• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.183-193
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• 1999

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein is synthesized as a 160 KDa precursor, gp160, that is cleaved by a cellular protease to form the gp120 and gp41 subunits. Mammalian expression vectors were designed that are capable of efficient expression of various mutant envelope glycoproteins derived from a molecular clone of HIV-1. To construct these vectors, one type of mutation was made at the gp120-gp41 cleavage site by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis. And another mutation was made to change amino acids in the membrane spanning region of HIV-1 gp41 important for membrane anchorage. Next, these two mutations were combined to generate a vector to have double mutations in cleavage site and membrane-spanning region. These mutants were transiently expressed in mammalian cells. The effect of these mutations on envelope glycoprotein synthesis, proteolytic processing and secretion was determined. In addition, cell surface expression and ability of the glycoprotein to induce syncytium formation were examined. This study provides a mammalian expression system that is capable of efficient expression and secretion of soluble gp160.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.221-228
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• 2016

We investigated whether prunetin affects the proteolytic activity, secretion, and gene expression of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) in primary cultured rabbit articular chondrocytes, as well as in vivo production of MMP-3 in the rat knee joint to evaluate the potential chondroprotective effect of prunetin. Rabbit articular chondrocytes were cultured in a monolayer, and reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to measure interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\beta}$)-induced expression of MMP-3, MMP-1, MMP-13, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs-4 (ADAMTS-4), and ADAMTS-5. In rabbit articular chondrocytes, the effects of prunetin on IL-$1{\beta}$-induced secretion and proteolytic activity of MMP-3 were investigated using western blot analysis and casein zymography, respectively. The effect of prunetin on MMP-3 protein production was also examined in vivo. The results were as follows: (1) prunetin inhibited the gene expression of MMP-3, MMP-1, MMP-13, ADAMTS-4, and ADAMTS-5; (2) prunetin inhibited the secretion and proteolytic activity of MMP-3; (3) prunetin suppressed the production of MMP-3 protein in vivo. These results suggest that prunetin can regulate the gene expression, secretion, and proteolytic activity of MMP-3, by directly acting on articular chondrocytes.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.469-478
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• 2022

WNT signaling plays an important role in cardiac development, but abnormal activity is often associated with cardiac hypertrophy, myocardial infarction, remodeling, and heart failure. The effect of WNT signaling on regulation of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) secretion is unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Wnt agonist 1 (Wnta1) on ANP secretion and mechanical dynamics in beating rat atria. Wnta1 treatment significantly increased atrial ANP secretion and pulse pressure; these effects were blocked by U73122, an antagonist of phospholipase C. U73122 also abolished the effects of Wnta1-mediated upregulation of protein kinase C (PKC) β and γ expression, and the PKC antagonist Go 6983 eliminated Wnta1-induced secretion of ANP. In addition, Wnta1 upregulated levels of phospho-transforming growth factor-β activated kinase 1 (p-TAK1), TAK1 banding 1 (TAB1) and phospho-activating transcription factor 2 (p-ATF2); these effects were blocked by both U73122 and Go 6983. Wnta1-induced ATF2 was abrogated by inhibition of TAK1. Furthermore, Wnta1 upregulated the expression of T cell factor (TCF) 3, TCF4, and lymphoid enhancer factor 1 (LEF1), and these effects were blocked by U73122 and Go 6983. Tak1 inhibition abolished the Wnta1-induced expression of TCF3, TCF4, and LEF1 and Wnta1-mediated ANP secretion and changes in mechanical dynamics. These results suggest that Wnta1 increased the secretion of ANP and mechanical dynamics in beating rat atria by activation of PKC-TAK1-ATF2-TCF3/LEF1 and TCF4/LEF1 signaling mainly via the WNT/Ca²⁺ pathway. It is also suggested that WNT-ANP signaling is implicated in cardiac physiology and pathophysiology.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.158-163
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• 2013

