• BMB Reports
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.225-229
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• 2013

Methylglyoxal (MG) is an endogenous metabolite which is present in increased concentrations in diabetics and reacts with amino acids to form advanced glycation end products. In this study, we investigated whether ferritin enhances DNA cleavage by the reaction of MG with lysine. When plasmid DNA was incubated with MG and lysine in the presence of ferritin, DNA strand breakage was increased in a dose-dependent manner. The ferritin/MG/lysine system-mediated DNA cleavage was significantly inhibited by reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers. These results indicated that ROS might participate in the ferritin/MG/lysine system-mediated DNA cleavage. Incubation of ferritin with MG and lysine resulted in a time-dependent release of iron ions from the protein molecules. Our data suggest that DNA cleavage caused by the ferritin/MG/lysine system via the generation of ROS by the Fenton-like reaction of free iron ions released from oxidatively damaged ferritin.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.200-205
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• 2023

DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), a member of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinase family is a well-known player in repairing DNA double-strand break through non-homologous end joining pathway. This mechanism has allowed us to understand its critical role in T and B cell development through V(D)J recombination and class switch recombination, respectively. We have also learned that the defects in these mechanisms lead to the severely combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Here we highlight some of the latest evidence where DNA-PKcs has been shown to localize not only in the nucleus but also in the cytoplasm, phosphorylating various proteins involved in cellular metabolism and cytokine production. While it is an exciting time to unveil novel functions of DNA-PKcs, one should carefully choose experimental models to study DNA-PKcs as the experimental evidence has been shown to differ between cells of defective DNA-PKcs and those of DNA-PKcs knockout. Moreover, while there are several DNA-PK inhibitors currently being evaluated in the clinical trials in an attempt to increase the efficacy of radiotherapy or chemotherapy, multiple functions and subcellular localization of DNA-PKcs in various types of cells may further complicate the effects at the cellular and organismal level.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.250-256
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• 2010

Natural phosphodiester bond CpG-DNA that contains immunomodulatory CpG motifs (PO-DNA) upregulates the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and induces an Ag-driven Th1 response in a CG sequence-dependent manner in mice. In humans, only phosphorothioate backbone-modified CpG-DNA (PS-DNA) and not PO-DNA has immunomodulatory activity. In this study, we found that liposome-encapsulated PO-DNA upregulated the expression of human $\beta$-defensin-2 (hBD-2) and major histocompatibility class II molecules (HLA-DRA) in a CG sequence-dependent and liposome- dependent manner in human B cells. Of the three different liposomes, DOTAP has the unique ability to enhance the immunomodulatory activity of PO-DNA. In contrast, HLA-DRA and hBD-2 promoter activation can be induced by liposome-encapsulated PS-DNA in a CG sequence-independent manner, depending on the CpG-DNA species. Our observations demonstrate that, when encapsulated with a proper liposome in the immune system, natural PO-DNA has the potential to be a useful therapy for the regulation of the innate immune response.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.297-302
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• 2018

Cells are constantly exposed to endogenous and exogenous chemical and physical agents that damage their genome by forming DNA lesions. These lesions interfere with the normal functions of DNA such as transcription and replication, and need to be either repaired or tolerated. DNA lesions are accurately removed via various repair pathways. In contrast, tolerance mechanisms do not remove lesions but only allow replication to proceed despite the presence of unrepaired lesions. Cells possess two major tolerance strategies, namely translesion synthesis (TLS), which is an error-prone strategy and an accurate strategy based on homologous recombination (homology-dependent gap repair [HDGR]). Thus, the mutation frequency reflects the relative extent to which the two tolerance pathways operate in vivo. In the present paper, we review the present understanding of the mechanisms of TLS and HDGR and propose a novel and comprehensive view of the way both strategies interact and are regulated in vivo.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.17-20
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• 1996

The effect of Fumonisin B1, a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium moniliforme on bacterial viruses P1 and Lambda, was investigated by the virus plaque assay. Fumonisin B1 inhibited the P1 viral multiplication in the concentration range from $100{\mu}g$/ml to $400{\mu}g$/ml. The inhibition was Fumonisin B1 concentration-dependent. Another bacterial virus Lambda multiplication was also inhibited by lower concentration of Fumonisin B1 ($10{\mu}g$/ml~$50{\mu}g$/ml). This inhibition was dependent on Fumonisin B1 and on virus-Fumonisin B1 reaction time. Sensitivity of bacteriophage Lambda to Fumonisin B1 was higher than that of P1 virus. Lambda vital DNA was treated in vitro with Fumonisin B1 at various concentration. Significant DNA fragmentation by Fumonisin 191 was observed in the agarose gel electrophoresis. Lambda viral DNA was partially digested even in the Fumonisin B1 $10{\mu}g$ and the level of its fragmentation was dependent on Fumonisin B1 amount up to $30{\mu}g$ per assay.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.1 s.81
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• pp.39-44
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• 2007

