• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.5-9
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• 2011

An alkaloid, 3-methylcanthin-5, 6-dione, was isolated from the stem of Picrasma quassioides (D. Don) Benn. and characterized by comprehensive analyses of its 1D and 2D NMR spectra. It was also evaluated for its cytotoxic activity in vitro against three human cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, HT-29 and NCI-N87), using MTT assays. We found that 3-methylcanthin-5, 6-dione exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity via inhibiting NO production induced in LPS-stimulated murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. The antioxidant activity of 3-methylcanthin-5, 6-dione was measured by DPPH free radical scavenging assays, hydroxyl radical scavenging assays and reducing power assays. Our results showed that 3-methylcanthin-5, 6-dione has significant biological activities.

• BMB Reports
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• 제40권1호
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• pp.44-52
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• 2007

Kinesins, as a kind of microtubule-based motor proteins, have a conserved microtubule-binding site in their motor domain. Here we report that two homologous kinesins in Arabidopsis thaliana, KatB and KatC, contain a second microtubule-binding site in their tail domains. The prokaryotic-expressed N-terminal tail domain of the KatC heavy chain can bind to microtubules in an ATP-insensitive manner. To identify the precise region responsible for the binding, a serious of truncated KatC cDNAs encoding KatC N-terminal regions in different lengths, KatC1-128, KatC1-86, KatC1-73 and KatC1-63, fused to Histidine-tags, were expressed in E. coli and affinity-purified. Microtubule cosedimentation assays show that the site at amino acid residues 74-86 in KatC is important for microtubule-binding. By similarity, we obtained three different lengths of KatB N-terminal regions, KatB1-384, KatB1-77, and KatB1-63, and analyzed their microtubule-binding ability. Cosedimentation assays indicate that the KatB tail domain can also bind to microtubules at the same site as and in a similar manner to KatC. Fluorescence microscopic observations show that the microtubule-binding site at the tail domain of KatB or KatC can induce microtubules bundling only when the stalk domain is present. Through pull-down assays, we show that KatB1-385 and KatC1-394 are able to interact specifically with themselves and with each other in vitro. These findings are significant for identifying a previously uncharacterized microtubule-binding site in the two kinesin proteins, KatB and KatC, and the functional relations between them.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.21.1-21.7
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• 2022

Newcastle disease (ND), infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) and avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) can be similar making it critical to quickly differentiate them. Herein, we adapted pre-existing molecular-based diagnostic assays for NDV and ILTV, and developed new assays for aMPV A and B, for use under synchronized thermocycling conditions. All assays performed equivalently with linearity over a 5 log₁₀ dynamic range, a reproducible (R² > 0.99) limit of detection of ≥ 10 target copies, and amplification efficiencies between 86.8%-98.2%. Using biological specimens for NDV and ILTV showed 100% specificity. Identical amplification conditions will simplify procedures for detection in diagnostic laboratories.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제39권9호
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• pp.699-704
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• 2016

Developmentally regulated GTP-binding protein 2 (DRG2) plays an important role in cell growth. Here we explored the linkage between DRG2 and G2/M phase checkpoint function in cell cycle progression. We observed that knockdown of DRG2 in HeLa cells affected growth in a wound-healing assay, and tumorigenicity in nude mice xenografts. Flow cytometry assays and [$^3H$] incorporation assays indicated that G2/M phase arrest was responsible for the decreased proliferation of these cells. Knockdown of DRG2 elicited down-regulation of the major mitotic promoting factor, the cyclin B1/Cdk1 complex, but upregulation of the cell cycle arresting proteins, Wee1, Myt1, and p21. These findings identify a novel role of DRG2 in G2/M progression.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.213-225
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• 2016

To reduce attrition in drug development, it is crucial to consider the development and implementation of translational phenotypic assays as well as decipher diverse molecular mechanisms of action for new molecular entities. High-throughput fluorescence and confocal microscopes with advanced analysis software have simplified the simultaneous identification and quantification of various cellular processes through what is now referred to as high-content screening (HCS). HCS permits automated identification of modifiers of accessible and biologically relevant targets and can thus be used to detect gene interactions or identify toxic pathways of drug candidates to improve drug discovery and development processes. In this review, we summarize several HCS-compatible, biochemical, and molecular biology-driven assays, including immunohistochemistry, RNAi, reporter gene assay, CRISPR-Cas9 system, and protein-protein interactions to assess a variety of cellular processes, including proliferation, morphological changes, protein expression, localization, post-translational modifications, and protein-protein interactions. These cell-based assay methods can be applied to not only 2D cell culture but also 3D cell culture systems in a high-throughput manner.

