• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.665-671
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• 2005

Initiation and activation of sperm motility are prerequisite processes for the contact and fusion of male and female gametes at fertilization. The phenomena are under the regulation of cAMP and $Ca^{2+}$ in vertebrates and invertebrates. Mammalian sperm requires $Ca^{2+}$ and cAMP for the activation of sperm motility. Cell signaling for the initiation and activation of sperm motility in the ascidians and salmonid fishes has drawn much attention. In the ascidians, the sperm-activating and attracting factors from unfertilized egg require extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ for activating sperm motility and eliciting chemotactic behavior toward the egg. On the other hand, the cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of protein is essential for the initiation of sperm motility in salmonid fishes. A decrease of the environmental $K^+$ concentration surrounding the spawned sperm causes $K^+$ efflux and $Ca^{2+}$ influx through the specific $K^+$ channel and dihydropyridine-sensitive L-/T-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel, respectively, thereby leading to the membrane hyperpolarization. The membrane hyperpolarization induces synthesis of cAMP, which triggers further cell signaling processes, such as cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation, to initiate sperm motility in salmonid fishes. This article reviews the studies on the physiological mechanisms of sperm motility and its cell signaling in aquatic species.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.280-286
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• 2003

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) consists of several geometric isomers of linoleic acid. CLA is found in foods derived from ruminants and exhibits strong anticarcinogenic effects in a variety of animal models. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play a key role in cancer progression. Specifically, MMP-2 and -9, which hydrolyze the basal membrane type IV collagen, are involved in the initial breakdown of collagen and basement membrane components during tumor growth and invasion. However, the effects of CLA on cancer cell motility and MMP expression and activity are not currently well known. Therefore, the present study examined whether CLA reduces the activity of MMP and cell motility in SW480 and SW620 cells, the human colon cancer cell lines. Gelatin zymography and Western blot analysis revealed that phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) induced the activity and protein expression of Mr 92,000 MMP-9 in both cell lines. To examine whether CLA inhibits the MMP activity, cells were incubated with 100 ngfmL PMA in the presence of various concentrations of CLA. PMA-induced MMP-9 activity was decreased by 20 $\mu$ M CLA in SW480 cells, and by 10 $\mu$ M and 20 $\mu$ M CLA in SW620 cells. Results from the Hoyden chamber assay showed that cell motility was increased by PMA and that PMA-induced cell motility was significantly decreased by 20 $\mu$ M CLA in SW480 cells. These results indicate that CLA may reduce the motility and MMP activity in human colon cancer cells.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.367-375
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• 2006

We previously identified a novel cancer/testis antigen gene CAGE by screening cDNA expression libraries of human testis and gastric cancer cell lines with sera of gastric cancer patients. CAGE is expressed in many cancers and cancer cell lines, but not in normal tissues apart from the testis. In the present study, we investigated its role in the motility of cells of two human cancer cell lines: HeLa and the human hepatic cancer cell line, SNU387. Induction of CAGE by tetracycline or transient transfection enhanced the migration and invasiveness of HeLa cells, but not the adhesiveness of either cell line. Overexpression of CAGE led to activation of ERK and p38 MAPK but not Akt, and inhibition of ERK by PD98059 or p38 MAPK by SB203580 counteracted the CAGE-promoted increase in motility in both cell lines. Overexpression of CAGE also resulted in a reduction of ROS and an increase of ROS scavenging, associated with induction of catalase activity. Inhibition of ERK and p38 MAPK increased ROS levels in cells transfected with CAGE, suggesting that ROS reduce the motility of both cell lines. Inhibition of ERK and p38 MAPK reduced the induction of catalase activity resulting from overexpression of CAGE, and inhibition of catalase reduced CAGE-promoted motility. We conclude that CAGE enhances the motility of cancer cells by activating ERK and p38 MAPK, inducing catalase activity, and reducing ROS levels.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.325.1-325.1
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• 2002

Cell motility plays important physiological roles in embryogenesis. immune defense. wound healing. and metastasis of tumor cells. Cell motility of normal cells is tightly regulated. while tumor cell motility is aberrantly regulated or autoregulated. Autotaxin (ATX) is a 125-kDa glycoprotein. originally isolated from the conditioned medium of human melanoma A2058 cells. ATX stimulates random (chemokinetic) and directed (chemotactic) motility of human tumor cells at high picomolar to low nanomolar concentrations. (omitted)

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.47-51
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• 2023

Ras small GTPases are involved in regulating various cellular signaling pathways including cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Ras GTPase subfamily is comprised of 15 proteins; 11 Ras, 3 Rap, and one Rheb related protein. Some Ras proteins, such as RasC and RasG, have been identified for their major functions, but there are proteins whose functions have not been studied yet, such as RasU and RasX. Here, we investigated the roles of RasU in cell motility and development. RasU shows the highest homology with RasX. To investigate the functions of RasU, rasU null cells were used to observe the phenotype. Cells lacking RasU were larger and more spread than wild-type cells. These results indicate that RasU plays a negative role in cell spreading. In addition, we investigated the roles of RasU in cell motility and development of Dictyostelium cells and found that rasU null cells exhibited decreased random migration speed and delayed developmental process. These results suggest that RasU plays an important role in cell motility and development.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.273-280
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• 2014

