• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.397-407
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• 2020

DNAJB9 is known to be a member of the molecular chaperone gene family, whose cellular function has not yet been fully characterized. Here, we investigated the cellular function of DNAJB9 under strong mitogenic signals. We found that DNAJB9 inhibits p53-dependent oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) and induces neoplastic transformation under oncogenic RAS activation in mouse primary fibroblasts. In addition, we observed that DNAJB9 interacts physically with p53 under oncogenic RAS activation and that the p53-interacting region of DNAJB9 is critical for the inhibition of p53-dependent OIS and induction of neoplastic transformation by DNAJB9. These results suggest that DNAJB9 induces cell transformation under strong mitogenic signals, which is attributable to the inhibition of p53-dependent OIS by physical interactions with p53. This study might contribute to our understanding of the cellular function of DNAJB9 and the molecular basis of cell transformation.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.10
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• pp.889-897
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• 2020

K-RAS is frequently mutated in human lung adenocarcinomas (ADCs), and the p53 pathway plays a central role in cellular defense against oncogenic K-RAS mutation. However, in mouse lung cancer models, oncogenic K-Ras mutation alone can induce ADCs without p53 mutation, and loss of p53 does not have a significant impact on early K-Ras-induced lung tumorigenesis. These results raise the question of how K-Ras-activated cells evade oncogene surveillance mechanisms and develop into lung ADCs. RUNX3 plays a key role at the restriction (R)-point, which governs multiple tumor suppressor pathways including the p14^ARF-p53 pathway. In this study, we found that K-Ras activation in a very limited number of cells, alone or in combination with p53 inactivation, failed to induce any pathologic lesions for up to 1 year. By contrast, when Runx3 was inactivated and K-Ras was activated by the same targeting method, lung ADCs and other tumors were rapidly induced. In a urethane-induced mouse lung tumor model that recapitulates the features of K-RAS-driven human lung tumors, Runx3 was inactivated in both adenomas (ADs) and ADCs, whereas K-Ras was activated only in ADCs. Together, these results demonstrate that the R-point-associated oncogene surveillance mechanism is abrogated by Runx3 inactivation in AD cells and these cells cannot defend against K-Ras activation, resulting in the transition from AD to ADC. Therefore, K-Ras-activated lung epithelial cells do not evade oncogene surveillance mechanisms; instead, they are selected if they occur in AD cells in which Runx3 has been inactivated.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.24
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• pp.10825-10830
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• 2015

The present study was conducted to investigate effects and mechanisms of action of phenolic alkaloids of Menispermum dauricum (PAMD) on gastric cancer in vivo. In vitro, cell apoptosis of human gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 was observed using fluorescence staining. In vivo, a mice model was constructed to observe tumor growth with different doses. Cell apoptosis was examined using flow cytometry and K-RAS protein expression using Western blotting. The mRNA expression of P53, BCL-2, BAX, CASPASE-3, K-RAS was examined by real-time PCR. PAMD significantly suppressed tumor growth in the xenograft model of gastric cancer in a dose-dependent manner (p<0.01). Functionally, PAMD promoted cell apoptosis of the SGC-7901 cells and significantly increased the rate of cell apoptosis of gastric tumor cells (p<0.05). Mechanically, PAMD inhibited the expression of oncogenic K-RAS both at the mRNA and protein levels. In addition, PAMD affected the mRNA expression of the cell apoptosis-related genes (P53, BCL-2, BAX, CASPASE-3). PAMD could suppress gastric tumor growth in vivo, possibly through inhibiting oncogenic K-RAS, and induce cell apoptosis possibly by targeting the cell apoptosis-related genes of P53, BCL-2, BAX, CASPASE-3.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.314-318
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• 1992

The sarcoma 180 cells were treated with ursolic acid which was previously extracted from leaves of Eriobotrya japonica Lindy (Rosaceae) and identified as a potent anticarinogenic agent. Suppressing effects of the compounds with testing changes in selected oncogenes expression were examined by using the northern hybridization method. Ursolic acid significantly suppressed c-myc oncogene expression. However, c-ha-ras oncogene expression was lowered slightly with the ursolic acid treatment. Therefore, it was concluded that preproven anticarcinogenic effects of ursolic acid should be partly ascribed to the modified oncogenic expression.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.80-80
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• 2002

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an inducible enzyme expressed in response to a variety of cytokines. The presence of oncogenic ras has been associated with sustained induction of COX-2, which confers resistance to apoptosis. Contrary to the above notion, we found that MCF10A-ras cells treated with an anti-tumor agent, ET-18-O-$CH_3$, underwent apoptosis as revealed by proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase, pro-caspase 3 activity, and TUNEL staining, while the same treatment caused an increased expression of COX-2 as well as the elevated production of prostaglandin E$_2$(PGE$_2$).(omitted)

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.158-161
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• 1998

An inhibitor of farnesy-protein transferae is known to be a fgood candidate for antitumor agent that block the oncogenic activity of Ras protein . We recently isolated and characterized dihydrotanshinone I from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen), an oriental herb, which has an inhibitory activity of toposimerase I to some cancer cell lines. In order to examine the molecular mechanism of dihydrotanshinone I, we studied the farmesy-Protein Transferase activity by dihydrotanshinone I. As a result, we found that result, we found that dihydrotanshinone I showed inhibitory effect on farnesyl-protein transferase with $IC_{50}$ value of 15 ug/ml. This result suggest that dihydrotanshinone I may be an useful anticancer agent with the inhibitory activity of farnesyl-protein transferase.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.371-383
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• 2014

