• Animal cells and systems
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.263-266
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• 2001

Metallothionein (MT) is induced in the regenerating rat liver. We have investigated expression of MT gene by RT PCR as well as specific localization of MT by immunocytochemistry in regenerating rat liver after partial hepatectomy (PH). MT mRNA level started to increase from 1 h and reached the peak at 8 h after PH. The level decreased gradually by 24 h, and became similar to that of control group. In the immunocytochemical study, in all groups treated with primary antibody, immunogold particles indicating the presence of MT were evenly distributed throughout both cytoplasm and nucleus of the rat hepatocytes. Within the nucleus, the gold particles appeared to be intensely localized in the areas of euchromatin and nucleolus. Within the cytoplasm, gold particles did not seem to adhere to mitochondria or Iysosomes, but were freely distributed. However, rough endoplasmic reticulum was the obvious compartment on which the gold particles were localized. Time course of MT immunoreactivity revealed that distribution of gold particles in hepatocytes increased gradually by 24 h, and decreased at 48 h after PH. Briefly, PH resulted in the sharpest increase in the expression of MT mRNA at 8 h and in the immunoreactivity of MT at 24 h, respectively. It is suggested that the increase of MT mRNA expression, the intensity of immunoreactivity and the specific localization of MT may be associated with the compensatory cell proliferation followed by PH.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.329-334
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• 2003

The present study was aimed at investigating the regulatory mechanism in tissue-specific expression of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) gene. The expression of IGF-I gene was determined by a solution hybridization/RNase protection assay using total RNA prepared from rat liver or brain of various ages. The levels of IGF-I transcripts were increased in liver gradually after birth, but decreased in brain. By using an oligonucleotide (FRE) corresponding to the C/EBP binding site of the rat IGF-I exon 1, multiple forms of C/EBP${\alpha}$ and C/EBP${\beta}$ proteins, which have DNA-binding activity, were detected in the rat liver or brain. Western immunoblot and southwestern analyses show that p42$\^$C/EBP${\alpha}$/, p38$\^$C/EBP${\alpha}$/, p35$\^$C/EBP${\alpha}$/, p38$\^$C/EBP${\beta}$/, and p35$\^$C/EBP${\beta}$ form specific complexes with the IGF-I exon 1 oligonucleotide in liver nuclear extract and that p42$\^$C/EBP${\alpha}$/ and p38$\^$C/EBP${\beta}$/ form complexes in brain. These data suggest that the formation of FRE-C/EBP isoform complexes may play important roles in the tissue-specific regulation of IGF-I gene expression.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.23
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• pp.10513-10524
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• 2015

Background: Metastasis is a major reason for poor prognosis in patients with cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A salient feature is the ability of cancer cells to colonize different organs. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in numerous cellular processes, including metastasis. Materials and Methods: In this study, the lncRNA expression profiles of two HCC cell lines, one with high potential for metastasis to the lung (HCCLM3) and the other to lymph nodes (HCCLYM-H2) were assessed using the Arraystar Human LncRNA Array v2.0, which contains 33,045 lncRNAs and 30,215 mRNAs. Coding-non-coding gene co-expression (CNC) networks were constructed and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to identify lncRNAs with potential functions in organ-specific metastasis. Levels of two representative lncRNAs and one representative mRNA, RP5-1014O16.1, lincRNA-TSPAN8 and TSPAN8, were further detected in HCC cell lines with differing metastasis potential by qRT-PCR. Results: Using microarray data, we identified 1,482 lncRNAs and 1,629 mRNAs that were differentially expressed (${\geq}1.5$ fold-change) between the two HCC cell lines. The most upregulated lncRNAs in H2 were RP11-672F9.1, RP5-1014O16.1, and RP11-501G6.1, while the most downregulated ones were lincRNA-TSPAN8, lincRNA-CALCA, C14orf132, NCRNA00173, and CR613944. The most upregulated mRNAs in H2 were C15orf48, PSG2, and PSG8, while the most downregulated ones were CALCB, CD81, CD24, TSPAN8, and SOST. Among them, lincRNA-TSPAN8 and TSPAN8 were found highly expressed in high lung metastatic potential HCC cells, while lowly expressed in no or low lung metastatic potential HCC cells. RP5-1014O16.1 was highly expressed in high lymphatic metastatic potential HCC cell lines, while lowly expressed in no lymphatic metastatic potential HCC cell lines. Conclusions: We provide the first detailed description of lncRNA expression profiles related to organ-specific metastasis in HCC. We demonstrated that a large number of lncRNAs may play important roles in driving HCC cells to metastasize to different sites; these lncRNAs may provide novel molecular biomarkers and offer a new basis for combating metastasis in HCC cases.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.91-98
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• 1997

