• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.94-101
• /
• 2015

tRNA-derived RNA fragments (tRFs) are an emerging class of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). A growing number of reports have shown that tRFs are not random degradation products but are functional ncRNAs made of specific tRNA cleavage. They play regulatory roles in several biological contexts such as cancer, innate immunity, stress responses, and neurological disorders. In this review, we summarize the biogenesis and functions of tRFs.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.59-64
• /
• 2013

Auxin is a key plant hormone which regulates overall plant growth development. A number of researches to investigate auxin signaling identified three major classes of early auxin response genes: AUX/IAA, GH3 and SMALL AUXIN UP RNA (SAUR). Among these genes, in planta functions of SAUR gene family are largely ambiguous, while both AUX/IAA and GH3 genes are analyzed to mediate negative feedback on auxin response. SAUR genes encode small plant-specific proteins. SAUR gene products are highly unstable and transiently expressed in the tissue- and developmental-specific manners in response to auxin and various environmental stimuli. In the decades, molecular and genetic approaches to elucidate in planta functions of SAURs have been hampered by several factors such as the unstable molecular features and functional redundancy among them. However, a series of recent studies focusing on several subgroups of SAUR gene family made significant progress in our understanding of its biochemical and physiological functions. These works suggest that many SAUR proteins mainly regulate auxin-related cell expansion and auxin transport. In this review, the recent progress in SAUR research and prospects for crop improvement through its genetic manipulation are discussed.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.321-329
• /
• 2013

Although it has been reported that lysyl oxidase (LOX) is involved in odontoblastic differentiation, the role of LOX on odontoblastic differentiation by hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) have not been clarified. In the present study, we investigated whether $H_2O_2$, reactive oxygen species (ROS), is modulated the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and activity of LOX during odontoblastic differentiation of human dental pulp (HDP) cells. The mRNA expression was quantified by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis, and LOX enzyme activity was measured by high sensitive fluorescent assay. Expression of the odontoblastic differentiation marker genes were assessed in the presence and absence of specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) of the LOX and LOXL. The $H_2O_2$-induced mRNA expression of LOX family was significant reduction of LOX, LOXL, and LOXL3 mRNA levels in HDP cells. LOX enzyme activity was increased at $H_2O_2$ 0.3 mM for 24 hours. The mRNA expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteopontin (OPN), and osteocalcin (OCN) was inhibited by LOX- and LOXL-specific siRNAs whereas the mRNA expression of dentin matrix protein1 (DMP1), and dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) was inhibited by LOX-specific siRNA. In LOX enzyme activity, siRNA-induced knockdown of both LOX and LOXL inhibited the total amine oxidase activity in HDP cells, as in the case of mRNA expression. In conclusion, the essential role of $H_2O_2$ on odontoblastic differentiation suggests that its regulation by LOX may have pharmacologic importance in HDP cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.127-135
• /
• 2020

Small RNAs (sRNAs) are widespread and play major roles in regulation circuits in bacteria. Previously, we have demonstrated that transcription of esrE is under the control of its own promoter. However, the regulatory elements involved in EsrE sRNA expression are still unknown. In this study, we found that different cis-regulatory elements exist in the promoter region of esrE. We then screened and analyzed seven potential corresponding trans-regulatory elements by using pull-down assays based on DNA affinity chromatography. Among these candidate regulators, we investigated the relationship between the ferric uptake regulator (Fur) and the EsrE sRNA. Electrophoresis mobility shift assays (EMSAs) and β-galactosidase activity assays demonstrated that Fur can bind to the promoter region of esrE, and positively regulate EsrE sRNA expression in the presence of Fe²⁺.

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

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.39 no.8
• /
• pp.581-586
• /
• 2016

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins are essential to increase the functional diversity of the proteome. By adding chemical groups to proteins, or degrading entire proteins by phosphorylation, glycosylation, ubiquitination, neddylation, acetylation, lipidation, and proteolysis, the complexity of the proteome increases, and this then influences most biological processes. Although small RNAs are crucial regulatory elements for gene expression in most eukaryotes, PTMs of small RNA microprocessor and RNA silencing components have not been extensively investigated in plants. To date, several studies have shown that the proteolytic regulation of AGOs is important for host-pathogen interactions. DRB4 is regulated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system, and the degradation of HYL1 is modulated by a de-etiolation repressor, COP1, and an unknown cytoplasmic protease. Here, we discuss current findings on the PTMs of microprocessor and RNA silencing components in plants.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.16 no.12
• /
• pp.1816-1821
• /
• 2003

