• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.1231-1240
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• 2021

Members of the genus Bacillus are known to play an important role in promoting plant growth and protecting plants against phytopathogenic microorganisms. In this study, 21 isolates of Bacillus spp. were obtained from the root micro-ecosystem of Suaeda glauca. Analysis of the 16S rRNA genes indicated that the isolates belong to the species Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus velezensis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus aryabhattai and Brevibacterium frigoritolerans. One of the interesting findings of this study is that the four strains B1, B5, B16 and B21 are dominant in rhizosphere soil. Based on gyrA, gyrB, and rpoB gene analyses, B1, B5, and B21 were identified as B. amyloliquefaciens and B16 was identified as B. velezensis. Estimation of antifungal activity showed that the isolate B1 had a significant inhibitory effect on Fusarium verticillioides, B5 and B16 on Colletotrichum capsici (syd.) Butl, and B21 on Rhizoctonia cerealis van der Hoeven. The four strains grew well in medium with 1-10% NaCl, a pH value of 5-8, and promoted the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana. Our results indicate that these strains may be promising agents for the biocontrol and promotion of plant growth and further study of the relevant bacteria will provide a useful reference for the development of microbial resources.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2005

The present study examined the effects of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor celecoxib or soy-isoflavones in the presence of estrogen on apoptosis related gene expression, COX-2 and mapkinase in 48-week old female rats. Expressions of bel-2 and bax proteins, which are known to be involved in the regulation of apoptosis, were investigated in mammary glands and heart tissues. The elevated expression of bel-2 expression was observed in mammary glands of celecoxib supplemented rats as well as soy-isoflavones. The mammary glands bel-2/bax ratio was found to be higher in celecoxib or soy-isoflavones supplemented rats. However, in heart tissues, expression of bel-2 and bax was in the order of control, celecoxib and soy-isoflavones. The up-regulation of COX-2 was observed in celecoxib or soy-isoflavones in mammary glands. 'The similar trend was not displayed with the mapkinase expression. In heart tissues, the down-regulation of COX-2 as well as mapkinase was observed in celecoxib or soy-isoflavones supplemented rats. Soy-isoflavones and celecoxib both had a similar regulatory pattern of bel-2, bax and COX-2 in mammary glands, and in heart tissues, only COX-2 exhibited a similar down-regulatory properly. These findings revealed that in estrogen sufficient state, celecoxib and soy-isoflavones might not exhibit proapoptotic potential or COX-2 inhibition in normal mammary glands.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.297-304
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• 2009

A complete mRNA sequence of transferrin from the wax moth, Galleria mellonella, was obtained, and compared with those of other species. We previously reported that the sequence was most similar to those of Manduca sexta and Bombyx mori. As in other moths, G. mellonella transferrin had only one iron-binding site at its N-terminal region. Semi-qRT PCR was conducted to investigate tissue-specific distribution and transcriptional regulation of the wax moth transferrin mRNA. Larval muscle and fat body contained larger quantity of mRNA than other tested tissues. In this study, it was observed that iron and cadmium regulated transferrin transcription, and this regulation pattern was tissue specific. Iron up-regulated transferrin mRNA level in fat body, while suppressed it in the Malpighian tubules and silk glands. Cadmium decreased the mRNA level in fat body, muscle, and Malpighian tubules, but significantly increased the mRNA level in silk glands. In addition, the mRNA expression was induced by all tested pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) including LPS, lipoteichoic acid (LTA), glucan, and even chitin.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.1079-1085
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• 2008

