• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.71-77
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• 1994

In the animal model of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) induced by N-nitroso-N-methylurethane (NNNMU) the secretory activity of alveolar type H cells during acute alveolar injury was investigated by determining phospholipid and pulmonary surfactant associated proteins in crude surfactant. The mechanism of the secretory change was studied by determination of DNA and RNA levels in the lung tissue. After induction of acute alveolar injury with NNNMU, pulmonary hemorrhage, atelectasis and gross hypertrophy were observed. Seven days after NNNMU treatment the level of total DNA in lung homogenate was increased markedly indicating that a hypertrophy was induced by cellular proliferation. Although the total DNA level increased, the RNA/DNA ratio was gradually decreased after NNNMU treatment. Seven days after NNNMU treatment the RNA/DNA ratio returned to the normal control level. During the acute alveolar injury, phospholipid and surfactant associated proteins were reduced significantly as compared with the control, implying that the secretory activity of alveolar type II cells was altered during acute alveolar injury induced by NNNMU. The protein content in crude surfactant during peak injury(7 days after NNNMU) was decreased significantly but phospholipid/protein ratios were identical in both control and NNNMU treatment groups. SDS-PAGE of proteins in crude pulmonary surfactant showed a decrease in major surfactant associated protein(M.W. 38,000) during acute alveolar injury. The present study may suggest that while alveolar type H cells proliferate markedly, transcription of alveolar type ll cell gene was inhibited by an unknown mechanism such as DNA methylation induced by NNNMU. Such an inhibition of transcriptional activity is thought to be associated with the decreased secretory activity of alveolar type ll cells, which may lead to pulmonary atelectasis and edema during the acute alveolar injury.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.178-183
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• 2008

To investigate the effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) treatment on regions remote from the application, we measured cellular, enzymatic, and transcriptional activities in various internal tissues of healthy rats. The EA was applied to the well-identified acupoint ST36 of the leg. After application, we measured the activity of natural killer cells in the spleen, gene expression in the hypothalamus, and the activities of antioxidative enzymes in the hypothalamus, liver and red blood cells. The EA treatment increased natural killer cell activity in the spleen by approximately 44%. It also induced genes related to pain, including 5-Hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) receptor 3a (Htr3a) and Endothelin receptor type B (Ednrb) in the hypothalamus, and increased the activity of superoxide dismutase in the hypothalamus, liver, and red blood cells. These findings indicate that EA mediates its effects through changes in cellular activity, gene expression, and enzymatic activity in multiple remote tissues. The sum of these alterations may explain the beneficial effects of EA.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.192-196
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• 2005

본 연구는 분열형 효모 Schizosaccharomyces pombe에서 여러 가지 DNA 절제회복 및 유전자 발현에 관여하는 SNF2/SW12유전자의 기능을 연구하기 위하여 이에 관련되는 유전자를 분리하고 그 특성을 연구하였다. SNF2 motif의 conserved sequence를 primer로 하여 중합효소 연쇄반응 (PCR) 방법으로 480 bp 크기의 DNA fragment를 분리하여, 이를 probe로 하여 효모에서 hrp2+ 유전자를 분리하였다. 분리한 hrp+ 유전자의 sequence homology를 비교한 결과 3개의 SNF2 motif를 포함하고 있었다. hrp2+ 유전자의 전사체 크기는 4.7kb임을 Northern hybridization으로 확인하였다. 분리한 유전자의 특성 연구를 위하여 Northern hybridization 으로 hrp2+ 유전자의 UV와 MMS에 대한 유도성을 조사한 결과 자외선에 대해서만 유전자의 발현이 유도되었다. 이 결과 분리한 hrp2+는 UV-inducible 유전자임을 확인하였다. 또한 분리한 유전자의 특성연구 중 하나로 hrp2+ 단백질을 분리하여 helicase activity를 측정하였다. 이 결과 분리한 hrp2+ 유전자는 전혀 helicase activity를 나타내지 않았다.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.87-94
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• 2012

