• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.9
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• pp.660-672
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• 2022

The target of rapamycin complex (TORC) plays a key role in plant cell growth and survival by regulating the gene expression and metabolism according to environmental information. TORC activates transcription, mRNA translation, and anabolic processes under favorable conditions, thereby promoting plant growth and development. Tomato fruit ripening is a complex developmental process promoted by ethylene and specific transcription factors. TORC is known to modulate leaf senescence in tomato. In this study, we investigated the function of TORC in tomato fruit ripening using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of the TORC genes, TOR, lethal with SEC13 protein 8 (LST8), and regulatory-associated protein of TOR (RAPTOR). Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed that the expression levels of tomato TORC genes were the highest in the orange stage during fruit development in Micro-Tom tomato. VIGS of these TORC genes using stage 2 tomato accelerated fruit ripening with premature orange/red coloring and decreased fruit growth, when control tobacco rattle virus 2 (TRV2)-myc fruits reached the mature green stage. TORC-deficient fruits showed early accumulation of carotenoid lycopene and reduced cellulose deposition in pericarp cell walls. The early ripening fruits had higher levels of transcripts related to fruit ripening transcription factors, ethylene biosynthesis, carotenoid synthesis, and cell wall modification. Finally, the early ripening phenotype in Micro-Tom tomato was reproduced in the commercial cultivar Moneymaker tomato by VIGS of the TORC genes. Collectively, these results demonstrate that TORC plays an important role in tomato fruit ripening by modulating the transcription of various ripening-related genes.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.588-602
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• 2022

Various RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are key components in RNA metabolism and contribute to several neurodevelopmental disorders. To date, only a few of such RBPs have been characterized for their roles in neocortex development. Here, we show that the RBP, Rbms1, is required for radial migration, polarization and differentiation of neuronal progenitors to neurons in the neocortex development. Rbms1 expression is highest in the early development in the developing cortex, with its expression gradually diminishing from embryonic day 13.5 (E13.5) to postnatal day 0 (P0). From in utero electroporation (IUE) experiments when Rbms1 levels are knocked down in neuronal progenitors, their transition from multipolar to bipolar state is delayed and this is accompanied by a delay in radial migration of these cells. Reduced Rbms1 levels in vivo also reduces differentiation as evidenced by a decrease in levels of several differentiation markers, meanwhile having no significant effects on proliferation and cell cycle rates of these cells. As an RNA binding protein, we profiled the RNA binders of Rbms1 by a cross-linked-RIP sequencing assay, followed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction verification and showed that Rbms1 binds and stabilizes the mRNA for Efr3a, a signaling adapter protein. We also demonstrate that ectopic Efr3a can recover the cells from the migration defects due to loss of Rbms1, both in vivo and in vitro migration assays with cultured cells. These imply that one of the functions of Rbms1 involves the stabilization of Efr3a RNA message, required for migration and maturation of neuronal progenitors in radial migration in the developing neocortex.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.30.1-30.8
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• 2023

Metformin is a treatment used widely for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus with few side effects and acts by inhibiting hepatic gluconeogenesis and glucose absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. Lymphoma is one of the most common hematological malignancies in dogs. Chemotherapy is used mainly on lymphoma, but further research on developing anticancer drugs for lymphoma is needed because of its severe side effects. This study examined the anticancer effects of metformin alone and in combination with 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), a glucose analog, on EL4 cells (mouse T cell lymphoma). Metformin reduced the metabolic activity of EL4 cells and showed an additive effect when combined with 2-DG. In addition, cell death was confirmed using a trypan blue exclusion test, Hochest 33342/propidium iodide (PI) staining, and Annexin V/PI staining. An analysis of the cell cycle and mitochondria membrane potential (MMP) to investigate the mechanism of action showed that metformin stopped the G2/M phase of EL4 cells, and metformin + 2-DG decreased MMP. Metformin exhibited anticancer effects as a G2/M phase arrest mechanism in EL4 cells and showed additive effects when combined with 2-DG via MMP reduction. Unlike cytotoxic chemotherapeutic anticancer drugs, metformin and 2-DG are related to cellular glucose metabolism and have little toxicity. Therefore, metformin and 2-DG can be an alternative to reduce the toxicity caused by chemotherapeutic anticancer drugs. Nevertheless, research is needed to verify the in vivo efficacy of metformin and 2-DG before they can be used in lymphoma treatments.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.193-207
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• 1990

