• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.465-472
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• 2020

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most malignant type of cancers and its incidence is steadily increasing, due to life style factors that include western diet. Abnormal activation of canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays an important role in colorectal carcinogenesis. Therefore, targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling has been considered a crucial strategy in the discovery of small molecules for CRC. In the present study, we found that Nodosin, an ent-kaurene diterpenoid isolated from Isodon serra, effectively inhibits the proliferation of human colon cancer HCT116 cells. Mechanistically, Nodosin effectively inhibited the overactivated transcriptional activity of β-catenin/T-cell factor (TCF) determined by Wnt/β-catenin reporter gene assay in HEK293 and HCT116 cells. The expression of Wnt/β-catenin target genes such as Axin2, cyclin D1, and survivin were also suppressed by Nodosin in HCT116 cells. Further study revealed that a longer exposure of Nodosin induced the G₂/M phase cell cycle arrest and subsequently apoptosis in HCT116 cells. These findings suggest that the anti-proliferative activity of Nodosin in colorectal cancer cells might in part be associated with the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.261-275
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• 2014

Although a few recent taxonomic studies focusing on infraspecific taxa in each species of Isodon have been reported, a detailed taxonomic revision of the Korean Isodon taxa has yet to be performed. We investigated the morphological characters of Korean Isodon based on approximately 600 herbarium sheets from major herbaria in Korea and Japan. We identified characters which distinguish seven Korean Isodon taxa and created a key to Korean Isodon based on the results from this study and on recent studies of the Korean Isodon taxa. The following unique characters for several taxa were recognized: 1) dense non-glandular hairs in stems for I. inflexus var. canescens (over 70 ea/mm on one side of the stem), 2) dense glandular hairs on the abaxial surface of the leaf for I. serra (over $40ea/mm^2$), 3) protruding pistils and stamens from the corolla with the length of the protruding part longer than that of the lower lobe of corolla for I. japonicus, and 4) the presence of non-glandular hairs on the entire surface of the fruit of I. inflexus var. microphyllus. Based on this study, we recognized that there are four species, two varieties, and one forma of Isodon taxa in Korea.