• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.64-69
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• 2006

Gap junctional channels, allowing rapid intercellular communication and synchronization of coupled cell activities, play crucial roles in many signaling processes, including a variety of cell activities. Consequently, a modulation of the gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) should be a potential pharmacological target. In the present, the GJIC of a epithelial-derived rat mammary cells (BICR-M1Rk) was assessed in the presence of ginseng saponin, by using an established method of scrape-loading dye transfer assay. The transfer of Lucifer yellow (diameter: 1.2 nm) among the neighboring BICR-M1Rk cells, in which connexin43 (Cx43) is a major gap junction channel-forming protein, was significantly retarded at a concentration of $10{\mu}g/ml$ ginseng saponin. By using both methods of RT-PCR and Western blotting, it was demonstrated that ginseng saponin modulated neither the mRNA synthesis of Cx43 nor the translational process of Cx43. This ginseng saponin-induced modification of GJIC was a similar phenomenon observed under the $\beta$-glycyrrhetinic acid treatment, a well-known gap junction channel blocker. Taken together, it is reasonable to conclude that the ginseng saponin inhibits GJIC only by modulating the gating property of gap junction channels.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.24.1-24.8
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• 2022

Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy type 2 (HLD2), is an inherited genetic disease of the central nervous system caused by recessive mutations in the gap junction protein gamma 2 (GJC2/GJA12). HLD2 is characterized by nystagmus, developmental delay, motor impairments, ataxia, severe speech problem, and hypomyelination in the brain. The GJC2 sequence encodes connexin 47 protein (Cx47). Connexins are a group of membrane proteins that oligomerize to construct gap junctions protein. In the present study, a novel missense mutation gene c.760G>A (p.Val254Met) was identified in a patient with HLD2 by performing whole exome sequencing. Following the discovery of the new mutation in the proband, we used Sanger sequencing to analyze his affected sibling and parents. Sanger sequencing verified homozygosity of the mutation in the proband and his affected sibling. The autosomal recessive inheritance pattern was confirmed since Sanger sequencing revealed both healthy parents were heterozygous for the mutation. PolyPhen2, SIFT, PROVEAN, and CADD were used to evaluate the function prediction scores of detected mutations. Cx47 is essential for oligodendrocyte function, including adequate myelination and myelin maintenance in humans. Novel mutation p.Val254Met is located in the second extracellular domain of Cx47, both extracellular loops are highly conserved and probably induce intramolecular disulfide interactions. This novel mutation in the Cx47 gene causes oligodendrocyte dysfunction and HLD2 disorder.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.541-547
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• 2003

Purpose : Gap junction intercellular communication(GJIC) is an important mechanism of the bystander effect in herpes simplex thymidine kinase/ganciclovir(HSVtk/GCV) gene therapy Therefore, we attempted to enhance the bystander effect in vitro by exogenous overexpressing connexin 37(Cx37) in cells to increase GJIC. Methods : NIH3T3 cells were transfected with the Cx37 and HSVtk gene or the HSVtk gene alone by the calcium phosphate method, and we detected their expression from these cells by RT-PCR. GCV-mediated cytotoxicity and the bystander effect of each transfectant was then assessed and compared. Results : Cells transfected with HSVtk became sensitive to low concentration of GCV. We found significantly increased cytotoxicity in HSVtk/GCV gene therapy after introduction of the HSVtk and Cx37 genes together compared with the cytotoxicity seen after introduction of the HSVtk gene in vitro. Co-expression of the HSVtk and Cx37 genes potentiates HSVtk/GCV gene therapy through the bystander effect. Conclusion : These results indicated that the increase of GJIC using Cx37 have potentiated the bystander effect of HSVtk/GCV therapy, and may be a new approach to improve response in suicidal cancer gene therapy.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Pathology Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.12-12
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• 2004

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
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• 1996.07a
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• pp.6-6
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• 1996

Gap junction channels were reconstituted into unilamellar liposomes using immunoaffinity purified connexin 32 gap junction protein from rat liver. Vesicles containing open channels and close channels were separated by means of iso-osmolar sucros density gradient sedimentation. The open channels formed in lipid vesicles were permeable to a fluorescent dye molecule, lucifer yellow of which the hydrodynamic size is similar to pore size of gap junctions in vivo. (omitted)

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8271-8279
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• 2016

Background: Hepato-carcinogenesis is multifaceted in its molecular aspects. Among the interplaying agents are altered gap junctions, the proteasome/autophagy system, and mitochondria. The present experimental study was designed to outline the roles of these players and to investigate the tumor suppressive effects of curcumin with or without mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and Methods: Adult female albino rats were divided into normal controls and animals with HCC induced by diethyl-nitrosamine (DENA) and $CCl_4$. Additional groups treated after HCC induction were: Cur/HCC which received curcumin; MSCs/HCC which received MSCs; and Cur+MSCs/HCC which received both curcumin and MSCs. For all groups there were histopathological examination and assessment of gene expression of connexin43 (Cx43), ubiquitin ligase-E3 (UCP-3), the autophagy marker LC3 and coenzyme-Q10 (Mito.Q10) mRNA by real time, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, along with measurement of LC3II/LC3I ratio for estimation of autophagosome formation in the rat liver tissue. In addition, the serum levels of ALT, AST and alpha fetoprotein (AFP), together with the proinflammatory cytokines $TNF{\alpha}$ and IL-6, were determined in all groups. Results: Histopathological examination of liver tissue from animals which received DENA-$CCl_4$ only revealed the presence of anaplastic carcinoma cells and macro-regenerative nodules. Administration of curcumin, MSCs; each alone or combined into rats after induction of HCC improved the histopathological picture. This was accompanied by significant reduction in ${\alpha}$-fetoprotein together with proinflammatory cytokines and significant decrease of various liver enzymes, in addition to upregulation of Cx43, UCP-3, LC3 and Mito.Q10 mRNA. Conclusions: Improvement of Cx43 expression, nonapoptotic cell death and mitochondrial function can repress tumor growth in HCC. Administration of curcumin and/or MSCs have tumor suppressive effects as they can target these mechanisms. However, further research is still needed to verify their effectiveness.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.311-318
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• 2006

