• Laboraroty Animal Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.264-269
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• 2018

Cell cycle dysfunction can cause severe diseases, including neurodegenerative disease and cancer. Mutations in cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors controlling the G1 phase of the cell cycle are prevalent in various cancers. Mice lacking the tumor suppressors $p16^{Ink4a}$ (Cdkn2a, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2a), $p19^{Arf}$ (an alternative reading frame product of Cdkn2a,), and $p27^{Kip1}$ (Cdkn1b, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1b) result in malignant progression of epithelial cancers, sarcomas, and melanomas, respectively. Here, we generated knockout mouse models for each of these three cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors using engineered nucleases. The $p16^{Ink4a}$ and $p19^{Arf}$ knockout mice were generated via transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and $p27^{Kip1}$ knockout mice via clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated nuclease 9 (CRISPR/Cas9). These gene editing technologies were targeted to the first exon of each gene, to induce frameshifts producing premature termination codons. Unlike preexisting embryonic stem cell-based knockout mice, our mouse models are free from selectable markers or other external gene insertions, permitting more precise study of cell cycle-related diseases without confounding influences of foreign DNA.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.499-502
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• 2011

Aurora A kinase is a mitotic serine/threonine kinase whose proposed functions include the maturation of centrosomes, G2/M transition, alignment of chromosomes at metaphase, and cytokinesis. In this study, we investigated the effect of MLN8237, an aurora A kinase inhibitor, on the postovulatory aging of oocytes based on the frequency of oocyte fragmentation, cdk1 kinase activity, and cyclin B degradation. The fragmentation of ovulated oocytes during prolonged culture was inhibited by treatment with MLN8237 in a concentration-dependent manner. The frequency of fragmented oocytes was significantly lower in oocytes treated with 2 ${\mu}M$ MLN8237 (13%) than in control oocytes (64%) after two days of culture. Most of the control (non-fragmented) oocytes (91%) were activated after two days of culture. In comparison, only 22% of the MLN8237-treated oocytes were activated; the rest of the oocytes (78%) were still in metaphase with an abnormal spindle and dispersed chromosomes. Next, cdk1 activity and the level of cyclin B were examined. The level of cyclin B and cdk1 activity in MLN8237-treated oocytes were nearly equal to those in control oocytes. Our results indicate that MLN8237 inhibited the fragmentation of ovulated oocytes during prolonged culture, although it blocked the spontaneous decrease in activity of cdk1 and degradation of cyclin B. This mechanism of inhibition is different from that in oocytes treated with nocodazole, which have high levels of cdk1 activity and cyclin B.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.85-95
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• 2014

Activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and downstream signaling pathways have been implicated in causing resistance to EGFR-targeted therapy in solid tumors, including the head and neck tumors. To investigate the mechanism of antiproliferation to EGFR inhibition in oral cancer, we compared EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (Gefitinib, Iressa, ZD1839) with respect to its inhibitory effects on three kinases situated downstream of EGFR: MAPK, Akt, and glycogen synthase kinase-$3{\beta}$ (GSK-$3{\beta}$). We have demonstrated that ZD1839 induces growth arrest and apotosis in oral cancer cell lines by independent of EGFR-mediated signaling. An exposure of oral cancer cells to ZD1839 resulted in a dose dependent up-regulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 and p27, down regulation of cyclin D1, inactivation of GSK-$3{\beta}$ and of active MAPK. In resistant cells, GSK-$3{\beta}$ is constitutively active and its activity is negatively regulated primarily through Ser 9 phosphorylation and further enhanced by Tyr216 phosphorylation. These results showed that the resistance to the antiproliferative effects of ZD1839, in vitro was associated with uncoupling between EGFR and MAPK inhibition, and that GSK-$3{\beta}$ activation and degradation of its target cyclin D1 were indicators of high cell sensitivity to ZD1839. In conclusion, our data show that the uncoupling of EGFR with mitogenic pathways can cause resistance to EGFR inhibition in oral cancer.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.66 no.6
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• pp.642-651
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• 2023

