• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.1-16
• /
• 2000

Many natural products elicit diverse pharmacological effects. Using two classes of potential chemopreventive compounds, the phenolic compounds and the isothiocyanates, we review the potential utility of two signaling events, the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and the ICE/Ced-3 proteases (caspases) stimulated by these agents in mammalian cell lines. Studies with phenolic antioxidants (BHA, tBHQ), and natural products (flavonoids; EGCG, ECG, and isothiocyanates; PEITC, sulforaphane), provided important insights into the signaling pathways induced by these compounds. At low concentrations, these chemicals may activate the MAPK (ERK2, JNK1, p38) leading to gene expression of survival genes (c-Fos, c-Jun) and defensive genes (Phase II detoxifying enzymes; GST, QR) resulting in survival and protective mechanisms (homeostasis response). Increasing the concentrations of these compounds will additionally activate the caspase pathway, leading to apoptosis (potential cytotoxicity). Further increment to suprapharmacological concentrations will lead to nonspecific necrotic cell death. The wider and narrow concentration ranges between the activation of MAPK/gene induction and caspases/cell death exhibited by phenolic compounds and isothiocyanates, respectively, in mammalian cells, may reflect their respective therapeutic windows in vivo. Consequently, the studies of signaling pathways elicited by natural products will advance our understanding of their efficacy and safety, of which many man become important therapeuitc drugs of the future.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2001.11a
• /
• pp.189-192
• /
• 2001

We have investigated the effects of abiotic and biotic stresses on leaf senescence using transgenic tobacco plants, in which cellular contents of polyamines were increased by introducing the genes of polyamine and ethylene biosynthesis in sense or antisense orientation. These transgenic plants showed accumulations of polyamines at higher levels than were found in wild-type. Stress-induced senescence was attenuated in transgenic plants cpmpared with wild-type plants, in terms of total chlorphyll loss and phenotypic changes after oxidative stress of hydrogen peroxide($H_2O_2$), high salinity, acid stress (pH3.0), ABA and fungal pathogen(phytophothora parasitica pv.Nicotianae). Transcripts for antioxidant enzyme, glutathionine-S-transferase and catalase, were also more abundant in transgenic plants than wild-type plants. These result suggested that higher expression of those genes caused a broad-spectrum resistance to abiotic stress/biotic stress. These phenomena indicate that polyamines may play an important role in contributing to the antioxidant defense function in plants. Our findings suggest that facilitate the improvement of stress tolerance of crop plants.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.40-51
• /
• 2024

Background: Ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 shows promising tumor-suppressive effects in ovarian cancer via inhibiting NF-kB signaling. This study aimed to explore the downstream tumor suppressive mechanisms of ginsenoside Rg3 via this signaling pathway. Materials and methods: A systematical screening was applied to examine the expression profile of 41 kinesin family member genes in ovarian cancer. The regulatory effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on KIF20A expression was studied. In addition, we explored interacting proteins of KIF20A and their molecular regulations in ovarian cancer. RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was used for bioinformatic analysis. Epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV3 and A2780 were used as in vitro and in vivo cell models. Commercial human ovarian cancer tissue arrays were used for immunohistochemistry staining. Results: KIF20A is a biomarker of poor prognosis among the kinesin genes. It promotes ovarian cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Ginsenoside Rg3 can suppress the transcription of KIF20A. GST pull-down and co-immunoprecipitation (IP) assays confirmed that KIF20A physically interacts with BTRC (β-TrCP1), a substrate recognition subunit for SCF^β-TrCP E3 ubiquitin ligase. In vitro ubiquitination and cycloheximide (CHX) chase assays showed that via interacting with BTRC, KIF20A reduces BTRC-mediated CDC25A poly-ubiquitination and enhances its stability. Ginsenoside Rg3 treatment partly abrogates KIF20A overexpression-induced CDC25A upregulation. Conclusion: This study revealed a novel anti-tumor mechanism of ginsenoside Rg3. It can inhibit KIF20A transcription and promote CDC25A proteasomal degradation in epithelial ovarian cancer.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.66 no.3
• /
• pp.240-247
• /
• 2021