The GJB2 mutation is mostly recessive in non-syndromic hearing loss, but specific mutations display a dominant type and syndromic hearing impairment. Both U54K and R75Q mutations present a dominant type in pedigrees with associated skin disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether two GJB2 mutations can exhibit a dominant-negative effect on the growth abrogation and the gap junctional intercellular communication capacity exerted by wild-type connexin 26. A specific mutant region of GJB2 showed a loss of gap junction activity and a dominant negative effect on wild-type GJB2. The two mutants exerted a dominant-negative effect on the GJIC capacity and have independently effected GJB2 regulated growth of Hela cells; however, they have no dominant-negative growth effect on wild-type GJB2. It is proposed that the different mechanisms of the dominant-negative effect on wild-type GJB2 involve cell growth and GJIC function. This study describes mutations found in Korean deaf patients and that are typical of other east Asian regions.

• BMB Reports
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2013

Gap junctions and their structural proteins, connexins (Cxs), have been implicated in carcinogenesis. To explore the involvement of Cx32 in gastric carcinogenesis, immunochemical analysis of Cx32 and proliferation marker Ki67 using tissue-microarrayed human gastric cancer and normal tissues was performed. In addition, after Cx32 overexpression in the human gastric cancer cell line AGS, cell proliferation, cell cycle analyses, and $p21^{Cip1}$ and $p27^{Kip1}$ expression levels were examined by bromodeoxyuridine assay, flow cytometry, real-time RT-PCR, and western blotting. Immunohistochemical study noted a strong inverse correlation between Cx32 and Ki67 expression pattern as well as their location. In vitro, overexpression of Cx32 in AGS cells inhibited cell proliferation significantly. $G^1$ arrest, up-regulation of cell cycle-regulatory proteins $p21^{Cip1}$ and $p27^{Kip1}$ was also found at both mRNA and protein levels. Taken together, Cx32 plays some roles in gastric cancer development by inhibiting gastric cancer cell proliferation through cell cycle arrest and cell cycle regulatory proteins.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2002.05b
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• pp.59-72
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• 2002

The anticarcinogenic effects of epicatechin(EC) and ginsenoside Rb2(Rb2), which are major components of green tea and Korea ginsen, respectively, were investigated using a model system of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) in WB-F344 rat liver epithelial cells. 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-accetate (TPA) and hydrogen preoxide, known as cancer promoters, inhibited GJIC in the epithelial cells as determined by the scrape loading/dye transfer assay, fluorescence redistribution assay after photobleaching, and immunofluorescent staining of connexin 43 using a laser confocal microscope. The inhibition of GJIC by TPA and H2O2 was prevented with treatment of Rb2 or Ec. The effect of EC on GJIC was stronger in TPA-treated cells than in H2O2-treated cells, while the effect of Rb2 was opoosite to that of EC. EC, at the concentration of 27.8$\mu$g/ml, prevented the TPA-induced GJIC inhibition by about 60%. Rb2, at the concentration of 277$\mu$g/ml, recovered the H2O2-induced GJIC inhibition by about 60%. These results suggest that Rb2 and EC may prevent human cancers by preventing the down-regulation of GJIC during the cancer promotion phase and that the anticancer effect of green tea and Korea ginseng may come from the major respective conponents, EC and Rb2.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.65-65
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• 2003

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of resveratrol on the oxidative stress-induced inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) in HaCaT keratinocyte. Anti-oxidative activity of resveratrol was measured by a,a-diphenyl-b-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate oxidation assay. GJIC of HaCaT keratinocyte was assessed using the scrape loading/dye transfer technique. Western blots and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were also analyzed for Connexin 43 protein and mRNA expression, respectively. Resveratrol scavenged directly the stable DPPH radical over a concentration range of 4 mg/$\mell$ (78.2 $\pm$ 2.7% of control) to 500 mg/$\mell$ (29.9 $\pm$ 4.2% of control) and prevent to increase the intracellular fluorescence induced by oxidative stress significantly. Ultraviolet A irradiation (UVA) and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate markedly reduced GJIC, which was restored by resveratrol. There were no significant differences in the level of Connexin 43 protein and mRNA expression among any of the experimental groups. Our data suggests that resveratrol has the protective effect on the oxidative stress-induced inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication in HaCaT keratinocyte and this protection is likely due to the scavenging of reactive oxygen species.