• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.8
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• pp.535-540
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• 2011

Reprogramming errors, which appear frequently in cloned animals, are reflected by aberrant gene expression. We previously reported the aberrant expression of TIMP-2 and PBEF in cloned placenta and differential expression of PBEF genes during pregnancy. To examine the epigenetic modifications that regulate dynamic gene expression in developing placentae, we herein analyzed the mRNA and protein expression levels of PBEF and TIMP-2 in the placentae of normal mice during pregnancy and then examined potential correlations with epigenetic modifications. DNA methylation pattern analysis revealed no difference, but ChIP assays using antibodies against H3-K9/K14 and H4-K5 histone acetylation revealed that the H3-K9/K14 acetylation levels, but not the H4-K5 acetylation levels, of the TIMP-2 and PBEF loci were significantly correlated with their gene expression levels during placentation in normal mice. These results suggest that epigenetic changes may regulate gene expression level in the developing placentae of normal mice and that inappropriate epigenetic reprogramming might be one cause of the abnormal placentae seen in cloned animals.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.12
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• pp.685-690
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• 2015

The eukaryotic genome is packed into chromatin, which is important for the genomic integrity and gene regulation. Chromatin structures are maintained through assembly and disassembly of nucleosomes catalyzed by histone chaperones. Asf1 (anti-silencing function 1) is a highly conserved histone chaperone that mediates histone transfer on/off DNA and promotes histone H3 lysine 56 acetylation at globular core domain of histone H3. To elucidate the role of Asf1 in the modulation of chromatin structure, we screened and identified small molecules that inhibit Asf1 and H3K56 acetylation without affecting other histone modifications. These pyrimidine-2,4,6-trione derivative molecules inhibited the nucleosome assembly mediated by Asf1 in vitro, and reduced the H3K56 acetylation in HeLa cells. Furthermore, production of HSV viral particles was reduced by these compounds. As Asf1 is implicated in genome integrity, cell proliferation, and cancer, current Asf1 inhibitor molecules may offer an opportunity for the therapeutic development for treatment of diseases.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.197-203
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• 1978

In order to investigate mechanisms related to the microbial degradation of 3,4-dichloroaniline, it was incubated with a soil fungus, Chaetomium globosum and the following results were obtained. (1) 3,4-Dichloroacetanilide turned out to be the major metabolite, indicating that acetylation is the major scheme. (2) The presence of trace amounts of 3,4-dichloronitrobenzene, 3,3', 4,4'-tetrachloroazo-benzene, 3,4-dichloroaniline is suggestive of the aromatic amine oxidation as the minor pathway. (3) Other metabolites with m/e 112, 114, and 279 were also isolated, but their identities are under investigation. (4) Dechlorination occurring during incubation indicates the possibility of forming hydroxylated and other metabolites.

• Genes and Genomics
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.1301-1308
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• 2018

Background Adipocyte differentiation is completed by changing gene expression. Chromatin is closely related to gene expression. Therefore, its structure might be changed for adipocyte differentiation. Mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocytes have been used as a cell model to study molecular mechanisms of adipogenesis. Objective To examine changes of chromatin modification and expression of histone modifying enzymes during adipocyte differentiation. Methods Microscopic analysis and Oil Red O staining were performed to determine distinct phenotype of adipocyte differentiation. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis were used to examine expression levels of histone modifying enzymes during adipocyte differentiation. Histone modifications were examined by immunostaining analysis. Results Expression levels of P300 and cbp were increased during adipocyte differentiation. However, acetylation of histones was not quantitatively changed postdifferentiation of 3T3-L1 cells compared to that at pre-differentiation. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses showed that expression levels of hdac2 and hdac3 were increased during adipocyte differentiation, suggesting histone acetylation at chromatin level was homeostatically controlled by increased expression of both HATs and HDACs. Tri-methylation level of H3K9 (H3K9me3), but not that of H3K27me3, was significantly decreased during adipocyte differentiation. Decreased expression of setdb1 was consistent with reduced pattern of H3K9me3. Knock-down of setdb1 induced adipocyte differentiation. This suggests that setdb1 is a key chromatin modifier that modulates repressive chromatin. Conclusion These results suggest that there exist extensive mechanisms of chromatin modifications for homeostatic balance of chromatin acetylation and deconstruction of repressive chromatin during adipocyte differentiation.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.164-173
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Hyperglycemia is a major cause of diabetes and diabetesrelated diseases. Sodium butyrate (NaB) is a short-chain fatty acid derivative that produces dietary fiber by anaerobic bacterial fermentation in the large intestine and occurs in foods, such as Parmesan cheese and butter. Butyrate has been shown to prevent obesity, improve insulin sensitivity, and ameliorate dyslipidemia in diet-induced obese mice. Therefore, this study examined the effects and mechanism of NaB on the secretion of inflammatory cytokines induced by high glucose (HG) in THP-1 cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: THP-1 cells were used as an in vitro model for HG-induced inflammation. The cells were cultured under normal glycemic or hyperglycemic conditions with or without NaB (0-25 μM). Western blotting and quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to evaluate the protein and mRNA levels of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, acetylated p65, acetyl CREB-binding protein/p300 (CBP/p300), and p300 using THP-1 cells. Histone acetyltransferase (HAT), histone deacetylase (HDAC), and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion activity were analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: HG significantly upregulated histone acetylation, acetylation levels of p300, NF-κB activation, and inflammatory cytokine release in THP-1 cells. Conversely, the NaB treatment reduced cytokine release and NF-κB activation in HG-treated cells. It also significantly reduced p65 acetylation, CBP/p300 HAT activity, and CBP/p300 gene expression. In addition, NaB decreased the interaction of p300 in acetylated NF-κB and TNF-α. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that NaB suppresses HG-induced inflammatory cytokine production through HAT/HDAC regulation in monocytes. NaB has the potential for preventing and treating diabetes and its related complications.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 2006

