• Molecules and Cells
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• 제42권5호
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• pp.379-385
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• 2019

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) comprise various RNA species, including small ncRNAs and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs). ncRNAs regulate various cellular processes, including transcription and translation of target messenger RNAs. Recent studies also indicate that ncRNAs affect organismal aging and conversely aging influences ncRNA levels. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of the roles of ncRNAs in aging and longevity, focusing on recent advances using the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. Expression of various ncRNAs, including microRNA (miRNA), tRNA-derived small RNA (tsRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA), circular RNA (circRNA), and lncRNA, is altered during aging in C. elegans. Genetic modulation of specific ncRNAs affects longevity and aging rates by modulating established aging-regulating protein factors. Because many aging-regulating mechanisms in C. elegans are evolutionarily conserved, these studies will provide key information regarding how ncRNAs modulate aging and lifespan in complex organisms, including mammals.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제46권11호
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• pp.664-671
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• 2023

The proper maintenance of mRNA quality that is regulated by diverse surveillance pathways is essential for cellular homeostasis and is highly conserved among eukaryotes. Here, we review findings regarding the role of mRNA quality control in the aging and longevity of Caenorhabditis elegans, an outstanding model for aging research. We discuss the recently discovered functions of the proper regulation of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, ribosome-associated quality control, and mRNA splicing in the aging of C. elegans. We describe how mRNA quality control contributes to longevity conferred by various regimens, including inhibition of insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling, dietary restriction, and reduced mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling. This review provides valuable information regarding the relationship between the mRNA quality control and aging in C. elegans, which may lead to insights into healthy longevity in complex organisms, including humans.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.149-154
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• 1988

Japanese Encephalitis Virus(JEV) can be detected conveniently by the use of biotinylated cDNA probe. To prepare biotinylated probe aminoallyl dUTP was first synthesized chemically to reverse transcribe the virial RNA. The allylamine-labeled cDNA was then converted to the biotin-cDNA by the reaction with an activated biotin ester, NHS-ACA-biotin. The JEV genomic RNA was hybridized to the biotinylated cDNA probe on nitrocellulose filter and visualized colorimetrically by streptavidin complexes with alkaline phosphatase polymer. Sensitivity of the detection system was determined by estimating the amount of the JEV genomic RNA through comparison with signals generated from the biotinylated and $^{32/P}$ -labeled probes. It was found that the biotin probe was as sensitive as $^{32/P}$ -cDNA probe which can detect 50pgs of the target RNA.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제8권3호
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• pp.213-220
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• 2004

MicroRNA and siRNA (small interfering RNA), representative members of small RNA, exert their effects on target gene expression through association with protein complexes called miRNP (microRNA associated ribonucleoproteins) and RISC (RNA induced silencing complex), respectively. Although the protein complexes are yet to be fully characterized, human EIF2C2 protein has been identified as a component of both miRNP and RISC. In this report, we raised antiserum against EIF2C2 in order to begin understanding the protein complexes. An immunoblot result indicates that EIF2C2 protein is ubiquitously expressed in a variety of cell lines from human and mouse. EIF2C2 protein exists in both cellular compartments, as indicated by an immunoblot assay with a nuclear extract and a cytosolic fraction (S100 fraction) from HeLa S3 lysate. Depletion of EIF2C1 or EIF2C2 protein resulted in a decrease of microRNA, suggesting a possible role of these proteins in microRNA stability or biogenesis. We also prepared antiserum against dsRNA binding protein PACT, whose homologs in C. elegans and Drosophila are known to have a role in the RNAi (RNA interference) pathway. The expression of PACT protein was also observed in a wide range of cell lines.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.103-109
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• 1999

Objective: Heat shock protein 70-2 (Hsp70-2) gene knockout mice are found to have premeiotic arrest at the primary spermatocyte stage with a complete absence of spermatids and spermatozoa. This observation led to the hypothesis that hspA2 may be disrupted in human testes with abnormal spermatogenesis. To test this hypothesis, we studied the mRNA expression of hspA2 in infertile men with azoospermia. Design: The mRNA expression were analyzed by competitive RT-PCR among testes with normal spermatogenesis, pachytene spermatocyte arrest, and sertoli-cell only syndrome. Materials and methods: Testicular biopsy was performed in men with azoospermia (n=15). Specimens were subdivided into three groups: (group 1) normal spermatogenesis (n=5), (group 2) spermatocyte arrest (n=5), (group 3) Sertoli-cell only syndrome (n=5). Total RNA was extracted by Trizol reagent. Total extracted RNA was reverse transcribed into cDNA and amplified by PCR using specific primers for hspA2 target cDNAs. A competitive cDNA fragment was constructed by deleting a defined fragment from the target cDNA sequence, and then coamplified with the target cDNA for competitive PCR. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene was used as an internal control. Results: On Competitive RT-PCR analyses for hspA2 mRNA, significant amount of hspA2 expression was observed in group 1, whereas a constitutively low level of hspA2 was expressed in groups 2 and 3. Conclusion(s): The study demonstrates that the hspA2 gene expression is down-regulated in human testes with abnormal spermatogenesis, which in turn suggests that hspA2 gene may play a specific role during meiosis in human testes.

