• Molecules and Cells
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.50-54
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• 2018

Atg5 and Atg7 have long been considered as essential molecules for autophagy. However, we found that cells lacking these molecules still form autophagic vacuoles and perform autophagic protein degradation when subjected to certain stressors. During this unconventional autophagy pathway, autophagosomes appeared to be generated in a Rab9-dependent manner by the fusion of vesicles derived from the trans-Golgi and late endosomes. Therefore, mammalian autophagy can occur via at least two different pathways; the Atg5/Atg7-dependent conventional pathway and an Atg5/Atg7-independent alternative pathway.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권5호
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• pp.2153-2158
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• 2014

Beclin 1 is a key factor for initiation and regulation of autophagy, which is a cellular catabolic process involved in tumorigenesis. To investigate the role of alternative splicing of Beclin1 in the regulation of autophagy in leukemia cells, Beclin1 mRNA from 6 different types of cell lines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 2 healthy volunteers was reversely transcribed, subcloned, and screened for alternative splicing. New transcript variants were analyzed by DNA sequencing. A transcript variant of Beclin 1 gene carrying a deletion of exon 11, which encoded a C-terminal truncation of Beclin 1 isoform, was found. The alternative isoform was assessed by bioinformatics, immunoblotting and subcellular localization. The results showed that this variable transcript is generated by alternative 3' splicing, and its translational product displayed a reduced activity in induction of autophagy by starvation, indicating that the spliced isoform might function as a dominant negative modulator of autophagy. Our findings suggest that the alternative splicing of Beclin 1 might play important roles in leukemogenesis regulated by autophagy.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
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• 제51권2호
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• pp.221-234
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• 2019

암은 유전적, 대사질환적 그리고 감염성 질환 등에 의해 유발되는 생명을 위협하는 심각한 질환으로서, 세포의 성장이 정상적으로 통제되지 않으며, 공격적인 형태로 주변의 조직이나 장기로 침범하는 경향을 보이는 생명을 심각하게 위협하는 질병이다. 지난 수십 년 간, 인류의 건강을 위협하는 암을 정복하기 위한 지속적인 노력이 있었고, 암 신생 기전 및 항암제 연구가 항암제 내성에 대한 연구와 함께 다양한 연구주제로 다루어져 왔다. Hinokitiol (${\beta}$-thujaplicin)은 측백나무과 편백속에 속하는 나무에서 분비되는 terpenoid 물질로서, 항염증작용, 항균작용 및 몇몇 암세포 주에서 autophagy를 통한 항암효과가 있는 것으로 잘 알려져 있다. 본 연구에서는, hinokitiol이 세포 영양상태의 변화유무에 관계없이, transcription factor EB (TFEB)의 핵으로의 이동을 촉진한다는 것을 확인하였다. TFEB의 핵으로의 이동은 autophagy 및 lysosome관련 유전자의 발현을 촉진시키고, 세포질 내에 증가된 autosome과 lysosomal puncta의 관찰을 가능하게 하였다. Hinokitiol를 HCC827세포에 처리한 경우에서, 세포 내 autophagy의 증가와 더불어, mitochondria의 hyper-fragmentation과 mitochondria의 authophagic degradation (mitophagy)가 함께 증가되는 것이 관찰되었다. Hinokitiol은 자궁경부암 세포주인 HeLa세포와 비소세포 폐암 세포주인 HCC827에서 암세포 특이 독성을 나타내었다. 더욱이, TFEB 과발현을 통해 autophagy를 인위적으로 증가시킨 HeLa 세포에서 hinokitiol에 대한 세포독성은 더욱 강화된 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 결과들을 통해, hinokitiol은 TFEB의 핵으로의 이동을 촉발시키는 강력한 autophagy inducer임을 확인할 수 있었다. 본 연구에서 처음으로 확인된 hinokitiol에 의한 TFEB의 활성화 및 비소세포성 암세포에서 항암효과의 상승작용은 다양한 항암제 저항성 세포들에 대한 새로운 치료법 및 대체요법 개발과 관련된 의미 있는 결과로 향후, 분자수준의 작용기작에 대한 추가적인 연구가 수행되어야 할 것으로 사료된다.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.353-364
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• 2021