The transgene, pFV4CAT, containing CAT reporter gene regulated by carp $\beta$-actin promoter, was expressed in independent transgenic mud loach germ lines, determined by reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA). Expression of the transmitted transgene was found to be tissue-specific in F1 and F2 generations. Tissue specificity of the expression was dependent on each transgenic line with reproducible patterns. Liver and spleen did express the transgene more frequently than other tissues tested, and muscle and heart revealed the higher amount of CAT than other tissues, while testes showed the lowest expression level. The highest level of CAT expression in muscle from a transgenic F1 line was corresponding to 68-fold compared to the basal levels of controls.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.385-389
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• 2004

A novel gene Jpk, originally isolated as a trans-acting factor associating with the position-specific regulatory element of murine Hox gene has been reported to be expressed differentially in the liver of diabetic animals. Therefore, in an attempt to develop a possible diagnostic marker and/or new therapeutic agent for the Diabetes Mellitus, we analysed the expression pattern of Jpk among organs of normal and diabetic Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Total RNAs were isolated from each organs (brain, lung, heart, liver, spleen, kidney, muscle, blood, and testis) of diabetic and normal rats in both normal feeding and after fasting condition. And then RT (reverse transcription) PCR has been performed using Jpk­specific primers. The Jpk gene turned out to be expressed in all organs tested, with some different expression profiles among normal and diabetes, though. Upon fasting, Jpk expressions were reduced in all organs tested except kidney, muscle and brain of normal rat. Whereas in diabetes, Jpk expressions were increased in all organs except heart, muscle and testis when fasted. Compared to the normal rat, the Jpk expression level in blood was remarkably upregulated (about 15-30times) in diabetic rat whether in normal feeding or fasting conditon, suggesting that the Jpk could be a candidate gene for the possible blood diagnostic marker for the Diabetes Mellitus.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.152-152
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• 2003

Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) is constitutively and inducibly expressed preferentially in liver of mice, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the expression of CYP1A2 have not yet been fully clarified. In this study, CpG sites of the Cyp1a2 promoter in liver were found to be hypomethylated in a site-specific pattern compared to those in lung and kidney.(omitted)

• Toxicological Research
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.331-342
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• 1992

The chicken major histocompatibility complex (MHC), the B complex, is beginning to be analyzed at the DNA level. Inbred lines of chickens have been reported to possess 3~5 MHC class II genes. To further analyzed the molecular structure of the chicken MHC class II genes, cDNA clones coding for chicken MHC class II (B-L) ${\beta}$ chain molecules were isolated from chicken spleen and liver. Tissue-specific transcription of B-L ${\beta}$genes was studied by Northern blot analysis. A high level of expression was detected for spleen poly(A)$^+$ RNA whereas a faint signal was detected for liver poly(A)$^+$ RNA. Twenty-nine cDNA clones were isolated from the spleen and eight cDNA clones were isolated from the liver. Based on restriction maps, most clones could be clustered into one family of genes. Four cDNA clones were sequenced (S7, S10 and S19 from the spleen and L1, which was identical to S19, from the liver). Complete amino acid sequences of B-L ${\beta}$ chain molecules were predicated from the nucleotide sequences of the cDNA clones. Although both the nature and the location of the conserved residues were similar in chicken and mammalian sequences, some species-specific differences were found, suggesting that the structures of the B-L molecules are similar, but not identical to their mammalian counterparts.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.31.1-31.11
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• 2017

