• BMB Reports
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.328-333
• /
• 2005

A human homologue of Sar1, named Sara2, was shown to be preferentially expressed during erythropoiesis in a culture stimulated by EPO. Previous studies, in yeast, have shown that secretion-associated and Ras-related protein (Sar1p) plays an essential role in protein transport from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus. Here, we report the molecular analysis of Sara2 in erythroid cell culture. A 1250 bp long cDNA, encoding a 198 amino-acid protein very similar to Sar1 proteins from other organisms, was obtained. Furthermore, we also report a functional study of Sara2 with Real-time quantitative PCR analysis, demonstrating that expression of Sara2 mRNA increases during the initial stages of erythroid differentiation with EPO and that a two-fold increase in expression occurs following the addition of hydroxyurea (HU). In K562 cells, Sara2 mRNA was observed to have a constant expression and the addition of HU also up-regulated the expression in these cells. Our results suggest that Sara2 is an important gene in processes involving proliferation and differentiation and could be valuable for understanding the vesicular transport system during erythropoiesis.

• Journal of Photoscience
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.221-224
• /
• 2002

Carcinogenesis can be theoretically divided to intiation step and promotion step. Intiation associates with genetic alterations including p53 tumor suppressor gene and ras oncogene. Promotion involves in clonal expansion of of an initiated cell by epigenetic mechanism, mainly through signal transduction and gene expression. Ultraviolet light (UV) acts as both initiator and promoter. Initiation is closely related with DNA damage induced by UV, including cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers, (6-4) photoproducts and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine. Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and (6-4) photoproducts are directly induced by UV, while 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine is induced indirectly by the reactive oxygen species. Because initiation is an irreversal genetic event, while promotion is a reversal and epigenetic event, to know the molecular mechanisms of tumor promotion in UV-carcinogenesis is crucial to develop preventive medicine and suppress UV-carcinogenesis. Because ROS is also involved in signal transduction of the cell, anti-oxidant could be the good candidate of anti-promoting agent. Here, we describe the suppressive effect of UV-carcinogenesis by various anti-oxidant including olive oil. In addition, we discuss about the mechanism of UVB-induced expression of cyclooxygenase-2, which might be a representative molecule involved in promotion of UV-carcinogenesis.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.103-107
• /
• 2016

To establish a rapid and accurate detection of Phytophthora pinifolia, which is a quarantine pathogenic fungus in Korea, a species-specific primer was developed based on the ras-related protein (Ypt1) gene. Species-specific primer based on the DNA sequences of Ypt1 gene amplified 193 bp polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product for P. pinifolia. The primer pair yielded the predicted PCR product size exactly in testing with target pathogen DNAs, but not from the other 10 species of Phytophthora and 14 species of other phytopathogenic fungi. The primer pair also showed only the species-specific amplification curve on realtime PCR on target pathogen DNA. The detection sensitivity of real time PCR using species-specific primer pair was 10 to 100 times higher than conventional PCR, with 1 to $10pg/{\mu}L$.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.87-90
• /
• 2009

Cardiofaciocutaneous (CFC) syndrome is characterized by dysmorphic features, cardiac anomalies, and cutaneous abnormalities. CFC syndrome belongs to the class of Noonan-related diseases. CFC syndrome can be clinically differentiated from other Noonan-related diseases by the distinct craniofacial features of sparse hair, a hypoplastic supraorbital ridge, exophthalmos and nystagmus, and skin manifestations such as ichthyosis and hyperkeratosis. However, phenotypes can overlap among Noonan-related syndromes, including CFC syndrome. Recently, several genes in the RAS-MAPK pathway have been identified as disease-causing genes for Noonan-related diseases. Here, we report on a Korean girl diagnosed with CFC syndrome caused by a V-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) gene mutation, and we discuss the phenotype-genotype heterogeneities in Noonan syndrome and Noonan-related diseases.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.37 no.8
• /
• pp.613-619
• /
• 2014

The optic nerve often suffers regenerative failure after injury, leading to serious visual impairment such as glaucoma. The main inhibitory factors, including Nogo-A, oligodendrocyte myelin glycoprotein, and myelin-associated glycoprotein, exert their inhibitory effects on axonal growth through the same receptor, the Nogo-66 receptor (NgR). Oncomodulin (OM), a calcium-binding protein with a molecular weight of an ~12 kDa, which is secreted from activated macrophages, has been demonstrated to have high and specific affinity for retinal ganglion cells (RGC) and promote greater axonal regeneration than other known polypeptide growth factors. Protamine has been reported to effectively deliver small interference RNA (siRNA) into cells. Accordingly, a fusion protein of OM and truncated protamine (tp) may be used as a vehicle for the delivery of NgR siRNA into RGC for gene therapy. To test this hypothesis, we constructed OM and tp fusion protein (OM/tp) expression vectors. Using the indirect immunofluorescence labeling method, OM/tp fusion proteins were found to have a high affinity for RGC. The gel shift assay showed that the OM/tp fusion proteins retained the capacity to bind to DNA. Using OM/tp fusion proteins as a delivery tool, the siRNA of NgR was effectively transfected into cells and significantly down-regulated NgR expression levels. More importantly, OM/tp-NgR siRNA dramatically promoted axonal growth of RGC compared with the application of OM/tp recombinant protein or NgR siRNA alone in vitro. In addition, OM/tp-NgR siRNA highly elevated intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels and inhibited activation of the Ras homolog gene family, member A (RhoA). Taken together, our data demonstrated that the recombinant OM/tp fusion proteins retained the functions of both OM and tp, and that OM/tp-NgR siRNA might potentially be used for the treatment of optic nerve injury.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.50 no.9
• /
• pp.466-471
• /
• 2017

