• Journal of mucopolysaccharidosis and rare diseases
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2017

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type III, or Sanfilippo syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder. It is caused by a deficiency of one of four enzymes involved in the degradation of the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) heparan sulfate. The resultant cellular accumulation of heparan sulfate causes various clinical manifestations. MPS III is divided into four subtypes depending on the deficient enzyme: MPS IIIA, MPS IIIB, MPS IIIC and MPS IIID. All the subtypes show similar clinical features and are characterized by progressive degeneration of the central nervous system (CNS). Main purpose of the treatment for MPS III is to prevent neurologic deterioration. However, conventional enzyme replacement therapy has a limitation due to inability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Several experimental treatment options for MPS III are being developed.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.80-89
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• 2011

3D structures of STAM1 UIM-ubiquitin complex were presented to predict and analyze the interaction between UIM and ubiquitin. To generate the protein-peptide complex structure, the RosettaDock method was used with and without NMR restraints. High resolution complex structure was acquired successfully and evaluated electrostatic interaction in the protein-peptide binding with several charged residues at the binding site. From docking results, the Rosettadock method could be useful to acquire essential information of protein-protein or protein-peptide interaction with minimal biological evidences.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.324-330
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• 2009

Autophagy is a bulk lysosomal degradation process important in development, differentiation and cellular homeostasis in multiple organs. Interestingly, neuronal survival is highly dependent on autophagy due to its post-mitotic nature, polarized morphology and active protein trafficking. A growing body of evidence now suggests that alteration or dysfunction of autophagy causes accumulation of abnormal proteins and/or damaged organelles, thereby leading to neurodegenerative disease. Although autophagy generally prevents neuronal cell death, it plays a protective or detrimental role in neurodegenerative disease depending on the environment. In this review, the two sides of autophagy will be discussed in the context of several neurodegenerative diseases.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.9
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• pp.459-473
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• 2016

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) often involve the formation of abnormal and toxic protein aggregates, which are thought to be the primary factor in ND occurrence and progression. Aged neurons exhibit marked increases in aggregated protein levels, which can lead to increased cell death in specific brain regions. As no specific drugs/therapies for treating the symptoms or/and progression of NDs are available, obtaining a complete understanding of the mechanism underlying the formation of protein aggregates is needed for designing a novel and efficient removal strategy. Intracellular proteolysis generally involves either the lysosomal or ubiquitin-proteasome system. In this review, we focus on the structure and assembly of the proteasome, proteasome-mediated protein degradation, and the multiple dynamic regulatory mechanisms governing proteasome activity. We also discuss the plausibility of the correlation between changes in proteasome activity and the occurrence of NDs.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.74-80
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• 2021

Autophagy is an evolutionarily well-conserved cellular homeostasis program that responds to various cellular stresses and degrades unnecessary or harmful intracellular materials in lysosomes. Accumulating evidence has shown that autophagy dysfunction often results in various human pathophysiological conditions, including metabolic disorders, cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases. The discovery of an autophagy machinery protein network has revealed underlying molecular mechanisms of autophagy, and advances in the understanding of its regulatory mechanism have provided novel therapeutic targets for treating human diseases. Recently, reports have emerged on the involvement of autophagy in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Although the role of autophagy in cancer therapy is controversial, the beneficial use of the induction of autophagic cell death in OSCC has drawn significant attention. In this review, the types of autophagy, mechanism of autophagosome biogenesis, and modulating molecules and therapeutic candidates affecting the induction of autophagic cell death in OSCC are briefly described.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.376-384
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• 2023

The Wnt 𝛽-catenin signaling pathway is a highly conserved mechanism that plays a critical role from embryonic development and adult stem cell homeostasis. However, dysregulation of the Wnt pathway has been implicated in various diseases, including cancer. Therefore, multiple layers of regulatory mechanisms tightly control the activation and suppression of the Wnt signal. The E3 ubiquitin ligases RNF43 and ZNRF3, which are known negative regulators of the Wnt pathway, are critical component of Wnt signaling regulation. These E3 ubiquitin ligases control Wnt signaling by targeting the Wnt receptor Frizzled to induce ubiquitination-mediated endo-lysosomal degradation, thus controlling the activation of the Wnt signaling pathway. We also discuss the regulatory mechanisms, interactors, and evolution of RNF43 and ZNRF3. This review article summarizes recent findings on RNF43 and ZNRF3 and their potential implications for the development of therapeutic strategies to target the Wnt signaling pathway in various diseases, including cancer.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.53-62
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• 1998

