• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2024

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) system, a rapidly advancing genome editing technology, allows DNA alterations into the genome of organisms. Gene editing using the CRISPR system enables more precise and diverse editing, such as single nucleotide conversion, precise knock-in of target sequences or genes, chromosomal rearrangement, or gene disruption by simple cutting. Moreover, CRISPR systems comprising transcriptional activators/repressors can be used for epigenetic regulation without DNA damage. Stem cell DNA engineering based on gene editing tools has enormous potential to provide clues regarding the pathogenesis of diseases and to study the mechanisms and treatments of incurable diseases. Here, we review the latest trends in stem cell research using various CRISPR/Cas technologies and discuss their future prospects in treating various diseases.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.263-271
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• 1998

One of the better-characterized transcription factor of E. coli is the cAMP receptor protein(CRP) and the CRP binds cAMP and DNA. The cAMP-CRP complex is involved in regulation of many genes at bacteria. The cAMP-CRP regulatory element represents, in some respects, a global regulatory network. The aim of this work was to study the structure and the mechanisms controlling the expression of CRP in Serratia marcescens. We have been get 5 different clones from Serratia which stimulated the cells to use maltose as a sole carbon source in E. coli TP2139. The crp gene clone, pCKB12, was confirmed by Southern hybridization with E. coli crp gene. The location of the crp gene was determined by construction subclones carrying various portions of pCKB12. To investigate the potential role of CRP in E. coli, lacZ fused plasmids were constructed and investigated the ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity of the fused plasmid. The Serratiamarcescens cAMP receptor protein can substitute the E. coli CRP in transcriptional activation at the lacZ gene. These results suggest that Serratia marcescens cAMP receptor protein complex functions to regulate several promoters in E. coli.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.275-282
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• 2005

By using differential display, we identified one of the genes encoding the multi-subunit complex protein V-ATPase, c subunit gene (ATP6L), and showed alterations of the gene expression by oxidative stresses. Expression of the ATP6L gene in Neuro-2A cells was increased by the treatment with $H_2O_2$ and incubation in hypoxic chamber, implying that the expression of the ATP6L gene is regulated by oxidative stresses. To examine mechanisms involved in the regulation of the gene expression by oxidative stresses, the transcriptional activity of the rat ATP6L promoter was studied. Transcription initiation site was determined by primer extension analysis and DNA sequencing, and promoter of the rat ATP6L and its deletion clones were constructed in reporter assay vector. Significant changes of the promoter activities in Neuro-2A cells were observed in two regions within the proximal 1 kbp promoter, and one containing a suppressor was in -195 to -220, which contains GC box that is activated by binding of Sp1 protein. The suppression of promoter activity was lost in mutants of the GC box. We confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift and supershift assays that Sp1 protein specifically binds to the GC box. The promoter activity was not changed by the $H_2O_2$ treatment and incubation in hypoxic chamber, however, $H_2O_2$ increased the stability of ATP6L mRNA. These data suggest that the expression of the ATP6L gene by oxidative stresses is regulated at posttranscriptional level, whereas the GC box is important in basal activities of the promoter.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.343-349
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• 2007

Radioiodide transport has been extensively and successfully used in the evaluation and management of thyroid disease. The molecular characterization of the sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) and cloning of the NIS gene has led to the recent expansion of the use of radioiodide to cancers of the breast and other nonthyroidal tissues exogenously transduced with the NIS gene. More recently, discoveries regarding the functional analysis and regulatory processes of the NIS molecule are opening up exciting opportunities for new research and applications for NIS and radio iodide. The success of NIS based cancer therapy is dependent on achievement of maximal radioiodide transport sufficient to allow delivery of effective radiation doses. This in turn relies on high transcription rates of the NIS gene. However, newer discoveries indicate that nontranscriptional processes that regulate NIS trafficking to cell membrane are also critical determinants of radioiodide uptake. In this review, molecular mechanisms that underlie regulation of NIS transcription and stimuli that augment membrane trafficking and functional activation of NIS molecules will be discussed. A better understanding of how the expression and cell surface targeting of NIS proteins is controlled will hopefully aid in optimizing NIS gene based cancer treatment as well as NIS based reporter-gene imaging strategies.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.201-207
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• 2009