Objective : Endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) have been reported to play an important role in the pathogenesis of moyamoya disease (MMD). We have previously observed stagnant growth in MMD ECFCs with functional impairment of tubule formation. We aimed to verify the key regulators and related signaling pathways involved in the functional defects of MMD ECFCs. Methods : ECFCs were cultured from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy volunteers (normal) and MMD patients. Low-density lipoproteins uptake, flow cytometry, high content screening, senescence-associated β-galactosidase, immunofluorescence, cell cycle, tubule formation, microarray, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, small interfering RNA transfection, and western blot analyses were performed. Results : The acquisition of cells that can be cultured for a long time with the characteristics of late ECFCs was significantly lower in the MMD patients than the normal. Importantly, the MMD ECFCs showed decreased cellular proliferation with G1 cell cycle arrest and cellular senescence compared to the normal ECFCs. A pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated that the cell cycle pathway was the major enriched pathway, which is consistent with the results of the functional analysis of ECFCs. Among the genes associated with the cell cycle, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) showed the highest expression in MMD ECFCs. Knockdown of CDKN2A in MMD ECFCs enhanced proliferation by reducing G1 cell cycle arrest and inhibiting senescence through the regulation of CDK4 and phospho retinoblastoma protein. Conclusion : Our study suggests that CDKN2A plays an important role in the growth retardation of MMD ECFCs by inducing cell cycle arrest and senescence.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.159-165
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• 2006

To determine the anticancer effect of D-amygdalin (D-mandelinitrole-${\beta}$-D-gentiobioside) in human chronic myeloid leukemia cells K562, we profiled the gene expression between amygdalin treatment and control groups. Through 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, the cytotoxicity of D-amygdalin was $57.79{\pm}1.83%$ at the concentration of 5 mg/mL for 24 h. We performed cDNA microarray analysis and compared the gene expression profiles between D-amygdalin (5 mg/mL, 24 h) treatment and control groups. Among the genes changed by D-amygdalin, we paid attention to cell cycle-related genes, and particularly cell cycle regulator genes; because arrest of cell cycle processing was ideal tactic in remedy for cancer. In our data, expressions of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B (p27, Kip1) (CDKN1B), ataxia telangiectasia mutated (includes complementation groups A, C, and D) (ATM), cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1C (p57, Kip2) (CDKN1C), and CHK1 checkpoint homolog (CHEK1, formally known as CHK1) were increased, while expressions of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), cell division cycle 25A (CDC25A), and cyclin E1 (CCNE1) were decreased. The pattern of these gene expressions were confirmed through RT-PCR. Our results showed that D-amygdalin might control cell cycle regulator genes and arrest S phase of cell cycle in K562 cells as the useful anticancer drug.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.75-81
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• 2007

Sodium salicylate (NaSal), a chemopreventive drug, has been shown to induce apoptosis and cell circle arrest depending on its concentrations in a variety of cancer cells. In A549 cells, low concentration of NaSal (5$\sim$10 mM) induces cell cycle arrest, whereas it induces apoptosis at higher concentration of 20 mM. In the present study, we examined the molecular mechanism for NaSal-induced cell cycle arrest. NaSal induced expression of p53, p21 (Wafl/Cipl), and p27 (Kipl) that play important roles in cell cycle arrest. p53 induction was mediated by its phosphorylation at Ser-15 that could be prevented by the PI3K-related kinase (ATM, ATR and DNA-PK) inhibitors including wortmannin, caffeine and LY294002. In addition, NaSal-induction of p2l (Wafl/Cipl) was detected in P53 (+/+) wild type A549 cells but not in p53 (-/-) mutant H1299 cells, indicating p53-dependent p21 (Wafl/Cipl) induction. In contrast, p27 (Kipl) that is a negative regulate. of cell cycle with p21 (Wafl/Cipl) was observed both in A549 cells and H1299 cells. Thus, 5 mM NaSal appeared to cause cell cycle arrest through inducing the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 (Wafl/Cipl) via PI3K-related protein kinase-dependent p53 activation as well as by up-regulating p27 (Kipl) independently of p53 in A549 cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.828-833
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• 2006

Maize (Zea mays L.) pistil cell death and stamen cell arrest are pivotal process on the sex determination, which diverges from bisexual state of floral meristem to unisexual state in staminate or pistillate floret. We investigated the temporal and spatial distribution of cell cycle gene expression during maize sex determination. The positive regulatory genes of cell cycle, cyclin A, cyclin B, cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) and Mad2 were highly expressed in the developing pistil and stamen but the expression was disappeared in the dying pistil and arresting stamens. In contrast, the negative regulatory genes of cell cycle, Wee1 and CDK inhibitor (CKI) were expressed in the arresting stamens in the wild-type ear and tasselseed2 mutant tassel, however, these genes were not detected in dying pistil although the cyclin B gene expression was disappeared. These results suggest that both the pistil cell death and stamen cell arrest process in maize sex determination are involved in cell cycle regulation, but the different expression patterns of negative regulatory cell cycle genes in the arresting stamens and aborting pistils suggest that the two processes may have distinctive modes of action.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.92-97
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• 2014

