• Molecules and Cells
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.47-54
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• 2009

A cDNA clone for a transcript preferentially expressed during an early phase of flooding was isolated from Nicotiana tabacum. Nucleotide sequencing of the cDNA clone identified an open reading frame that has high homology to the previously reported glycine-rich RNA-binding proteins. The open reading frame consists of 157 amino acids with an N-terminal RNA-recognition motif and a C-terminal glycine-rich domain, and thus the cDNA clone was designated as Nicotiana tabaccum glycine-rich RNA-binding protein-1 (NtGRP1). Expression of NtGRP1 was upregulated under flooding stress and also increased, but at much lower levels, under conditions of cold, drought, heat, high salt content, and abscisic acid treatment. RNA homopolymer-binding assay showed that NtGRP1 binds to all the RNA homopolymers tested with a higher affinity to poly r(G) and poly r(A) than to poly r(U) and poly r(C). Nucleic acid-binding assays showed that NtGRP1 binds to ssDNA, dsDNA, and mRNA. NtGRP1 suppressed expression of the fire luciferase gene in vitro, and the suppression of luciferase gene expression could be rescued by addition of oligonucleotides. Collectively, the data suggest NtGRP1 as a negative modulator of gene expression by binding to DNA or RNA in bulk that could be advantageous for plants in a stress condition like flooding.

• BMB Reports
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• 제46권9호
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• pp.454-459
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• 2013

LRRK2 (leucine-rich repeat kinase 2) has been identified as a gene corresponding to PARK8, an autosomal-dominant gene for familial Parkinson's disease (PD). LRRK2 pathogenic-specific mutants induce neurotoxicity and shorten neurites. To elucidate the mechanism underlying LRRK2 expression, we constructed the LRRK2-promoter-luciferase reporter and used it for promoter analysis. We found that the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) transactivated LRRK2 in a ligand-dependent manner. Using quantitative RT-PCR and Western analysis, we further showed that treatment with dexamethasone, a synthetic GR ligand, induced LRRK2 expression at both the transcriptional and translational levels, in dopaminergic MN9D cells. Dexamethasone treatment also increased expression of ${\alpha}$-synuclein, another PD causative gene, and enhanced transactivation of the ${\alpha}$-synuclein promoter-luciferase reporter. In addition, dexamethasone treatment to MN9D cells weakly induced cytotoxicity based on an LDH assay. Because glucocorticoid hormones are secreted in response to stress, our data suggest that stress might be a related factor in the pathogenesis of PD.

• 한국응용약물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국응용약물학회 2001년도 추계학술대회 및 정기총회
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• pp.112-112
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• 2001

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is an environmental toxin that activates the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and disrupts multiple endocrine signaling pathways by enhancing ligand metabolism, altering hormone synthesis, down regulating receptor levels, and interfering with gene transcription. And TCDD-mediated gene transactivation via the AhR has been shown to be dependent upon estrogen receptor (ER) expression in human breast cancer cells. In the present study, we have examined the effect of natural estrogen, phytoestrognes and environmental estrogens on the regulation of CYP1A1 gene expression in MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line. that ER and AhR are co-expressed. pCYP1A1 -luc reporter gene was transiently transfected into MCF-7 cells. These cells were treated with various chemicals and then luciferase assay was carried out. 17be1a-estradiol significantly inhibited TCDD stimulated luciferase activity dose dependently and this inhibition was partially recovered by concomitant treatment of tamoxifen. 17beta-estradiol metabolites, 2-hydroxyestradiol and 16alpha-estriol resulted in less potent inhibitory effect than estradiol and synthetic estrogen, diethylstilbestrol (DES) showed no effect on CYP1A1 gene expression. This study demonstrated that estrogen down-regulated TCDD stimulated CYP1A1 expression via ER mediation. And we have found out that several flavonoids such as genistein, kaempferol, daidzein, naringenin, and alkylphenols such as nonylphenol, 4-octylphenol and resveratrol also inhibited TCDD induced CYP1A1 expression like estrogen.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2000