Cholestatic liver is associated with hepatic inflammation and elevated proinflammatory cytokines. Recent studies indicate that certain cytokines can modulate bile secretion. In the present study, we have examined the role of interleukin (IL-2) on the bile secretion by a combination of study models. To examine the relevance of IL-2 on bile secretion, the expression of IL-2 and IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) of isolated normal and bile duct ligated (BDL) rats cholangiocytes was first measured by RT-PCR. In BDL rats, the expression of IL-2 and IL-2R was significantly increased compared with normal rats. To study the effect of IL-2 on bile secretion, bile flow was measured in normal and BDL rats. At the level of cholangiocytes, secretory responses of isolated bile duct unit (IBDU)s were quantified by videomicroscopy. The administrations of IL-2 had no significant effect on basal bile secretion in normal and BDL rats. There was no significant effect of IL-2 on basal bile ductular secretion as evidenced by no significant difference in luminal area of the IBDUs perfusedwith 100 pM of IL-2 from those of albumin carrier control. However, the secretin-stimulated bile ductular secretion was significantly (P < 0.01) inhibited by $34{\pm}4%$ (normal, n = 12), $21{\pm}5.3%$ (BDL 2 wk, n = 12) and $15{\pm}5.2%$ (BDL 4 wk, n = 12) with the co-administration of IL-2. As with other cytokines, physiologically relevant concentration of IL-2 can significantly inhibit secretin-stimulated bile ductular secretion. These findings support the important roles of cytokines in modulating bile secretion and may contribute to the cholestasis seen in cholestatic liver diseases.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.128-133
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• 2004

The secretion capacity of two E. coli strains (JM109 and AF1000) was evaluated through the expression of two human proinsulin fusion proteins using the translocation signal sequence from Staphylococcal protein A (SpA). Although a 7 to 11-fold difference in the expression levels was attained by the use of different promoters (SpA and malK promoters) and copy-number vectors (700 and 50 copies per cell), the maximum translocation rates for all the systems were around 140,000 amino acids $cell^{-1} min^{-1}$. Moreover, the secretion capacity was found to be independent of the size of the exiting peptide and its translational rate.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.79-100
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• 2010

Objective: Production of ROS from glucose toxicity results in injury of pancreatic $\beta$-cells in diabetes models. This study was undertaken to examine the influence of Lespedeza Cuneata extract (LCE) on cytoprotective effects on glucose toxicity, insulin secretion and gene expression in RIN-m5F cells. Methods: First, we measured LCE's antioxidant activity by DPPH free radical-scavenging activity and SOD activity. After the various concentrations of LCE were added to the RIN-m5F cells, we measured cell viability with glucose stimulation by MTT assay and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. We analyzed gene expression with Agilent whole mouse genome 44K oligo DNA microarray and searched for related pathways in KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes). Lastly we measured INS-1, INS-2, INS-R, IRS-1, IRS-2, IRS-3, GLP-1R, and GLP-2R mRNA expression by real time RT-PCR. Results: Free radical-scavenging activity, SOD activity and insulin secretion increased dependent on LCE concentration, but LCE did not show considerable cytoprotective effect on RIN-m5F cells. More than twice expressed gene was 6362 in Oligo DNA chip. In KEGG, the most related pathway was the metabolic pathway. In the insulin signaling pathway, up expressed genes were Irs1, Mapk8, Akt1, and Lipe and down expressed genes were Rhoq, Fbp2, Prkar2b, Gck, and Prkag1. In real time RT-PCR, IRS-2, and IRS-3 expression increased significantly compared to the control group on LCE $12{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ concentration and GCK expression decreased significantly compared to the control group. Conclusions: These results show that LCE encourages insulin secretion and insulin metabolism by complicated gene mechanisms. Further mechanism study and clinical study seem to be necessary about Lespedeza Cuneata.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.187-194
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• 1993