Anthocyanins are known to be involved in various functions such as antioxidant and antibacterial activities in plants. Although studies on anthocyanins in corn have been conducted recently, basic research related to anthocyanin biosynthesis is insufficient. In this study, we examined the molecular biological and physicochemical properties related to anthocyanin biosynthesis in the tassel and silks of Gwangpyeongok and Dacheongok cultivars. Anthocyanins were not synthesized in either the tassel or silks in Gwangpyeongok, whereas were synthesized in both in Dacheongok. The total anthocyanin content was approximately 30 times higher in the tassel and silks of Dacheongok than in those of Gwangpyeongok. In addition, C-3-G was measured only in the tassel of Dacheongok, and C-3-G, Pg-3-G, and M-3-G were 45.2 times, 27.3 times, and 37.6 times higher, respectively, in the silks of Dacheongok than of Gwangpyeongok. Expression of F3'H, DFR, and GST genes decreased in the tassel, and that of F3'H and DFR genes decreased in the silks of Gwangpyeongok. It was further confirmed that transcription factor P1 and R1 regulate the expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes in the tassel and silks, respectively, in Gwangpyeongok. Linoleic acid (C18:2) decreased by 6.6% and 10.9%, and linolenic acid (C18:3) increased by 8.5% and 8.5%, in the tassel and silks, respectively, of Gwangpyeongok compared to those of Dacheongok. Palmitic acid (C16:0) increased by 4.1% and oleic acid (C18:1) decreased by 2.1% in the silks of Gwangpyeongok compared to that in Dacheongok. In addition, the total fatty acid content in the tassel and silks increased by 10.3% and 30.4%, respectively, in Gwangpyeongok compared to that in Dacheongok. However, no significant results were observed in the analysis of phytosterol components. These results may be utilized as useful resources for the development of functional corn containing a large amount of anthocyanins.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.29 no.10
• /
• pp.911-920
• /
• 2006

Phenolic antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is a commonly used food preservative with broad biological activities, including protection against chemical-induced carcinogenesis, acute toxicity of chemicals, modulation of macromolecule synthesis and immune response, induction of phase II detoxifying enzymes, as well as its undesirable potential tumor-promoting activities. Understanding the molecular basis underlying these diverse biological actions of BHA is thus of great importance. Here we studied the pharmacokinetics, activation of signaling kinases and induction of phase II/III drug metabolizing enzymes/transporter gene expression by BHA in the mice. The peak plasma concentration of BHA achieved in our current study after oral administration of 200 mg/kg BHA was around $10\;{\mu}M$. This in vivo concentration might offer some insights for the many in vitro cell culture studies on signal transduction and induction of phase II genes using similar concentrations. The oral bioavailability (F) of BHA was about 43% in the mice. In the mouse liver, BHA induced the expression of phase II genes including NQO-1, HO-1, ${\gamma}-GCS$, GST-pi and UGT 1A6, as well as some of the phase III transporter genes, such as MRP1 and Slco1b2. In addition, BHA activated distinct mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), as well as p38, suggesting that the MAPK pathways may play an important role in early signaling events leading to the regulation of gene expression including phase II drug metabolizing and some phase III drug transporter genes. This is the first study to demonstrate the in vivo pharmacokinetics of BHA, the in vivo activation of MAPK signaling proteins, as well as the in vivo induction of Phase II/III drug metabolizing enzymes/transporters in the mouse livers.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.277-282
• /
• 2002

Topoisomearse II is an essential enzyme in all organisms with several independent roles in DNA metabolism. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the C-terminal region of topoisomerases II is associated with hetero-logous protein-protein interactions in human and yeast. In this study, we identified that RTP1, a rat homologue of EIA binding protein BS69, is another topoisomerae II interacting protein by yeast two-hybrid screening. RTP1 has an E1A-binding domain and a MYND motif, which are known to be required for transcriptional regulation by binding to other proteins and interaction with the leucine zipper motif of topoisomerase II. The physical interaction between RTP1 and topoisomerase ll$\alpha$ was examined by GST pull-down assay in vitro. The expression level of RTP1 peaks in S phase as that of topoisomerase ll$\alpha$. These results suggest that the interaction between topoisomerase ll$\alpha$ and RTP1 might play an important role in regulating the transcription of genes involved in DNA metabolism in higher eukaryotes.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.372-377
• /
• 2007