The results of this study show that c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation was associated with the enhancement of docetaxel-induced cytotoxicity by simvastatin in DU145 human prostate cancer cells. To better understand the basic molecular mechanisms, we investigated simvastatin-regulated targets during simvastatin-induced cell death in DU145 cells using two-dimensional (2D) proteomic analysis. Thus, vimentin, Ras-related protein Rab-1B (RAB1B), cytoplasmic hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA synthase (cHMGCS), thioredoxin domain-containing protein 5 (TXNDC5), heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K), N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1), and isopentenyl-diphosphate Delta-isomerase 1 (IDI1) protein spots were identified as simvastatin-regulated targets involved in DU145 cell death signaling pathways. Moreover, the JNK inhibitor SP600125 significantly inhibited the upregulation of NDRG1 and IDI protein levels by combination treatment of docetaxel and simvastatin. These results suggest that NDRG1 and IDI could at least play an important role in DU145 cell death signaling as simvastatinregulated targets associated with JNK activation.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.153-159
• /
• 2020

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant disorder. NF1 patients are predisposed to formation of several type solid tumors as well as to juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. Loss of NF1 results in dysregulation of MAPK, PI3K and other signaling cascades, to promote cell proliferation and to inhibit cell apoptosis. The RUNX1 gene is associated with stem cell function in many tissues, and plays a key role in the fate of stem cells. Aberrant RUNX1 expression leads to context-dependent tumor development, in which RUNX1 may serve as a tumor suppressor or an oncogene in specific tissue contexts. The co-occurrence of mutation of NF1 and RUNX1 is detected rarely in several cancers and signaling downstream of RAS-MAPK can alter RUNX1 function. Whether aberrant RUNX1 expression contributes to NF1-related tumorigenesis is not fully understood. This review focuses on the role of RUNX1 in NF1-related tumors and blood disorders, and in sporadic cancers.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.129-135
• /
• 2020

SHP2 is an unusual protein phosphatase that functions as an activator for several signaling pathways, including the RAS pathway, while most other phosphatases suppress their downstream signaling cascades. The physiological and pathophysiological roles of SHP2 have been extensively studied in the field of cancer research. Mutations in the PTPN11 gene which encodes SHP2 are also highly associated with developmental disorders, such as Noonan syndrome (NS), and cognitive deficits including learning disabilities are common among NS patients. However, the molecular and cellular mechanism by which SHP2 is involved in cognitive functions is not well understood. Recent studies using SHP2 mutant mice or pharmacological inhibitors have shown that SHP2 plays critical role in learning and memory and synaptic plasticity. Here, we review the recent studies demonstrating that SHP2 is involved in synaptic plasticity, and learning and memory, by the regulation of the expression and/or function of glutamate receptors. We suggest that each cell type may have distinct paths connecting the dots between SHP2 and glutamate receptors, and these paths may also change with aging.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2011

It is suggested that FGF/Ras/MEK/Erk signaling plays crucial roles in specification and cell division of the mesodermal precursor cells in ascidian embryos. To investigate how the number of cell division in tissue precursor cells is determined, we have characterized Wee1 homolog, Hr-Wee1 of the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi. We found that the Hr-Wee1 mRNA is expressed both maternally and zygotically. Maternal transcript is localized to the cytoplasm in the animal cells, while zygotic expression is seen in cells of the endoderm lineage from 32-cell to 110-cell stages. Zygotic in situ signal is detected in the A-line neural plate cells of neurulae, and in epidermal cells of the head region of tailbud embryos. Embryos treated with MEK signaling inhibitor showed a similar pattern to normal embryos in expression of Hr-Wee1. Therefore, it is likely that MEK signaling does not affect the maternal and zygotic expression of Hr-Wee1.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2012

Differentially expressed genes by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) were identified in order to evaluate them as dioxin-sensitive markers and crucial signaling molecules to understand dioxin-induced toxic mechanisms in human bronchial cells. Gene expression profiling was analyzed by cDNA microarray and ten genes were selected for further study. They were cytochrome P450, family 1, subfamily B, polypeptide 1 (CYP1B1), S100 calcium binding protein A8 (calgranulin A), S100 calcium binding protein A9 (calgranulin B), aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family, member A3 (ALDH6) and peroxiredoxin 5 (PRDX5) in up-regulated group. Among them, CYP1B1 was used as a hallmark for dioxin and sharply increased by TCDD exposure. Down-regulated genes were IK cytokine, interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 1 (IFIT1), nuclease sensitive element binding protein 1 (NSEP1), protein tyrosine phosphatase type VI A, member 1 (PTP4A1), ras oncogene family 32 (RAB32). Although up-regulated 4 genes in microarray were coincided with northern hybridization, down-regulated 5 genes showed U-shaped expression pattern which is sharply decreased at lower doses and gradually increased at higher doses. These results introduce some of TCDD-responsive genes can be sensitive markers against TCDD exposure and used as signaling cues to understand toxicity initiated by TCDD inhalation in pulmonary tissues.