Silibinin is a polyphenolic flavonoid compound isolated from milk thistle (Silybum marianum), with known hepatoprotective, anticarcinogenic, and antioxidant effects. Herein, we show that silibinin inhibits receptor activator of $NF-{\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis from RAW264.7 cells as well as from bone marrow-derived monocyte/macrophage cells in a dose-dependent manner. Silibinin has no effect on the expression of RANKL or the soluble RANKL decoy receptor osteoprotegerin (OPG) in osteoblasts. However, we demonstrate that silibinin can block the activation of $NF-{\kappa}B$, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in osteoclast precursors in response to RANKL. Furthermore, silibinin attenuates the induction of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) c1 and osteoclast-associated receptor (OSCAR) expression during RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis. We demonstrate that silibinin can inhibit $TNF-{\alpha}$-induced osteoclastogenesis as well as the expression of NFATc1 and OSCAR. Taken together, our results indicate that silibinin has the potential to inhibit osteoclast formation by attenuating the downstream signaling cascades associated with RANKL and $TNF-{\alpha}$.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.15-34
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• 1995

1970년말부터 뇌하수체 성선자극호르몬(gonadotropic hormone ; GTH)의 유전자 구조(FSH$\beta$, LH$\beta$ 및 공동의 $\alpha$쇄)가 다양한 종에서 밝혀지기 시작하였으나 이러한 유전자의 조직/세포 특이적 분비양식과 세포외 신호에 의한 조절양식은 정확히 밝혀져 있지 않다. 그러나 최근 들어 형질전환 맞추스 제작기법에 의해 $\alpha$쇄 유전자 상류에 세포특이적 발현을 조절하는 특이부위가 존재함이 보고됨을 시작, FSH$\beta$ 및 LH$\beta$쇄 유전자발현을 조절하는 특이부위 또한 가까운 시기내 발견되리라 기대된다. 한편, 성선자극 호르몬 방출호르몬(GnRH), 스테로이드 호르몬 및 여러 결합단백질과 같은 세포의 신호는 각기 다른 신호전달체계를 통하여 GTH유전자 발현을 일으킨다. 또한 뇌하수체에서도 그 존재가 확인된 전사인자들 (cFos, cJun)과 미지의 인자들은 상호간에 다양한 이량체를 형성하여 유전자 발현을 조절하는 각 특이부위에 결합함으로써 전사단계에서의 다양한 제어가 존재함이 밝혀지고 있으며 이러한 유전자상의 특이발현영역과 세포의 신호별 전사인자에 관한 연구는 번식에 있어 중요한 성선자극호르몬에 관한 분자수준의 조절기전을 밝혀내리라 기대되어진다.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.430-436
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• 1996

The induction by xylose and repression by glucose of xylose isomerase(XI) were investigated to elucidate the regulation for production of XI in Escherichia coli. Regulation for expression of xyIA gene which codes XI is under control of xylR which is a regulatory gene for xylose catabolism. When xyIR gene was resided in chromosome, the inductions of XI by the addition of 0.4% xylose were increased to 1.9 and 1.7-fold in case of locating on multicopy(pEX202/DH77) and low copy Plasmid(pEX102/DH77), respectively, as compared with that of xylA gene which was resided in chromosome(JM109). xyIR gene product derived from xyIR gene on chromosome might react to xylA gene on the plasmid as same as xylA gene on chromosome. In JM109 and xylA transformant; pEX202/DH77 and pEX102/DH77, the inductions of XI were completely repressed by the addition of 0.2% glucose and these catabolite repressions were derepressed by the addition of 1 mM cAMP In comparison with the addition of 0.4% xylose only for the induction XI was inductively produced 1.7 to 2-fold with the addition of xylose plus 1 mM cAMP in DM minimal media. pEX13/TP2010, xylA transformant of the deficient mutant($xyl^-,\;cya^-$; TP2010) of XI and cAMP production, did not induce XI by the addition of xylose only but induced in case of simultaneous addition of xylose and cAMP. These results show that cAMP and xylose are the indispensable effectors for the induction and derepression of Xl in E. coli.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.1332-1338
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• 2010

