• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.185-194
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• 1999

Background: NF-$\kappa$B is a characteristic transcriptional factor whose functional activity is determined by post-translational modification of protein and subsequent change of subcellular localization. The involvement of the NF-$\kappa$B family of the transcription factors in the control of such vital cellular functions as immune response, acute phase reaction, replication of certain viruses and development and differentiation of cells has been clearly documented in many previous studies. Several recent observations have suggested that the NF-$\kappa$B might also be involved in the carcinogenesis of some hematological and solid tumors. Investigating the possibility that members of the NF-$\kappa$B family participate in the molecular control of malignant cell transformation could provide invaluable information on both molecular pathogenesis and cancer-related gene therapy. Method: To determine the expression patterns and functional roles of NF-$\kappa$B family transcription factors in human lung cancer cell lines NCI-H792, NCI-H709, NCI-H226 and NCI-H157 were analysed by western blot, using their respective antibodies. The nuclear and the cytoplasmic fraction of protein extract of these cell lines were subsequently obtained and NF-$\kappa$B expression in each fraction was again determined by western blot analysis. The type of NF-$\kappa$B complex present in the cells was determined by immunoprecipitation. To detect the binding ability of cell-line nuclear extracts to the KB consensus oligonucleotide, electrophoretic mobility shift assay(EMSA) was performed. Results: In the cultured human lung cancer cell lines tested, transcription factors of the NF-$\kappa$B family, namely the p50 and p65 subunit were expressed and localized in the nuclear fraction of the cellular extract by western blot analysis and immunocytochemistry. Immunoprecipitation assay showed that in the cell, the p50 and p65 subunits made NF-$\kappa$B complex. Finally it was shown by Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay(EMSA) that nuclear extracts of lung cancer cell lines are able to bind to NF-$\kappa$B consensus DNA sequences. Conclusion: These data suggest that in human lung cancer cell lines the NF-$\kappa$B p50/p65 complex might be activated. and strengthen the hypothesis that NF-$\kappa$B family transcription factors might be involved in the carcinogenesis of human lung cancer.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.24-40
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• 2007

Background : Accumulating evidence shows that interleukin(IL)-1 plays a critical role in inflammation and connective tissue destruction observed in both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. IL-1 induces gene expression related to cytokines, chemokines and matrix metalloproteinases by activation of many different transcription factors. Materials and Methods : The chondrosarcoma cell line, SW1353, is known to be a valuable in vitro system for investigating catabolic gene regulation by IL-$1{\beta}$ in chondrocytic cells. To explore and analyze the changes in gene expression by IL-1 responsible for arthritis, SW1353 was treated with IL-1 for 1, 6 and 24 h and then total RNAs were purified for each time. The changes in gene expression were analyzed with 17k human cDNA microarrays and validated by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Results : Greater than a two-fold change was observed in 1,200 genes including metallothioneins, matrix metalloproteinases, extracellular matrix proteins, antioxidant proteins, cytoskeleton proteins, cell cycle regulatory proteins, proteins for cell growth and apoptosis, signaling proteins and transcription factors. These changes appeared to be correlate with the pathophysiological changes observed in early osteoarthritis. Conclusion : cDNA microarray analysis revealed a marked variability in gene expression, and provided insight into the overall molecular changes. The result of this study provide initial information for further studies to identify therapeutic targets in osteoarthritis pathogenesis.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.286-290
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• 2009