The chemopreventive activity of sulforaphane (SFN) occurs through its inhibition of carcinogen-activating enzymes and its induction of detoxification enzymes. However, the exact mechanisms by which SFN exerts its anti-carcinogenic effects are not fully understood. Therefore, the mechanisms underlying the cytoprotective effects of SFN were examined in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Exposure of cells to SFN (10 ${\mu}M$) induced a transcriptional change in the AKR1C3 gene, which is one of aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) family that is associated with detoxification and antioxidant response. Further analysis revealed that SFN elicited a dose- and time-dependent increase in the expression of both the NRF2 and AKR1C3 proteins. Moreover, this up-regulation of AKR1C3 was inhibited by pretreatment with antioxidant, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), which suggests that the up-regulation of AKR1C3 expression induced by SFN involves reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling. Furthermore, pretreatment of cells with LY294002, a pharmacologic inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), suppressed the SFN-augmented Nrf2 activation and AKR1C3 expression; however, inhibition of PKC or MEK1/2 signaling with $G\ddot{o}6976$ or PD98059, respectively, did not alter SFN-induced AKR1C3 expression. Collectively, these data suggest that SFN can modulate the expression of the AKR1C3 in MCF-7 cells by activation of PI3K via the generation of ROS.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.137-138
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• 2016

Satiety cues a feeding animal to cease further ingestion of food, thus protecting it from excessive energy gain. Impaired control of satiety is often associated with feeding-related disorders such as obesity. In our recent study, we reported the identification of a neural pathway that expresses the myoinhibitory peptide (MIP), critical for satiety responses in Drosophila. Targeted silencing of MIP neuron activity strikingly increased the body weight (BW) through elevated food intake. Similarly, genetic disruption of the gene encoding MIP also elevated feeding and BW. Suppressing the MIP pathway behaviorally transformed the satiated flies to feed similar to the starved ones, with augmented sensitivity to food. Conversely, temporal activation of MIP neuron markedly reduced the food intake and BW, and blunted the sensitivity of the starved flies to food as if they have been satiated. Shortly after termination of MIP neuron activation, the reduced BW reverted to the normal level along with a strong feeding rebound. Together our results reveal the switch-like role of the MIP pathway in feeding regulation by controlling satiety.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.302-307
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• 2011

Peptidoglycan (PGN) is detected in inflammatory cell-rich regions of human atheromatous plaques. The present study investigated the effects of PGN on CC chemokine ligand 3 (CCL3) expression, which is elevated in the atherosclerotic arteries, and determined cellular factors involved in PGN-mediated CCL3 up-regulation in mononuclear cells, with the goal of understanding the molecular mechanisms of inflammatory responses to bacterial pathogen-associated molecular patterns in diseased arteries. Exposure of human monocytic leukemia THP-1 cells to PGN resulted in enhanced secretion of CCL3 and profound induction of the CCL3 gene transcript. Both events were abrogated by oxidized 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonosyl-sn-phosphatidylcholine, an inhibitor of Toll-like receptors 2/4. Pharmacological inhibitors such as U0126, SP6001250, Akt inhibitor IV, rapamycin, RO318220, diphenyleneiodonium chloride, and N-acetylcysteine also significantly attenuated PGN-mediated CCL3 up-regulation. However, polymyxin B, LY294002, and SB202190 did not influence CCL3 expression. We propose that PGN contributes to enhanced CCL3 expression in atherosclerotic plaques and that Toll-like receptors (TLR2), Akt, mTOR, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and reactive oxygen species are involved in that process.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2017

Protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) is an important epigenetic regulator in eukaryotic cells. During encystation, an essential process for Acanthamoeba survival, the expression of a lot of genes involved in the encystation process has to be regulated in order to be induced or inhibited. However, the regulation mechanism of these genes is yet unknown. In this study, the full-length 1,059 bp cDNA sequence of Acanthamoeba castellanii PRMT1 (AcPRMT1) was cloned for the first time. The AcPRMT1 protein comprised of 352 amino acids with a SAM-dependent methyltransferase PRMT-type domain. The expression level of AcPRMT1 was highly increased during encystation of A. castellanii. The EGFP-AcPRMT1 fusion protein was distributed over the cytoplasm, but it was mainly localized in the nucleus of Acanthamoeba. Knock down of AcPRMT1 by synthetic siRNA with a complementary sequence failed to form mature cysts. These findings suggested that AcPRMT1 plays a critical role in the regulation of encystation of A. castellanii. The target gene of AcPRMT1 regulation and the detailed mechanisms need to be investigated by further studies.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.12-22
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• 2013

