• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.53-57
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• 2011

The MuSI is known as a multiple stress resistant gene with several lines. A previous study using RT-PCR showed that the expression of MuSI gene in tobacco plant induced its tolerance to Cd stress. This study was conducted to examine the enhanced Cd tolerance of the MuSI transgenic tobacco plant through germination test and to understand the role of the involved antioxidant enzymes for the exhibited tolerance. Germination rate of MuSI transgenic tobacco was more than 10% higher than that of wild-type tobacco, and seedlings of MuSI transgenic tobacco grew up to 1.6 times larger and greener than seedlings of wild-type tobacco at 200 and 300 ${\mu}M$ Cd. From the third to the fifth day, CAT activities at 100 and 200 ${\mu}M$ Cd and APX activities at 100, 200 and 300 ${\mu}M$ Cd of MuSI transgenic tobacco were up to two times higher than those of wild-type tobacco. MuSI gene is shown to enhance the activities of antioxidant enzymes resulting in higher tolerance to oxidative stress compared with the control plant.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.108-115
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• 2001

We have recently reported the development of a high efficiency expression vector, pCK, which can drive a high level of gene expression in mouse skeletal muscle. In this study, we tested the therapeutic potential of pCK expressing human VEGF165, pCK-VEGF in the rabbit ischemic hind limb model. To determine the optimal dose of plasmid DNA, various concentrations of pCK-CAT were injected into the muscle of a rabbit hind limb and the levels of CAT activity were determined. It was found that the expression level of the exogenously added gene became stable between 250 and 1,000 $\mu$g. Based on this result, we tested whether intramuscular transfer of 500$\mu$g of pCK-VEGF could actually modulate collateral vessel development in a rabbit ischemic hind limb model. It was found that relative to the control group injected with the pCK lacking the VEGF sequence, single intramuscular doses (500$\mu$g) of pCK-VEGF produced statistically significant augmentation of collateral vessels as determined by the angiographic vessel count, maximal blood flow by Doppler flowmeter and the number of capillaries by histology. These results suggest that a single 500$\mu$g-delivery of pCK-VEGF is potent enough to induce sufficient angiogenic activity and achieve therapeutic benefit on this rabbit model.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.194-199
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• 2004

Investigation of the expression of the riboflavin (rib) genes, which are found immediately downstream of luxG in the lux operon in Photobacterium phosphoreum, provides more information relevant to the evolution of bioluminescence, as well as to the regulation of supply of flavin substrate for bacterial bioluminescence reactions. In order to answer the question of whether or not the transcriptions of lux and rib genes are integrated, a transcriptional termination assay was performed with P. phoxphoreum DNA, containing the possible stem-loop structures, located in the intergenic region of luxF and luxE ($\Omega$$\_$A/), of luxG and ribE ($\Omega$$\_$B/), and downstream of ribA ($\Omega$$\_$c/). The expression of the CAT (Chloram-phenicol Acetyl Transferase) reporter gene was remarkably decreased upon the insertion of the stem-loop structure ($\Omega$$\_$c/) into the strong lux promoter and the reporter gene. However, the insertion of the structure ($\Omega$$\_$B/) into the intergenic region of the lux and the rib genes caused no significant change in expression from the CAT gene. In addition, the single stranded DNA in the same region was protected by the P. phosphoreum mRNA from the Sl nuclease protection assay. These results suggest that lux genes and rib genes are part of the same operon in P. phosphoreum.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.103-108
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• 2015

Curcumin is widely used as a traditional medicine. This work was aimed to investigate its possible protective effect against chemically induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats. Fifty male albino rats were divided into five groups (n=10, each). The control group received a single dose of normal saline, the diethylnitrosamine (DENA) group received a single intra-peritoneal dose at 200mg/kg body weight, and the 3rd, 4th and 5th groups were given DENA and daily administrated curcunine (CUR) via intra-gastric intubation in doses of 300, 200 and 100 mg/kg b.wt. respectively for 20 weeks. Serum, and liver samples were used for determination of alpha feto-protein (AFP), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukine-6 (IL-6), serum liver enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP and GGT) levels as well the activities and gene expression of glutathione peroxidise (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), catalase (CAT) and super oxide dismutase (SOD). Curcumin significantly lowered the serum levels of AFP, IL-2 and IL-6, ALT, ALT, and malondialdehyde (MDA) as well gene expression of IL-2 and IL-6. In contrast it increased the gene expression and activities of Gpx, GRD, CAT and SOD. The protective effect of CUR against DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in albino rats was proven.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.45-59
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• 2007