The transcription of mRNA of avian influenza virus is regulated temporally during infection. Therefore, the measurement of transcript level in host cells should be performed before viral release from host cells because errors can occur in the analysis of the transcript levels if the viruses released from the infected cells re-infect cells. In this study, the timing of viral release was determined by measuring the level of viral RNA from viruses released from H9N2-infected chicken fibroblast cell line UMNSAH/DF-1 by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The viral genomic RNA was isolated together with mouse total RNA which was added to the collected medium as carrier to monitor the viral RNA recovery and to use its GAPDH as an internal control for normalizing reverse transcription reaction as well as PCR reaction. It was found that viral release of H9N2 in the chicken fibroblast cell line UMNSAH/DF-1 took between 16 and 20 h after infection. We measured all 8 viral mRNA levels. Of the 8 transcripts, 7 species of viral mRNAs (each encoding HA, NA, PB1, PB2, NP, M, NS, respectively) except PA mRNA showed robust amplification, indicating these mRNA can be used as targets for amplification to measure transcript levels. These results altogether suggest that the method in this study can be used for screening antiviral materials against viral RNA polymerase as a therapeutic target.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.238-246
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• 2001

Bone morphogenetic proteins(BMPs), members of the transforming growth factor $\beta$(TGF-$\beta$) superfamily were first identified as the factors that induce ectopic bone formation in vivo, when implanted into muscular tissue. Especially BMP-2 inhibits terminal differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts and converts them into osteoblast lineage cells. In the molecular mechanism of the signal transduction of TGF-$\beta$ and related factors, intracellular signaling proteins were identified as Smad. In previous study, it has been reported that Smad 1 and Smad 5, which belong to the R-Smad family mediate BMP signaling, were involved in the induction of osteoblast differentiation in C2C12 cells. To understnad the role of Smads involved in osteogenic transdifferentiation in C2C12 cell, in present study, after we stably transfected C2C12 cells with each. Smad(Smad 1,Smad 5) expression vector, cultured for 3 days and stained for alkaline phophatase activity. ALP activity positive cells appeared in the Smad 1, Smad 5 stably transfected cell even in the abscence of BMP. After transiently co-transfected C2C12 cells with each Smad expression vector and ALP promoter, it was examined that Smad 1 and Smad 5 expression vector had increased about 2 fold ALP promoter activity in the abscence of BMP. These result suggested that both Smad 1 and Smad 5 were involved in the intracellular BMP signals which induce osteoblast differentiation in C2C12 cells. The effect of BMP on C2C12 cells with Smad 1, Smad 5 transfected were studied by using northern blot analysis. the treatment of BMP upregulated ALP mRNA level in three groups, especially upregulation of ALP was larger in Smad 1, Smad 5 transfected cell than control group. Pretreatment with cycloheximide($10{\mu}g/ml$), a protein synthesis inhibitor resulted in blocking the ALP gene expression even in BMP(100ng/ml) treated cell. These results suggested that Smad increased the level of ALP mRNA via the synthesis of a certain transcriptional regulatory protein.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.1377-1384
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• 2011

Astaxanthin (ATX) is a red-orange carotenoid pigment that occurs naturally in a wide variety of living organisms. In this study we investigated the inhibitory effects of ATX on the induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nitric oxide (NO), proinflammatory cytokines, nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-${\kappa}B$) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, we tested the superoxide radical scavenging activity of ATX by scavenging assay. iNOS and NF-${\kappa}B$ expressions were determined by immunoblot analysis. Interleukin (IL)-6 and tumour necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) were assayed by ELISA. NO production was monitored by measuring the amount of nitrite. ROS was examined by using the 2', 7'-Dichlorodihydrofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA) method. At a concentration of 100 ${\mu}M$, ATX inhibited the expression level of LPS-induced NF-${\kappa}B$, as well as the production of LPS-induced NO and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$), by suppressing iNOS expression. In particular, the maximal inhibition rate of IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$ production by ATX (100 ${\mu}M$) was 65.2----- and 21.2-----, respectively. In addition, ATX inhibited the LPS-induced transcriptional activity of NF-${\kappa}B$, and this was associated with suppressing the translocations of NF-${\kappa}B$ from the cytosol to the nucleus. Moreover, at various concentrations (25-100 ${\mu}M$), ATX inhibited the intracellular level of ROS. At a concentration of 5 mg/ml, the superoxide radical scavenging activity of ATX was 1.33 times higher than ${\alpha}$-tocopherol of the same concentration. These results showed that ATX inhibited the expression of iNOS and the production of NO and proinflammatory cytokines resulting from ROS production and NF-${\kappa}B$ activation in macrophages. Furthermore, ATX was found to be more effective in superoxide radical scavenging activities compared to ${\alpha}$-tocopherol. These findings are expected to strengthen the position of ATX as anti-inflammatory medicine and antioxidant.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.307-316
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• 2008