Transforming growth factor ${\beta}(TGF-{\beta})$ is a multifunctional polypeptide with diverse effects on the proliferation, differentiation and other functions in many cell types. $TGF-{\beta}$ is highly abundant in bone matrix and induces divergent responses in many aspects of bone cell metabolism . Several lines of investigation indicate that matrix-associated $TGF-{\beta}$ is the products of bone cells themselves. However, exact bone cell type reponsible for the production of $TGF-{\beta}$ is still in controversy, The present study was undertaken to determine the cellular origin of matrix-associated $TGF-{\beta}$ and to assess how different bone cells respond to $TGF-{\beta}$. As a prerequisite for this, 5 bone cell populations of distinct phenotype were isolated from fetal calvaria with sequential enzyme digestion protocol and biochemical characterization. Calvarial cell populations released in early stage showed fibroblastic features whereas populations relesed later was enriched with osteoblast-like cell as judged by their acid and alkaline phosphatase activities, cAMP responsiveness to parathyroid hormone, calcitonin and prostaglandin $E_2$ and collagen synthesis rate. By polyacylamide gel and immunoblot analysis of bone and calvarial cell extracts, presence of $TGF-{\beta}$ in bone tissues and production of $TGF-{\beta}$ by bone cells were confirmed again. Subsequent analysis of calvarial cell extracts prepared as individual population revealed that all calvarial cell populations synthesize $TGF-{\beta}$. Exogenously added $TGF-{\beta}$ induced biphasic response upon bone cell proliferation under serum-free condition. In osteoblastic cell populations, it was stimulatory whereas inhibitory in fibroblastic cell populations. In contrast, collagen and noncollagen protein synthesis of all calvarial cell populations were stimulated by $TGF-{\beta}$. Enhancement of protein synthesis was found to be more general rather than specific for collagen synthesis. In addition, effects of $TGF-{\beta}$ on protein synthesis were independent to its effects on cell proliferation. In summary, production of $TGF-{\beta}$ by bone cells and differential actions on various cell populations observed in this study suggest that $TGF-{\beta}$ may play an important role in the regulation of bone metabolism by modulating the specific cellular functions in autocrine and paracrine fashion.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.109-118
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• 1991

The present study was conducted to assess the possible contribution of arachidonic acid to generation of reactive oxygen metabolites and myocardial damage in ischemic-reperfused heart. Langendorff preparations of isolated rat heart were made ischemic by hypoperfusion (0.5 ml/min) for 45 min, and then followed by normal oxygenated reperfusion (7 ml/min). The generation of superoxide anion was estimated by measuring the SOD-inhibitable ferricytochrome C reduction. The myocardial cellular damage was observed by measuring LDH released into the coronary effluent. Oxygenated reperfusion following a period of ischemia produced superoxide anion, which was inhibited by both indomethacin (60 nmole/ml) and ibuprofen $(30\;{\mu}g/ml)$. Sodium arachidonate $(10^{-7}-10^{-2}{\mu}g/ml)$ administered during the period of oxygenated reperfusion stimulated superoxide anion production dose-dependently. The rate of arachidonate-induced superoxide generation was markedly inhibited by indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor; nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), a lipoxygenase inhibitor, and by eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA), a substrate inhibitor of arachidonic acid metabolism. The release of LDH was increased by Na arachidonate and was inhibited by superoxide dismutase. The release of LDH induced by arachidonic acid was also inhibited by indomethacin, NDGA and ETYA. In conclusion, the present result suggests that arachidonic acid metabolism is involved in the production of reactive oxygen metabolite and plays a contributory role in the genesis of reperfusion injuy of myocardium.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.154-164
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• 2005