발광 박테리아인 Photobacterium 종들의 lux 오페론 하부 영역에서 riboflavin 생합성에 관여하는 유전자들(ribⅠ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ)이 발견되었다. Photobacterium phosphoreum의 lux 유전자와 rib 유전자를 포함하는 intergenic 영역의 단일사슬 DNA가 P. phosphoreum의 mRNA에 의하여 S1 nuclease digestion에서 손상받지 않았으며, ribⅠ에 의하여 암호화되는 P. phosphoreum의 riboflavin synthase의 활성도가 lux-specific한 효소들인 luciferase 혹은 fatty acid reductase 활성도와 같이 bioluminescence intensity의 발현과 함께 대수기 말기에서 증가하는 박테리아 발광반응의 특이한 조절 체계인 'autoinduction' 양상을 보였다. 또한 P. leiognathi의 luxB로부터 ribⅡ까지 포함하는 DNA를 강력한 lux 프로모터와 reporter(chloramphenicol acetyl transferase, CAT) 유전자 사이에 삽입하고 접합(conjugation)의 방법으로 P. leiognathi에 유전자 전이(gene transfer)시켜 CAT reporter 유전자의 발현을 P. leiognathi에서 조사한 바, 그 유전자의 발현 정도에 큰 차이가 없었을 뿐만 아니라 이 구조에서 lux 프로모터를 제거하게 되면 CAT reporter 유전자의 발현이 전혀 나타나지 않았다. 이들 실험 결과들은 lux 유전자와 rib 유전자의 intergenic영역에 lux 오페론의 전사 종결 구조(transcriptional terminator)가 존재하지 않으며 ribflavin 생합성 유전자들이 그들 고유의 프로모터에 의하여 전사되는 것이 아니라 lux 오페론의 프로모터에 의하여 발현됨을 나타내는 것으로, 이는 Photobacterium 종들에서 lux 유전자와 rib 유전자들은 공동의 발현 조절 체계를 갖는 것으로 요약된다.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.227-233
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• 2011

The Nramp1/Slc11a1 locus encodes a proton-coupled divalent cation transporter, expressed in late endosomes/lysosomes of macrophages, that constitutes a component of the innate immune response to combat intracellular pathogens and it was shown to play an important role in regulating inherent immunity. The previously identified Z-DNA forming polymorphic repeat(GT)n in the promoter region of the human Nramp1 gene does act as a functional polymorphism influencing gene expression. Research has shown that INF-${\gamma}$, TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$ and bacteria LPS increase the level of Nramp1 expression. However, the molecular mechanism for Nramp1 gene regulation is unclear. In this research, bovine Nramp1 5'-flanking region (-1748~+769) was cloned and analyzed by bioinformatics. Then to find the core promoter and the cis-acting elements, deletion analysis of promoter was performed using a set of luciferase reporter gene constructs containing successive deletions of the bovine Nramp1 5'-flanking regions. Promoter activity analysis by the dual luciferase reporter assay system showed that the core promoter of Nramp1 was located at +58~-89 bp. Some positive regulatory elements are located at -89~-205 bp and -278~-1495 bp. And the repressor elements were in region -205~-278 bp, intron1 and -1495~-1748 bp. LPS-responsive regions were located at -1495~-1748 bp and -278~-205 bp. The present study provides an initial effort to explore the molecular mechanism of transcriptional activation of the bovine Nramp1 gene and should facilitate further studies to decode the complex regulatory process and for molecular breeding for disease resistance in bovines.

• 한국식품저장유통학회지
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.524-528
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• 2017

Ricinus communis, belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae, has been known as medicinal plants for treatment of inflammation, tumors, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective and laxative. Compared to many pharmacological studies, the effect of R. communis extract on regulating adipogenesis as therapeutic drug for treating obesity has not been reported. R. communis extract (RCE) was investigated to determine its effects on the adipogenesis by monitoring the status of $Wnt/{\beta}-catenin$ signaling and factors involving the differentiation of adipocytes. The differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells monitored by Oil Red O staining was inhibited in concentration dependent manner by RCE. The luciferase activity of HEK 293-TOP cells containing pTOPFlash with Tcf4 response element-luciferase gene was increased approximately 2-folds by the treatment of RCE at concentrations of $100{\mu}g/mL$ compared to the control. Activation of the $Wnt/{\beta}-catenin$ pathway by RCE was further confirmed by immunocytochemical analysis which shows an increment of nuclear localization of ${\beta}-catenin$. In addition, safety of RCE was verified through performing neural stem cell morphology assay. Among the identified flavonoids in RCE, isoquercitrin was the most abundant. Therefore, these results indicate that the adipocyte differentiation was significantly reduced by isoquercitrin in R. communis. In this study, RCE suppresses the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells via the activation of $Wnt/{\beta}-catenin$ signaling.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.210-214
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• 2007

The 90-kDa heat shock protein (HSP90) normally functions as a molecular chaperone participating in folding and stabilizing newly synthesized proteins, and refolding denatured proteins. The HSP90 inhibitor geldanamycin (GA) occupies the ATP/ADP binding pocket of HSP90 so inhibits its chaperone activity and causes subsequent degradation of HSP90 client proteins by proteasomes. Here we show that GA reduces the level of endogenous c-Jun in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells in a time and dose dependent manner, and that this decrease can be reversed by transfection of HSP90 plasmids. Transfection of HSP90 plasmids in the absence of GA increases the level of endogenous c-Jun protein, but has no obvious affect on c-Jun mRNA levels. We also showed that HSP90 prolongs the half-life of c-Jun by stabilizing the protein; the proteasome inhibitor N-benzoyloxycarbonyl (Z)-Leu-Leu-leucinal (MG132) blocks the degradation of c-Jun promoted by GA. Transfection of HSP90 plasmids did not obviously alter phosphorylation of c-Jun, and a Jun-2 luciferase activity assay indicated that over-expression of HSP90 elevated the total protein activity of c-Jun in HEK293 cells. All our evidence indicates that HSP90 stabilizes c-Jun protein, and so increases the total activity of c-Jun in HEK293 cells.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.118-122
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• 2019