The lysosomal acid hydrolases including lysosomal acid phosphatase (LAP) are believed to play an important role in intracellular and extracellular degradation. LAP was reported to increase its activity in dedifferentiation stage during urodele limb regeneration. In the paresent study, LAP localization in the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) limb regenerates was investigated by immunohistochemistry. LAP immunoreactivity with monoclonal antibody against Korean salamander (Hynobius leehii) LAP was observed mainly in the wound epidermis, blastema cells, muscle, and cartilage which were under dedifferentiation process in axolotl limb regenerates. Moreover, LAP immunoreactivity increased gradually during the early phase of lib regeneration and reached the peak level at dedifferentiation stage. However, as redifferentiation begans, LAP immunoreactivity decreased slowly to the basal level. Retinoic acid (RA) which is known to induce skeleton pattern duplication in regenerating urodele limb appears to enhance LAP immunoreactivity. In the RA-treate limg regenerates, LAP immunoreactivity was higher than in the normal regenerates. In addition, the LAP expression period was more extended in the RA treated regenerates than in the normal regenerates. These results suggest that RA is involved in the extension of dedifferentiation state in RA-treated limb regenerate.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2010

The fine structural characteristics of the apoptotic cells in the cutaneous epithelium of the anuran tadpole of the black-spotted frog, Rana nigromaculata was examined using the TUNEL (Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotinylated d-Uridine triphosphate Nick End Labeling) staining technique and TEM (transmission electron microscopy) observations. The cutaneous epithelium of the tadpole was composed of stratified cuboidal cells and the apoptotic cell death was observed continuously during the tail degeneration stages from the Shumway stage number 31 to 33. The early apoptotic cells shown in the epithelium demonstrated condensation and margination of the chromatin material at the nuclear periphery, and nuclear breakdown and cytoplasmic condensation were followed. Subsequent cytoplasmic degeneration of the apoptotic cell were produced by membrane-bounded cell fragments with relatively well preserved organelles. Following the processes of autophagic degradation, the late apoptotic cells being phagocytosed by other surrounding cells. These nearby cells, presumptive intraepithelial macrophages, contain a variety of lysosomal residual bodies which fuses with other cell organelles or other cytoplasmatic material to form secondary lysosomes. They are soon transformed into lamellar shaped vesicles and finally disappeared during the process of degradation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2002

Effects of cadmium (Cd) intoxication on renal endosomal accumulation of organic cations $(OC^+)$ were studied in rats using $^{14}C-tetraethylammnium$ (TEA) as a substrate. Cd intoxication was induced by s.c. injections of 2 mg Cd/kg/day for $2{\sim}3$ weeks. Renal cortical endosomes were isolated and the endosomal acidification (acridine orange fluorescence change) and TEA uptake (Millipore filtration technique) were assessed. The TEA uptake was an uphill transport mediated by $H^+/OC^+$ antiporter driven by the pH gradient established by $H^+-ATPase.$ In endosomes of Cd-intoxicated rats, the ATP-dependent TEA uptake was markedly attenuated due to inhibition of endosomal acidification as well as $H^+/TEA$ antiport. In kinetic analysis of $H^+/TEA$ antiport, Vmax was reduced and Km was increased in the Cd group. Inhibition of $H^+/TEA$ antiport was also observed in normal endosomes directly exposed to free Cd (but not Cd-metallothionein complex, CdMt) in vitro. These data suggest that during chronic Cd exposure, free Cd ions liberated by lysosomal degradation of CdMt in proximal tubule cells may impair the endosomal accumulation of $OC^+$ by directly inhibiting the $H^+/OC^+$ antiporter activity and indirectly by reducing the intravesicular acidification, the driving force for $H^+/OC^+$ exchange.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.242-250
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• 2013

The autophagy-lysosomal pathway is an important protein degradation system, and its dysfunction has been implicated in a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease. Raphani Semen, one of the herbs of Yeoldahanso-tang (YH), has neuroprotective effects via the autophagy pathway. The activity-guided method was used to isolate and identify the components of Raphani Semen. In this experiment, the total extract of Raphani Semen was partitioned to n-butanol, methylene chloride, and water fractions. Flow cytometry data showed that only the water fraction showed autophagy-inducing activity in vitro. Compounds 1 and 2 were isolated from this water fraction by preparative HPLC separation. The structures of compounds 1 and 2 were identified as stachyose and raffinose, respectively, by the analysis of various spectral data ($^1H$ NMR, $^{13}C$ NMR, and MS) and comparisons with standard stachyose and raffinose. Of these two compounds, raffinose showed autophagy-inducing activity in PC12 cells through the mTOR pathway.