The changing patterns of goblet cell hyperplasia, intestinal epithelial cell turnover, and intestinal motility were studied in ICR and C57BL/6 mice infected with Gymnophalloides seoi (Digenea: Gymnophallidae). Whereas ICR mice retained G. seoi worms until day 7 post-infection (PI), C57BL/6 mice showed a rapid worm expulsion within day 3 PI. Immunosuppression with Depo-Medrol significantly delayed the worm expulsion in C57BL/6 mice. Goblet cell counts were increased in both strains of mice, peaking at day 1 PI in C57BL/6 mice and slowly increasing until day 7 PI in ICR mice. In C57BL/6 mice infected with G. seoi, newly proliferating intestinal epithelial cells were remarkably increased in the crypt, and the increase was the highest at day 1 PI. However, in ICR mice, newly proliferating intestinal epithelial cells increased slowly from day 1 to day 7 PI. Intestinal motility was increased in G. seoi-infected mice, and its chronological pattern was highly correlated with the worm load in both strains of mice. Meanwhile, immunosuppression of C57BL/6 mice abrogated the goblet cell proliferation, reduced the epithelial cell proliferation, and suppressed the intestinal motility. Goblet cell hyperplasia, increased intestinal epithelial cell turnover, and increased intestinal motility should be important mucosal defense mechanisms in G. seoi-infected C57BL/6 mice.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2003

Initiation and activation of sperm motility are prerequisite processes for the contact and fusion of male and female gametes at fertilization. The phenomena are under the regulation of CAMP and $Ca^{2+}$ in vertebrates and invertebrates. Mammalian sperm requires $Ca^{2+}$and cyclic AMP for the activation of sperm motility. Cell signaling for the initiation and activation of sperm motility has been well studied in the ascidians, Ciona intestinalis and C. savignyi and salmonid fishes. In Ciona, whose cell signaling for activation of sperm motility has been established, the sperm-activating and -attracting factor released from unfertilized egg requires extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ for activating sperm motility and eliciting chemotactic behavior of the activated sperm toward the egg. On the other hand, the cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation of protein is essential for the initiation of sperm motility in salmonid fishes. A decrease in the environmental Ti concentration surrounding the spawned sperm causes a li efflux and $Ca^{2+}$ influx through the specific $K^{+}$ channel and dihydropyridine-sensitive L-/T- type $Ca^{2+}$ channel, respectively, thereby leading to the membrane hyperpolarization and $Ca^{2+}$ influx. The membrane hyperpolarization synthesizes cyclic AMP, which triggers the luther Process of cell signaling, i.e., cyclic AMP-dependent protein phosphorylation, to initiate sperm motility in salmond fishes.almond fishes.

• International Journal of Oncology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.1490-1498
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• 2020

Multicellular tumor spheroids (MTSs) of malignant cells can display cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, different from monolayer cultures. The objective of the present study was to examine difference in intercellular and cell-matrix interaction between monolayered cultures and spheroid cultures. Expression levels of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signaling molecules in monolayered cells and MTS cells were compared. The motility of single cells dispersed from each culture was evaluated using a live-cell imaging device. The effect of an E-cadherin neutralizing antibody, DECMA, was also compared between the two cultures. Among various CAMs, only E-cadherin was increased in MTSs. The motility of single cells dispersed from MTSs was higher than that from monolayered cells. Compared with monolayered cells, the molecular weight (MW) of β1 integrin was decreased during MTS formation, particularly during the early stage. This notable reduction was maintained when DECMA was used to treat MTSs. Additionally, the expression levels of the EMT signaling molecules Snail and ILK increased more in MTSs than in monolayered cells. The blocking of E-cadherin elicited increased expression levels of EMT molecules and cellular motility only in MTSs. In conclusion, the alteration of E-cadherin expression and presence of low-MW β1 integrin in MTS may enhance cell motility via the upregulation of EMT signaling molecules that may be intensified by blocking E-cadherin.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.55-61
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• 2019

Objectives : Recently, natural bioactive components catch a major attention for their potent anticarcinogenic activity. In this study, the inhibitory effect of Cinnamomi Cortex (CC) was examined in PC3 prostate cancer cells. Methods : The toxicity of CC extract was evaluated with cell viability and cell morphology. The activity of Yes associated protein (YAP) was tested with qRT-PCR for the target gene expression such as CTGF and AMOTL2. Western blotting was performed for the evaluation of phospho-YAP level. For cell motility analysis, cellular motility was imaged by live imaging system for 6 hr. Successive images were used for the generation of movie file. Using this movie file, cellular migration was manually tracked and analyzed using time-lapse microscope and Fiji software. Results : Cytotoxicity of CC extract was not detected at $500{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ or below concentration. Although $500{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ of CC extract reduced CTGF and AMOTL2 gene expression as YAP target genes, it was not statistically significant (CTGF expression P=0.0605, AMOTL2 expression P=0.4478). However, phosphorylated YAP was highly enhanced by CC extract treatment, when normalized with total YAP protein expression, suggesting YAP activation was inhibited. Finally prostate cancer cell motility was markedly reduced by $500{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ of CC extract. Conclusions : CC extract suppresses cancer cell motility and migration ability through inhibiting YAP activation without prostate cancer cell death, suggesting that this herb might be effective therapeutic drug for prostate cancer metastasis.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.743-748
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• 2012

This study presents the effects of micro-geometries on the swimming behavior of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. First, we have measured parameters of single-cell motility including cell speed, run duration time, and tumble angle under two dimensional space. The results are used to calculate motility coefficients in the width of microchannels ranging from 10 to $100{\mu}m$. Since the single-cell motility parameters measured depend on the interaction of flagella with the microchannel wall, the duration time of the running cell in restricted geometries is distinctively different. Therefore, the motility of bacteria is decreased by restricted geometries. This study suggests that microfluidic approach is useful tool for the analysis of bacterial motility under the restricted space and rapid analytical tool.