• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.187-194
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• 2005

Telomeres locate at the end of chromosomes and consist of a tandem repeat sequence of $(TIAGGG)^{n}$ and associated proteins. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein which act as a template for the synthesis of telomeric DNA. Telomeres are essential for chromosome stability and are related with cell senescence, apoptosis and cancer. This study was carried out to analyze the amount of telomeres and telomerase activity of chicken cells during embryonic and developmental stages. The whole embryos and prenatal tissues such as brain, heart, liver, kidney and testis at different developmental stages were obtained from Korean Native Chicken. The amount of telomeres on embryonic cells was analyzed by quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization (Q-FISH) techniques using the chicken telomeric DNA probe. Telomerase activity was measured by telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay. Results indicated that the amounts of telomeric DNA on the most embryonic cells were gradually decreased during ontogenesis. Furthermore, the quantity of telomeres was quite different among embryonic tissues according to developmental origin. The relative amount of telomeres has more in regenerative cells such as embryonic disc and testicular cells than in non-regenerative cells such as liver, brain, heart and kidney cells. Telomerase activity was also highly detectable in most chicken cells at early embryonic stages. After 9 days of incubation, however, the telomerase activitie W

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.4919-4923
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• 2014

Background: To investigate the effect of celecoxib on telomerase activity and apoptosis in a human laryngeal squamous carcinoma cell line (Hep-2 cells). Materials and Methods: The growth inhibition rate of Hep-2 cells in vitro was measured by MTT assay, and apoptosis by TUNEL assay and flow cytometry (FCM). The TRAP-ELISA method was used to determine telomerase activity in Hep-2 cells. The mRNA expression of human telomerase RNA component(hTR), human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and human telomerase-associated protein(hTEP1) was determined by RT-PCR assay. Expression of Bax and Bcl-2 proteins was assessed by Western blotting. Results: Celecoxib can inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner, repress telomerase activity, decrease hTERT mRNA and Bcl-2 protein expression and increase Bax protein expression, PGE2 had no effect on telomerase. Conclusions: Celecoxib had the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effect in Hep-2 cells. Apoptosis was accompanied by a decrease in telomerase activity which was directly correlated with hTERT mRNA and up-regulation of Bax/Bcl-2. Bcl-2 may thus play an important role in telomerase activity as well as apoptosis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.96-102
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• 2008

Piceatannol is a polyphenol that is found in abundant quantities in grapes and wine. Although recent experimental data revealed the anti-cancer potency of piceatannol, the molecular mechanisms underlying the antileukemic activity have not yet been studied in detail. In the present study, we investigated further possible mechanisms by which piceatannol exerts its anti-proliferative action in cultured human leukemia U937 cells. Exposure of U937 cells to piceatannol resulted in growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis as measured by MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis, which was associated with S phase arrest of the cell cycle. Piceatannol treatment markedly inhibited the activity of telomerase, and the levels of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and telomerase-associated protein-1 (TEP-1), main determinants of the telomerase enzymatic activity, were progressively down-regulated by piceatannol treatment in a dose-dependent fashion. However, the levels of cyclooxygenases (COXs) expression and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release were not changed in piceatannol-treated U937 cells. Taken together, these findings provide important new insights into the possible molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer activity of piceatannol.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.195-203
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• 1999

Background: Telomerase enzyme activity is not detected in most normal cells, a phonomenon believed to be associated with limitations on cellular proliferation. Since this activity is detected in nearly all human tumor, including lung cancers, it has been suggested that telomerase activation may be coupled to acquisition of malignant phenotype. In this study, we determined whether telomerase activity was associated with tumor pathologic stage. Methods: Primary tumor specimens obtained by bronchoscopic biopsies from 33 patients were analyzed. Telomerase activity was measured by means of a modified Telomeric Repeat Amplication Protocol(TRAP) assay. Results: Telomerase activity was detected in 23 of the 27 non-small-cell lung cancer and 5 of 6 small-cell lung cancer. A few primary tumors did not appear to have detectable telomerase activity. Positive associations were found between the telomerase-positive rate and tumor stage(p<0.05). Conclusion: High telomerase activity is detected frequently in primary lung cancers that exhibit high tumor cell proliferation rates and advanced pathologic stage.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.112-112
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• 2003