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a series of hollow organs that is responsible for the digestion and absorption of ingested foods and the excretion of waste. Any changes in the GI tract can lead to GI disorders. GI disorders are highly prevalent in the population and account for substantial morbidity, mortality, and healthcare utilization. GI disorders can be functional, or organic with structural changes. Functional GI disorders include functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome. Organic GI disorders include inflammation of the GI tract due to chronic infection, drugs, trauma, and other causes. Recent studies have highlighted a new explanatory mechanism for GI disorders. It has been suggested that autophagy, an intracellular homeostatic mechanism, also plays an important role in the pathogenesis of GI disorders. Autophagy has three primary forms: macroautophagy, microautophagy, and chaperone-mediated autophagy. It may affect intestinal homeostasis, host defense against intestinal pathogens, regulation of the gut microbiota, and innate and adaptive immunity. Drugs targeting autophagy could, therefore, have therapeutic potential for treating GI disorders. In this review, we provide an overview of current understanding regarding the evidence for autophagy in GI diseases and updates on potential treatments, including drugs and complementary and alternative medicines.

• BMB Reports
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• 제45권3호
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• pp.194-199
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• 2012

Autophagy has been suggested as a possible mechanism for non-apoptotic death despite evidence from many species that autophagy represents a survival strategy of cells under stress. From our previous findings that supranutritional doses of sodium selenite induced apoptosis in human leukemia cells, now we show autophagic cell death occurred after selenite exposure in HL60, suggested an alternative mechanism for the potential therapeutic properties of selenite. Additionally, Death-associated Protein Kinase (DAPK) performed a significantly increased expression during this process, concomitantly with gradually decreased phosphorylation at $Ser^{308}$. We further reveal that the up-regulation of DAPK which depends on selenite-activated ERK had no effect on autophagy. However, activation of DAPK via PP2A-mediated dephosphorylation at $Ser^{308}$ serves as a new strategy for autophagy induction. In conclusion, these results indicate that PP2A-mediated activated DAPK sensitizes HL60 cells to selenite, ultimately triggers autophagic cell death pathway to commit cell demise.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제58권1호
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• pp.7-14
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• 2020

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite that infects approximately one third of the human population worldwide. Considering the toxicity and side effects of anti-toxoplasma medications, it is important to develop effective drug alternatives with fewer and less severe off-target effects. In this study, we found that 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (4-HBA) induced autophagy and the expression of NAD-dependent protein deacetylase sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) in primary murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). Interestingly, treatment of BMDMs with 4-HBA significantly reduced the number of macrophages infected with T. gondii and the proliferation of T. gondii in infected cells. This effect was impaired by pretreating the macrophages with 3-methyladenine or wortmannin (selective autophagy inhibitors) or with sirtinol or EX527 (SIRT1 inhibitors). Moreover, we found that pharmacological inhibition of SIRT1 prevented 4-HBA-mediated expression of LC3-phosphatidylethanolamine conjugate (LC3-II) and the colocalization of T. gondii parasitophorous vacuoles with autophagosomes in BMDMs. These data suggest that 4-HBA promotes antiparasitic host responses by activating SIRT1-mediated autophagy, and 4-HBA might be a promising therapeutic alternative for the treatment of toxoplasmosis.

• 한국자원식물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국자원식물학회 2022년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.106-106
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• 2022

The cone of Red Pine (Pinus densiflora), which has been used as a drug in traditional medicine. Its ethyl acetate fraction was reported to exert antioxidant, anti-melanogenesis, and anti-inflammation activites. Apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells (LX-2) is regarding as a potential strategy for alleviation of hepatic fibrosis. We conducted to investigated whether the treatment of cone has a potential to control of some factors related in apoptosis and autophagy in cell signaling pathways. We suggest that the cone induced apoptosis through confirming the expression levels of genes (cPARP, Bcl-XL, Bax, p53, and caspase-3) in LX-2 cells. Also, the cone may regulate autophagy (LC3, p62, Beclin-1, and ATG12). Remarkably, the treatment of cone may affect to formation of autophagosomes in the immunofluorescence image in live cells. These findings suggest that the ethyl acetate fraction from the cone of Red Pine (P. densiflora) may have potential as an alternative therapeutic agent for the alleviation and prevention of liver fibrosis.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.167-175
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• 2014