Background: Liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide-2 (LEAP-2) is an important component of innate immune system in teleosts. In order to understand isoform-specific involvement and regulation of LEAP-2 genes in mud loach (Misgurnus mizolepis, Cypriniformes), a commercially important food fish, this study was aimed to characterize gene structure and expression characteristics of two paralog LEAP-2 isoforms. Results: Mud loach LEAP-2 isoforms (LEAP-2A and LEAP-2B) showed conserved features in the core structure of mature peptides characterized by four Cys residues to form two disulfide bonds. The two paralog isoforms represented a tripartite genomic organization, known as a common structure of vertebrate LEAP-2 genes. Bioinformatic analysis predicted various transcription factor binding motifs in the 5'-flanking regions of mud loach LEAP-2 genes with regard to development and immune response. Mud loach LEAP-2A and LEAP-2B isoforms exhibited different tissue expression patterns and were developmentally regulated. Both isoforms are rapidly modulated toward upregulation during bacterial challenge in an isoform and/or tissue-dependent fashion. Conclusion: Both LEAP-2 isoforms play protective roles not only in embryonic and larval development but also in early immune response to bacterial invasion in mud loach. The regulation pattern of the two isoform genes under basal and stimulated conditions would be isoform-specific, suggestive of a certain degree of functional divergence between isoforms in innate immune system in this species.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.468-477
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• 2009

Purpose: Hydrodynamic-based procedure is a simple and effective gene delivery method to lead a high gene expression in liver tissue. Non-invasive imaging reporter gene system has been used widely with herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk) and its various substrates. In the present study, we investigated to image the expression of HSV1-tk gene with 5-(2-iodovinyD-2'-deoxyuridine (IVDU) in mouse liver by the hydrodynamicbased procedure. Materials and Methods: HSV1-tk or enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) encoded plasmid DNA was transferred into the mouse liver by hydrodynaminc injection. At 24 h post-injection, RT-PCR, biodistribution, fluorescence imaging, nuclear imaging and digital wholebody autoradiography (DWBA) were performed to confirm transferred gene expression. Results: In RT-PCR assay using mRNA from the mouse liver, specific bands of HSV1-tk and EGFP gene were observed in HSV1-tk and EGFP expressing plasmid injected mouse, respectively. Higher uptake of radiolabeled IVDU was exhibited in liver of HSV1-tk gene transferred mouse by biodistribution study. In fluorescence imaging, the liver showed specific fluorescence signal in EGFP gene transferred mouse. Gamma-camera image and DWBA results showed that radiolabeled IVDU was accumulated in the liver of HSV1-tk gene transferred mouse. Conclusion: In this study, hydrodynamic-based procedure was effective in liver-specific gene delivery and it could be quantified with molecular imaging methods. Therefore, co-expression of HSV1-tk reporter gene and target gene by hydrodynamic-based procedure is expected to be a useful method for the evaluation of the target gene expression level with radiolabeled IVDU.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.12
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• pp.633-638
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• 2022

Liver regeneration is a well-known systemic homeostatic phenomenon. The N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification pathway has been associated with liver regeneration and hepatocellular carcinoma. m⁶A methyltransferases, such as methyltransferase 3 (METTL3) and methyltransferase 14 (METTL14), are involved in the hepatocyte-specific-regenerative pathway. To illustrate the role of METTL14, secreted from non-parenchymal liver cells, in the initiation phase of liver regeneration, we performed 70% partial hepatectomy (PH) in Mettl14 heterozygous (HET) and wild-type (WT) mice. Next, we analyzed the ratio of liver weight to body weight and the expression of mitogenic stimulators derived from non-parenchymal liver cells. Furthermore, we evaluated the expression of cell cycle-related genes and the hepatocyte proliferation rate via MKI67-immunostaining. During regeneration after PH, the weight ratio was lower in Mettl14 HET mice compared to WT mice. The expressions of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, mitogens derived from non-parenchymal liver cells that stimulate the cell cycle, as well as the expressions of cyclin B1 and D1, which regulate the cell cycle, and the number of MKI67-positive cells, which indicate proliferative hepatocyte in the late G1-M phase, were significantly reduced in Mettl14 HET mice 72 h after PH. Our findings demonstrate that global Mettl14 mutation may interrupt the homeostasis of liver regeneration after an acute injury like PH by restraining certain mitogens, such as HGF and TNF-α, derived from sinusoidal endothelial cells, stellate cells, and Kupffer cells. These results provide new insights into the role of METTL14 in the clinical treatment strategies of liver disease.