• 한국균학회지
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• 제49권4호
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• pp.433-440
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• 2021

The fungal genus Trametes is globally distributed and comprises various wood-decay species, including the well-known medicinal mushroom Trametes versicolor, a popular remedy in traditional Asian medicine. Trametes species produce antioxidants, which have a wide range of health benefits. The pressent study evaluated seven indigenous Trametes species from Korea, which were cultivated in three different media (dextrose-yeast extract, DY; malt extract-yeast extract, MY; malt extract broth, MEB) and tested for antioxidant activity using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assays. We found that the medium consumption rate did not significantly differ between the media and among the strains (72-76%). However, the T. versicolor strains had a relatively low consumption rate (14-65%). The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS) tests demonstrated that culture filtrates of T. cf. junipericola, T. orientalis, T. suaveolens, and T. versicolor possessed antioxidant activity against damage from free radicals. In particular, T. cf. junipericola (DY) and T. versicolor (MY) had >80% activity in the DPPH and ABTS assays, compared with that of the positive control (ascorbic acid). Thus, our study identified promising candidates with substantial antioxidant activity among the indigenous strains of Trametes spp. from Korea.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.1193-1196
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• 2014

Senescence marker protein 30 (SMP30), a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCe) associated antigen had been identified by our research group. To study its mechanisms of regulation and associations with the occurrence and development of HCe, we inhibited expression by RNAi technique, and observed effects on the biological characteristics of Hep G2 cells. In cell viability assays, cell growth in the experimental group (with siRNA transfection) was elevated. In Transwell invasion assays, compared with blank and control groups, numbers of invading cells in the experimental group were significantly increased, whereas in apoptosis assays, the percentage apoptosis demonstrated no differences, but after UV irradiation, that in the experimental group was higher than the other two groups. In a word, SMP30 can inhibit the proliferation and invasion of human hepatoma cells and thus can be regarded as a cancer suppressive factor.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• 제60권3호
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• pp.241-244
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• 2017

제주 동백나무 겨우살이 추출물의 항산화 활성을 DPPH 라디컬 소거능, 철이온 킬레이팅과 환원력 시험을 통해 조사한 결과, 메탄올과 에탄올 추출물이 열수 추출물보다 뛰어난 항산화 효능을 보였다. ${\alpha}$-Glucosidase와 pancreatic lipase 저해능 또한 메탄올과 에탄올 추출물이 우수한 활성을 보였다. 따라서, 제주 동백 나무 겨우살이의 메탄올 및 에탄올 추출물을 건강기능 의약식품 소재로 개발하기 위한 추가 연구가 진행되어야 할 것이다.

• 응용통계연구
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.633-640
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• 2012

Biological methods are described for the assay of certain substances and preparations whose potency cannot be adequately assured by chemical or physical analysis. The principle applied through these assays is of a comparison with a standard preparation to determine how much of the examined substance produces the same biological effects as a given quantity (the Unit) of the standard preparation. In these dilution assays, to estimate the relative potencies of the unknown preparations to the standard preparations, it is necessary to compare dose-response relationships of standard and unknown preparations. The dose-response relationship in the dilution assay is non-linear and sigmoid when a wide range of doses is applied. The parallel line model (applied to the dose region with the steepest slope) is used to estimate the relative potency. In this paper, the statistical theory in the parallel line model is explained with an application to a dilution assay data. The parallel line method is implemented in a SAS program and is available at the author's homepage(http://cafe.daum.net/go.analysis).

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.614-621
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• 2020

Antibiotic pollution is one of the factors contributing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment. Advanced oxidation and irradiation processes have been introduced to eliminate antibiotics from water and wastewater. However, few studies have reported the toxic effects of residual antibiotics and their byproducts induced by a treatment system. In this study, we compared the efficacies of chemical (high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)) and biological (antimicrobial susceptibility test) assays for measuring the concentrations of residual antibiotics after gamma irradiation for degrading amoxicillin, cephradine, lincomycin, and tetracycline. The concentrations of residual antibiotics estimated using the two assay methods were almost identical, except cephradine. In the case of cephradine, inhibited bacterial growth was observed that was equivalent to twice the concentration measured by HPLC in the samples subjected to gamma irradiation. The observed inhibition of bacterial growth suggested the generation of potentially toxic intermediates following antibiotic degradation. These results indicate that biological and chemical assays should be used in concert for monitoring antibiotic contamination and the toxic derivatives of antibiotic degradation. The results demonstrate that these four antibiotics can be decomposed by 2.0 kGy gamma-irradiation without toxic effects of their byproducts.