• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.153-158
• /
• 2008

Tissue-specific and temporal regulation of milk protein gene expression is advantageous when creating transgenic animal that produces foreign protein into milk. Gene expression, i.e. protein production, is regulated not only by promoter strength but also mRNA stability. Especially, poly A tail length by polyadenylation affects in vivo and in vitro mRNA stability and translation efficiency of the target gene. In the present study, nucleotide sequence of 3'-UTR was analyzed to evaluate the effects of mRNA stability on the target gene expression. Based on the poly A signal of 3' -untranslated region (UTR), nucleotide sequences of putative cytoplasmic polyadenylation elements (CPEs) and downstream elements (DSEs: U-rich, G-rich, GU-rich) were analyzed and used to construct 15 luciferase reporter vectors. Each vector was transfected to HC11 and porcine mammary gland cell (PMGC) and measured for dual luciferase expression levels after 48 hours of incubation. Luciferase expression was significantly higher in construct #6 (with CPE 2, 3 and DSE 1 of exon 9) and #11 (with CPE 2, 3 and DSE 1, 2 and 3 of exon 9) than construct #1 in the PMGC. These results suggest that expression of target genes in PMGC may be effectively expressed by using the construct #6 and #11 on production of transgenic pig.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.211-220
• /
• 2020

The activity of CAR can be regulated not only by ligand binding but also by phosphorylation of regulatory factors involved in extracellular signaling pathways, cross-talk interactions with transcription factors, and the recruitment, degradation, and expression of coactivators and corepressors. This regulation of CAR activity can in turn have effects on the control of diverse physiological homeostasis, including xenobiotic and energy metabolism, cellular proliferation, and apoptosis. CAR is phosphorylated by the ERK1/2 signaling pathway, which causes formation of a complex with Hsp-90 and CCRP, leading to its cytoplasmic retention, whereas phenobarbital inhibits ERK1/2, which causes dephosphorylation of the downstream signaling molecules, leading to the recruitment to CAR of the activated RACK-1/PP2A components for the dephosphorylation, nuclear translocation, and the transcriptional activation of CAR. Activated CAR cross-talks with FoxO1 to induce inhibition of its transcriptional activity and with PGC-1α to induce protein degradation by ubiquitination, resulting in the transcriptional suppression of PEPCK and G6Pase involved in gluconeogenesis. Regulation by CAR of lipid synthesis and oxidation is achieved by its functional cross-talks, respectively, with PPARγ through the degradation of PGC-1α to inhibit expression of the lipogenic genes and with PPARα through either the suppression of CPT-1 expression or the interaction with PGC-1α each to induce tissue-specific inhibition or stimulation of β-oxidation. Whereas CAR stimulates cellular proliferation by suppressing p21 expression through the inhibition of FoxO1 transcriptional activity and inducing cyclin D1 expression, it suppresses apoptosis by inhibiting the activities of MKK7 and JNK-1 through the expression of GADD45B. In conclusion, CAR is involved in the maintenance of homeostasis by regulating not only xenobiotic metabolism but also energy metabolism, cellular proliferation, and apoptosis through diverse cross-talk interactions with extracellular signaling pathways and intracellular regulatory factors.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.8 no.6
• /
• pp.655-661
• /
• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects and associated mechanisms of arctiin, a lignan compound found in burdock, on adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. Also, the effects of arctiin supplementation in obese mice fed a high-fat diet on adiposity were examined. MATERIALS/METHODS: 3T3-L1 cells were treated with arctiin (12.5 to $100{\mu}M$) during differentiation for 8 days. The accumulation of lipid droplets was determined by Oil Red O staining and intracellular triglyceride contents. The expressions of genes related to adipogenesis were measured by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot analyses. For in vivo study, C57BL/6J mice were first fed either a control diet (CON) or high-fat diet (HF) to induce obesity, and then fed CON, HF, or HF with 500 mg/kg BW arctiin (HF + AC) for four weeks. RESULTS: Arctiin treatment to 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes markedly decreased adipogenesis in a dose-dependent manner. The arctiin treatment significantly decreased the protein levels of the key adipogenic regulators $PPAR{\gamma}$ and $C/EBP{\alpha}$, and also significantly inhibited the expression of SREBP-1c, fatty acid synthase, fatty acid-binding protein and lipoprotein lipase. Also, arctiin greatly increased the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its downstream target phosphorylated-acetyl CoA carboxylase. Furthermore, administration of arctiin significantly decreased the body weight in obese mice fed with the high-fat diet. The epididymal, perirenal or total visceral adipose tissue weights of mice were all significantly lower in the HF + AC than in the HF. Arctiin administration also decreased the sizes of lipid droplets in the epididymal adipose tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Arctiin inhibited adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes through the inhibition of $PPAR{\gamma}$ and $C/EBP{\alpha}$ and the activation of AMPK signaling pathways. These findings suggest that arctiin has a potential benefit in preventing obesity.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.57-62
• /
• 2005