Telomere란 진핵세포에 존재하는 DNA-protein 복합체로서 염색체의 말단부에 tandem repeated DNA 서열 (TTAGGG)과 특정 단백질로 구성되어 있으며 세포 분열이 진행함에 따라 이의 길이가 짧아지게 되고 일정 길이 이하가 되면 세포의 사망이 유발된다. 반면 telomerase는 ribonucleoprotein으로서 telomeric DNA의 합성에 관여하는 것으로 염색체의 말단에 telomeric DNA의 소실을 보충하는 역할로 알려져 있다. 최근 암, 노화 등과 관련하여 telomere 및 telomerase의 연구들이 활발히 진행되고 있으며, 다양한 세포들에 있어 이들의 존재와 역할에 대해서도 많은 연구들이 수행되고 있다. 포유동물의 초기 배자에 있어 telomere의 분포 양상과 telomerase의 activity의 분석은 배 발생의 기작과 배자의 세포적 특성을 구명하는데 매우 중요한 과제라 사료된다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 마우스의 초기 배 발생 단계별 수정란의 telomeric DNA의 분포 양상과 각 단계별 배자들의 telomerase activity를 제시하고자 하였다. 시험에 공시된 마우스는 4-6주령된 ICR계통으로 이들을 과배란 처리 후 자연 교배시켜 얻은 2-, 4-, 8-세포기배, 상실배 및 배반포배를 대상으로 하였다. Telomeric DNA의 양적 분석은 각 발생단계별 수정란의 표본을 제작하고 human telomere repeat probe를 이용하여 FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization)를 시행하였으며, 분리된 할구들을 형광현미경으로 관찰 후 상을 포착하고 image analyser program (MataMorph, UIC, USA)을 이용하여 한 개의 세포내 telomere의 상대적 함량을 분석하였다. 발생 단계별 배자의 telomerase activity의 분석은 TRAP (telomeric repeat amplofication protocol) assay로 분석한 바 각 발생 단계별 30개의 수정란으로부터 핵 단백질을 추출하여 telomerase를 신장시키고 PCR을 시행한 후 15% PAGE gel loading하여 이의 activity를 확인하였다. 분석 결과, telomeric DNA의 함유율은 발생단계별 다소의 차이를 나타내었으며 telomerase activity는 모든 발생단계의 수정란에서 확인할 수 있었고, 특히 상실배부터 높게 나타남을 확인하였다.

• BMB Reports
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.59-64
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• 2013

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and telomerase are considered attractive targets for anticancer therapy. The in vitro anticancer activity of the gold(I) compound auranofin was investigated using MDA-MB 231 human breast cancer cells, in which STAT3 is constitutively active. In cell culture, auranofin inhibited growth in a dose-dependent manner, and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS), markedly blocked the effect of auranofin. Incorporation of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine into DNA and anchorage-independent cell growth on soft agar were decreased by auranofin treatment. STAT3 phosphorylation and telomerase activity were also attenuated in cells exposed to auranofin, but NAC pretreatment restored STAT3 phosphorylation and telomerase activity in these cells. These findings indicate that auranofin exerts in vitro antitumor effects in MDA-MB 231 cells and its activity involves inhibition of STAT3 and telomerase. Thus, auranofin shows potential as a novel anticancer drug that targets STAT3 and telomerase.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2007

Cervical cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers developed in women worldwide, and human papillomavirus(HPV) type 16 is the most common agent linked to human cerivical carcinoma. Viral oncogenes E6 and E7 are selectively retained and expressed in carcinoma cells infected with human papillomavirus type 16 and cooperate with each other in the immortalization and transformation of primary keratinocytes. Because the HPV oncogenesis mechanism was not completely solved, more thorough studies are required. ln the present study, we investigated the telomere independent role of telomerase in HPV oncogenesis, we constructed the E6 mutant, E7, E6/E7 and hTERT over-expressed stable cells with a telomerase negative cell line, SW13. Expressions of inserted genes were measured by RT-PCR. E6, E7 and hTERT genes were well expressed in each cell lines when compared with the control groups. By analyzing the cell morphology under the microscope, hTERT clone size was a smaller than the mock control but oncogene expressed clones had a slightly lengthened marginal region. In addition, hTERT cells also has a tendency of brief dividing time compared to the mock control. To determine whether telomerase activity was associated with a HPV oncogenesis by oncoprotein expression, we performed the PCR based TRAP assay and a Northern blot analysis. In TRAP assay data, telomerase activities in hTERT and oncogene clones increased compared to the mock control. In addition, SW13/E6/E7 cells showed an extremely increased activity compared to the other clones. Induced hTERT mRNA by E6/E7 wasn't, however, detected in Northern blotting. In conclusion, these findings suggest that telomerase activity is closely associated with the HPV oncogenesis and E6/E7 co-expression is a most important factor of telomerase activity.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.68-76
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• 2004