[Met5]-Enkephalin (ME) secretion and the expression of proenkephalin A (proENK) mRNA were studied following long-term exposure of bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin (BAMC) cells to pertussis toxin. Prolonged (24 hr) stimulation of BAMC cells with pertussis toxin increased the secretion of ME as well as proENK gene expression. BAMC cells were also incubated with pertussis toxin in the presence or absence of other secretagogues such as nicotine, angiotensin II and phorbol myristate acetate.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.196-201
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• 2014

Pyunkang-hwan (Pyunkang-tang) extract (PGT) is a traditional folk medicine for controlling diverse pulmonary diseases including bronchitis, tonsiltis and pneumonitis. We investigated whether PGT significantly affects secretion, production and gene expression of airway mucin using in vivo and in vitro experimental models reflecting the hypersecretion and/or hyperproduction of mucus observed in inflammatory pulmonary diseases. For in vivo experiment, effect of PGT was checked on hypersecretion of pulmonary mucin in sulfur dioxide-induced bronchitis in rats. For in vitro experiment, confluent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated with PGT for 30 min and then stimulated with EGF (epidermal growth factor), PMA (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate) or TNF-${\alpha}$ (tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$) for 24 h. The MUC5AC mucin gene expression and mucin protein production were measured by RT-PCR and ELISA. The results were as follows: (1) PGT inhibited the expression of MUC5AC mucin gene induced by EGF, PMA or TNF-${\alpha}$ from NCI-H292 cells, respectively; (2) PGT also inhibited the production of MUC5AC mucin protein induced by the same inducers from NCI-H292 cells, respectively; (3) PGT inhibited secretion of mucin in sulfur dioxide-induced bronchitis rat model. This result suggests that PGT can regulate secretion, production and gene expression of airway mucin.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.57-62
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• 2002

In vivo expression technology (IVET) has been developed to study bacterial gene expression in Salmonella typhimurium during host infection. The expression of selected genes by IVET has been elevated in vivo but not in vitro. The selected genes turned out to be important for bacterial virulence and/or pathogenicity. IVET depends on a synthetic operon with a promoterless transcriptional fusion between a selection marker gene and a reporter gene. The IVET approach has been successfully adapted in other bacterial pathogens and plant-associated bacteria using different selection markers. Pseudomonas putida suppresses citrus root rot caused by Phytophthora parasitica and enhances citrus seedling growth. The WET strategy was adapted based on a transcriptional fusion, pyrBC'-lacZ, in P. putida to study the bacterial traits important far biocontrol activities. Several genes appeared to be induced on P. parasitica hyphae and were found to be related with metabolism and regulation of gene expression. It is likely that the biocontrol strain took a metabolic advantage from the plant pathogenic fungus and then suppressed citrus root rot effectively. The result was parallel with those from the adaptation of IVET in P. fluorescens, a plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Interestingly, genes encoding components for type III secretion system have been identified as rhizosphere-induced genes in the PGPR strain. The type III secretion system may play a certain role during interaction with its counterpart plants. Application of IVET has been demonstrated in a wide range of bacteria. It is an important strategy to genetically understand complicated bacterial traits in the environment.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.963-977
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• 2015

The well-characterized gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis is an outstanding industrial candidate for protein expression owing to its single membrane and high capacity of secretion, simplifying the downstream processing of secretory proteins. During the last few years, there has been continuous progress in the illustration of secretion mechanisms and application of this robust host in various fields of life science, such as enzyme production, feed additives, and food and pharmaceutical industries. Here, we review the developments of Bacillus subtilis as a highly promising expression system illuminating strong chemical- and temperatureinducible and other types of promoters, strategies for ribosome-binding-site utilization, and the novel approach of signal peptide selection. Furthermore, we outline the main steps of the Sec pathway and the relevant elements as well as their interactions. In addition, we introduce the latest discoveries of Tat-related complex structures and functions and the countless applications of this full-folded protein secretion pathway. This review also lists some of the current understandings of ATP-binding cassette transporters. According to the extensive knowledge on the genetic modification strategies and molecular biology of Bacillus subtilis, we propose some suggestions and strategies for improving the yield of intended productions. We expect this to promote striking future developments in the optimization and application of this bacterium.