• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.17-23
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• 2021

High mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) is a highly conserved, non-histone, chromatin associated nuclear protein encoded by HMGB1 gene. HMGB1 proteins may be general co-factors in Hox-mediated transcriptional activation that facilitate the access of Hox proteins to specific DNA targets. It is unclear that the exact binding interface of Hoxc9DBD and HMGB1. To identify the interface and binding affinity of Hoxc9DBD and HMGB1 A-box, the paramagnetic probe, MTSL was used in NMR titration experiment. It is attached to the N-terminal end of HMGB1 A-box by reaction with thiol groups. The backbone assignment of HMGB1 A-box was achieved with 3D NMR techinques. The ¹⁵N-labeled HMGB1 A-box was titrated with MTSL-labeled Hoxc9DBD respectively. Based on the chemical shift changes we can identify the interacting residues and further map out the binding sites on the protein structure. The NMR titration result showed that the binding interface of HMGB1 A-box is around loop-1 between helix-1 and helix-2. In addition, the additional contacts were found in N- and C-terminus. The N-terminal arm region of Hoxc9DBD is the major binding region and the loop between helix1 and helix2 is the minor binding region.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.95-105
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• 1995

The human homolog of position specific element of mouse Hoxa-7 was studied using transgene. It contains a 1.1 kb human DNA (HCR)- a homolog to the intergenic region between Hoxa-7 and -9, which directs the position specific expression of Hoxa-7-, tk promoter, LacZ (${\beta}$-galactosidase) gene as a reporter, and polyadenylation signal of SV40 large T antigen. It was injected into the mice embryos, and the resulting transgenic embryos were analysed through PCR as well as genomic Southern blotting with placenta DNA. Out of 20 embryos analysed, two were transgenic. Among them, one transgenic embryo expressed transgene when stained with X-gal. The expression pattern was in analogy to that of the mouse Hoxa-7, showing spatially restricted expression pattern, Since the expression of ${\beta}$-galactosidase is regulated by the upstream human HCR sequence, it implies that the HCR is the plausible position specific regulatory element of human.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.625-628
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• 2004

Homeobox genes encode a family of transcription factors that have essential roles in regulating the development of eukaryotes. Although they have been extensively studied in different phyla, relatively little is known about homeobox-containing genes and their function in molluscs. In this study, we used a polymerase chain reaction to investigate homeobox genes in the bivalve mollusc Pecten maximus. Four different homeobox sequences were identified; two were homologues of the non-Hox cluster gene caudal and the two remaining sequences had a significant homology to the ANT-C gene proboscipedia. These sequences represent the first cad and pb homologues isolated from a member of the class Bivalvia, phylum Mollusca.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.217-223
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• 2004

Objective: To evaluate the effects of recombinant FSH (rFSH) and urinary FSH (uFSH) on the gene expressions of human endometrial stromal cells in vitro. Methods: Endometrial tissue was obtained from a pre-menopausal women undergoing hysterectomy. Primary endometrial stromal cells were isolated and in vitro cultured with FBS-free DMEM/F-12 containing 0, 10, 100, and 1, 000 mIU/ml of rFSH and uFSH for 48 hours, respectively. Total RNA was extracted from the cultured cells and subjected to real time RT-PCR for the quantitative analysis of progesterone receptor (PR), estrogen receptor $\alpha/\beta$ (ER-$\alpha/\beta$), cyclooxygenase 2 (Cox-2), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), homeobox A10-1 and -2 (HoxA10-1/-2). Results: Both hormone treatments slightly increased (< 3 folds) the expressions of PR, ER-$\beta$ and HoxA10-1/-2 gene. However, ER-$\alpha$ expression was increased up to five folds by treatments of both FSH for 48 hours. The LIF expression by the 10 mIU/ml of uFSH for 12 hours was significantly higher than that of rFSH (p<0.01). After 24 hours treatment of two kinds of hormones, the expression patterns of LIF were similar. The 100 and 1, 000 mIU/ml of rFSH induced significantly higher amount of Cox-2 expression than those of uFSH, respectively (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study represents no adversely effect of exogeneous gonadotropins, rFSH and uFSH, on the expression of implantation related genes. We suggest that rFSH is applicable for the assisted reproductive technology without any concern on the endometrial receptivity.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.272-276
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• 2017

HOX genes are transcription factors that play important roles in body patterning and cell fate specification during normal development. In previous study, we found aberrant overexpression of HOXB5 in breast cancer tissues and cell lines, and demonstrated that HOXB5 is important in regulation of cell proliferation, tamoxifen resistance, and invasiveness through the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Although the relationship between HOXB5 and phenotypic changes in MCF7 breast cancer cells has been studied, the molecular function of HOXB5 as a transcription factor remains unclear. IL-6 has been reported to be involved in not only inflammation but also cancer progression, which is characterized by the increase of growth speed and invasiveness of tumor cells. In this study, we selected Interleukin-6 (IL-6) as HOXB5 putative downstream target gene and discovered that HOXB5 transcriptionally up-regulated the expression of IL-6 in HOXB5 overexpressing MCF7 cells. The upstream region (~1.2 kb) of IL-6 promoter turned out to contain several putative HOX consensus binding sites. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay confirmed that HOXB5 directly binds to the promoter region of IL-6 and positively regulated the expression of IL-6. These data all together, indicate that HOXB5 promotes IL-6 transcription by actively binding to the putative binding sites located in the upstream region of IL-6, which enable to increase its promoter activity in MCF7 breast cancer cells.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1037-1047
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• 2016