The Rqh1 gene is essential for vegetative growth in fission Yeast. The rqh1 mutant showed that sensitivity of DNA damaging agent, a wild range of phenotype including abnormal gene expression and cell elongation. This result showed that the rqhl-overexpression cell was sensitivity to DNA damaging agent like rqhl mutant. When Rqh1 have an over-expression by $nmt1^+$ promoter of pREP vector, rqh1 mutant DNA damaging agent sensitivity could be compensated. We isolated two strong mutant containing complementation gene, rqh156 and rqh172, respectively. This result observed that the DNA damaging agent sensitivity of rqhl mutant was complemented by the expression of rqh156 and rqh172. They induced mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner HU, MMS and UV. The HU sensitivity of the rqhl was complemented by the expression of rqh156 and rqh172. The mRNA expression of rqh156 decreased on HU dose dependent but the mRNA expression of rqh172 did not decrease on HU dose dependent. The MMS and W sensitivity of the rqhl was complemented by the expression of rqh156 and rqh172. These results indicate that the isolated rqhl gene may play an important role in DNA metabolism.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.525-528
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• 2003

The role of 3' exonuclease excision in DNA polymerization was evaluated in primer extensions using 3' allele-specific primers that had exonuclease-digestible and exonuclease-resistant 3' termini. With exonuclease-digestible unmodified 3' mismatched primers, the exo+ polymerase yielded template-dependent products. Using exonuclease-resistant 3' mismatched primers, no primer-extended product resulted from exo+ polymerase. As a control, polymerase without proofreading activity yielded primer-dependent products from 3' mismatched primers. These data indicated that a successful removal of the mismatch is required for DNA polymerization from the 3' mismatched primers by exo+ polymerase. In addition to the well-known proofreading from this mismatch removal, the premature termination in DNA polymerization, due to the failure of the efficient removal of the mismatched nucleotides, worked as an off-switch in maintaining the high fidelity in DNA replication from exo+ polymerase.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.358-362
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• 1996

The ionic strength dependent binding mode of 9-aminoacridine (9AA), a well-known DNA intercalator, to DNA is studied by flow linear dichroism, circular dichroism, fluorescence techniques and equilibrium dialysis. The DNA-bound 9AA exhibits spectral properties corresponding to the intercalative binding mode disregarding the salt concentrations; the angle between the long-axis transition moment of the 9AA molecule and DNA helix axis is calculated to be about 65°, indicating a significant deviation from the classical intercalation. At low salt concentrations, however, upwards bending curve in Stern-Volmer plot is observed (where 9AA is a fluorophore and DNA a quencher), indicating the coexistence of both static and dynamic quenching mechanisms or the existence of an additional binding site.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.89-91
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• 1998

Cryptotanshinone induced topoisomerase I-mediated DNA cleavage in vitro as strongly as camptothecin, whereas topoisomerase II-mediated DNA cleavage was not induced by this agent. In DNA relaxation assay using calf thymus DNA topoisomerase I and supercoiled pBR322 DNA, cryptotanshinone inhibited topoisomerase I-mediated DNA relaxation in a dose-dependent manner. In unwinding assay, cryptotanshinone ($50{\mu}M$) did not shift the topoisomers of DNA. These results suggest that cryptotanshinone exerted a preferential inhibition of topoisomerase I without intercalating into DNA.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.3015-3020
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• 2014

The behavior of benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dione (BPQ) in aqueous solution and its interaction with native DNA was investigated using conventional absorption and linear dichroism (LD) spectroscopy. The appearance of a broad absorption maximum at long wavelengths and its proportional relationship to solvent polarizability suggested that BPQ adopts a aggregated state for all solutions examined. Disappearance of this absorption band at higher temperatures in aqueous solution also supported BPQ aggregation. When associated with DNA absorption spectral properties were essentially the same as that in aqueous solution. However, two isosbestic wavelengths were found in the concentration-dependent absorption spectrum of the BPQ-DNA complex, suggesting the presence of at least two or more DNA-bound BPQ species. Both species produced $LD^r$ spectra whose magnitude in BPQ absorption region is larger or comparable to that in the DNA absorption region, suggesting that the molecular BPQ plane is near perpendicular relative to the local DNA helical axis. Therefore, BPQ molecules are aligned along the DNA stem in both DNA-aggregated BPQ species.