We describe the gene expression profile of third leaves of rice (cv. Nipponbare) seedlings subjected to salt stress (130 mM NaCl). Transcripts of Mn-SOD, Cu/Zn-SOD, cytosolic and stromal APX, GR and CatB were up-regulated, whereas expression of thylakoid-bound APX and CatA were down-regulated. The levels of the compatible solute proline and of transcripts of its biosynthetic gene, ${\Delta}^1$-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS), were strongly increased by salt stress. Interestingly, a potential compatible solute, ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA), was also found to be strongly induced by salt stress along with marked up-regulation of transcripts of GABA-transaminase. A dye-swap rice DNA microarray analysis identified a large number of genes whose expression in third leaves was altered by salt stress. Among 149 genes whose expression was altered at all the times assayed (3, 4 and 6 days) during salt stress, there were 47 annotated novel genes and 76 unknown genes. These results provide new insight into the effect of salt stress on the expression of genes related to antioxidant enzymes, proline and GABA as well as of genes in several functional categories.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.456-460
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• 1999

The promoter of the HSV-1 VP16 gene contains binding sites for the cellular transcription factors such as USF, CTF, and Sp1, each of which affects basal level expression of the VP16 gene. Transcription of the VP16 gene was induced by viral immediate-early proteins, ICP0 and ICP4, in a synergistic manner but repressed by ICP22. To gain further insight into the role of ICP0 in the expression of the VP16 gene during virus infection, several mutants with deletions in each of their transcriptional regulatory elements were generated. According to transient gene expression assays of these mutants using the CAT gene as a reporter, the USF and CTF binding sites were necessary for efficient induction of the promoter in the presence of transfected ICP0 or during virus infection, whereas the Sp1 binding site had little effect on ICP0-mediated VP16 expression. These results indicate that the immediate early proteins of HSV-1 regulate expression of the VP16 gene during virus infection by modulating the activities of cellular transcription factors such as USF and CTF.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 1992

Differential expression of the three chlorophyll afb binding (cab) protein gene (cabl, cab2, and cab3) promoters of Arabidopsis thaliana was studied in tobacco plants transformed with cab-CAT (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase) translational fusions. CAT activity was measured to monitor the activities of the cab promoters. The activity of cabi promoter was higher than the other two in transformed tobacco leaves and also in calli and shoots derived from the leaves. Their activities were organ-specific and were the lowest in roots, medium in stems, and the highest in leaves. The relative activity of cabi promoter in stems comparing to it activity in leaves was, however, much higher than the values of cab2 and cab3. When the cab promoter activity was expressed as CAT activity per unit chlorophyll instead of CAT activity per unit protein, the relative cab] promoter activity (stem/leaf) became almost unity. This result suggests that cab2 and cab3 show photosynthetic organ-specificity but cabl does not. Similar result was obtained in the differentiation process of stems and leaves from shoots derived from the transgenic tobacco leaves.leaves.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.299-306
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• 1999

