• Toxicological Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.175-182
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• 2008

DNA-dependent protein kinase(DNA-PK) is involved in joining DNA double-strand breaks induced by ionizing radiation or V(D)J recombination and is activated by DNA ends and composed of a DNA binding subunit, Ku, and a catalytic subunit, DNA-PKcs. It has been suggested that DNA-PK might be $2^{nd}$ upstream kinase for protein kinase B(PKB). In this report, we showed that Ser473 phosphorylation in the hydrophobic-motif of PKB is blocked in DNA-PK knockout mouse embryonic fibroblast cells(MEFs) following insulin stimulation, while there is no effect on Ser473 phosphorylation in DNA-PK wild type MEF cells. The observation is further confirmed in human glioblastoma cells expressing a mutant form of DNA-PK(M059J) and a wild-type of DNA-PK(M059K), indicating that DNA-PK is indeed important for PKB activation. Furthermore, the treatment of cells with doxorubicin, DNA-damage inducing agent, leads to PKB phosphorylation on Ser473 in control MEF cells while there is no response in DNA-PK knockout MEF cells. Together, these results proposed that DNA-PK has a potential role in insulin signaling as well as DNA-repair signaling pathway.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.504-510
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• 1993

Human insulin gene is consisted of the polymorphic region with the repeating units, the regulatory sequence, the structural gene including the intervening sequence, and 3'-flanking region. The polymerase chain reaction, which amplifies the target DNA between two specific primers, has been performed for the amplification of human insulin gene and simple one-step cloning of it into Escherichia coli. Out of 1727 nuceotides compared, only 4 sites were variable: 5'-regulatory region(G2101$\rightarrow$AGG); IVS I(T2401$\rightarrow$A); Exon II(C2411 deletion); IVS II(A2740 dejection). The variations at the G2101 and T2401 were the same as those found in one American allele. The other two variations were observed only in the specific Korean allele. And, the enzyme digestion patterns among normal, insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus were the same. On the other hand, PCR method showed the possibility of the quickaccess for the polymorphic region in terms of the restriction fragment length of polymorphism.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.164-168
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• 2002

Phthalate analogues are a plasticizer and solvent used in industry and were reported to be a potential carcinogen classified in the category of suspected endocrine disruptors. Most common human exposure to these compounds may occur with contaminated food. They may migrate into food from plastic wrap or may enter food from general environmental contamination. Since these substances are not limited to the original products, and enter the environment, they have become widespread environmental pollutants, thus leading to a variety of phthalates that possibly threaten the public health. To determine whether seven phthalate analogues i.e. diallyl phthalate, diisodecyl phthalate, di-n-nonyl phthalate, butyl benzyl phthalate, di-n-octyl phthalate, di-tridecyl phthalate, and dibutyl phthalate, can induce DNA strand breakage that is one of the various factors related to the mechanism of carcinogenicity, the comet assay which has been widely used for the detection and measurement of DNA strand breaks, was conducted in L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells. From these results, seven phthalates revealed dose-dependent decrease of cell viability, however, no remarkable cytotoxicity was observed even at high concentration of 100 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ phthalates. And also, the results showed that the induction of DNA strand breaks by seven phthalates was not significantly different from the control in this study.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.11
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• pp.764-768
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• 2009

The tandem ubiquitin-interacting motif (UIM) domain located at the N-terminus of Receptor Associated Protein 80 (RAP80) plays a crucial role in ionizing radiation (IR)-induced DNA damage response. RAP80 translocates to sites of IR-induced DNA damage through interaction of its UIM domain with ubiquitinated H2A and Lys63-linked polyubiquitin chains. The exact mechanism, however, through which RAP80 associates with Lys63-linked polyubiquitin chains is not clear. Here, we show by in vitro GST-pull down assays that modifying the linker region between the tandem ubiquitin binding domains of RAP80 changes the binding affinity for Lys63-linked polyubiquitin chains and affects translocation to sites of DNA breaks. Based on these findings, we suggest that the length of the linker region between the tandem ubiquitin binding domains of RAP80 may be a key factor in the binding of RAP80 with Lys63-linked polyubiquitin chains as well as in the translocation of RAP80 to DNA break sites.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.199-209
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• 1984

Pregnant rats were fed a pyridoxine deficient diet during the gestation and lactation. DEF I group received the deficient diet from delivery ; DEF II group, from the 15 th day of gestation. Body and brain weights, brain protein, DNA, RNA, plasma GOT and GPT, and catecholamines were measured. Effect of MAO inhibiting drug, pargyline, was determined. Brain protein, DNA, and RNA of offsprings of deficient groups were significantly lower than the control group, but RNA/ DNA, brain weight/DNA, and protein/DNA show that cell number were more affected than cell size by the pyridoxine deficiency during the 3rd week of gestation and lactation. Plasma GOT activities were more significantly different than plasma GPT between the control and deficient group. Brain norepinephrine of offsprings of deficient group were significantly lower than the control, but brain dopamine content was not significantly different from the control. At 2nd and 3rd week, norepinephrine was significantly depressed in deficient groups. Pargyline treatment affected a 1.2 fold increase in catecholamines in 3hr while the control had a 1.5 fold increase. Thus norepinephrine and dopamine synthesis was depressed in the deficient groups. Dopaminergic neurons may be less dependent on pyridoxine level than neurons from norepinephrine. Pyridoxine deficiency in maternal diet is not so critical to brain catecholamines of offspring except to the neonatal rats.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.116-121
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• 1999