옥시토신(Oxt)과 바소프레신(Avp)은 주로 시상하부의 신경세포에서 생성이 되어 뇌하수체 후엽에서 온 몸으로 분비된다. 유전자 구조와 염기서열 연구를 통해 옥시토신과 바소프레신이 진화적으로 발달되는 단계에서 유전자가 염색체 내에 중복된 것으로 추정되어져 왔다. 이전 연구에서 작은 조절자로 알려진 마이크로RNA 중 하나인 miR-24가 옥시토신과 직접 결합한 후 조절할 수 있다는 사실을 본 연구실에서 발표한 바가 있지만, 바소프레신을 동시에 조절할 수 있는지는 확실치 않았다. 본 연구에서 바소프레신을 조절할 수 있는 후보 마이크로RNA를 생물정보학적 방법으로 탐색하였다. 여러 후보 중 miR-24만이 바소프레신과 직접 결합할 수 있음을 형광 리포터 분석과 바소프레신 결합부위의 돌연변이 cDNA 제작을 통해 밝혀내었다. 바소프레신의 miR-24 결합 필수 부위인 "seed" 부분을 돌연변이 시킨 바소프레신의 경우 miR-24와의 결합능이 현저히 떨어지고 miR-24의 저해제 역시 결합능을 감소시키는 것을 보아 miR-24가 바소프레신에 결합하여 조절할 수 있음을 명확히 할 수 있었다. 이러한 결과를 종합해 볼 때 단일 마이크로RNA가 두 주요한 뇌하수체 호르몬의 조절에 관여한다는 새로운 조절 기전을 제시하여 준다.

• 대한본초학회지
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.19-28
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• 2024

Objectives : Ephedrae Herba has been used in the East Asian traditional medicine, for treatment of asthma, cold and influenza. Silymarin is an effective antioxidant and its anti-fibrogenic, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective properties have been reported. This study was performed to explore an anti-fibrogenic potential of Ephedrae Herba extract (EHE) + silymarin on immortalized human hepatic stellate cell line, LX-2 cells. Methods : We studied the anti-fibrogenic effects of EHE + silymarin on transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) signaling pathway in LX-2 cells. Cell viability was measured using the MTT assay. mRNA levels were detected by real-time PCR. TGF-β1 signaling-related proteins expression were detected by Western blot. Results : Silymarin 30 ㎍/mL and EHE 100 ㎍/mL showed cytotoxicity on LX-2 cells. Therefore, the concentrations of silymarin and EHE were studied at 10 ㎍/mL, respectively. Silymarin significantly reduced PAI-1 protein expression, Smad binding element (SBE) luciferase activity, and mRNA (PAI-1, MMP2 and 9) expression compared to TGF-β1. EHE significantly reduced SBE luciferase activity and mRNA (PAI-1, MMP2 and 9) expression compared to TGF-β1. More importantly, EHE + silymarin significantly reduced all parameters compared to TGF-β1, and also significantly reduced compared to EHE alone and silymarin alone. Conclusion : The results indicate that EHE + silymarin has anti-fibrogenic effect in LX-2 cells induced by TGF-β1. Additionally, EHE + silymarin shows more effective anti-fibrogenic effect than EHE alone and silymarin alone.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.11-16
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• 2015

Our body's immune system has defense mechanisms against pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. Immune responses are primarily initiated by the activation of toll-like receptors (TLRs). In particular, TLR4 is well-characterized and is known to be activated by gram-negative bacteria and tissue damage signals. TLR4 requires myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2) as a co-receptor to recognize its ligand, lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which is an extracellular membrane component of gram-negative bacteria. Gambogic acid is a xanthonoid isolated from brownish or orange resin extracted from Garcinia hanburyi. Its primary effect is tumor suppression. Since inflammatory responses are related to the development of cancer, we hypothesized that gambogic acid may regulate TLR4 activation. Our results demonstrated that gambogic acid decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines ($TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-6, IL-12, and $IL-1{\beta}$) in both mRNA and protein levels in bone marrow-derived primary macrophages after stimulation with LPS. Gambogic acid did not inhibit the activation of Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) induced by TBK1 overexpression in a luciferase reporter gene assay using IFN-${\beta}$-PRD III-I-luc. An in vitro kinase assay using recombinant TBK1 revealed that gambogic acid did not directly inhibit TBK1 kinase activity, and instead suppressed the binding of LPS to MD2, as determined by an in vitro binding assay and confocal microscopy analysis. Together, our results demonstrate that gambogic acid disrupts LPS interaction with the TLR4/MD2 complex, the novel mechanism by which it suppresses TLR4 activation.