor suppressor proteins is a common feature of renal cancer. Nuclear export of these tumor suppressor proteins is mediated by chromosome region maintenance-1 (CRM1). Here, we investigated the antitumor effects of a novel reversible inhibitor of CRM1 on renal cancer cells. We found that S109 inhibits the CRM1-mediated nuclear export of RanBP1 and reduces protein levels of CRM1. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of S109 on CRM1 is reversible. Our data demonstrated that S109 significantly inhibits proliferation and colony formation of renal cancer cells. Cell cycle assay showed that S109 induced G1-phase arrest, followed by the reduction of Cyclin D1 and increased expression of p53 and p21. We also found that S109 induces nuclear accumulation of tumor suppressor proteins, Foxo1 and p27. Most importantly, mutation of CRM1 at Cys528 position abolished the effects of S109. Taken together, our results indicate that CRM1 is a therapeutic target in renal cancer and the novel reversible CRM1 inhibitor S109 can act as a promising candidate for renal cancer therapy.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.139-143
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• 2006

Jopock (Jpk) has previously been ascertained that induces both bacterial and mammalian cell death. The Escherichia coli cells expressing Glutathion S-transferase (GST) fused Jpk showed elongated phenotype and inhibited cell growth which led eventual cell death. In an attempt to search the genetic suppressor of the lethal protein Jpk in bacterial cells, we constructed a unidirectional protein expression vector inserting tac promoter next to the C-terminus Jpk in pGEX-Jpk. The function of additional tac promoter was confirmed by substituting lac promoter in Plac-TOPO plasmid. The cells harboring plac- TOPO, which regulates $lacZ{\alpha}$ gene expression under lac promoter, formed blue colonies in 5-bromo-4-3 $indolyo-{\beta}-D-galactoside$ (X-gal) plate. When lac promoter was changed to tac promoter, same results were observed. Since the addition of tac promoter did not affect the toxic effect of Jpk, the pGEX-Jpk-ptac could be a useful vector for the screening of suppressor(s) for Jpk, in which GST-Jpk and a putative Jpk-suppressing protein are coexpressing from two unidirectional tac promoters, which response to the same inducer, $isopropyl-{\beta}-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG)$.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.48-52
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• 1998

$p16^{INK4}$, which is a 16-kDa polypeptide protein, inhibits the catalytic activity of the CDK4-cyclinD complex to suppress rumor growth. Both unlabeled and isotope-labeled human tumor suppressor $p16^{INK4}$ protein were overexpressed and purified to characterize biochemical and structural properties. The purified p16 binds to monomeric GST-CDK4 and exists in a monomer conformation for several weeks at $4^{\circ}C$. The circular dichroism (CD) data indicates that p16 contains high percentage of ${\alpha}$-helix and that the helix percentage maximized at pH value of 7.0. One-and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data suggest that purified p16 from our construct has a unique folded conformation under our experimental conditions and exhibits quite stable conformational characteristics.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2020

Radiotherapy (RT) has been used for decades as one of the main treatment modalities for cancer patients. The therapeutic effect of RT has been primarily ascribed to DNA damage leading to tumor cell death. Besides direct tumoricidal effect, RT affects antitumor responses through immune-mediated mechanism, which provides a rationale for combining RT and immunotherapy for cancer treatment. Thus far, for the combined treatment with RT, numerous studies have focused on the immune checkpoint inhibitors and have shown promising results. However, treatment resistance is still common, and one of the main resistance mechanisms is thought to be due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment where myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play a crucial role. MDSCs are immature myeloid cells with a strong immunosuppressive activity. MDSC frequency is correlated with tumor progression, recurrence, negative clinical outcome, and reduced efficacy of immunotherapy. Therefore, increasing efforts to target MDSCs have been made to overcome the resistance in cancer treatments. In this review, we focus on the role of MDSCs in RT and highlight growing evidence for targeting MDSCs in combination with RT to improve cancer treatment.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.61-65
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• 1997

A novel strategy was developed for isolating suppressors from sporulation-deficient mutants. The mutation in the BCY1 gene, which codes for the regulatory subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, when homozygous, results in diploids being meiosis and sporulation deficient. Two plasmids, YCp-MAT.alpha. and YEp-SPOT7-lacZ, were introduced into MAT.alpha. BCY1$\^$+/ or MAT.alpha. bcy1 haploid cells. The transformant of the BCY1$\^$+/ haploid cell produced .betha.-galactosidase under nutrient starvation, but the bcy1 transformant did not. Using this system, the mutagenesis experiment performed on the bcy1 transformant strain resulted in a number of sporulation mutants that produced .betha.-galactosidase under nutrient starvation. One complementation group, sob1, was identified from the isoalted suppressor mutants and characterized as a single recessive mutation by tetrad analysis. Genetic analysis revealed that the sob1 mutation suppressed the sporulation deficiency, the failure to arrest at the G1 phase of the cell cecle, and the sensitivity to heat or nitrogen starvation caused by the bcy1 mutation. However, the sob1 mutation did not suppress the sporulation deficiency of ime1 and of ime2 diploids. These results suggest that the sob1 mutation affects a gene which functions as a downstream regulator in both meiosis and cell cycle regulation.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 1993

Immune functions of mice bearing Lewis Lung Carcinoma (LLC) were significantly suppressed when evaluated with mitogen responsiveness, IL-2 production and non-specific suppressor activity. Based on these immunosuppressive characteristics of LLC bearing mice, immunomodulating activates of Copolang were investigated in this model. After 15 days of LLC inoculation, Copolang was intraperitoneally administered for 7 consecutive days with doses of 20 or 200 mg/kg. Immune functions were evaluated 3 days after the final administration of Copolang. The results showed that the growth of LLC solid tumor was not inhibited by Copolang. But, mitogens-induced proliferation, IL-2 production and responsiveness to recombinant IL-2 of splenocytes were significantly augmented by the treatment of Copolang. However suppressor cell activity was not affected by Copolang. These results indicate that Copolang expresses potent immunomodulating activates through the augmentations of IL-2 production and responsiveness to recombinant IL-2, which have been generally known to be suppressed in tumor bearing mice, without affecting the growth of tumor.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2020

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are immature myeloid cells that exert suppressive function on the immune response. MDSCs expand in tumor-bearing hosts or in the tumor microenvironment and suppress T cell responses via various mechanisms, whereas a reduction in their activities has been observed in autoimmune diseases or infections. It has been reported that the symptoms of various diseases, including malignant tumors, can be alleviated by targeting MDSCs. Moreover, MDSCs can contribute to patient resistance to therapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors. In line with these therapeutic approaches, diverse oligonucleotide-based molecules and small molecules have been evaluated for their therapeutic efficacy in several disease models via the modulation of MDSC activity. In the current review, MDSC-targeting oligonucleotides and small molecules are briefly summarized, and we highlight the immunomodulatory effects on MDSCs in a variety of disease models and the application of MDSC-targeting molecules for immuno-oncologic therapy.