Objective: We investigated the norepinephrine transporter (NET) expression in normal and pre-eclamptic placentas and analyzed the invasion activity of trophoblastic cells based on norepinephrine (NE)-NET regulation. Methods: NET and NE expression levels were examined by western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Trophoblast invasion activity, depending on NE-NET regulation, was determined by NET-small interfering RNA (siRNA) and NET transfection into the human extravillous trophoblast cells with or without NE treatment and invasion rates were analyzed by zymography and an invasion assay. Results: NET mRNA was expressed at a low level in pre-eclamptic placentas compared with normal placentas and NE concentration in maternal plasma increased significantly in pre-eclamptic women compared to normal pregnant women (p<0.05). NET gene upregulation and NE treatment stimulated trophoblast cell invasion up to 2.5-fold (p<0.05) by stimulating matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity via the phosphoinositol-3-kinase/AKT signaling pathway, whereas NET-siRNA with NE treatment reduced invasion rates. Conclusion: NET expression is reduced by inadequate regulation of NE levels during placental development. This suggests that a complementary balance between NET and NE regulates trophoblast cell invasion activities during placental development.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.45-60
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• 2001

. Mediator of transcriptional regulation is the evolutionary conserved coactivator complex that plays He central role in the integration and recruitment of diverse regulatory signals and transcription machinery to certain promoters. In yeast, each Mediator subunit is required for transcriptional regulation of a distinct group of genes. In order to decipher the mechanistic roles of Mediator proteins in regulating developmental specific gene expression, we isolated, and analyzed a multiprotein complex containing Drosophila Mediate. homologs (dMediato.). dMediato. interacts with several sequence-sperific transcription factors and basal transcription machinery, and is critical for activated transcription in response to diverse transcriptional activators. In order to elucidate the function of Mediator in metazoan development, we isolated mutants of a conserved Mediate. subunit, Drosophila Med6 (dMed6). dMed6 null homozygotes failed to pupate and died in the third larval instar. Larval mitotic cells and most imaginal discs showed severe defects in proliferation, but no apparent morphological defect was observed in other larval tissues. Clonal analysis of dMed6 mutant cells revealed that dMed6 is essential for cell viability and proliferation of most adult cell types. Drosophila cDNA microarray, quantitative RT-PCR, and in situ expression analyses of developmentally regulated genes in dMed6 mutants showed that transcriptional activation of a subset of genes involved in neuroblast proliferation in the larval brain were most affected. Our results suggest that dMed6 is required in most for transcriptional regulation of a subset of genes important for cell proliferation and metabolism.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.2305-2309
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• 2012

Crocin, the main pigment of Crocus sativus L., has been shown to have antiproliferative effects on cancer cells, but the involved mechanisms are only poor understood. This study focused on probable effect of crocin on the immortality of hepatic cancer cells. Cytotoxicity of crocin ($IC_{50}$ 3 mg/ml) in hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells was determined after 48 h by neutral red uptake assay and MTT test. Immortality was investigated through quantification of relative telomerase activity with a quantitative real-time PCR-based telomerase repeat amplification protocol (qTRAP). Telomerase activity in 0.5 ${\mu}g$ protein extract of HepG2 cells treated with 3 mg/ml crocin was reduced to about 51% as compared to untreated control cells. Two mechanisms of inhibition, i.e. interaction of crocin with telomeric quadruplex sequences and down regulation of hTERT expression, were examined using FRET analysis to measure melting temperature of a synthetic telomeric oligonucleotide in the presence of crocin and quantitative real-time RT-PCR, respectively. No significant changes were observed in the $T_m$ telomeric oligonucleotides, while the relative expression level of the catalytic subunit of telomerase (hTERT) gene showed a 60% decrease as compared to untreated control cells. In conclusion, telomerase activity of HepG2 cells decreases after treatment with crocin, which is probably caused by down-regulation of the expression of the catalytic subunit of the enzyme.