Reliable PCR based identification of lactobacilli has been described utilizing the sequence of 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region. Those sequence comparisons showed a high degree of difference in homology among the strains of L. rhamnosus, L. casei, L. acidophilus and L. helveticus whose 16S-23S rRNA intergenic small SR's sizes were 222 bp, 222 bp, 206 bp and 216 bp respectively. The sequence of 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region of L. rhamnosus ATCC 53103 revealed the close relatedness to those of L. casei strains by the homology ranges from 95.4% to 97.2%. 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region nucleotide sequence of L. acidophilus showed some distant relatedness with L. rhamnosus ATCC 53103 with the homology ranges from 40.3% to 41.8% and that with L. helveticus was shown to be 30% of homology, which exists at the most distant phylogenetic relatedness. The identification of species and strain of lactobacilli was possible on the basis of these results. The common sequences among the 17 strains were CTAAGGAA located in the initiating position of the DNA and some discrepancies were found between the same strains based on these results.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.10
• /
• pp.1708-1711
• /
• 2007

The Streptomyces coelicolor M145 genome harbors six copies of divergent rRNA operons that differ at ${\sim}0.2%$ and ${\sim}0.6%$ of the nucleotide positions in small subunit (SSU) and large subunit (LSD) rRNA genes, respectively. When these rRNA genes are expressed, a single cell may harbor three different kinds of SSU rRNA and five kinds of LSU rRNA. Primer extension analyses revealed that all of the heterogeneous rRNA molecules are expressed and assembled into ribosomes. This finding and the maintenance of the intragenomic variability of rRNA operons imply the existence of functional divergence of rRNA species in this developmentally complex microorgamsm.

• Proceedings of the Korean Information Science Society Conference
• /
• 2006.06a
• /
• pp.13-15
• /
• 2006

microRNA는 유전자의 전사 후 과정에서 negative regulation을 담당하는 small noncoding RNA의 한 증류이다. 최근까지 330여개의 인간 microRNA가 발견되었지만 그들의 기능이 밝혀진 것은 소수에 불과하다. microRNA의 기능은 3'UTR에 불완전 상보결합을 통해 negative regulation을 받게 되는 유전자의 기능으로부터 유추되는 것이 일반적이다. 특별히 유전체상에 군집화 된 microRNA들은 하나의 전사체로부터 발현되는 것으로 판단되며, 같은 또는 관련된 기능을 하거나 같은 목표 유전자를 조절하기 위한 functional family일 가능성이 높다. 또한 이러한 functional family는 하나의 전사체로부터 발현되기 때문에, 조직별로 조건별로 같은 발현 패턴을 보여야 한다. 본 연구에서는 발현데이터로부터 microRNA functional family를 탐색하기 위해, 5개의 연구 그룹에서 공개한 조직별 microRNA 발현데이터를 표준화 작업을 거친 후 통합하고 k-nearest neighbor 알고리즘을 이용해 결측치를 보정한 후 microRNA 발현사이의 correlation을 계산한다. 이때 데이터 통합에서 생기는 문제에 robust한 결과를 얻기 위해 실제 발현데이터가 아닌 rank 데이터부터 correlation을 측정한다. 계산된 spearman ranked correlation 결과와 microRNA의 genomic coordination 정보로부터 34개의 functional family를 정의할 수 있었다.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.492-496
• /
• 2001

Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein(MTP) activity and mRNA level were investigated in the liver and small intestine of rats fed on di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate(DEHP) and orotic acid(OA) as serum triglyceride-reducing agents. The concentration of liver triglyceride was significantly increased in the OA group, but that was not increased in the DEHP group compared with the control group. The concentration of serum triglyceride was significantly decreased in the OA and DEHP groups compared with the control group, but this reduction was more pronounced in the OA group. MTP activity and mRNA level in liver were decreased in the OA group compared with the control group, while MTP activity in the small intestine was increased in the OA group compared with the control group. MTP activities and MTP mRNA levels in both liver and small intestine had no influence by the DEHP dietary feeding, despite the triglyceride-lowering action, compared with the control dietary feeding. The activity of liver microsomal phosphatidate phosphohydrolase(PAP), the rate-limiting enzyme in triglyceride synthesis, was increased in the OA group compared with the control group, but that of cytosolic PAP was decreased in the DEHP group compared with the control group. The result suggest that MTP activity and MTP mRNA level are involved in the triglyceride-lowering action of OA, but those are not involved in that of DEHP.