• BMB Reports
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• 제45권12호
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• pp.730-735
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• 2012

p13 gene was first described in Leucania separata multinuclear polyhedrosis virus (Ls-p13) several years ago, but the function of P13 protein has not been experimentally investigated to date. In this article, we indicated that the expression of p13 from Heliothis armigera single nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (Ha-p13) was regulated by both early and late promoter. Luciferase assay demonstrated that the activity of Ha-p13 promoter with hr4 enhancer was more than 100 times in heterologous Sf9 cells than that in nature host Hz-AM1 cells. Both Ls-P13 and Ha-P13 are transmembrane proteins. Confocal microscopic analysis showed that both mainly located in the cytoplasm membrane at 48 h. Results of RNA interference indicated that Ha-p13 was a killing-associated gene for host insects H. armigera. The AcMNPV acquired the mentioned killing activity and markedly accelerate the killing rate when expressing Ls-p13. In conclusion, p13 is a killing associated gene in both homologous and heterologous nucleopolyhedrovirus.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제37권9호
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• pp.664-671
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• 2014

MiR-217 can function as an oncogene or a tumour suppressor gene depending on cell type. However, the function of miR-217 in lung cancer remains unclear to date. This study aims to evaluate the function of miR-217 in lung cancer and investigate its effect on the sensitivity of lung cancer cells to cisplatin. The expression of miR-217 was detected in 100 patients by real-time PCR. The effects of miR-217 overexpression on the proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of SPC-A-1 and A549 cells were investigated. The target gene of miR-217 was predicted by Targetscan online software, screened by dual luciferase reporter gene assay and demonstrated by Western blot. Finally, the effects of miR-217 up-regulation on the sensitivity of A549 cells to cisplatin were determined. The expression of miR-217 was significantly lower in lung cancer tissues than in noncancerous tissues (p < 0.001). The overexpression of miR-217 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion as well as promoted the apoptosis of lung cancer cells by targeting KRAS. The up-regulation of miR-217 enhanced the sensitivity of SPC-A-1 and A549 cells to cisplatin. In conclusion, miR-217 suppresses tumour development in lung cancer by targeting KRAS and enhances cell sensitivity to cisplatin. Our results encourage researchers to use cisplatin in combination with miR-217 to treat lung cancer. This regime might lead to low-dose cisplatin application and cisplatin side-effect reduction.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.146-152
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• 2012

Panax ginseng (PG) is a globally utilized medicinal herb. The medicinal effects of PG are primarily attributable to ginsenosides located in the root and leaf. The leaves of PG are known to be rich in various bioactive ginsenosides, and the therapeutic effects of ginseng extract and ginsenosides have been associated with immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities. We examined the effect of PG leaf extract and the isolated ginsenosides, on nuclear factor (NF)-${\kappa}B$transcriptional activity and target gene expression by applying a luciferase assay and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$-treated hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells. Air-dried PG leaf extract inhibited TNF-${\alpha}$-induced NF-${\kappa}B$transcription activity and NF-${\kappa}B$-dependent cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression more efficiently than the steamed extract. Of the 10 ginsenosides isolated from PG leaves, Rd and Km most significantly inhibited activity in a dose-dependent manner, with $IC_{50}$ values of $12.05{\pm}0.82$ and $8.84{\pm}0.99\;{\mu}M$, respectively. Furthermore, the ginsenosides Rd and Km inhibited the TNF-${\alpha}$-induced expression levels of the COX-2 and iNOS gene in HepG2 cells. Air-dried leaf extracts and their chemical components, ginsenoside Rd and Km, are involved in the suppression of TNF-${\alpha}$-induced NF-${\kappa}B$ activation and NF-${\kappa}B$-dependent iNOS and COX-2 gene expression. Consequently, air-dried leaf extract from PG, and the purified ginsenosides, have therapeutic potential as anti-inflammatory.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제22권9호
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• pp.1201-1206
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• 2012

