• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.987-992
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• 2010

This study was to detect the expression of heart fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) and adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP) gene mRNA in different tissues of Rugao and Luyuan chickens at 56 d and 120 d by real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase-chain reaction (FQ-RT-PCR). The primers were designed according to the sequences of HFABP, A-FABP and GAPDH genes in Gallus gallus, which were used as target genes and internal reference gene, respectively. The levels of H-FABP and A-FABP gene expression were detected by SYBR Green I FQ-RT-PCR. The relative H-FABP and A-FABP gene mRNA expression level was calculated with 2-$^{{\Delta}Ct}$. Melting curve analysis showed a single peak of three genes. Intramuscular fat (IMF) content in breast muscle and leg muscle of the two chicken breeds at 120 d was higher than at 56 d. IMF content in breast muscle and leg muscle at 56 d and 120 d in Luyuan was significantly higher than in Rugao, however, abdominal fat of Luyuan was significantly lower than that of Rugao. The relative H-FABP gene mRNA expression level in cardiac muscle was the highest in both chicken breeds. The relative H-FABP and A-FABP gene expression of different tissues in Luyuan was higher than in Rugao. H-FABP gene mRNA expression had a negative effect on IMF of leg and breast muscles, and was significantly negatively correlated with IMF content. The relative A-FABP gene mRNA level in abdominal fat was higher than in liver. The A-FABP gene mRNA was not expressed in leg, breast and cardiac muscles. A-FABP gene mRNA expression level was significantly positively correlated with abdominal fat and had a significant effect on abdominal fat but not IMF content.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.4999-5005
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• 2013

Objective: This study aimed to investigate expression of the proto-oncogene POK erythroid myeloid ontogenic factor (Pokemon) in colorectal cancer (CRC), and assess inhibitory effects of a small interference RNA (siRNA) expression vector in SW480 and SW620 cells. Methods: Semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemistry were performed to determine mRNA and protein expression levels of Pokemon in CRC tissues. Indirect immunofluorescence staining was applied to investigate the location of Pokemon in SW480 and SW620 cells. The siRNA expression vectors that were constructed to express a short hairpin RNA against Pokemon were transfected to the SW480 and SW620 cells with a liposome. Expression levels of Pokemon mRNA and protein were examined by real-time quantitative-fluorescent PCR and western blot analysis. The effects of Pokemon silencing on proliferation of SW480 and SW620 cells were evaluated with reference to growth curves with MTT assays. Results: The mRNA expression level of Pokemon in tumor tissues ($0.845{\pm}0.344$) was significantly higher than that in adjacent tumor specimens ($0.321{\pm}0.197$). The positive expression ratio of Pokemon protein in CRC (87.0%) was significantly higher than that in the adjacent tissues (19.6%). Strong fluorescence staining of Pokemon protein was observed in the cytoplasm of the SW480 and SW620 cells. The inhibition ratios of Pokemon mRNA and protein in the SW480 cells were 83.1% and 73.5% at 48 and 72 h, respectively, compared with those of the negative control cells with the siRNA. In the SW620 cells, the inhibition ratios of Pokemon mRNA and protein were 76.3% and 68.7% at 48 and 72 h, respectively. MTT showed that Pokemon gene silencing inhibited the proliferation of SW480 and SW620 cells. Conclusion: Overexpression of Pokemon in CRC may have a function in carcinogenesis and progression. siRNA expression vectors could effectively inhibit mRNA and protein expression of Pokemon in SW480 and SW620 cells, thereby reducing malignant cell proliferation.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.317-324
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• 2012

We characterized the cytoskeletal beta-actin (${\beta}$-ACT) gene (actb) and its 5'-upstream regulatory region in the Javanese ricefish Oryzias javanicus. The gene and protein structures were deduced from amino acid sequences of the actb gene and conserved in the teleost lineage. The O. javanicus actb gene has common transcription factor binding motifs in its regulatory region found in teleostean orthologues. Following quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, actb gene transcripts were detected in all tissues examined; however, the basal expression levels were different. During early development, O. javanicus actb mRNA levels showed a gradual increase and peaked between late somitogenesis and the heartbeat stage. Microinjection of O. javanicus embryos with the actb gene promoter-driven red fluorescent protein (RFP) gene reporter vector showed a ubiquitous distribution of RFP signals, although most exhibited a mosaic pattern of transgene expression. A small number of microinjected embryos displayed a wide distribution of RFP signals over their entire body, which resembled the expression pattern of endogenous actb. Data from this study provide a basis to develop a transgenic system with ubiquitous expression of foreign genes in O. javanicus.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.26-39
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• 2006