HOX transcription factors are evolutionarily conserved in many different species and are involved in important cellular processes such as morphogenesis, differentiation, and proliferation. They have also recently been implicated in carcinogenesis, but their precise role in cancer, especially in cervical cancer (CC), remains unclear. In this work, using microarray assays followed by the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), we found that the expression of 25 HOX genes was downregulated in CC derived cell lines compared with non-tumorigenic keratinocytes. In particular, the expression of HOXA9 was observed as down-modulated in CC-derived cell lines. The expression of HOXA9 has not been previously reported in CC, or in normal keratinocytes of the cervix. We found that normal CC from women without cervical lesions express HOXA9; in contrast, CC cell lines and samples of biopsies from women with CC showed significantly diminished HOXA9 expression. Furthermore, we found that methylation at the first exon of HOXA9 could play an important role in modulating the expression of this gene. Exogenous restoration of HOXA9 expression in CC cell lines decreased cell proliferation and migration, and induced an epithelial-like phenotype. Interestingly, the silencing of human papilloma virus (HPV) E6 and E7 oncogenes induced expression of HOXA9. In conclusion, controlling HOXA9 expression appears to be a necessary step during CC development. Further studies are needed to delineate the role of HOXA9 during malignant progression and to afford more insights into the relationship between downmodulation of HOXA9 and viral HPV oncoprotein expression during cercical cancer development.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Sericultural Science Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.19-22
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• 2003

Chromatin structure plays a critical role in the regulation of transcription. Drosophila GAGA factor directs chromatin remodeling to its binding sites. We found that Drosaphiia FACT, a heterodimer of dSPT16 and dSSRPl, is associated with GAGA factor through its dSSRPl subunit, binds to a nucleosome and facilitates GAGA factor-directed chromatin remodeling. Immunostaining of polytene chromosomes revealed colocalization of GAGA factor and FACT in many specific loci. (omitted)

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.385-389
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• 2004

A novel gene Jpk, originally isolated as a trans-acting factor associating with the position-specific regulatory element of murine Hox gene has been reported to be expressed differentially in the liver of diabetic animals. Therefore, in an attempt to develop a possible diagnostic marker and/or new therapeutic agent for the Diabetes Mellitus, we analysed the expression pattern of Jpk among organs of normal and diabetic Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Total RNAs were isolated from each organs (brain, lung, heart, liver, spleen, kidney, muscle, blood, and testis) of diabetic and normal rats in both normal feeding and after fasting condition. And then RT (reverse transcription) PCR has been performed using Jpk­specific primers. The Jpk gene turned out to be expressed in all organs tested, with some different expression profiles among normal and diabetes, though. Upon fasting, Jpk expressions were reduced in all organs tested except kidney, muscle and brain of normal rat. Whereas in diabetes, Jpk expressions were increased in all organs except heart, muscle and testis when fasted. Compared to the normal rat, the Jpk expression level in blood was remarkably upregulated (about 15-30times) in diabetic rat whether in normal feeding or fasting conditon, suggesting that the Jpk could be a candidate gene for the possible blood diagnostic marker for the Diabetes Mellitus.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.239-244
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• 2007

Hoxc8 is one of the homeotic developmental control genes regulating the expression of many downstream target genes, through which animal body pattern is established during embryonic development. In previous proteomics analysis, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) which is also known as cyclin, has been implied to be regulated by Hoxc8 in F9 murine embryonic teratocarcinoma cell. When the 5' upstream region of PCNA was analyzed, it turned out to contain 20 Hox core binding sites (ATTA) in about 1.17 kbp (kilo base pairs) region ($-520{\sim}-1690$). In order to test whether this region is responsible for Hoxc8 regulation, the upstream 2.3 kbp fragment of PCNA was amplified through PCR and then cloned into the pGL3 basic vector containing a luciferase gene as a reporter. When the luciferase activity was measured in the presence of effector plasmid (pcDNA : c8) expressing murine Hoxc8, the PCNA promoter driven reporter activity was reduced. To confirm whether this reduction is due to the Hoxc8 protein, the siRNA against Hoxc8 (5'-GUA UCA GAC CUU GGA ACU A-3' and 5'-UAG UUC CAA GGU CUG AUA C-3') was prepared. Interestingly enough, siRNA treatment up regulated the luciferase activity which was down regulated by Hoxc8, indicating that Hoxc8 indeed regulates the expression of PCNA, in particular, down regulation in NIN3T3 cells. These results altogether indicate that Hoxc8 might orchestrate the pattern formation by regulating PCNA which is one of the important proteins involved in several processes such as DNA replication and methylation, chromatin remodeling, cell cycle regulation, differentiation, as well as programmed cell death.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.3941-3944
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• 2015

Background: Aberrant expression of HOX gene expression has been observed in cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the alteration of HOXA5 and HOXA9 expression and their clinical significance in acute meloid leukemia (AML). Materials and Methods: The expression of HOXA5 and HOXA9 genes of bone marrow samples from 75 newly diagnosed AML patients and 22 healthy controls for comparison were examined by Real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR) assay. Statistical analysis was conducted to evaluate HOXA5 and HOXA9 expression as possible biomarkers for AML. Results: The results showed that the complete remission rate (52.6%) of the patients who highly expressed HOXA5 and HOXA9 was significantly lower than that (88.9%) in patients who lowly express the genes (P=0.015). Spearmann correlation coefficients indicated that the expression levels for HOXA5 and HOXA9 genes were highly interrelated (r=0.657, P<0.001). Meanwhile, we detected significant correlations between HOXA9 expression and age in this limited set of patients (P=0.009). Conclusions: The results suggest a prognostic impact of increased expression of HOXA5 and HOXA9 in AML patients.