• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.281-288
• /
• 2016

Apoptosis has been regarded as a therapeutic target because apoptosis is typically disturbed in human cancer. Silymarin found in the seeds of the milk thistle (Silybum marianum) has been reported to exert anti-cancer properties through apoptosis. This study was performed to investigate the molecular target for silymarin-mediated apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells. Silymarin reduced the cell viability and induced an apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells. ATF3 overexpression increased PARP cleavage by silymarin. Increased ATF3 expression in both protein and mRNA was observed in silymarin-treated cells. In addition, silymarin increased the luciferase activity of ATF3 promoter. Inhibition of JNK and IκK-α blocked silymarin-mediated ATF3 expression. The results suggest that silymarin induces apoptosis through JNK and IκKα-dependent ATF3 expression in human colorectal cancer cells.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.35-43
• /
• 2011

Objectives: This study was performed to screen target-specific inhibitors of ${\beta}$-catenin/TCF signaling whose functional activation plays an important role in early events in carcinogenesis. Methods: To investigate the activation or suppression of ${\beta}$-catenin/TCF transcription, we established a transiently transfected cell line with a constitutively active ${\beta}$-catenin mutant gene whose product is not degraded. This cell line was also co-transfected with luciferase reporter gene constructs containing either an optimized (TOPflash) or mutant (FOPflash) TCF-binding element. We investigated cytotoxic effects using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium salt (MTS) assay. To find effective inhibitors of ${\beta}$-catenin/TCF signaling from medicinal herbs, the crude extracts of 99 types of medicinal herbs were screened using a luciferase assay system in HEK-293 and SH-SY5y cells. Results: At a concentration of $50{\mu}g$/ml, extracts of Angelica koreanae radix, Cannabis sativa semen, Ephedrae intermedia Schrenk radix, and Vitis rotundifolia fruit showed the following inhibitory effects on ${\beta}$-catenin/TCF signaling: $40{\pm}5.6%$, $23{\pm}6.1%$, $8{\pm}5.1%$, and $22{\pm}9.8%$ in ${\beta}$-catenin-activated HEK-293 cells and $9{\pm}4.7%$, $39{\pm}8.1%$, $39{\pm}6.4%$, and $42{\pm}10.1%$ in ${\beta}$-catenin-activated SH-SY5y cells, respectively. Crude extracts of E. radix were isolated by silica gel column chromatography, and two non-polar fractions of these extracts showed inhibitory effects on ${\beta}$-catenin/TCF signaling. Conclusions: In this study, we established a transiently transfected cell line as a screening system and found that various medicinal herb extracts had inhibitory effects on ${\beta}$signaling.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.539-546
• /
• 2007

The lysozymes encoded by bacteriophage T7 and K11 are both bifunctional enzymes sharing an extensive sequence homology (75%). The constructions of chimeric lysozymes were carried out by swapping the N-terminal and C-terminal domains between phage T7 and K11 lysozymes. This technique generated two chimeras, T7K11-lysozyme (N-terminal T7 domain and C-terminal K11 domain) and K11T7-lysozyme (N-terminal K11 domain and C-terminal T7 domain), which are both enzymatically active. The amidase activity of T7K11-lysozyme is comparable with the parental enzymes while K11T7-lysozyme exhibits an activity that is approximately 45% greater than the wild-type lysozymes. Moreover, these chimeric constructs have optimum pH of 7.2-7.4 similar to the parental lysozymes but exhibit greater thermal stabilities. On the other hand, the chimeras inhibit transcription comparable with the parental lysozymes depending on the source of their N-terminals. Taken together, our results indicated that domain swapping technique localizes the N-terminal region as the domain responsible for the transcription inhibition specificity of the wild type T7 and K11 lysozymes. Furthermore, we were able to develop a simple and rapid purification scheme in purifying both the wild-type and chimeric lysozymes.

• Herbal Formula Science
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.175-193
• /
• 2016

Objective : Diuretics are effective on the patients with hypertension and heart failure, as well as edema by regulating the function of kidney, which is key organ to maintain the balance of the different electrolytes in the body. The present review article is designed to review the diuretic effect of Korean medicinal prescription base on the experimental studies.Method : For this purpose, every article related to ‘diuresis’ and 'Korean medicinal prescription' were analysed from articles which published at domestic and international journals.Results : 1. Representative Korean medicine prescriptions showed diuretic effect along with electrolyte excretion were Oryeong-san, Paeryung-tang, Hwangryungbokryung-tang and Daeganghwal-tang. 2. Some Korean medicinal prescription including Oryeong-san, Jueryeong-tang, Sipcho-tang distribute diuresis through the inhibition of renin-angiotensin-system. 3. Oryeong-san, Bojungchiseup-tang had a diuretic effect on the down-regulation of aquaporin water channel in the renal collecting duct.Conclusion : Korean medicinal transcriptions have a diuretic effect through several types of mechanism such as along with electrolytes excretion, inhibition of renin-angiotensin system, and down-regulation of water channels.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2019.04a
• /
• pp.116-116
• /
• 2019

Thalictrum rochebrunianum var. grandisepalum (TRG) is a Korean endemic plant, and it is widely used for edible, medicinal, landscape materials. In this study, we examined the protein and mRNA expression levels of MITF, tyrosinase, TRP-1 and TRP-2 by TRG extract (TRGE) in IBMX-treated melanocytes to evaluate the possibility of using TRG as a whitening material. IBMX were reported as melanin synthesis enhancers. It could increase intracellular melanin synthesis by activation of the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) signaling pathway. TRGE did not show cytotoxicity at concentrations below $100{\mu}g/ml$ in B16F10 cells. TREG dose-dependently inhibited protein and mRNA levels of MITF, tyrosinase, TRP-1 and TRP-2. Therefore, we suggest that TRGE is an important natural resource for cosmetic raw materials for whitening function.