Saccharomyces cerevisiae KNU5377 is a thermotolerant strain, which can ferment ethanol from wasted papers and starch at 40$^{\circ}C$ with the almost same rate as at 30$^{\circ}C$. This strain showed alcohol fermentation ability to convert wasted papers 200 g (w/v) to ethanol 8.4% (v/v) at 40$^{\circ}C$, meaning that 8.4% ethanol is acceptable enough to ferment in the industrial economy. As well, all kinds of starch that are using in the industry were converted into ethanol at 40$^{\circ}C$ with the almost same rate as at 30$^{\circ}C$. Hyperthermic cell killing kinetics and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed that exponentially growing cells of this yeast strain KNU5377 were more thermotolerant than those of S. cerevisiae ATCC24858 used as a control. This intrinsic thermotolernace did not result from the stability of entire cellular components but possibly from that of a particular target. Heat shock induced similar results in whole cell DSC profiles of both strains and the accumulation of trehalose in the cells of both strains, but the trehalose contents in the strain KNU5377 were 2.6 fold higher than that in the control strain. On the contrary to the trehalose level, the neutral trehalase activity in the KNU5377 cells was not changed after the heat shock. This result made a conclusion that though the trehalose may stabilize cellular components, the surplus of trehalose in KNU5377 strain was not essential for stabilization of whole cellular components. A constitutively thermotolerant yeast, S. cerevisiae KNU5377, was compared with a relatively thermosensitive control, S. cerevisiae ATCC24858, by assaying the fluidity and proton ATPase on the plasma membrane. Anisotropic values (r) of both strains were slightly increased by elevating the incubation temperatures from 25$^{\circ}C$ to 37$^{\circ}C$ when they were aerobically cultured for 12 hours in the YPD media, implying the membrane fluidity was decreased. While the temperature was elevated up to 40$^{\circ}C$, the fluidity was not changed in the KNU5377 cell, but rather increased in the control. This result implies that the plasma membrane of the KNU5377 cell can be characterized into the more stabilized state than control. Besides, heat shock decreased the fluidity in the control strain, but not in the KNU5377 strain. This means also there's a stabilization of the plasma membrane in the KNU5377 cell. Furthermore, the proton ATPase assay indicated the KNU5377 cell kept a relatively more stabilized glucose metabolism at high temperature than the control cell. Therefore, the results were concluded that the stabilization of plasma membrane and growth at high temperature for the KNU5377 cell. Genome wide transcription analysis showed that the heat shock responses were very complex and combinatory in the KNU5377 cell. Induced by the heat shock, a number of genes were related with the ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, metallothionein (prevent ROS production from copper), hsp27 (88-fold induced remarkably, preventing the protein aggregation and denaturation), oxidative stress response (to remove the hydrogen peroxide), and etc.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.426-438
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• 2016

Plant disease resistance occurs as a hypersensitive response (HR) at the site of attempted pathogen invasion. This specific event is initiated in response to recognition of pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) and subsequent PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI). Both PTI and ETI mechanisms are tightly connected with reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and disease resistance that involves distinct biphasic ROS production as one of its pivotal plant immune responses. This unique oxidative burst is strongly dependent on the resistant cultivars because a monophasic ROS burst is a hallmark of the susceptible cultivars. However, the cause of the differential ROS burst remains unknown. In the study here, we revealed the plausible underlying mechanism of the differential ROS burst through functional understanding of the Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae) AVR effector, AVR-Pii. We performed yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) screening using AVR-Pii as bait and isolated rice NADP-malic enzyme2 (Os-NADP-ME2) as the rice target protein. To our surprise, deletion of the rice Os-NADP-ME2 gene in a resistant rice cultivar disrupted innate immunity against the rice blast fungus. Malic enzyme activity and inhibition studies demonstrated that AVR-Pii proteins specifically inhibit in vitro NADP-ME activity. Overall, we demonstrate that rice blast fungus, M. oryzae attenuates the host ROS burst via AVR-Pii-mediated inhibition of Os-NADP-ME2, which is indispensable in ROS metabolism for the innate immunity of rice. This characterization of the regulation of the host oxidative burst will help to elucidate how the products of AVR genes function associated with virulence of the pathogen.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.70-81
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• 2015