Objective : The effect of water extract of Chungjogupae-tang (CJGPT) was investigated on the growth of human lung carcinoma A549 cells. Methods : MTT assay and fluorescent microscope performed to compare and examine the efficacy of CJGPT treatment on the cytostaticity of lung cancer cells in proportion to time and doses, and DAPI staining and Western blot analysis were used to examine their effect on apoptosis. In addition the quantitative RT-PCR was used to examine to lung cancer cells growth and Progtaglandin E2 and Telomerase activity were measured Results : Exposure of A549 cells to CJGPT resulted in the growth inhibition and apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner as measured by MTT assay and fluorescent microscope. The antiuoliferative effect by CJGPT treatment in A549 cells was associated with morphological changes such as membrane shrinking and cell rounding up. CJGPT treatment resulted in an up-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(WAF1/CIPl) in a p53-independent fashion. We found that CJGPT treatment decreased the levels of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthease (iNOS) expression without significant changes in the expression of COX-1, which was correlated with a decrease in protaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis. CJGPT treatment also inhibited the levels of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and telomerase-associated protein (TEP)-1 mRNA expression, however the activity of telomerase was slightly increased by CJGPT treatment. Conclusion : These findings suggested that CJGPT-induced inhibition of human lung carcinoma A549 cell growth was connected with the induction of apoptotic cell death and the results provided important new insights into the possible molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer activity of CJGPT.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7943-7957
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• 2015

Background and Aims: Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the growth-suppression potentiality of a crude saponin extract (CSENS) prepared from medicinal herb, Nigella sativa, on human colon cancer cells, HCT116. Materials and Methods: HCT116 cells were subjected to increasing doses of CSENS for 24, 48 and 72 h, and then harvested and assayed for cell viability by WST-1. Flow cytometry analyses, cell death detection ELISA, fluorescent stains (Hoechst 33342 and acridine orange/ethidium bromide), DNA laddering and comet assays were carried out to confirm the apoptogenic effects of CSENS. Luciferase reporter gene assays, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses were performed to assess the impact of CAERS and CFEZO on the expression levels of key regulatory proteins in HCT116 cells. Results: The results demonstrated that CSENS inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis. Apoptosis was confirmed by flow cytometry analyses, while CSENS-treated cells exhibited morphological hallmarks of apoptosis including cell shrinkage, irregularity in cellular shape, cellular detachment and chromatin condensation. Biochemical signs of apoptosis, such as DNA degradation, were observed by comet assay and gel electrophoresis. The pro-apoptotic effect of CSENS was caspase-3-independent and associated with increase of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. CSENS treatment down-regulated transcriptional and DNA-binding activities of NF-${\kappa}B$ and AP-1 proteins, associated with down-regulation of their target oncogenes, c-Myc, cyclin D1 and survivin. On the other hand, CSENS up-regulated transcriptional and DNA-binding activities of Nrf2 and expression of cytoprotective genes. In addition, CSENS modulated the expression levels of ERK1/2 MAPK, p53 and p21. Conclusions: These findings suggest that CSENS may be a valuable agent for treatment of colon cancer.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.70-79
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• 2014

In an attempt to develop a variety of expression vector systems for Corynebacterium glutamicum, six types of promoters, including $P_{tac}$, $P_{sod}$, $P_{sod}$ with a conserved Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence from C. glutamicum, $P_{ilvC}$, $P_{ilvC}$ with a conserved SD-1 ($P_{ilvC-M1}$), and $P_{ilvC}$ with a conserved SD-2 ($P_{ilvC-M2}$), were cloned into a modified shuttle vector, pCXM48. According to analysis of promoter strength by quantitative reverse transcription PCR, $P_{sod}$ and $P_{sod-M}$ were superior to tac and ilvC promoters in terms of transcription activity in C. glutamicum. All of the promoters have promoter activities in Escherichia coli, and $P_{sod-M}$ displayed the highest level of transcriptional activity. The protein expression in constructed vectors was evaluated by measuring the fluorescence of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and SDS-PAGE. C. glutamicum harboring plasmids showed GFP fluorescence with an order of activity of $P_{ilvC}$ > $P_{ilvC-M1}$ > $P_{sod}$ > $P_{ilvC-M2}$ > $P_{sod-M}$, whereas all plasmids except pCSP30 with $P_{sod}$ displayed fluorescence activities in E. coli. Of them, the strongest level of GFP was observed in E. coli with $P_{sod-M}$, and this seems to be due to the introduction of the conserved SD sequence in the translational initiation region. These results demonstrate that the expression vectors work well in both C. glutamicum and E. coli for the expression of target proteins. In addition, the vector systems harboring various promoters with different strengths, conserved SD sequences, and multiple cloning sites will provide a comfortable method for cloning and gene expression, and consequently contribute to the metabolic engineering of C. glutamicum.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.419-427
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• 2017