• 한국약용작물학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2011.04a
• /
• pp.464-465
• /
• 2011

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.193-199
• /
• 2010

An olive-green mutant was generated in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 by inactivation of the sll0396 gene. Whole-cell absorption spectra of the mutant revealed the missing of phycocyanin peak. An investigation of the low-temperature fluorescence emission spectra revealed that the $sll0396{\Omega}$ mutant has a reduced amount of phycocyanin. Western blot analysis showed that the mutant contained less phycocyanin ${\beta}$- and ${\alpha}$-subunits and lacked the 30- and 32-kDa linker polypeptides, and northern blot analysis revealed that the transcription of the 1.4-kb cpcBA gene encoding the phycocyanin ${\beta}$- and ${\alpha}$-subunits was lower in the mutant. The Sll0396 protein has a DNA-binding motif and shares homology with known response regulators. Our results indicate that Sll0396 plays a regulatory role in the transcription of the phycocyanin genes during phycobilisome synthesis.

• Integrative Medicine Research
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.67-73
• /
• 2014

Background: The transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3)is constitutively activated in many human cancers. It promotes tumor cell proliferation,inhibits apoptosis, induces angiogenesis and metastasis, and suppresses antitumor hostimmune responses. Therefore, Stat3 has emerged as a promising molecular target for cancertherapies. In this study, we evaluated the Stat3-suppressive activity of 38 herbal medicinestraditionally used in Korea.Methods: Medicinal herb extracts in 70% ethanol were screened for their ability to suppressStat3 in the A549 human lung cancer cell line. A Stat3-responsive reporter assay system wasused to detect intracellular Stat3 activity in extract-treated cells, and Western blot analyseswere performed to measure the expression profiles of Stat3-regulated proteins.Results: Fifty percent of the 38 extracts possessed at least mild Stat3-suppressive activities(i.e., activity less than 75% of the vehicle control). Ethanol extracts of Bupleurum falcatumL., Taraxacum officinale Weber, Solanum nigrum L., Ulmus macrocarpa Hance, Euonymus alatusSieb., Artemisia capillaris Thunb., and Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Baill inhibited up to 75% of thevehicle control Stat3 activity level. A549 cells treated with these extracts also had reducedBcl-xL, Survivin, c-Myc, and Mcl-1 expression.Conclusion: Many medicinal herbs traditionally used in Korea contain Stat3 activity-suppressing substances. Because of the therapeutic impact of Stat3 inhibition, these resultscould be useful when developing novel cancer therapeutics from medicinal herbs.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.297-304
• /
• 2015

The flower buds of Sophora japonica L (SF), as a well-known traditional Chinese medicinal herb, have been used to treat bleeding-related disorders such as hematochezia, hemorrhoidal bleeding, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, and diarrhea. However, no specific anti-cancer effect and its molecular mechanism of SF have been described. Thus, we performed in vitro study to investigate if treatment of SF affects activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) expression and ATF3-mediated apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells. The effects of SF on cell viability and apoptosis were measured by MTT assay and Western blot analysis against cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). ATF3 activation induced by SF was evaluated using Western blot analysis, RT-PCR and ATF3 promoter assay. SF treatment caused decrease of cell viability and increase of apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in HCT116 and SW480 cells. Exposure of SF activated the levels of ATF3 protein and mRNA via transcriptional regulation in HCT116 and SW480 cells. Inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) 1/2 by PD98059 and p38 by SB203580 attenuated SF-induced ATF3 expression and transcriptional activation. Ectopic ATF3 overexpression accelerated SF-induced cleavage of PARP. These findings suggest that SF-mediated apoptosis may be the result of ATF3 expression through ERK1/2 and p38-mediated transcriptional activation.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.35 no.6
• /
• pp.637-641
• /
• 2002

Only one natural promoter that interacts with bacteriophage K11 RNA polymerase has so far been identified. To identify more, in the present study restriction fragments of the phage genome were individually assayed for transcription activity in vitro. The K11 genome was digested with two 4-bp-recognizing restriction enzymes, and the fragments cloned in pUC119 were assayed with purified K11 RNA polymerase. Eight K11 promoter-bearing fragments were isolated and sequenced. We report that the nine K11 promoter sequences (including the one previously identified) were highly homologous from -17 to +4, relative to the initiation site at +1. Interestingly, five had -10G and -8A, while the other four had -10A and -8C. The consensus sequences with the natural -10G/-8A and -10A/-8C, and their variants with -10G/-8C and -10A/-8A, showed nearly equal transcription activity, suggesting residues at -10 and -8 do not regulate promoter activity. Using hybridization methods, physical positions of the cloned promoter-bearing sequences were mapped on SalI-and KpnI-restriction maps of the K11 genome. The flanking sequences of six cloned K11 promoters were found to be orthologous with T7 or T3 genomic sequences.