One of the critical problems to be solved in transgenic animal production is uncontrollable constitutive expression of foreign genes, which usually results in serious physiological disturbances in the transgenic animal. To circumvent this problem, we constructed and tested two retrovirus vectors designed to express the GFP(green fluorescent protein) gene under the control of the tetracycline-inducible promoters. To maximize the GFP gene expression at turn-on state, WPRE(woodchuck hepatitis virus posttranscriptional regulatory element) sequence was introduced into the retrovirus vectors at downstream region of either the GFP gene or the sequence encoding rtTA(reverse tetracycline-controlled transactivator). Transformed cells were cultured in the medium supplemented with or without doxycycline(tetracycline derivative) for 48 hours, and induction efficiency was measured by comparing the GFP gene expression level using fluorometry and western blotting. Higher GFP expression was observed from the vector carrying the WPRE sequence at 3' side of the GFP gene, while tighter expression control(up to 20 fold) was obtained from the vector in which the WPRE sequence was placed at 3' side of rtTA sequence. The resulting tetracycline inducible vector system may be used in transgenic animal production and gene therapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.22
• /
• pp.9973-9978
• /
• 2014

Background: Hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-$1{\alpha}$) is the key regulator of cellular responses to hypoxia and plays a central role in tumour growth. Presence of Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the critical regulatory domains of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ may result in the overexpression of the protein and subsequent changes in the expression of the downstream target genes. The aim of study was to investigate the association of three SNPs (g.C111A, g.C1772T and g.G1790A) of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ with the risk of breast cancer in North Indian sporadic breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 400 subjects, including 200 healthy controls and 200 patients with breast cancer were recruited in this study. Genotypes were determined using polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Results: The CC and CA genotype frequency of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ g.C111A polymorphism was 100 vs 99% and 0 vs 1% in breast cancer patients and healthy controls respectively. The frequencies of CC, CT and TT genotype of g.C1772T polymorphism were 76 vs 74.5%, 19 vs 21% and 5 vs 4.5% in breast cancer patients and control individuals respectively. There was no significant difference in genotype and allele frequencies of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ g.C1772T polymorphism between cases and control individuals (p>0.05). For g.G1790A genotypes, all patients and controls had only GG genotype. Conclusions: The three HIF-$1{\alpha}$ polymorphisms (g.C111A, g.C1772T and g.G1790A) are not associated with breast cancer risk in North-West Indian patients.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.44 no.6
• /
• pp.799-807
• /
• 2020

Background: The skin acts as a barrier to protect organisms against harmful exogenous agents. Compound K (CK) is an active metabolite of ginsenoside Rb1, Rb2 and Rc, and researchers have focused on its skin protective efficacy. In this study, we hypothesized that increased expression of the serine protease inhibitor Kazal type-5 (SPINK5) may improve skin barrier function. Methods: We screened several ginsenosides to increase SPINK5 gene promoter activity using a transactivation assay and found that CK can increase SPINK5 expression. To investigate the protective effect of CK on the skin barrier, RT-PCR and Western blotting were performed to investigate the expression levels of SPINK5, kallikrein 5 (KLK5), KLK7 and PAR2 in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells. Measurement of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and histological changes associated with the skin barrier were performed in a UVB-irradiated mouse model and a 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis-like model. Results: CK treatment increased the expression of SPINK5 and decreased the expression of its downstream genes, such as KLKs and PAR2. In the UVB-irradiated mouse model and the DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis model, CK restored increased TEWL and decreased hydration and epidermal hyperplasia. In addition, CK normalized the reduced SPINK5 expression caused by UVB or DNCB, thereby restoring the expression of the proteins involved in desquamation to a level similar to normal. Conclusions: Our data showed that CK contributes to improving skin-barrier function in UVB-irradiated and DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis-like models through SPINK5. These results suggest that therapeutic attempts with CK might be useful in treating barrier-disrupted diseases.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.571-577
• /
• 2017

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important phytohormone involved in abiotic stress tolerance in plants. The group A bZIP transcription factors play important roles in the ABA signaling pathway in Arabidopsis but little is known about their functions in rice. In our current study, we have isolated and characterized a group A bZIP transcription factor in rice, OsABF3 (Oryza sativa ABA responsive element binding factor 3). We examined the expression patterns of OsABF3 in various tissues and time course analysis after abiotic stress treatments such as drought, salinity, cold, oxidative stress, and ABA in rice. Subcellular localization analysis in maize protoplasts using a GFP fusion vector further indicated that OsABF3 is a nuclear protein. Moreover, in a yeast one-hybrid experiment, OsABF3 was shown to bind to ABA responsive elements (ABREs) and its N-terminal region found to be necessary to transactivate a downstream reporter. A homozygous T-DNA insertional mutant of OsABF3 is more sensitive to salinity, drought, and oxidative stress compared with wild type plants ＆ OsABF3OX plants. In addition, this Osabf3 mutant showed a significantly decreased sensitivity to high levels of ABA at germination and post-germination. Collectively, our present results indicate that OsABF3 functions as a transcriptional regulator that modulates the expression of abiotic stress-responsive genes through an ABA-dependent pathway.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.30 no.6
• /
• pp.7-15
• /
• 2015