Crlz1 유전자는 B 세포 분화 과정 중 pre-B 세포 분화 단계에서 특이적으로 발현됨이 밝혀져 있다. Crlz1 유전자의 발현과 연관되는 3개의 DNase I hypersensitive site (HSS8, 9, 10)가 Crlz1 유전자의 전사 시작점으로부터 바로 위쪽의 chromatin 상에서 발견되었고, 그 중에서 HSS9/10은 Crlz1 promoter 지역에 해당하며 매우 높은 전사 활성을 가지는 것으로 이미 보고 되었다. 본 연구에서는 앞의 연구에서 더 나아가 HSS8이 Crlz1 promoter의 전사활성을 약 2 배 증가시키는 enhancer의 역할을 하고 있는 현상을 밝혔으며, 또한 HSS8의 위치가 Crlz1 유전자의 전사 시작점을 기준으로 하였을 때 -1055와 -1159 사이, 즉 104 bp 길이의 chromatin DNA 상에 존재하며, 이러한 HSS8의 위치는 luciferase reporter의 활성 측정으로 비교 분석되어진 deletion construct들의 전사 활성에 대한 결과와도 잘 부합되었다.

• 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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• 제21권2호
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• pp.261-268
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• 2006

The Drosophila methuselah (mth) mutant has an approximately 35 percent increase in average lifespan, and enhanced resistance to various forms of stress, including starvation, high temperature, and dietary paraquat. To examine the transcriptional regulation of mth, we used luciferase assays employing Drosophila S2 cells. Two positive control elements were found at -542 ~ -272 (PE1) and +28 ~ +217 (PE2), where putative binding sites for transcription factors including Dorsal (Dl) were identified. Cotransfection of a Dl expression plasmid with a mth-luciferase reporter plasmid resulted in decreased reporter activity. PE1 and PE2, the minimal elements for strong promoter activity, were required for maximal repression by Dl protein. The N-terminal Rel homology domain (RHD) of Dl was not sufficient for repression of mth. We demonstrated by chromatin affinity precipitation (ChAP) assays in S2 cells that Dl bound to the putative PE1 binding site. Unexpectedly, semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that the level of mth transcripts was reduced in dl flies. However, the in vivo result support the view that mth expression is regulated by dl, since it is well known that Dl functions as both a transcriptional activator and repressor depending on what other transcription factors are present. These findings suggest that both innate immunity and resistance to stress are controlled by Dl protein.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.119-124
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• 2014

Physalis alkekengi var. francheti Hort. is known as an insecticide and traditional remedy for liver related diseases. Therefore, this study investigated the chemopreventive effects of extracts and several solvent fractions (n-hexane, dichloromethane, n-butanol, water) of Physalis alkekengi var. francheti Hort. First, their cytotoxicity and NQO1 activity were measured using an MTT assay, plus a quinone reductase [NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone); NAD(P)H: (quinone acceptor) oxidoreductase, EC 1.6.99.2]-inducing activity assay was performed using cultured murine hepatoma cells (Hepa1c1c7) and its mutant cells(BpRc1). The reduction of electrophilic quinones by NQO1 is an important detoxification pathway and major mechanism of chemoprevention. When compared with the other solvent soluble fractions with different polarities, the dichloromethane fraction of Physalis alkekengi var. francheti Hort. showed a higher NQO1-inducing activity that was also dose-dependent. Moreover, the dichloromethane fraction of Physalis alkekengi var. francheti Hort. induced ARE-luciferase activities in HepG2-C8 cells that were generated by transfecting the ARE-luciferase gene construct, suggesting the Nrf2-ARE-mediated induction of anti-oxidative enzymes. In conclusion, the dichloromethane-soluble fraction of Physalis alkekengi var. francheti Hort. showed a relatively strong induction of detoxifying enzymes, thereby meriting further study to identify the active components and evaluate their potential as cancer preventive agents.

• 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.

• 한국응용곤충학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국응용곤충학회 2001년도 추계 합동 심포지엄 및 학술발표대회
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• pp.140-141
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• 2001

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.57-62
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• 2002

Cationic liposomes complexed with DNA have been extensively utilized for the delivery of reporter or therapeutic genes both in culture and in vivo. We investigated and determined the optimum conditions of a cationic liposome, composed of dimethyldioctadecy-lammonium bromide (DDAB) and dioleoyl phosphati-dylethanolamine UOPE), mediated a reporter plasmid expressing luciferase into insect cell lines (Sf-21 and Bm-N) and silkworm larvae. Together the data demonstrated that Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) genomic DNA (128 kb) was successfully transfected into Bm-5 cells using this liposome. These results suggest that DDAB/DOPE liposome will be useful as delivery agents for gene transfer to insect cells both in vitro and in vivo.