Transposon-mediated insertional mutagenesis is one of powerful strategy for assessing functions of genes in higher plants. In this report, we have selected highly susceptible and tolerance plant by screening about high salt (3% NaCl) and cold stresses ($4^{\circ}C$) from F2 seeds of 30,000 Ac/Ds insertional mutagenesis lines in rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Dongjin). In order to identify the gene tagging, insertion of Ds element was analyzed by Southern blot and these results revealed that 19 lines were matched genotype of selected lines with phenotype from the first selected 212 lines, and 13 lines have one copy of Ds elements. The Franking Sequence Tags (FSTs) of selected mutant lines showed high similarities with the following known function genes: signal transduction and regulation of gene expression (transpoter, protease family protein and apical meristem family protein), osmotic stress response (heat shock protein, O-methyltransferase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and drought stress induce protein), vesicle trafficking (SYP 5 family protein) and senescence associated protein. The expression pattern of 19 genes were analyzed using RT-PCR under the abiotic stresses of 9 class; 250mM NaCl, osmotic, drought, 3% $H_2O_2$, $100{\mu}M$ ABA, $100{\mu}M$ IAA, 0.1 ppm 2,4-D, $4^{\circ}C$ cold and $38^{\circ}C$ high temperature. Isolated knock-out genes showed the positive response about 250 mM NaCl, drought, $H_2O_2$, PEG, IAA, 2,4-D, ABA treatment and low ($4^{\circ}C$) and high temperature ($38^{\circ}C$). The results from this study indicate that function of selected knock-out genes could be useful in improving of tolerance to abiotic stresses as an important transcriptional activators in rice.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.497-506
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• 1998

The expression in Escherichia coli of a cloned insecticidal protein (ICP) gene from Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki HD1 in pHLN1-80 (+) and pHLN2-80(-) plasmids was investigated through deletions in promoters, transcription start point, and termination region. Six recombinant plasmids were constructed in an attempt to analyze the overexpression of the ICP in relations to its gene structure. The amounts of ICP produced from the recombinants were measured by SDS-PAGE and confirmed by Western blot analysis. One clone was not overexpressed which having only -80 bp (contained BtI promoter) part of the ICP gene promoter (without Plac promoter), the right-oriented ICP gene and the termination region. Removal of 350 bp from upstream region of the Plac of the clone pHLN2-80 (-) resulted in overexpression of the ICP. One clone was not overexpressed in which the clone consisted of -72 bp part of the ICP promoter without the transcription start point and the transcriptional termination region, and having the right-oriented ICP gene sequence. One clone consisting of the inverted ICP gene sequence, the -72 bp ICP gene promoter, and without the termination region caused overexpression. One clone which consisted of the inverted ICP gene, the -72 bp ICP gene promoter and the termination sequence was overexpressed. These results indicated that the Plac promoter, transcription termination region, the inverted ICP gene insertion, and the -80 bp or -72 bp part of the ICP gene promoters were concerned in the overexpression of the ICP gene in the recombinant plasmid, and also the overexpression mechanism might result from the disruption of the transcription-suppressing regions in the promoter regions.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1181-1186
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• 2014