Quercetin and its glycosides showed a strong free radical scavenging effect to DPPH radical generation. However, there were not big differences between quercetin aglycone and glycosides under experimental condition of this study. On the other hand, quercetin had pro-oxidant effect in bleomycin-dependent DNA assay. Quercetin aglycone and its glycosides, quercitrin inhibited $H_2$$O_2$- induced DNA damage in CHL cells. They also have an anticlastogenicity toward DNA breakage agent by radical generation like bleomycin. These results indicate that quercetin aglycone and its glycosides are capable of protecting the free radical generation induced by reactive oxygen species like $H_2$$O_2$. The mechanism of inhibition in hydrogen peroxide-induced genotoxicity may be due to their free radical scavenging properties. Therefore, quercetin aglycone and its glycosides may be useful chemopreventive agents by protecting of free radical generation which are involved in carcinogenesis and aging. However, quercetin and its glycosides must also carefully examined for pro-oxidant properties before being proposed for use in vivo.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.62-68
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• 2004

A cDNA encoding the masu salmon, Oncorhynchus masou, estrogen receptor $\alpha$ (msER$\alpha$) was cloned from the pituitary gland by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This cDNA contains an open reading frame encoding 513 amino acid residues, and the calculated molecular weight of this protein is about 56,430 Dalton. The amino acid sequences of the DNA binding and ligand binding domains of msER$\alpha$ showed high homology to those of other fish species (84-100%). Reverse transcription PCR analysis showed that the mRNA level of msER$\alpha$ in the pituitary was slightly higher in estradiol-17$\beta$(E2) injected masu salmon than that of control fish. To test the biological activity of msER$\alpha$, the cDNA was ligated to a mammalian expression vector and transfected into a gonadotrope-derived cell line, L$\beta$T2, with a reporter plasmid including estrogen responsive element. Expression of the reporter protein, luciferase, was E2 and msER$\alpha$-dependent. The masu salmon ER$\alpha$ is structurally conserved among teleost species and functions as a transcriptional activator in the pituitary cells.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.345-350
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• 1998

The adverse effects of ethanol on cell proliferation have been described for a variety of tissues and cells. In the present study, we investigated whether chronic ethanol intoxication impairs the cell proliferation and DNA synthesis induced by oncogenic $H-ras^{V12}$ - and $v-K-ras^{V12}$-transformed cells. Ethanol treatment inhibited the cell proliferation and the DNA synthesis of control parental fibroblasts in a time- and dose-dependent manner. In contrast, ethanol did not suppress the proliferation of either oncogenic $H-ras^{V12}$ - or $v-K-ras^{V12}$ -transformed fibroblasts. Microinjection of oncogenic $H-Ras^{V12}$ protein induces DNA synthesis and ethanol treatment did not interfere with the DNA synthesis. The antiproliferative toxicity of ethanol was rescued by antioxidants, such as N-acetylcysteine and 4-methlpyrazole. These results indicate that the antiproliferative action site of ethanol toxicity lies upstream or is independent of Ras and ethanol exerts its toxicity through a free radical formation.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.461-469
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• 2014

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent pollutants in aquatic environments, often causing the decline or disappearance of wild populations. In this study, we used a random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay to evaluate the effects on the genomic DNA of olive flounder embryo and larval stages of exposure to Aroclor 1254 at concentrations of 1, 5, 10, 20, and $40{\mu}g/L$. We compared RAPD fingerprints of exposed and non-exposed samples. Polymorphisms were revealed as the presence and/or absence of DNA fragments between the two samples. A dose-dependent increase in the number of polymorphic bands was observed with Aroclor 1254 treatment. Also, RAPD profiles of animals exposed to Aroclor 1254 exhibited an increase in the frequency values (FV) compared to the control. A phenogram constructed using neighbor-joining method indicated that genomic template stability in developing embryo and larval stages was significantly affected at ${\geq}5{\mu}g/L$. This study suggested that DNA polymorphisms detected by RAPD analysis could be used as an investigative tool for environmental toxicology and as a useful biomarker in early life stages for the detection of potential genotoxicants.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.852-858
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• 2004

The morbidity and mortality of colon cancer are increasing, because of the westernization of food habit. Probiotics such as lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been known to play an important role in retarding colon carcinogenesis by possibly influencing metabolic, immunologic, and protective functions in the colon. In this study, we evaluated the effect of B. polyfermenticus SCD on N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) induced DNA damage in CHO-K, cells and human lymphocytes, and on proliferation of human colon cancer cell. Using the Comet assay to detect DNA damage, we found that B. polyfermenticus SCD protected cells from the DNA damage induced by MNNG in $CHO-K_1$ cells and in human lymphocytes. B. polyfermenticus SCD was also found to inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, detected by the MTT assay. These results indicate that B. polyfermenticus SCD has the potential to inhibit not only DNA damage induced by a carcinogen, but also the proliferation of colon cancer cells.