Mistletoe lectin has been reported to induce apoptosis in different cancer cell lines in vitro and to show antitumor activity against a variety of tumors in animal models. We previously demonstrated the Korean mistletoe lectin (Viscum album var. coloratum, VCA)-induced apoptosis by down-regulation of Bcl-2 and telomerase activity and by up-regulation of Bax through p53- and p21-independent pathway in hepatoma cells. In the present study, we observed the induction of apoptotic cell death through activation of caspase-3 and the inhibition of telomerase activity through transcriptional down-regulation of hTERT in the VCA-treated A253 cells. We also observed the inhibition of telomerase activity and induction of apoptosis resulted from dephosphorylation of Akt in the survival signaling pathways. In addition, combining VCA with the inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) upstream of Akt, wortmannin and LY294002 showed an additive inhibitory effect of telomerase activity. In contrast, the inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), okadaic acid inhibited VCA-induced dephosphorylation of Akt and inhibition of telomerase activity. Taken together, VCA induces apoptotic cell death through Akt signaling pathway in correlated with the inhibition of telomerase activity and the activation of caspase-3. From these results, together with our previous studies, we suggest that VCA triggers molecular changes that resulting in the inhibition of cell growth and the induction of apoptotic cell death of cancer cells, which suggest that VCA may be useful as chemotherapeutic agent for cancer cells.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.5975-5979
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• 2012

Background: To investigate the influence of telomerase activity, apoptosis, radiosensitivity of cervical cancer after siRNA-mediated knockdown of telomerase RNA and evaluate in vivo growth with gene interference. Methods: We studied siRNA-targeting-telomerase RNA transfection into the Hela cell line. Expression of hTERC mRNA was detected by RT-PCR and telomerase activity was measured by the TRAP assay. Growth inhibition was determined by MTT assay and radiosensitivity of the cervical cancer cells was examined by colony formation assay. In addtion, effects of hTERC inhibition in vivo were studied by injection of siRNA-transfected Hela cells into nude mice. Results: The hTERC siRNA effectively downregulated the expression of hTERC mRNA and also reduced the telomerase activity to 30% of the untreated control vlaue. The viability of hTERC siRNA transfected Hela cells was reduced by 44.7% after transfection. After radiation treatment, the radiosensitivity of Hela cells with hTERC knockdown was increased. In vivo, the tumors developing from the hTERC siRNA-transfected cells were of reduced size, indicating that the hTERT siRNA also depressed the tumorigenic potential of the Hela cells. Conclusions: Our results supported the concept of siRNA-mediated inhibition of telomerase mRNA which could inhibit the expression of hTERC and telomerase activity. Furthermore, radiosensitivity was upregulated after knockdown the hTERC in vivo and in vitro.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2006

Telomerase activation is detected in most cancerous cells; hence, telomerase is a highly selective target for cancer therapy, which plays an important role in the apoptotic process. We have previously reported that the ginseng saponin metabolite, Compound K (20-O-D-glucopyranosyl-20(S)-protopanaxadiol, IH901), inhibits cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the $G_1$ phase. The present study investigated the regulation of telomerase activity in Compound K treated U937 cells. Compound K treatment caused a reduction in telomerase activity and down-regulated the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene, resulting in the decreased expressions of its protein, and of the c-Myc and Spl proteins (transcription factors of hTERT). These results indicate that the anticancer activity of Compound K could be mediated by inhibition of the telomerase activity.