• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.73-77
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• 2005

Nickel is the one of potent environmental, the occupational pollutants and the classified human carcinogens. It is a serious hazard to human health, when the metal exposure. To prevent human diseases from the heavy metals, it is seemingly important that understanding of how nickel exerts their toxicity and carcinogenic effect at a molecular and a genomic level. The process of nickel absorption has been demonstrated as phagocytosis, iron channel and diffusion. Uptaked nickel has been suggested to induce carcinogenesis via two pathways, a direct DNA damaging pathway and an indirect DNA damaging pathway. The former was originated from the ability of metal to generate Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and the reactive intermediates to interact with DNA directly. Ni-generated ROS or Nickel itself, interacts with DNAs and histones to cause DNA damage and chromosomal abnormality. The latter was originated from an indirect DNA damage via inhibition of DNA repair, or condensation and methylation of DNA. Cells have ability to protect from the genotoxic stresses by changing gene expression. Microarray analysis of the cells treated with nickel or nickel compounds, show the specific altered gene expression profile. For example, HIF-I (Hypoxia-Inducible Factor I) and p53 were well known as transcription factors, which are upregulated in response to stress and activated by both soluble and insoluble nickel compounds. The induction of these important transcription factors exert potent selective pressure and leading to cell transformation. Genes of metallothionein and family of heat shock proteins which have been known to play role in protection and damage control, were also induced by nickel treatment. These gene expressions may give us a clue to understand of the carcinogenesis mechanism of nickel. Further discussions on molecular and genomic, are need in order to understand the specific mechanism of nickel toxicity and carcinogenicity.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2013

Coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1) is included in the protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) family, which methylates histone arginine residues through posttranslational modification. It has been proposed that CARM1 may up-regulate the expression of pluripotency-related genes through the alteration of the chromatin structure. Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) are pluripotent and have the ability to self-renew. The cells are mainly used to study the genetic function of novel genes, because the cells facilitate the transmission of the manipulated genes into target mice. Since the up-regulated methylation levels of histone arginine residue lead to the maintenance of pluripotency in embryos and stem cells, it may be suggested that CARM1 overexpressing mESCs elevate the expression of pluripotency-related genes in reconstituted embryos for transgenic mice and may resist the differentiation into trophectoderm (TE). We constructed a fusion protein by connecting CARM1 and 7X-arginine (R7). As a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP), can translocate CARM1 protein into mESCs. CPP-CARM1 protein was detected in the nuclei of the mESCs after a treatment of 24 hours. Accordingly, the expression of pluripotency-related genes was up-regulated in CPP-CARM1-treated mESCs. In addition, CPP-CARM1-treated mESC-derived embryoid bodies (EBs) showed an elevated expression of pluripotency-related genes and delayed spontaneous differentiation. This result suggests that the treatment of recombinant CPP-CARM1 protein elevates the expression of pluripotency-related genes of mESCs by epigenetic modification, and this protein-delivery system could be used to modify embryonic fate in reconstituted embryos with mESCs.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.345-354
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• 2017

A mural was discovered in the Ssanggyesa temple located in Jindo island, during repair of the Daeungjeon Hall. A study was conducted to determine the binding medium used for preparing the mural. Pyrolysis/GC/MS and IR spectrometry were used to analyze a painting specimen. Direct approach and on-line methylation approach were attempted for the pyrolysis/GC/MS. In IR analysis, the spectra of the specimen were found to be different from those of Asian lacquer, yellow lacquer, animal glue, and acrylic emulsion resin. They were also not identical to the standard IR spectra of drying oils such as linseed oil. Pyrolysis/GC/MS results of the specimen were different from those of Asian lacquer, yellow lacquer, animal glue, and acrylic emulsion resin. In the mean time, palmitic acid, octadecanoic acid, nonanedioic acid, and octadecenoic acid, which are characteristic pyrolysis products of dried drying oil, were detected. In addition, the pyrolysis/GC/MS chromatograms of the specimen and dried drying oil were also very similar. Therefore, it was concluded that the painting was prepared using drying oil as a binding medium.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.1061-1066
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• 1997