• 약학회지
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.81-85
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• 1997

Ceramide has been suggested as an important mediator of the effects of extracellular agonists on cell growth inhibition, differentiation, apoptosis. However the biochemical sign aling mechanism involved in transducing the effects of ceramide on leukemia cell differentiation is still unclear. In these respects, we examined the regulatory effects of ceramide on c-jun gene expression during differentiation. In U-937 cells. ceramide increased c-jun mRNA levels in a time-dependent manner. The half life, of c-jun mRNA was 30 min. In contrast, inhibition of protein synthesis with cycloheximide in the absence, of transcription with actinomycin D increased the half-life of c-jun mRNA in ceramide-treated U-937 cells to more than 90 min. In order to examine whether ceramide-inhibited c-jun gene expression is regulated through ceramide-activated protein phosphatase (CAPP), a direct target for the action of ceramide, okadaic acid were treated to the cells. Okadaic acid inhibited enhancement of c-jun mRNA induced by C2-ceramide in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggested that ceramide increases c-jun mRNA level during differentiation in U-937 cells and regulates the gene expression on posttranscriptional level. In addition, we provide the evidence that CAPP is involved in ceramide-induced c-jun gene expression in U-937 cells.

• 대한본초학회지
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.65-74
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• 2011

Objectives : This study was undertaken to verify the modulation mechanism of Gyeongshingangjeehwan18 (GGEx18) in ob/ob male mice. Methods : Eight-week old mice (wild-type C57BL/6J and ob/ob) were used for all experiments. Wild-type C57BL/6J mice were used as lean control and obese ob/ob mice were randomly divided into 5 groups : obese control, GGEx15 (Ephedra sinica Stapf + Rheum palmatum L.), GGEx16 (Ephedra sinica Stapf + Laminaria japonica Aresch), GGEx17 (Rheum palmatum L. + Laminaria japonica Aresch), and GGEx18 (Ephedra sinica Stapf + Laminaria japonica Aresch + Rheum palmatum L.). After mice were treated with several kinds of GGEx for 11 weeks, the mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) target genes and uncoupling protein (UCP) were measured. In addition, $PPAR{\alpha}$ and $PPAR{\beta}$ transactivation was examined in NMu2Li hepatocytes, C2C12 myocytes, and 3T3-L1 preadipocytes using transient transfection assays. Results : 1. Hepatic $PPAR{\alpha}$ target genes, such as ACOX and VLCAD mRNA levels were significantly increased by GGEx18 compared with obese controls. In skeletal muscle, LCAD mRNA expression was stimulated by GGEx16, GGEx17, and GGEx18, whereas MCAD mRNA expression by GGEx17 and GGEx18. $PPAR{\beta}$ target LPL mRNA levels were also increased by GGEx16, GGEx17, and GGEx18 in skeletal muscle, but adipose LPL mRNA levels were decreased. In addition, GGEx18 upregulated UCP mRNA expression in skeletal muslce. 2. $PPAR{\alpha}$ reporter gene expression was increased by GGEx18 in NMu2Li cells compared with vehicle. $PPAR{\alpha}$ and $PPAR{\beta}$ reporter activities were also increased by all GGEx treatments in C2C12 and 3T3-L1 cells. Conclusions : These results suggest that GGEx can act as $PPAR{\alpha}$ and $PPAR{\beta}$ activators, and that GGEx may regulate obesity by stimulating $PPAR{\alpha}$, $PPAR{\beta}$, and UCP activity. Of the 4 compositions, GGEx18 seems to be most effective in improving obesity and lipid disorders.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제47권3호
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• pp.293-297
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• 2009