Chemotherapy has long been considered as one of useful strategies for cancer treatment. It is primarily based on the apoptosis that can selectively kill cancer cells. However, cancer cells can progressively develop an acquired resistance to apoptotic cell death, rendering refractory to chemo- and radiotherapies. Although the mechanism by which cells attained resistance to drug remains to be clarified, it might be caused by either pumping out of them or interfering with apoptotic signal cascades in response to cancer drugs. In case that cancer cells are defective in some part of apoptotic machinery by repeated exposure to anticancer drugs, alternative cell death mechanistically distinct from apoptosis could be adopted to remove cancer cells refractory to apoptosis-inducing agents. This review will mainly deal with harnessing of necrotic cell death, specifically, programmed necrosis and practical uses. Here, we begin with various defects of apoptotic death machinery in cancer cells, and then provide new perspective on programmed necrosis as an alternative anticancer approach.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제26권5호
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• pp.377-387
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• 2022

Benzimidazole anthelmintic agents have been recently repurposed to overcome cancers resistant to conventional therapies. To evaluate the anti-cancer effects of benzimidazole on resistant cells, various cell death pathways were investigated in 5-fluorouracil-resistant colorectal cancer cells. The viability of wild-type and 5-fluorouracil-resistant SNU-C5 colorectal cancer cells was assayed, followed by Western blotting. Flow cytometry assays for cell death and cell cycle was also performed to analyze the anti-cancer effects of benzimidazole. When compared with albendazole, fenbendazole showed higher susceptibility to 5-fluorouracil-resistant SNU-C5 cells and was used in subsequent experiments. Flow cytometry revealed that fenbendazole significantly induces apoptosis as well as cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase on both cells. When compared with wild-type SNU-C5 cells, 5-fluorouracil-resistant SNU-C5 cells showed reduced autophagy, increased ferroptosis and ferroptosis-augmented apoptosis, and less activation of caspase-8 and p53. These results suggest that fenbendazole may be a potential alternative treatment in 5-fluorouracil-resistant cancer cells, and the anticancer activity of fenbendazole does not require p53 in 5-fluorouracil-resistant SNU-C5 cells.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• 제58권3호
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• pp.219-226
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• 2015

본 연구에서는 레몬 잎 메탄올 추출물(MLL)의 인간 유방암 줄기 세포인 MCF-7-SC에 대한 항암 활성을 조사하였다. MLL이 MCF-7-SC에서 apoptosis를 유도하였으며, 이를 apoptotic body의 형성, sub-G1 phase 및 annexin V-positive 세포와 Bax/Bcl-2 ratio의 증가, caspase-9과 caspase-3의 활성화 및 PARP의 절 단을 통하여 확인하였다. 동시에 MCF-7-SC에서 MLL은 acidic vesicular organelles의 형성, LC3-II의 축적 증가, Akt/mTOR/p70S6K의 활성 억제 등을 통하여 autophagy를 유도하였다. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)는 세포가 전이 상태를 획득하기 위한 중요한 과정이며, 이 기작은 암세포가 전이되는 것을 억제함에 있어서 중요한 표적이 된다. 낮은 농도에서의 MLL은 epithelial 마커 단백질인 E-cadherin이 증가와 mesenchymal 마커 단백질인 Snail과 Slug의 발현 감소를 통해 EMT 과정을 저해함으로써 MCF-7-SC에서 항전이 활성을 나타내었다. 본 연구에서는 레몬 잎 메탄올 추출물이 농도 의존적으로 유방암 줄기세포에 대해 세포 독성과 항전이 활성을 나타내고 있으며, 따라서 레몬잎은 항암 소재로서의 개발 가능성이 높은 식물이라고 사료된다.