• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.436-443
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• 2018

The actin cytoskeleton plays a key role in the entry of mitosis as well as in cytokinesis. In a previous study, we showed that actin disruption delays mitotic entry at G2/M by sustained activation of extracellular signal-related kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in primary cells but not in transformed cancer cell lines. Here, we examined the mechanism of cell cycle delay at G2/M by actin dysfunction in IMR-90 normal human fibroblasts. We observed that de-polymerization of actin with cytochalasin D (CD) constitutively activated ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) and induced inhibitory phosphorylation of Cdc2 (Tyr 15) in IMR-90 cells. In the presence of an actin defect in IMR-90 cells, activating phosphorylation of Wee1 kinase (Ser 642) and inhibitory phosphorylation of Cdc25C (Ser 216) was also maintained. However, when kinase-dead RSK (DN-RSK) was overexpressed, we observed sustained activation of ERK1/2, but no delay in the G2/M transition, demonstrating that RSK functions downstream of ERK in cell cycle delay by actin dysfunction. In DN-RSK overexpressing IMR-90 cells treated with CD, phosphorylation of Cdc25C (Ser 216) was blocked and phosphorylation of Cdc2 (Tyr 15) was decreased, but the phosphorylation of Wee1 (Ser 642) was maintained, demonstrating that RSK directly controls phosphorylation of Cdc25C (Ser 216), but not the activity of Wee1. These results strongly suggest that actin dysfunction in primary cells activates ERK1/2 to inhibit Cdc2, delaying the cell cycle at G2/M by activating downstream RSK, which phosphorylates and blocks Cdc25C, and by directly activating Wee1.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.837-842
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Brunfelsia grandiflora ethanol extract (BGEE) on the induction of autophagy via regulation of SIRT1 expression and p53 activation in a human lung fibroblast cell line, IMR 90. BGEE at a concentration of $5{\mu}g/ml$ or more exhibited a cytotoxic effect on IMR 90 cells. For the first time, this study showed that BGEE induces autophagy in normal human lung fibroblasts. BGEE also increased the expression level of beclin-1 at $2.5{\mu}g/ml$ or less and Atg7 at $5{\mu}g/ml$, both of which are known to be involved in the induction of autophagy. In addition, BGEE modulated the expression of other proteins related to autophagy in normal human lung fibroblasts. The expression levels of p53 and p-p53, an active form of p53, were decreased in the presence of BGEE at a noncytotoxic concentration. In contrast, the expression level of SIRT1 was increased in human lung fibroblasts treated with BGEE at a noncytotoxic concentration. Moreover, SA-${\beta}$-Gal staining, an aging marker, was reduced in the normal human lung fibroblasts treated with BGEE. These findings suggest that BGEE promotes the induction of autophagy and antiaging through the modulation of p53 and SIRT1 in human lung fibroblasts.