Purpose : The human genetic disorder ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) is a multisystem disease characterized by extreme radiosensitivity. The recent identification of the gene mutated in AT, ATM, and the demonstration that it encodes a homologous domain of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K), the catalytic subunit of an enzyme involved in transmitting signals from the cell surface to the nucleus, provide support for a role of this gene in signal transduction. Although ionizing radiation was known to induce c-fos transcription, nothing is known about how ATM or PKCI mediated signal transduction pathway modulates the c-fos gene transcription and gene expression. Here we have studied the effect of PKCI on radiation sensitivity and c-fos transcription in normal and AT cells. Materials and Methods: Normal (LM217) and AT (AT5BIVA) cells were transfected with PKCI expression plasmid and the overexpression and integration of PKCI was evaluated by northern blotting and polymerase chain reaction, respectively. 5 Gy of radiation was exposed to LM and AT cells transfected with PKCI expression plasmid and cells were harvested 48 hours after radiation and investigated apoptosis with TUNEL method. The c-fos transcription activity was studied by performing CAT assay of reporter gene after transfection of c-fos CAT plasmid into AT and LM cells. Results: Our results demonstrate for the first time a role of PKCI on the radiation sensitivity and c-fos expression in LM and AT cells. PKCI increased radiation induced apoptosis in LM cells but reduced apoptosis in AT cells. The basal c-fos transcription activity is 70 times lower in AT cells than that in LM cells. The c-fos transcription activity was repressed by overexpression of PKCI in LM cells but not in AT cells. After induction of c-fos by Ras protein, overexpression of PKCI repressed c-fos transcription in LM cells but not in AT cells Conclusion: Overexpression of PKCI increased radiation sensitivity and repressed c-fos transcription in LM cells but not in AT cells. The results may be a. reason of increased radiation sensitivity of AT cells. PKCI may be involved in an ionizing radiation induced signal transduction pathway responsible for radiation sensitivity and c-fos transcription. The data also provided evidence for novel transcriptional difference between LM and AT cells.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.137-143
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• 1996

We isolated a promoter inducible by paraquat, a superoxide-generating agent, from Escherichia coli using a promoter-probing plasmid pRS415. From sequence analysis we found out the promoter is for fpr ENCODING nadph : ferredoxin oxidoreductase. We constructed on operon fusion of lacZ gene with fpr promoter to monitor the expression of the gene in the single-copy state. LacZ expression generators, menadione and plumbagin, also induced the expression of .betha.-galactosidase in the fusion strain. On the other hand, no significant induction was observed by treatment with hydrogen peroxide, ethanol, and heat shock. Induction of .betha.-galactosidase was significantly reduced by introducing a .DELTA. sox 8 :: cat of soxS3 :: Tn10 mutation into the fusion strain, indicating that fpr gene is a member of the soxRS regulon. The transcriptional start site was determined by primer extension analysis. Possible roles of fpr induction in superoxide stress were discussed.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.115-120
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• 2004

For the expression study of antioxidant isoenzyme genes in rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants, extensive searches for genes of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and catalase (CAT) isoforms were performed through the GenBank database. The genes for two cytosolic and one plastidic CuZn-SOD, one Fe-SOD, two Mn-SOD, two cytosolic and two chloroplastic (stromal and thylakoid) APX, and three CAT isoforms were available in japonica-type rice. These isoforms were named as cCuZn-SOD1, cCuZn-SOD2, pCuZn-SOD, Fe-SOD, Mn-SOD1, Mn-SOD2, cAPXa, cAPXb, Chl_sAPX, Chl_tAPX, CATa, CATb, and CATc, respectively. Since they shared a high degree of homology in the nucleotide and amino acid sequences, the gene-specific primers for the genes were designed directly from their full-length cDNAs found in the database except for the CATa gene. These primers were used in the RT-PCR analysis to investigate the differential expression of antioxidant isoenzyme genes in rice plants from the seeds irradiated with low doses (2, 4, 8, and 16 Gy) of gamma-radiation. The gammairradiation slightly increased the transcripts of pCuZn-SOD, while those of Fe-SOD, cAPXb, and CATb decreased. However, no substantial differences were observed in the expression of all the isoenzyme genes between the control and irradiated groups. In this study, gene specific primers for thirteen SOD, APX and CAT isoenzymes were constructed from the full-length cDNAs. The results of RT-PCR analysis obtained by using these primers suggests that the expression levels of SOD, APX, and CAT isoenzyme genes in rice seedlings were hardly affected by gamma-irradiation at the seed stage.