Sialyltransferase gene expression is altered in several cancers, including examples in the cervix. Transcriptional regulation of the responsible genes depends on different promoters. We aimed to determine the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the B3 promoter of the ST3GAL4 gene and the P1 promoter of the ST6GAL1 gene with cervical premalignant lesions or cervical cancer. A blood sample and/or cervical scrapes were obtained from 104 women with normal cytology, 154 with premalignant lesions and 100 with cervical cancer. We also included 119 blood samples of random donors. The polymorphisms were identified by sequencing from PCR products. For the B3 promoter, a fragment of 506 bp (from nucleotide -408 to +98) was analyzed, and for the P1 promoter a 490 bp (-326 to +164) fragment. The polymorphism analysis showed that at SNP rs10893506, genotypes CC and CT of the ST3GAL4 B3 promoter were associated with the presence of premalignant lesions (OR=2.89; 95%CI 1.72-4.85) and cervical cancer (OR=2.23; 95%CI 1.27-3.91). We detected only one allele of each polymorphism in the ST6GAL1 P1 promoter. We did not detect any genetic variability in the P1 promoter region in our study population. Our results suggest that the rs10893506 polymorphism -22C/T may increase susceptibility to premalignant and malignant lesions of the cervix.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1371-1377
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• 2014

Superoxide dismutase is a family of important antioxidant metalloenzymes and catalyzes the dismutation of toxic superoxide anions into dioxygen and hydrogen peroxide. A recent study identified the partial superoxide dismutase (SOD) gene in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). The same study reported that it strongly induced benzo[a]pyrene and that it was an indicator of aquatic oxidative stress responses. However, its transcriptional response against viral infection has not been investigated. In the present study, the spatial and temporal expression profiles were analyzed to investigate the function of Of-SOD in the antiviral response. The Of-SOD transcripts were ubiquitously detected at various levels in diverse tissues in a real-time PCR. The expression of Of-SOD was significantly higher in the muscles, liver, and brain but extremely low in the stomach and spleen. Following a VHSV challenge, the expression of Of-SOD increased within 3 h in the kidneys and decreased to the original level 2 days postchallenge. In muscle, liver, and brain, Of-SOD mRNA was similarly up-regulated at 3-6 h postchallenge and then decreased to the basal level. Although the expression pattern and induction time differed slightly depending on the tissue, the transcript of Of-SOD consistently increased in the acute infection response, but the expression was low in the chronic response. The expression of Of-SOD was induced after the VHSV infection, and Of-SOD was probably involved in the immune response against the viral challenge. These results suggest that SOD may play important roles in the immune defense system of P. olivaceus and perhaps contribute to the protective effects against oxidative stress in olive flounder.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1383-1391
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• 2016

Anti-estrogen drugs such as tamoxifen have been used for treating patients with ER-positive, early breast cancer. However, resistance to anti-estrogen treatment is inevitable in most patients. Breast cancer anti-estrogen resistance-3 (BCAR3) has been identified as the protein responsible for the induction of tamoxifen resistance in estrogen-dependent human breast cancer. We have previously reported that BCAR3 regulates the cell cycle progression and the signaling pathway of EGF and insulin leading to DNA synthesis. In this study, we investigated the functional role of BCAR3 in regulating c-Jun transcription in non-tumorigenic human breast epithelial MCF-12A cells. A transient transfection of BCAR3 increased both the mRNA and protein of c-Jun expression, and stable expression of BCAR3 increased c-Jun protein expression. The overexpression of BCAR3 directly activated the promoter of c-jun, AP-1, and SRE but not that of $NF-{\kappa}B$. Furthermore, single-cell microinjection of BCAR3 expression plasmid in the cell cycle-arrested MCF-12A cells induced c-Jun protein expression, and co-injection of dominant negative mutants of Ras, Rac, and Rho suppressed the transcriptional activity of c-Jun in the presence of BCAR3. Furthermore, stable expression of BCAR3 increased the proliferation of MCF-12A cells. The microinjection of inhibitory materials such as anti-BCAR3 antibody and siRNA BCAR3 inhibited EGF-induced c-Jun expression but did not affect IGF-1 induced upregulation of c-Jun. Taken together, we propose that BCAR3 plays a crucial role in c-Jun protein expression and cell proliferation and that small GTPases (e.g., Ras, Rac, and Rho) are required for the BCAR3-mediated activation of c-Jun expression.