Helicases are known to be a proteins that use the chemical energy of NTP binding and hydrolyze to separate the complementary strands of double-stranded nucleic acids to single-stranded nucleic acids. They participate in various cellular metabolism in many organisms. DEAD-box proteins are ATP-dependent RNA helicase that participate in all biochemical steps involving RNA. DEAD-box3 (DDX3) gene is belonging to the DEAD-box family and plays an important role in germ cell development in many organisms including not only vertebrate, but also invertebrate during asexual and sexual reproduction and participates in stem cell differentiation during regeneration. In this study, in order to identify and characterize DDX3 gene in the earthworm, Perionyx excavatus having a powerful regeneration capacity, total RNA was isolated from adult head containing clitellum. Full length of DDX3 gene from P. excavatus, Pe-DDX3, was identified by RT-PCR using the total RNA from head as a template. Pe-DDX3 encoded a putative protein of 607 amino acids and it also has the nine conserved motifs of DEAD-box family, which is characteristic of DEAD-box protein family. It was confirmed that Pe-DDX3 has the nine conserved motifs by the comparison of entire amino acids sequence of Pe-DDX3 with other species of different taxa. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Pe-DDX3 belongs to a DDX3 (PL10) subgroup of DEAD-box protein family. And it displayed a high homology with PL10a, b from P. dumerilii.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.314-319
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• 2007

The effects of common variants of CYP1A2 gene (CYP1A2$^*$1C and CYP1A2$^*$1F) on the CYP1A2 activity and inducibility were controversial. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of CYP1A2$^*$1C and CYP1A2$^*$1F on the activity of CYP1A2 determined by urinary caffeine metabolite ratio in Koreans. As might be expected, there was large inter-individual variation (16-folds) of CYP1A2 activity ranged from 2.41 to 39.58. The mean CYP1A2 activity of smokers was significantly higher than that of non-smokers. The frequencies of CYP1A2$^*$1C (-3858A) and $^*$1F (-164A) alleles were 0.219 and 0.646, respectively. The effect of CYP1A2$^*$1C on the CYP1A2 activity was not significant. However, the CYP1A2 activity of subjects with AA genotype for CYP1A2$^*$1F allele was significantly lower than that of non-AA genotypes (CC, or CA). Interestingly, the significant effect of CYP1A2$^*$1F allele on CYP1A2 activity was not observed in nonsmokers. Our results suggest that CYP1A2$^*$1F allele rather than CYP1A2$^*$1C allele significantly influences on the inducibility of CYP1A2 in Koreans. Owing to small sample size of our study, further studies should be conducted to reveal the inter-ethnic difference or the gene-environmental interaction.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.116-129
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• 2005

Distraction osteogenesis is a new bone formation technique. There is a advantage of the environmental adaptation when distraction force is applied to the gap between osteotomy lines. But it has a disadvantage of long-term wearing of the appliance and long consolidation period. Therefore we make an effort to reduce it and repair normal function. Extracellular matrix proteins have a function to control the cellular growth, migration, shape and metabolism. In these, hyaluronic acid is a member of polysaccharide glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and has a important function as bone formation and osteoinduction property. Purpose : In this experimental study in rabbit mandibular distraction osteogenesis, we investigated the bone enhancing property of hyaluronic acid and the expression of extracellular proteins such as osteocalcin and osteonectin. Materials and Methods : The experimental study was carried out on 24 Korean male white rabbits (both mandibular body, n=48). Distraction group was divided to distraction experimental (A, n=16) and distraction control (B, n=16) by the application of hyaluronic acid (Hyruan, LGCI, Seoul, Korea). Normal control group (C, n=16) was only osteotomized. After 5 days latency, distraction devices were activated at a rate of 1.4 mm per day (0.7 mm every 12hours) for 3.5 days. Animals were sacrificed at postoperative 3, 7, 14, and 28 days. H&E stain and immunohistochemical stain was done on decalcified section. Additionally RT-PCR analysis was done for the identification of the expression of osteocalcin and osteonectin. Results : The bone formation in distraction experimental group was much more than that in distraction and normal control group at postoperative 28 days. In immunohistochemical stain, osteocalcin was enhanced at only postoperative 14 days, but osteonectin was not different at each post-operation days. In RT-PCR analysis, osteocalcin was not different at each post-operation days, but osteonectin was strongly expressed in distraction experimental group at postoperative 7 days. The expression of osteocalcin and osteonectin was elevated during the healing period. Conclusion : We found the good bone formation ability of hyaluronic acid in distraction osteogenesis through the immunohistochemistry and RTPCR analysis to osteocalcin and osteonectin, known as a bone formation marker. The application of hyaluronic acid in distraction osteogenesis is a method to reduce the consolidation period.