Nur77 is a member of the nuclear receptor 4A (NR4A) subgroup, which has been implicated in energy metabolism. Although Nur77 is found in adipose tissue, where TR4 plays a key role in lipid homeostasis, the role of Nur77 in adipogenesis is still controversial. Although the Nur77 responsive element (AAAGGTCA) is partially overlapped with TR4-binding sites (AGGTCA $n$ AGGTCA: $n$=0-6), the regulatory role of Nur77 in TR4 function associated with adipocyte biology remains unclear. Here, we found that Nur77 inhibits adipogenesis and TR4 transcriptional activity. Treatment with a Nur77 agonist, 1,1-bis(3'-indolyl)-1-($p$-anisyl)-methane, during 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation reduced adipogenesis. In reporter gene analysis, Nur77 specifically suppressed TR4 transcription activity but had little effect on $PPAR{\gamma}$ transcription activity. Consistently, Nur77 also suppressed TR4-induced promoter activity of the TR4 target gene PEPCK, which is known to be important for glyceroneogenesis in adipose tissue. Furthermore, Nur77 suppressed TR4 binding to TR4 response elements without direct interaction with TR4, suggesting that Nur77 may inhibit TR4 transcription activity via binding competition for TR4-binding sites. Furthermore, DIM-C-$pPhOCH_3$ substantially suppressed TR4-induced PEPCK expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Together, our data demonstrate that Nur77 plays an inhibitory role in TR4-induced PEPCK expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.47-59
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• 2006

We previously found that cobrotoxin inhibited $NF-{\kappa}B$ activity by reacting with signal molecules of $NF-{\kappa}B$ which is critical contributor in cancer cell growth by induction of apoptotic cell death. We here investigated whether cobrotoxin inhibits cell growth of human prostate cancer cells through induction of apoptotic cell death, which is related with the suppression of the $NF-{\kappa}B$ activity. Cobrotoxin $(0{\sim}8\;nM)$ inhibited prostate cancer cell growth through increased apoptosis in a dose dependent manner. Cobrotoxin inhibited DNA binding activity of $NF-{\kappa}B$, an anti-apoptotic transcriptional factor. Consistent with the induction of apoptosis and inhibition of $NF-{\kappa}B$, cobrotoxin increased the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins caspase 3. Cobrotoxin, a venom of Vipera lebetina turanica, is a group of basicpeptides composed of 233 amino acids with six disulfide bonds formed by twelve cysteins. NF-kB is activated by subsequent release of inhibitory IkB and translocation of p50. Since sulfhydryl group is present in kinase domain of p50 subunit of NF-kB, cobrotoxin could modify NF-kB activity by protein-protein interaction. And Cobrotoxin down regulated Akt signals. Salicylic acid as a reducing agent of Sulf-hydryl group and LY294002 as a Akt inhibitor abrogated cobrotoxin-induced cell growth and DNA binding activity of $NF-{\kappa}B$. These findings suggest that nano to pico molar range of cobrotoxin could inhibit prostate cancer cell growth, and the effect may be related with the induction of apoptotic cell death through Akt dependent inhibition of $NF-{\kappa}B$ signal.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.55-60
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• 2002

골격근 세포의 분화는 근육특이 유전자들의 전사적 활성과 근육아세포에서 근육소관으로의 형태적 분화로 특징지어진다. 본 연구에서는 TSA가 근육형성의 일련의 과정에서 NF-kB DNA 결합 활성과 융합에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. 대조군과 비교해서 TSA가 처리된 C2C12 myoblast는 융합하여 근육소관을 형성할 수 없었으며 NF-kB DNA 결합 활성은 억제되었다. 이런 현상들이 TSA에 의한 직접적인 것인지 알아보기 위해서 TSA가 처리되지 않고 분화를 유도하기 위해서 사용된 배지를 농축하여 C2C12 myoblast에 TSA와 함께 동시에 처리하였다. 그 결과 세포는 융합하여 근육소관을 형성하였으며 NF-kB DNA 결합 활성이 회복되었다. 이러한 결과는 TSA가 아마도 여러 관련 인자들을 통해 myoblast의 융합과 NF-kB DNA 결합 활성을 억제함으로 근육형성과정에 영향을 미침을 시사한다.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.113-120
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• 2024