To elucidate the mechanism underlying the regulation of hST8Sia I gene expression in FenR-induced SH-SY5Y cells, we characterized the promoter region of the hST8Sia I gene. Functional analysis of the 5'-flanking region of the hST8Sia I gene showed that the -1146 to -646 region functions as the FenR-inducible promoter of hST8Sia I in SH-SY5Y cells. Site-directed mutagenesis indicated that the NF-&B binding site at -731 to -722 was crucial for the FenR-induced expression of hST8Sia I in SH-SY5Y cells. To investigate which signal transduction pathway was involved in FenR-stimulated induction of hST8Sia I in SH-SY5Y cells, we performed Western blot analysis using phospho-specific antibodies in order to measure their degree of regulatory phosphorylation. Phosphorylations of AKT and RelA (p65) subunit of NF-${\kappa}B$ were significantly elevated in cytosolic and nuclear fractions of FenR-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells, respectively, than in control or DMSO-treated SH-SY5Y cells. These results suggest that FenR induce transcriptional up-regulation of hST8Sia I gene expression through translocation of RelA (p65) subunit of NF-${\kappa}B$ to nucleus by AKT signal pathway in SH-SY5Y cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.713-721
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• 2020

Adipogenesis as a model system is needed to understand the molecular mechanisms of human adipocyte biology and the pathogenesis of obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic syndromes. Many relevant studies have been conducted with a focus on gene expression regulation and intracellular signaling relating to Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPα), which are master adipogenic transcription factors. However, epigenome regulation of adipogenesis by epigenomic modifiers or histone mutations is not fully understood. Histone methylation is one of the major epigenetic modifications on gene expression in mammals, and histone H3 lysine methylation (H3Kme) in particular implicates cell differentiation during various tissue and organ development. During adipogenesis, cell type-specific enhancers are marked by histone H3K4me1 with the active enhancer mark H3K27ac. Mixed-lineage leukemia 4 (MLL4) is a major H3K4 mono-methyltransferase on the adipogenic enhancers of PPARγ and C/EBPα loci. Thus, MLL4 is an important epigenomic modifier for adipogenesis. The repressive mark H3K27me3 is mediated by the enzymatic subunit Enhancer zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) of the polycomb repressive complex 2. EZH2-mediated H3K27 tri-methylation on the Wnt gene increases adipogenesis because WNT signaling is a negative regulator of adipogenesis. This review summarizes current knowledge about the epigenomic regulation of adipogenesis by histone H3 lysine methylation which fundamentally regulates gene expression.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1600-1607
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• 2012

The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family plays essential roles in physiological processes such as embryonic development, angiogenesis, wound healing, and tissue homeostasis as a consequence of MMPr capacity for breaking down many types of extracellular matrix proteins. Imbalanced regulation of MMP expression can also lead to pathological conditions such as tumor progression. We recently reported that the Drosophila Mmp1 gene is highly expressed in the digestive tract and is required for the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis such as by restriction of uncontrolled intestinal stem cell proliferation. However, the regulatory mechanisms of MMP gene expression in the intestine remain unclear. In this study, we determined that the expression of Mmp1 is regulated by the homeodomain transcription factor Caudal. Experiments using the targeted expression of Caudal under the regulation of Gal4-UAS system indicated that endogenous Caudal is required for the Mmp1 gene expression in the adult Drosophila intestine and that exogenous Caudal induces Mmp1 expression. Transient transfection experiments indicated that Caudal can activate the promoter activity of Mmp1 and that several putative Caudal binding sites in the 5'-flanking region of the Mmp1 gene may be critical to the upregulation by Caudal. Our data suggest that Mmp1 is one of the target genes of Caudal in physiological normal condition and in tumorigenesis.