Cordycepin, an active component originally isolated from the traditional medicine Cordyceps militaris, is a derivative of the nucleoside adenosine, which has been shown to possess a number of pharmacological properties, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, immunological stimulation, and antitumor effects. This study was conducted on cultured human prostate carcinoma LNCap cells to elucidate the possible mechanisms by which cordycepin exerts its anticancer activity, which, until now, has remained poorly understood. Cordycepin treatment of LNCap cells resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth and the induction of apoptotic cell death as detected by an MTT assay, cleavage of poly ADP-ribose polymerase, and annexin V-FITC staining. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that cordycepin resulted in G2/M arrest in cell cycle progression and downregulation of cyclin B1 and cyclin A expression in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, the incubation of cells with cordycepin caused a striking induction in the expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p21Waf1/Cip1 without affecting the expression of the tumor suppressor p53. It also resulted in a significant increase in the binding of CDK2 and CDC2 to p21. These findings suggest that cordycepin-induced G2/M arrest and apoptosis in human prostate carcinoma cells is mediated through p53-independent upregulation of the CDK inhibitor p21.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.507-513
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• 2000

ErbB3/HER3 is a cell surface receptor which belongs to the ErbB/HER subfamily of receptor protein tyrosine kinases. When expressed in NIH/3T3 cells, ErbB3 can form heterodimeric coreceptor with endogenous ErbB2. Among known intracellular effectors of the ErbB2/ErbB3 are mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphoinositide (PI) 3-kinase. In the present study, we studied relative contributions of above two distinct signaling pathways to the heregulin-induced mitogenic response via activated ErbB3. For this, clonal NIH-3T3 cell lines expressing wild-type ErbB3 and ErbB3 mutants were stimulated with $heregulin{\beta}_1$. While cyclin D1 level was markedly high and further increased by treatment of heregulin in cells expressing wild-type ErbB3, the elimination of either Shc binding or PI 3-kinase binding lowered both levels. This result was supported by the reduction of cyclin $D_1$ expression by preteatment with MAPK kinase inhibitor or PI 3-kinase inhibitor before stimulation with heregulin. In accordance with the cyclin $D_1$ expression, elimination of either Shc binding or PI 3-kinase binding reduced the heregulin-induced DNA synthesis and cell growth rate. Our results obtained by the comparison of wild-type and ErbB3 mutants indicate that the full induction of the cell cycle progression through $G_1/S$ phase by ErbB3 activation is dependent on both Shc/MAPK and PI 3-kinase signal transduction pathways.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.561-568
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• 2020

We examined the anticancer effects of a novel sirtuin inhibitor, MHY2256, on HCT116 human colorectal cancer cells to investigate its underlying molecular mechanisms. MHY2256 significantly suppressed the activity of sirtuin 1 and expression levels of sirtuin 1/2 and stimulated acetylation of forkhead box O1, which is a target protein of sirtuin 1. Treatment with MHY2256 inhibited the growth of the HCT116 (TP53 wild-type), HT-29 (TP53 mutant), and DLD-1 (TP53 mutant) human colorectal cancer cell lines. In addition, MHY2256 induced G0/G1 phase arrest of the cell cycle progression, which was accompanied by the reduction of cyclin D1 and cyclin E and the decrease of cyclin-dependent kinase 2, cyclin-dependent kinase 4, cyclin-dependent kinase 6, phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein, and E2F transcription factor 1. Apoptosis induction was shown by DNA fragmentation and increase in late apoptosis, which were detected using flow cytometric analysis. MHY2256 downregulated expression levels of procaspase-8, -9, and -3 and led to subsequent poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. MHY2256-induced apoptosis was involved in the activation of caspase-8, -9, and -3 and was prevented by pretreatment with Z-VAD-FMK, a pan-caspase inhibitor. Furthermore, the autophagic effects of MHY2256 were observed as cytoplasmic vacuolation, green fluorescent protein-light-chain 3 punctate dots, accumulation of acidic vesicular organelles, and upregulated expression level of light-chain 3-II. Taken together, these results suggest that MHY2256 could be a potential novel sirtuin inhibitor for the chemoprevention or treatment of colorectal cancer or both.