Background: Glycosylation of natural compounds increases the diversity of secondary metabolites. Glycosylation steps are implicated not only in plant growth and development, but also in plant defense responses. Although the activities of uridine-dependent glycosyltransferases (UGTs) have long been recognized, and genes encoding them in several higher plants have been identified, the specific functions of UGTs in planta remain largely unknown. Methods: Spatial and temporal patterns of gene expression were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription (qRT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and GUS histochemical assay. In planta transformation in heterologous Arabidopsis was generated by floral dipping using Agrobacterium tumefaciens (C58C1). Protein localization was analyzed by confocal microscopy via fluorescent protein tagging. Results: PgUGT72AL1 was highly expressed in the rhizome, upper root, and youngest leaf compared with the other organs. GUS staining of the promoter: GUS fusion revealed high expression in different organs, including axillary leaf branch. Overexpression of PgUGT72AL1 resulted in a fused organ in the axillary leaf branch. Conclusion: PgUGT72AL1, which is phylogenetically close to PgUGT71A27, is involved in the production of ginsenoside compound K. Considering that compound K is not reported in raw ginseng material, further characterization of this gene may shed light on the biological function of ginsenosides in ginseng plant growth and development. The organ fusion phenotype could be caused by the defective growth of cells in the boundary region, commonly regulated by phytohormones such as auxins or brassinosteroids, and requires further analysis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1494-1499
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• 2017

Oral infection due to Candida albicans is a widely recognized and frequent cause of superficial infections of the oral mucosa (oral candidiasis). Although oral candidiasis is not a life-threatening fungemia, it can cause severe problems in individuals under certain conditions. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are noncoding, small RNA molecules, which regulate the expression of other genes by inhibiting the translation of target mRNAs. The present study was designed to identify miRNAs in C. albicans and determine their possible roles in this organism. miRNA-sized small RNAs (msRNAs) were cloned in C. albicans by deep sequencing, and their secondary structures were analyzed. All the cloned msRNAs satisfied conditions required to qualify them as miRNAs. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that two of the most highly expressed C. albicans msRNAs, Ca-363 and Ca-2019, were located in the 3' untranslated region of the corticosteroid-binding protein 1 (CBP1) gene in a reverse orientation. miRNA mimics were transformed into C. albicans to investigate their RNA-inhibitory functions. RNA oligonucleotide-transformed C. albicans was then observed by fluorescent microscopy. Quantitative PCR analysis showed that these msRNAs did not inhibit CBP1 gene expression 4 hr and 8 hr after ectopic miRNA transformation. These results suggest that msRNAs in C. albicans possess an miRNA-triggered RNA interference gene-silencing function, which is distinct from that exhibited by other eukaryotic systems.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.498-506
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• 2018

Purpose: Lycopene, a carotenoid with anti-oxidant properties, occurs naturally in tomatoes and pink grapefruit. Although the beneficial effects of lycopene on various disorders have been established, little attention has been paid to the possible anti-diabetic effects of lycopene focusing on ${\beta}$-cells. Therefore, this study investigated the potential of lycopene to protect ${\beta}$-cells against apoptosis induced by a cytokine mixture. Methods: For toxicity experiments, the cells were treated with 0.1 ~ 10 nM of lycopene, and the cell viability in INS-1 cells (a rat ${\beta}$-cell line) was measured using a MTT assay. To induce cytokine toxicity, the cells were treated with a cytokine mixture (20 ng/mL of $TNF{\alpha}$ + 20 ng/mL of IL-$1{\beta}$) for 24 h, and the effects of lycopene (0.1 nM) on the cytokine toxicity were measured using the MTT assay. The expression levels of the apoptotic proteins were analyzed by Western blotting, and the level of intracellular reactive oxidative stress (ROS) was monitored using a DCFDA fluorescent probe. The intracellular ATP levels were determined using a luminescence kit, and mRNA expression of the genes coding for anti-oxidative stress response and mitochondrial function were analyzed by quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR. Results: Exposure of INS-1 cells to 0.1 nM of lycopene increased the cell viability significantly, and protected the cells from cytokine-induced death. Lycopene upregulated the mRNA and protein expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and reduced the expression of the Bcl-2 associated X (Bax) protein. Lycopene inhibited apoptotic signaling via a reduction of the ROS, and this effect correlated with the upregulation of anti-oxidative stress response genes, such as GCLC, NQO1, and HO-1. Lycopene increased the mRNA expression of mitochondrial function-related genes and increased the cellular ATP level. Conclusion: These results suggest that lycopene reduces the level of oxidative stress and improves the mitochondrial function, contributing to the prevention of cytokine-induced ${\beta}$-cell apoptosis. Therefore, lycopene could potentially serve as a preventive and therapeutic agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.