Solute carrier 40A1 (SLC40A1) encodes ferroportin, which is the only known transmembrane protein that exports elemental iron from mammalian cells and is essential for iron homeostasis. Mutations in SLC40A1 are associated with iron-overload disorders. In addition to ferroportin diseases, SLC40A1 expression is downregulated in various cancer types. Despite the clinical significance of the SLC40A1 transporter, only a few studies have investigated genetic variants in SLC40A1. The present study was performed to identify genetic variations in the SLC40A1 promoter and functionally characterize each variant using in vitro assays. We investigated four haplotypes and five variants in the SLC40A1 promoter. We observed that haplotype 3 (H3) had significantly lower promoter activity than H1, whereas the activity of H4 was significantly higher than that of H1. Luciferase activity of H2 was comparable to that of H1. In addition, four variants of SLC40A1, c.-1355G>C, c.-662C>T, c.-98G>C, and c.-8C>G, showed significantly increased luciferase activity compared to the wild type (WT), whereas c.-750G>A showed significantly decreased luciferase activity compared to the WT. Three transcription factors, cAMP response element-binding protein-1 (CREB-1), chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor 1, and hepatic leukemia factor (HLF), were predicted to bind to the promoter regions of SLC40A1 near c.-662C>T, c.-98G>C, and c.-8C>G, respectively. Among these, CREB1 and HLF bound more strongly to the variant sequences than to the WT and functioned as activators of SLC40A1 transcription. Collectively, our findings indicate that the two SLC40A1 promoter haplotypes affect SLC40A1 transcription, which is regulated by CREB-1 and HLF.

• 대한한방종양학회지
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.81-97
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• 2000

Objectives: This experimental study was carried out to evaluate the effects of aqueous and methanol extracts of Hedyotis diffusa which has long been used for cancer treatment in oriental medicines on the induction of apoptotic cell death in human lymphoid leukemia cell line, HL-60. Methods: Cells were treated with various concentrations (200 to $0.4{\mu}g$) and periods (6 to 30 hr) of $H_2O$ and methanol extracts of Hedyotis diffusa. Then, cells were tested for viability by MTT assay. Cells wrere treated with $200{\mu}g/ml$ of methanol extract fork various periods. Genomic DNA was isolated, separated, on 1.5% agarose gels, stained with ethidium bromide and visualized under UV light. Cells were treated with $200{\mu}g/ml$ of each extract for 16 hr. Then, cells were treated with Hoechst dye 33342 and observed by fluorescence microscopy. Cells were treated with various doses of each for 12 hr and $100{\mu}g/ml$ of methanol extract for various periods. Lysate from the cells used to measure the activity of Caspase-1 and-3 proteases by using fluorogenic peptide substrates including acetyl-YVAD-AMC and acetyl-DEVD-AMC, respectively. Cells were treated with $200{\mu}g/ml$ of each extract for various periods. Cell lysates were immunoprecipated with anti-JNKl antibodies. The immune complex was reacted with $32^p-ATP$ and c-Jun as a substrate. The phosphotransferase activity of JNKI was measured by using PhosphoImage analyzer (Fuji Co., Japan). Nuclear extracts were isolated and incubated with oligonucleotide probe of $NF-{\kappa}B$. Transcriptional activation of ${\kappa}B$ was measured by using EMSA and visualized by PhosphoImage analyzer (Fuji Co, Japan). Cell lysates were prepared and analyzed by Western blotting with anti-Bc12 antibodies and anti-Bax antibodies. Cells were pretreated with various doses of methanol extract for 2 hr. Then, the extract was removed by centrifugation. Cells were resuspended with RPMI-1640 media containing 0.3% agarose, 10% FBS, overlayred onto bottom layer agarose and incubated at $CO_2$ incubator for 6 days. The number of colony was counted under light microscopy ($\time100$). Results: The death of HL-60 cells was markedly induced by the addition of methanol extract of Hedyotis diffusa in a dose and time-dependent manners. The apoptotic characteristic ladder pattern of DNA strand break was observed in death of HL-60 cells. In addition, it was shown nucleus chromatin condensation and fragmentation under Hoechst staining. Therefore, Hedyotis diffusa extract-induced death of HL-60 cells is mediated by apoptotic signaling processes. The activity of Caspase 3-like proteases remained in a basal level in HL-60 cells treated with aqueous extract of Hedyotis diffusa. However, it was markedly increased in HL-60 cells treated with methanol extract of Hedyotis diffusa. In addition, the phosphotransferase activity of JNKl was increased in HL-60 cells treated with methanol extract of Hedyotis diffusa. Furthermore, the activation of transcriptional activator, $NF-{\kappa}B$ was markedly induced by methanol extract of Hedyotis diffusa. Anti-apoptotic Bc12 was cleaved into 23Kda fragment by treatment of methanol extract of Hedyotis diffusa. However, expression of proapoptotic Bax protein was increased by treatment of methanol extract of Hedyotis diffusa in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, methanol extract markedly inhibited the colony forming efficiency of HL-60 cells in semisolid agar culture. Conclusions: Above results suggest that methanol extract of Hedyotis diffusa induces the apoptotic death of human leukemic HL-60 cells via activations of Caspase-3 proteases, JNKI, transcriptional activator $NF-{\kappa}B$, In addition, our results also suggest that methanol extract of Hedyotis diffusa reduces the malignant potential of HL-60 cells via down regulation of colony forming effciency through cleavage of Bc12 as well as induction of Bax.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제15권6호
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• pp.994-1004
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• 2005

Dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) promoter에는 전사 인자 Spl과 E2F가 결합하는 cis-acting 배열을 가지고 있다. dhfr 유전자의 전사는 세포 주기 Gl/S기 동안 최대의 발현을 나타낸다. 또한 Spl 전사 인자는 dhfr 유전자 발현의 활성화 및 불활성화를 조절하는 다양한 역할에 대한 연구가보고 되고 있으며, 최근 Spl-Rb과 E2F4-pl30 복합체가 CHOC400 세포에서 dhfr 유전자 발현에 안정한 형태를 형성하여 dhfr 발현을 억제한다는 연구 결과가 보고되었다. 본 연구에서는 Rb-양성 골육종 세포인 U2OS 및 Rb음성인 자궁경부암 C33A 세포에서 histon deacetylase (HDAC)에 대한 특이적인 저해제인 trichostatn A (TSA)를 처리한 후 세포주기 조절에 중심적 인자들인 dhfr cyclin E 및 cyclin A의 전사활성에 대한 HDACl의 기능을 조사하였다. U2OS 및 C33A 세포에서 TSA를 처리한 후, dhfr, cyclin E, cyclin A에 대한 mRNA 및 단백질 발현을 조사한 결과 U2OS 세포 특이적으로 dhfr cyclin E의 mRNA 발현과 단백질 발현이 크게 증가하였지만, cyclin A의 발현은 감소하였다. U2OS 세포에서 dhfr promoter construct에 대한 전사활성을 검사한 결과, TSA 처리는 dhfr promoter 영역으로부터 E2F 결합부위를 제거시킨 DHFR-Spl-luc를 통하여 dhfr promoter활성이 약 14배 증가되었다, 그러나 dhfr promoter 영역으로부터 Spl 결합부위를 제거시킨 DHFR-E2F-luc 영역을 포함하고 있는 promoter 활성은 TSA 처리에 의해 크게 증가되지 않았다. 본 연구에서 이러한 결과는 HDACI이 Spl을 통하여 dhfr promoter활성을 제어한다는 사실을 입증하였다. 한편 TSA는 U2OS 세포에서 HDAC의 활성을 통해서 세포주기 관련 인자들 가운데서 Gl 후기부터 활성화되는 대표적인 인자들인 dhfr과 cyclin E의 발현을 증가시키지만 G2 기에서 활성화되는 대표적인 인자인 cyclin A의 발현을 억제하는 상반된 기능을 가지고 있다는 사실을 확인하였다.

• BMB Reports
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• 제53권5호
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• pp.248-253
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• 2020

Gene expression in HIV-1 is regulated by the promoters in 5' long-terminal repeat (LTR) element, which contain multiple DNA regulatory elements that serve as binding sites for cellular transcription factors. YY1 could repress HIV-1 gene expression and latent infection. Here, however, we observed that virus production can be increased by YY1 over-expression and decreased under YY1 depleted condition by siRNA treatment. To identify functional domain(s) of YY1 activation, we constructed a number of YY1 truncated mutants. Our data show that full-length YY1 enhances the viral transcription both through U3 and U3RU5 promoters. Moreover, the C-terminal region (296-414 residues) of YY1 is responsible for the transcriptional upregulation, which could be enhanced further in the presence of the viral Tat protein. The central domain of YY1 (155-295 residues) does not affect LTR activity but has a negative effect on HIV-1 gene expression. Taken together, our study shows that YY1 could act as a transcriptional activator in HIV-1 replication, at least in the early stages of infection.