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) offers a unique opportunity for biological and basic medical researches due to its genetic tractability and well-defined developmental lineage. It also provides an exceptional model for genetic, molecular, and cellular analysis of human disease-related genes. Recently, C. elegans has been used as an ideal model for the identification and functional analysis of drugs (or small-molecules) in vivo. In this review, we describe conserved oncogenic signaling pathways (Wnt, Notch, and Ras) and their potential roles in the development of cancer stem cells. During C. elegans germline development, these signaling pathways regulate multiple cellular processes such as germline stem cell niche specification, germline stem cell maintenance, and germ cell fate specification. Therefore, the aberrant regulations of these signaling pathways can cause either loss of germline stem cells or overproliferation of a specific cell type, resulting in sterility. This sterility phenotype allows us to identify drugs that can modulate the oncogenic signaling pathways directly or indirectly through a high-throughput screening. Current in vivo or in vitro screening methods are largely focused on the specific core signaling components. However, this phenotype-based screening will identify drugs that possibly target upstream or downstream of core signaling pathways as well as exclude toxic effects. Although phenotype-based drug screening is ideal, the identification of drug targets is a major challenge. We here introduce a new technique, called Drug Affinity Responsive Target Stability (DARTS). This innovative method is able to identify the target of the identified drug. Importantly, signaling pathways and their regulators in C. elegans are highly conserved in most vertebrates, including humans. Therefore, C. elegans will provide a great opportunity to identify therapeutic drugs and their targets, as well as to understand mechanisms underlying the formation of cancer.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.274-283
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• 2022

KRAS activating mutations, which are present in more than 90% of pancreatic cancers, drive tumor dependency on the RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling pathways. Therefore, combined targeting of RAS/MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways may be required for optimal therapeutic effect in pancreatic cancer. However, the therapeutic efficacy of combined MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling target inhibitors is unsatisfactory in pancreatic cancer treatment, because it is often accompanied by MAPK pathway reactivation by PI3K/AKT inhibitor. Therefore, we developed an inRas37 antibody, which directly targets the intra-cellularly activated GTP-bound form of oncogenic RAS mutation and investigated its synergistic effect in the presence of the PI3K inhibitor BEZ-235 in pancreatic cancer. In this study, inRas37 remarkably increased the drug response of BEZ-235 to pancreatic cancer cells by inhibiting MAPK reactivation. Moreover, the co-treatment synergistically inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and exhibited synergistic anticancer activity by inhibiting the MAPK and PI3K pathways. The combined administration of inRas37and BEZ-235 significantly inhibited tumor growth in mouse models. Our results demonstrated that inRas37 synergistically increased the antitumor activity of BEZ-235 by inhibiting MAPK reactivation, suggesting that inRas37 and BEZ-235 co-treatment could be a potential treatment approach for pancreatic cancer patients with KRAS mutations.

• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.12
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• pp.599-600
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• 2017

Many studies have focused on the tumor suppressive role of $TGF-{\beta}$ signaling during the early stages of tumorigenesis by activating the target genes involved in cytostasis and apoptosis. We investigated the effects of $TGF-{\beta}$ inhibition on early tumorigenesis in the liver, by employing diverse inhibitory methods. Strikingly, $TGF-{\beta}$ inhibition consistently suppressed hepatic tumorigenesis that was induced either by activated RAS plus p53 downregulation or by the co-activation of RAS and TAZ signaling; this demonstrates the requirements for canonical $TGF-{\beta}$ signaling in tumorigenesis. Moreover, we found that Snail is the target gene of the $TGF-{\beta}$ signaling pathway that promotes hepatic carcinogenesis. The knockdown of Snail suppressed the early tumorigenesis in the liver, as did the $TGF-{\beta}$ inhibition, while the ectopic expression of Snail restored tumorigenesis that was suppressed by the $TGF-{\beta}$ inhibition. Our findings establish the oncogenic $TGF-{\beta}$-Smad-Snail signaling axis during the early tumorigenesis in the liver.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.544-546
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• 2000

Grb2 is an important adaptor protein in the mitogenic Ras signaling pathway of receptor tyrosine kinases, and contains one SH2 domain and two SH3 domains. The SH2 domain binds to specific phosphotyrosine motifs on receptors or adaptor proteins such as Shc. The SH2 domain antagonists may lead to blocking of the oncogenic Ras signals and to developing new antitumor agents. In the course of screening SH2 antagonists from natural sources, cslerotiorin (1) and isochromophilone IV (2) were isolated from a strain, Penicillium multicolor F1753, and their structures were established by NMR spectral data. The metabolites significantly inhibited the binding between the Grb2-SH2 domain and phosphopeptide derived from the Shc protein, with $IC_{50}$ values of $22{\;}\mu\textrm{M}{\;}and{\;}48{\;}\mu\textrm{M}$ for (1) and (2), respectively. The compounds are the first nonpeptidic inhibitors of the SH2 domain from a natural source.