The aim of this study was to develop new protein/peptide depot system instead of poly(DL-lactic acid-coglycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres. Pullulan was chemically modified by the addition of acetic anhydride (pullulan acetate; PA) and then investigated as new depot system for protein/peptide delivery. PA microspheres (PAM) with lysozyme as a model protein were prepared by w/o/w double emulsion method. The microspheres had a mean size of 10-50 mm with a spherical shape. The size distributions reduced with increasing the degree of acetylation. The loading efficiency of lysozyme was also increased. Lysozyme aggregation behavior in the microsphere was monitored to estimate the change of protein stability during preparation step. The ratios of protein aggregation in PAMs are lower than that of PLGA microsphere, in particular, PA 5 showed lowest as about 16%. The result indicated that the increase of acetylation suppressed the aggregation of protein. The release profiles of lysozyme from PAMs were significantly different. High acetylation effectively improved lysozyme release kinetics by reducing initial burst release and extending continuous release over a period of time. To check the effect of preservation for structural stability of lysozyme, the activity of lysozyme released from PA 5 was also observed. The activity of lysozyme was maintained almost 100% for 25 day. Therefore, PAM may become to a useful carrier for delivery of protein/peptide drugs, if it will be supported by biocompatibility and biodegradability results.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.241-252
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• 2016

Cellulose acetate is one of well-known industrial materials which have various commercial uses. We treated the lignocellulosic biomass using two-step (steam explosion-chemical) reaction followed by acetylation to get the cellulose acetate in this study. The two-step treatment was done to improve the yields of acetylation of the substrates. The yields of the cellulose acetate were about 88.4, 88.1, and 151.7% in barley straw, rice straw, and oak tree, respectively. Also the degree of substitution (DS) of the acetates was 2.1 to 2.5 in the biomass. We found that the biomass were valuable cellulosic sources, including their derivatives, in this study. This means that the biomass can be converted into the high-valued cellulosic stuff.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.44-50
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• 1957

Fibrous cellulose triacetate prepared from purified cotton under various temperatures was dissolved in the solution of 70%, monochloroacetic acid and it was fractionated using water as a precipitant. Eight fractions were obtained through the stepwise precipitation. Degree of polymerization and molecular weight of each fraction were measured viscometrically. Integral and differential molecular weight distribution curve were drawn for each sample prepared under various temperatures and were carefully observed. On this experimental study, following conclusions were obtained: Fractional precipitation can be carried out for fibrous cellulose triacetate in the solution of 70% monochloroacetic acid using water as a precipitant. The differences on the shapes of molecular weight distribution curve were occured on account of the various acetylation temperatures. At the relatively higher acetylation temperatures, the cellulose was randomly degraded and the portion of low degree of polymerization was increased. Commercial acetate, therefore, may not be prepared at above 40$^{\circ}C$ according to the molecular weight distribution curve regardless of higher viscosity and average degree of polymerization. It was concluded that the optimum acetylation temperature for commercial acetate was approximately 30$^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.183-192
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• 2014

For the structure determination of D-(+)-sucrose, which consists of ${\alpha}$-D-(+)-glucose and ${\beta}$-D-(+)-fructose, it was acetylated with acetic anhydride and triethyl amine, pyridine, zinc chloride, and sodium acetate as catalysts. The acetylated D-(+)-sucrose was acid-hydrolyzed using sulfuric acid and sodium chloride in methanolic solution. The structures of the reaction products were determined by $^1H$-NMR and $^{13}C$-NMR spectra. The yield of the acetylation indicated the high value in zinc chloride as 70% in zinc chloride catalyst. The acid-hydrolyzed product of the acetylated D-(+)-sucrose, 2,3,4,6,1',3',4',6'-octa-O-acetyl-D-(+)-sucrose, gave 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-${\beta}$-D-(+)-glucose and it suggests that the acetylated D-(+)-sucrose was rearranged through the formation of oxonium ion by mutarotation in the 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-${\alpha}$-D-(+)-glucose moiety and through the ring opening in the 1',3',4',6'-tetra-O-acetyl-${\beta}$-D-(+)-fructose moiety.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.595-598
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• 1998

The rate of the GSH conjugate formation, the inhibition of DNA topoisomerase-I and the cytotoxic activity against L1210 cells of the naphthoquinones showed the same order; 5,8-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (DMNQ)>6-(1-hydroxyethyl)-DMNQ>2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-DMNQ; the steric hindrance of the substituents, particularly 2-substutuent, in reacting with cellular nucleophiles must be the main cause for lowering the bioactivities. Acetylation of 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-DMNQ producing 2-(acetyloxyethyl)-DMNQ potentiated the bioactivities; 2-(-hydroxyethyl)-DMNQ did not react with GSH and the enzyme, and showed $ED_{50}$ of 0.146 mg/ml for the cytotoxcity. Furthermore, the acetylation 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-DMNQ(T/C, 119%) enhanced the T/C values for the mice bearing S-180 tumor {T/C of 2-(1-acetyloxyethyl)-DMNQ, 276%]. It was assumed that the difference in bioactivities ensued by acetylation was based on the mechanism of the so-called bioreductive alkylation.