• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.560-564
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• 1998

Echinomycin-7 is an echinomycin derivative, Smethylated sulfonium perchlorate of echinomycin. We studied the in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo antitumor activity of echinomycin-7 against P388 leukemia cells and compared the results with echinomycin. With respect to the cytotoxic effects, echinomycin-7 had cell line-dependent $IC_{50}$ values while echinomycin had similar values to several tumor cell lines. Also, in vivo antitumor activities were observed in tumor-bearing mice treated with both agents, which showed that echinomycin-7 had a broad therapeutic dose range. We also observed the apoptosis on leukemia cells treated with echinomycin-7 which exihibited the ladder pattern of DNA on electrophoresis. In addition to apoptosis, echinomycin-7 arrested $G_1/S$ phases of the cell cycle at the same time. We then examined the signaling pathway of echinomycin-7-induced apoptosis and showed that ERK of the MAP kinase family was activated and translocated into the nucleus by echinomycin-7 stimulation. This study suggests that echinomycin-7 acts as an antitumor agent through in vitro cytotoxicity and has in vivo antitumor activity against leukemia cells, and that the echinomycin-7- induced apoptosis might involve signal transduction via MAP kinases.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.144-149
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• 2008

Despite versatile activity (cancericidal, antimicrobial, hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) inhibition, immune deactivation of DNA bis-intercalation agent, echinomycin, its specific mechanism has been elusive. Of these novel mechanisms, we reported that using human colon cancer cells (HT-29), apoptotic machinery induced by echinomycin might be dependent of caspase-3 pathway. Despite a partial enlightenment of prototypic signal path triggered by echinomycin, the role of Bcl-2 in this signaling pathway is unclear. To address this issue, we explored whether or not echinomycin would overcome the anti-apoptotic impact of Bcl-2 in HT-29 cells by the controlled Bcl-2 overexpression. Prior to this proof, we confirmed that echinomycin induces mitochondrial depolarization, then triggering the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis with an involvement of upstream cas-pases-3. Transiently transfection with inactive Bax-DNA failed to prevent echinomycin-induced apoptosis in HT-29 cells. To dissect the role of Bcl-2 in echinomycin-induced apoptosis, HT-29 cells were transiently transfected with Bcl-2 DNA for overexpression and then treated with echinomycin for 24h. Combined analyses of DNA fragmentation and flow cytometric analysis clearly verified that echinomycin-induced apoptosis was drastically attenuated by Bcl-2 overexpression, whereas a control vector rarely affected echinomycin-induced apoptosis. Collectively, these data verify that Bcl-2 regulates echinomycin-induced apoptosis in HT-29 cells. To my knowledge, this is the first evidence that of diverse, structured minor groove binders (MGB), the prototypic echinomycin might control the apoptotic signaling via Bcl-2-mitochondrial pathway.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.489-492
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• 1996

A number of anticancer-chemotherapeutic agents induce cell death through the process of apoptosis. Effects of echinomycin, an anticancer agent on cancer progression, were investigated in P388 murine leukemia cells. First, according to the results of cytotoxicity measurement. $IC_{50}$ of echinomycin was 1.12 nM, a relatively lower value than the other examined anticancer agents, mitomycin-C and etoposide Second, the DNA fragmentation assay for echinomycin-treated cells exhibited that echinomycin was able to induce apoptosis in a shorter period of time and with a lower dose than mitomycin-C or etoposide. The data of DNA fragmentation were quite comparable to those of cytotoxicity measurement. Finally we showed that mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, a key protein in cell mitosis, was translocated into the nucleus from the cytosol after treatment with echinomycin. These findings suggest that a MAP kinase-related process may be involved in apoptosis induced by echinomycin.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.302-306
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• 1996