The complexes M(CO)4-1,2-(PPh2)2-1,2-C2B10H10 (M=Cr 2a, Mo 2b, W 2c) have been prepared in good yields from readily available bis-diphenylphosphino-o-carboranyl ligand, closo-1,2-(PPh2)2-1,2-C2B10H10 (1), by direct reaction with Group Ⅵ metal carbonyls. The infrared spectra of the complexes indicate that there is an octahedral disposition of chelate bis-diphenylphosphino-o-carboranyl ligand around the metal atom. The crystal structure of 2a was determined by X-ray diffraction. Complex 2a crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n with cell parameters a = 12.2360(7), b = 17.156(1), c = 16.2040(6) Å, V = 3354.1(3) Å3, and Z =4. Of the reflections measured a total of 2514 unique reflections with F2 > 3σ(F2) was used during subsequent structure refinement. Refinement converged to R1 = 0.066 and R2 = 0.071. Structural studies showed that the chromium atom had a slightly distorted pseudo-octahedral configuration about the metal center with two phosphine groups of o-carborane occupying the equatorial plane cis-orientation to each other. These metal carbonyl complexes are rapidly converted to the corresponding metal carbene complexes, [(CO)3M=C(OCH3)(CH3)]-1,2-(PPh2)2-1,2-C2B10H10 (M= Cr 3a, Mo 3b, W 3c), via alkylation with methyllithium followed by O-methylation with CF3SO3CH3.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.202-215
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• 2022

The androgen receptor (AR) is an important therapeutic target for treating prostate cancer (PCa). Moreover, there is an increasing need for understanding the AR-independent progression of tumor cells such as neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). Menin, which is encoded by multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), serves as a direct link between AR and the mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) complex in PCa development by activating AR target genes through histone H3 lysine 4 methylation. Although menin is a critical component of AR signaling, its tumorigenic role in AR-independent PCa cells remains unknown. Here, we compared the role of menin in AR-positive and AR-negative PCa cells via RNAi-mediated or pharmacological inhibition of menin. We demonstrated that menin was involved in tumor cell growth and metastasis in PCa cells with low or deficient levels of AR. The inhibition of menin significantly diminished the growth of PCa cells and induced apoptosis, regardless of the presence of AR. Additionally, transcriptome analysis showed that the expression of many metastasis-associated genes was perturbed by menin inhibition in AR-negative DU145 cells. Furthermore, wound-healing assay results showed that menin promoted cell migration in AR-independent cellular contexts. Overall, these findings suggest a critical function of menin in tumorigenesis and provide a rationale for drug development against menin toward targeting high-risk metastatic PCa, especially those independent of AR.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.437-454
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• 2022

Embryonic stem cells have been a popular research topic in regenerative medicine owing to their pluripotency and applicability. However, due to the difficulty in harvesting them and their low yield efficiency, advanced cell reprogramming technology has been introduced as an alternative. Dental stem cells have entered the spotlight due to their regenerative potential and their ability to be obtained from biological waste generated after dental treatment. Cell reprogramming, a process of reverting mature somatic cells into stem cells, and transdifferentiation, a direct conversion between different cell types without induction of a pluripotent state, have helped overcome the shortcomings of stem cells and raised interest in their regenerative potential. Furthermore, the potential of these cells to return to their original cell types due to their epigenetic memory has reinforced the need to control the epigenetic background for successful management of cellular differentiation. Herein, we discuss all available sources of dental stem cells, the procedures used to obtain these cells, and their ability to differentiate into the desired cells. We also introduce the concepts of cell reprogramming and transdifferentiation in terms of genetics and epigenetics, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNA. Finally, we discuss a novel therapeutic avenue for using dental-derived cells as stem cells, and explain cell reprogramming and transdifferentiation, which are used in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.23
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• pp.10439-10444
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• 2015

Many chemotherapeutic agents have been successfully used to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, the development of chemoresistance in liver cancer cells usually results in a relapse and worsening of prognosis. It has been demonstrated that DNA methylation and histone modification play crucial roles in chemotherapy resistance. Currently, extensive research has shown that there is another potential mechanism of gene expression control, which is mediated through the function of short noncoding RNAs, especially for microRNAs (miRNAs), but little is known about their roles in cancer cell drug resistance. In present study, by taking advantage of miRNA effects on the resistance of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells line to cisplatin, it has been demonstrated that miR-340 were significantly downregulated whereas Nrf2 was upregulated in HepG2/CDDP (cisplatin) cells, compared with parental HepG2 cells. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase assays of Nrf2-3'-untranslated region-based reporter constructor indicated that Nrf2 was the direct target gene of miR-340, miR-340 mimics suppressing Nrf2-dependent antioxidant pathway and enhancing the sensitivity of HepG2/CDDP cells to cisplatin. Interestingly, transfection with miR-340 mimics combined with miR-340 inhibitors reactivated the Nrf2 related pathway and restored the resistance of HepG2/CDDP cells to CDDP. Collectively, the results first suggested that lower expression of miR-340 is involved in the development of CDDP resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, at least partly due to regulating Nrf2-dependent antioxidant pathway.