Improved methods for detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in environmental and clinical samples are urgently needed to improve detection of cryptosporidiosis. We compared the sensitivity of 7 PCR primer sets for detection of Cryptosporidium parvum. Each target gene was amplified by PCR or nested PCR with serially diluted DNA extracted from purified C. parvum oocysts. The target genes included Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein (COWP), small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA), and random amplified polymorphic DNA. The detection limit of the PCR method ranged from $10^3$ to $10^4$ oocysts, and the nested PCR method was able to detect $10^0$ to $10^2$ oocysts. A second-round amplification of target genes showed that the nested primer set specific for the COWP gene proved to be the most sensitive one compared to the other primer sets tested in this study and would therefore be useful for the detection of C. parvum.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제27권12호
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• pp.1494-1499
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• 2017

Candida albicans에 의한 구강 감염(캔디다증)은 구강 점막에 빈번하게 발생하며 잘 알려진 질병이다. 구강 캔디다증은 생명을 위협하는 정도의 곰팡이 감염증은 아니나, 특정상황에서 개인에게 심각한 위험을 초래할 수도 있다. 마이크로 RNA는 세포 내에서 다른 타겟 유전자를 저해하는 작은 크기의 RNA 분자이며 단백질을 코딩하지는 않고 번역과정을 억제하는 조절자로서의 역할을 하고 있다. 본 연구는 C. albicans의 마이크로RNA를 처음으로 동정하고 그러한 마이크로RNA가 지닌 기능을 조사하기 위함이다. 이를 위하여 C. albicans의 small RNA를 차세대 염기분석법을 통하여 분석하고 그러한 RNA들의 2차 구조를 생물정보학적 방법으로 조사하였다. 분석한 small RNA들은 마이크로 RNA라고 불리울 수 있는 특징들을 가지고 있었으며, 특별히 높게 발현되고 있는 두개의 마이크로 RNA 정도 크기의 RNA가 CBP1 유전자의 3' 말단 비번역구역(UTR)에서 반대방향으로 발현하는 것을 밝혀 내었다. 우리는 이러한 C. albicans의 RNA가 CBP1 유전자를 타겟으로 하여 조절하는지 알아보기 위해 RNA를 인위적으로 합성한 후 세포 내로 주입하고, 형광형미경으로 도입 사실을 확인하였다. 하지만 4시간과 8시간 후에 CBP1의 발현 변화는 관찰되지 않았다. 따라서, 이러한 결과는 C. albicans가 마이크로RNA에 의한 RNA 간섭(RNAi) 작용이 다른 진핵세포와는 다르게 작용하는 것을 알 수 있다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권8호
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• pp.3471-3476
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• 2014

Background: Aberrant expression of the microRNA-29 family is associated with tumorigenesis and cancer progression. As transport carriers, tumor-derived exosomes are released into the extracellular space and regulate multiple functions of target cells. Thus, we assessed the possibility that exosomes could transport microRNA-29c as a carrier and correlations between microRNA-29c and apoptosis of bladder cancer cells. Materials and Methods: A total of 28 cancer and adjacent tissues were examined by immunohistochemistry to detect BCL-2 and MCL-1 expression. Disease was Ta-T1 in 12 patients, T2-T4 in 16, grade 1 in 8, 2 in 8 and 3 in 12. The expression of microRNA-29c in cancer tissues was detected by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (QRT-PCR). An adenovirus containing microRNA-29c was used to infect the BIU-87 human bladder cancer cell line. MicroRNA-29c in exosomes was measured by QRT-PCR. After BIU-87 cells were induced by exosomes-derived microRNA-29c, QRT-PCR was used to detect the level of microRNA-29c. Apoptosis was examined by flow cytometry and BCL-2 and MCL-1 mRNA expressions were assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Western blotting was used to determine the protein expression of BCL-2 and MCL-1. Results: The expressions of BCL-2 and MCL-1 protein were remarkably increased in bladder carcinoma (p<0.05), but was found mainly in the basal and suprabasal layers in adjacent tissues. The expression of microRNA-29c in cancer tissues was negatively correlated with the BCL-2 and MCL-1. The expression level of microRNA-29c in exosomes and BIU-87 cells from the experiment group was higher than that in control groups (p<0.05). Exosome-derived microRNA-29c induced apoptosis (p<0.01). Although only BCL-2 was reduced at the mRNA level, both BCL-2 and MCL-1 were reduced at the protein level. Conclusions: Human bladder cancer cells infected by microRNA-29c adenovirus can transport microRNA-29c via exosomes. Moreover, exosome-derived microRNA29c induces apoptosis in bladder cancer cells by down-regulating BCL-2 and MCL-1.