항균물질을 생산하는 방선균 KGT-37를 인삼밭 토양에서 분리하여 배양액으로부터 항균물질을 분리하고 silica gel column chromatography, preparative TLC, HPLC로 정제하였다. \ulcornerH-\ulcornerH COSY, HMQC, HMBC등 NMR 분석결과 KGT-37이 생산하는 항균물질은 cyclic depsipeptide계의 항생물질인 echinomycin으로 동정되었으며 이 연구에서 지금까지 assign되지 않았던 \ulcornerH과\ulcornerC의 NMR signal이 완전히 assign되었다. 이 항균활성물질은 감자더뎅이병균인 Streptomyces scabies과 Corynebacterium lilium을 포함하는 그람 양성 세균에 특히 강한 항균활성을 보였으며, 도열병균 및 점무늬낙엽병균 등 병원곰팡이에도 항균활성을 나타내었다.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.186-188
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• 1994

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.135-135
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• 1998

To find an antagonist of Pythium ultimum, the causal agent of damping-off, numerous actinomycete strains were screened for in vitro inhibiting mycelial growth of the target fungus and producing bioactive metabolites. A strain identified as Streptomyces sp. G60655 was isolated and used for further antagonistic efficacy. The degree of antagonism between the fungus and G60655 was affected by the medium used. Furthermore, the preinoculation of the antagonist was found to be necessary to exhibit the maximum efficacy of antagonsim against the fungus. From the culture broth, a bioactive metabolite was detected and purified by solvent extraction, silica gel chromatography and preparative HPLC. The FAB-MS spectrum of the active compound showed a molecular ion peak at m/z 1101 (M + H)$\^$+/, suggesting the molecular weight of 1100. The UV absorptions at 242 and 323 nm indicated the presence of aromatic functions. The structure of this compound was identified as echinomycin, a depsipeptide antibiotic by spectroscopic studies including various NMR measurements. Echinomycin was inactive against several soil born fungi, but inhibited the mycelial growth of P. ultimum and its related oomycetous fungi.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.345-346
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• 1992

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.78-83
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• 2023

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has a markedly improved prognosis with the use of breakpoint cluster region-abelson 1 (BCR-ABL1) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BCR-ABL1 TKIs). However, approximately 40% of patients are resistant or intolerant to BCR-ABL1 TKIs. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is a hypoxia response factor that has been reported to be highly expressed in CML patients, making it a therapeutic target for BCR-ABL1 TKI-sensitive CML and BCR-ABL1 TKI-resistant CML. In this study, we examined whether HIF-1α inhibitors induce cell death in CML cells and BCR-ABL1 TKI-resistant CML cells. We found that echinomycin and PX-478 induced cell death in BCR-ABL1 TKIs sensitive and resistant CML cells at similar concentrations while the cell sensitivity was not affected with imatinib or dasatinib in BCR-ABL1 TKIs resistant CML cells. In addition, echinomycin and PX-478 inhibited the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), Akt, and extracellular-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) activation via suppression of BCR-ABL1 and Met expression in BCR-ABL1 sensitive and resistant CML cells. Moreover, treatment with HIF-1α siRNA induced cell death by inhibiting BCR-ABL1 and Met expression and activation of JNK, Akt, and ERK1/2 in BCR-ABL1 TKIs sensitive and resistant CML cells. These results indicated that HIF-1α regulates BCR-ABL and Met expression and is involved in cell survival in CML cells, suggesting that HIF-1α inhibitors induce cell death in BCR-ABL1 TKIs sensitive and resistant CML cells and therefore HIF-1α inhibitors are potential candidates for CML treatment.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.261-263
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• 1996

SK-302B, an antibiotic purified from soil Streptomyces sp. 302, was structurally identified as echinomycin (C/sub 50/H/sub 66/N/sub 11/S/sub 2/). In the present experiment, the possibility of SK-302B as an anticolon cancer agent was investigated by using chemosensitivity system (MTT assay, clonogenic assay). Treatment of SK-302B on various colon cancer cell lines resulted in a significant cytotoxicity and tumor colony formation inhibition. These studies showed that SK-302B had a potent inhibition on colon cancer cells.