The orphan nuclear receptor, SF-1, plays a pivotal role in the development and differentiation of the endocrine and reproductive systems, and also regulates the transcription of a host of genes, including those encoding several steroidogenic enzymes and gonadotropins. We found that a previously unidentified repressor, EID-1, is an SF-1-interacting protein that inhibits the transactivation of SF-1. A transient transfection assay revealed that EID-1 inhibits SF-1, but not LRH-1, $ERR{\gamma}$, or mCAR. Using the yeast two hybrid and GST pull-down assays, we determined that EID-1 interacted strongly with SF-1. In addition, it colocalized with SF-1 in mammalian cells and interacted specifically with the AF-2 domain of SF-1, competing with SRC-1 to inhibit SF-1 transactivation. EID-1 is expressed in the mouse testis, and its expression decreases during testis development. The results of the present study suggest that EID-1 can act as a repressor, regulating the function of SF-1.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.322-329
• /
• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate host and non-host disease resistances of kimchi cabbage plants to bacterial infection. Kimchi cabbage leaves responded differently to infections with a virulent strain of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) 8004 and two strains (85-10 and Bv5-4a.1) of non-host bacteria X. campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv). Non-host bacteria triggered a rapid tissue collapse of the leaves showing as brown coloration at the infected sites, highly increased ion leakage, lipid peroxidation and accumulation of UV-stimulated autofluorescence materials at the inoculated sites. During the observed interactions, bacterial proliferations within the leaf tissues were significantly different. Bacterial number of Xcc 8004 progressively increased within the inoculated leaf tissues over time, while growths of two non-host bacteria Xcv strains were distinctly limited. Expressions of pathogenesis-related genes, such as GST1, PR1, BGL2, VSP2, PR4 and LOX2, were differentially induced by host and non-host bacterial infections of X. campestris pathovars. These results indicated that rapid host cellular responses to the non-host bacterial infections may contribute to an array of defense reactions to the non-host bacterial invasion.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.16 no.8
• /
• pp.1285-1291
• /
• 2006

The proline utilization (put) operon of Vibrio vulnificus consists of the putAP genes encoding a proline dehydrogenase and proline permease. The result of put-lux transcriptional fusion analysis suggests that the V vulnificus putAP operon is not autoregulated by the PutA protein. A putR null mutation decreased proline dehydrogenase activity and the level of the put transcripts, indicating that transcription of putAP is under the positive control of PutR. The deduced amino acid sequence of the putR was similar to those reported from other bacteria with high levels of identity. Chromatin IP and GST pull-down assays revealed that PutR specifically binds to the putAP promoter region in vivo, and interacts with CRP in vitro. Taken together, the results suggested that PutR exerts its effect on putAP expression by directly interacting with CRP bound to the upstream region of P$_{put}$.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.223-228
• /
• 2008

A novel beetle antimicrobial protein from stimulated Copris tripartitus and the corresponding gene were isolated in parallel through differential display-PCR and expression in Escherichia coli. To find cDNA clones responsible for bacteria resistance, the suppression subtractive hybridization and GeneFishing differentially expressed genes system were employed in the dung beetle, Copris tripartitus immunized with lipopolysaccaride. One cDNA clone from eight subtracted clones was selected through dot blot analysis and confirmed by northern blot analysis. The 516-bp, selected cDNA clone was determined by 5' and 3' rapid amplication of cDNA ends and cloned into the GST fusion expression vector pGEX-4T-1 for expression of the protein. The expressed protein was predicted 14.7 kDa and inhibited the growth of gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These results implied that the expressed protein is related to immune defense mechanism against microorganism.