Objectives : Rosa laevigata Michx. has been used for the treatment of renal disease in traditional Korean medicine. In this study, we investigated cytoprotective effect of R. laevigata water extract (RLE) against oxidative stress induced by arachidonic acid (AA) + iron.Methods : To evaluate the protective effects of RLE against AA + iron-induced oxidative stress in HepG2 cell, cell viability and changes on apoptosis-related proteins were assessed by MTT and immunoblot analyses. The effects of RLE on reduced glutathione level, production of reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial membrane potential were also monitored. Furthermore, to verify underlying molecular mechanism, NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) was examined by immunoblot analysis. Additionally, Nrf2 transactivation and its downstream target genes expression were also determined by reporter gene and realtime RT-PCR analyses.Results : RLE pretreatment (30-300 μg/ml) prevented cells from AA + iron-mediated cell death in a concentration dependent manner. In addition, 100 μg/ml RLE inhibited AA + iron-induced glutathione depletion, reactive oxygen species production and mitochondrial dysfunction. RLE accumulated nuclear Nrf2 and also transactivated Nrf2, which was evidenced by antioxidant response element- and glutathione S-transferase A2-driven luciferase activities and mRNA level of glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 and sestrin 2. Moreover, protective effect of RLE against AA + iron was abolished in Nrf2 knockout cells.Conclusions : These results indicate that RLE has the ability to protect hepatocyte against oxidative stress through Nrf2 activation.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.253-259
• /
• 2011

Transforming growth factor ${\beta}$ (TGF-${\beta}$) is involved in cellular processes including growth, differentiation, apoptosis, migration, and homeostasis. Generally, TGF-${\beta}$ is the inhibitor of cell cycle progression and plays a role in enhancing the antagonistic effects of many growth factors. Unlike the antiproliferative effect of TGF-${\beta}$, E2, an endogeneous estrogen, is stimulating cell proliferation in the estrogen-dependent organs, which are mediated via the estrogen receptors, $ER{\alpha}$ and $ER{\beta}$, and may be considered as a critical risk factor in tumorigenesis of hormone-responsive cancers. Previous researches reported the cross-talk between estrogen/$ER{\alpha}$ and TGF-${\beta}$ pathway. Especially, based on the E2-mediated inhibition of TGF-${\beta}$ signaling, we examined the inhibition effect of 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) and 4-nonylphenol (NP), which are well known xenoestrogens in endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), on TGF-${\beta}$ signaling via semi-quantitative reverse-transcription PCR. The treatment of E2, OP, or NP resulted in the downregulation of TGF-${\beta}$ receptor2 (TGF-${\beta}$ R2) in TGF-${\beta}$ signaling pathway. However, the expression level of TGF-${\beta}1$ and TGF-${\beta}$ receptor1 (TGF-${\beta}$ R1) genes was not altered. On the other hand, E2, OP, or NP upregulated the expression of a cell-cycle regulating gene, c-myc, which is a oncogene and a downstream target gene of TGF-${\beta}$ signaling pathway. As a result of downregulation of TGF-${\beta}$ R2 and the upregulation of c-myc, E2, OP, or NP increased cell proliferation of BG-1 ovarian cancer cells. Taken together, these results suggest that E2 and these two EDCs may mediate cancer cell proliferation by inhibiting TGF-${\beta}$ signaling via the downregulation of TGF-${\beta}$ R2 and the upregulation of c-myc oncogene. In addition, it can be inferred that these EDCs have the possibility of tumorigenesis in estrogen-responsive organs by certainly representing estrogenic effect in inhibiting TGF-${\beta}$ signaling.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.17 no.5 s.85
• /
• pp.723-727
• /
• 2007

Resistance to metronidazole in Helicobacter pylori results from inactivation of rdxA and frxA, the chromosomal genes for a nitroreductase that normally converts metronidazole from prodrug to bactericidal agent. Two types of metronidazole susceptible strains had been found distinguishable by their apparent levels of frxA expression. Most common in the populations we had studied were strains that required only rdxA inactivation to become resistant to moderate levels of metronidazole(type I strains). The second strain type required inactivation of both frxA and rdxA to become resistance to metronidazole(type II strains): this was linked to a relatively high level of frxA gene transcription in the type II strains. The fdxA gene regulated fdxA as well as rdxA gene. Thus, to study the function of fdxA as a regulatory gene we constructed a null mutant of fdxA in H. pylori genome and identified over-and under-expressed proteins by fdxA using two-dimensional(2-D) electrophoresis and MALDI-TOP-MS. There were four over-expressed proteins in fdxA mutant; nifU-like protein(HP0221), frxA(HP0642), nonheme ferritin(HP0653), and hypothetical protein(HP0902). Three under-expressed proteins were also identified in fdxA mutant, including 5'-methylthioadenosine/S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase (HP0089), (3R)-hydroxymyristoyl ACP dehydratase(HP1376), and thioredoxin(HP1458).