• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.169-177
• /
• 2017

Tissue-specific transcription is critical for normal development, and abnormalities causing undesirable gene expression may lead to diseases such as cancer. Such highly organized transcription is controlled by enhancers with specific DNA sequences recognized by transcription factors. Enhancers are associated with chromatin modifications that are distinct epigenetic features in a tissue-specific manner. Recently, super-enhancers comprising enhancer clusters co-occupied by lineage-specific factors have been identified in diverse cell types such as adipocytes, hair follicle stem cells, and mammary epithelial cells. In addition, noncoding RNAs, named eRNAs, are synthesized at super-enhancer regions before their target genes are transcribed. Many functional studies revealed that super-enhancers and eRNAs are essential for the regulation of tissue-specific gene expression. In this review, we summarize recent findings concerning enhancer function in tissue-specific gene regulation and cancer development.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.579-587
• /
• 2016

Mastitis is a prevalent inflammatory disease that remains one of the main causes of poor quality of milk. Phytoncides are naturally occurring anti-inflammatory compounds derived from plants and trees. To determine if treatment with phytoncide could decrease the severity of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses, mammary alveolar epithelial cells (MAC-T) were pretreated with phytoncide (0.02% and 0.04% (v/v)) followed by LPS treatment (1 and 25 μg/ml). The results demonstrated that phytoncide downregulated LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression. Additionally, LPS-induced activation of ERK1/2, p38, and Akt was attenuated by phytoncide. Treatment of cells with known pharmacological inhibitors of ERK1/2 (PD98059), p38 (SB203580), and Akt (LY294002) confirmed the association of these signaling pathways with the observed alterations in COX-2 expression. Moreover, phytoncide attenuated LPS-induced NF-κB activation and superoxide production, and, finally, treatment with phytoncide increased Nrf2 activation. Results suggest that phytoncide can decrease LPS-induced inflammation in MAC-T cells.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.57-61
• /
• 1995

The expression of a recombinant human lactoferrin is reported in mouse HC11 mammary epithelial cells. Expression of human lactoferrin (hLF) was achieved by placing its cDNA under the control of the bovine ${\beta}$-casein gene. To improve the hLF expression level in a cell culture system, two artificial introns were also introduced to construct expression vectors. One intron was a hybrid-splice signal consisting of bovine ${\beta}$-casein intron 1 and rabbit ${\beta}$-globin intron II. The other intron was a DNA fragment spanning intron 8 of the bovine ${\beta}$-casein gene. The hybrid intron moderately elevated hLF expression, whereas intron 8 alone did not express any detectable amount of hLF as judged by Northem and Western blot analyses. When the two introns were used together they contributed to a synergistic elevation of hLF expression. These data indicate that artificial introns on both sides of the hLF cDNA were necessary to increase expression of cDNA.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 1998

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), originally discovered and cloned as a powerful mitogen for hepatocytes, is a four kringle-containing growth factor which specifically binds to membrane-spanning tyrosine kinase, c-Met/HGF receptor. HGF has mitogenic, motogenic (enhancement of cell movement), morphogenic (e.g., induction of branching tubulogenesis), and anti-apoptotic activities for a wide variety of cells. During embryogenesis, HGF supports organogenesis and morphogenesis of various tissues, including liver, kidney, lung, gut, mammary gland, and tooth. In adult tissues HGF elicits an organotrophic function which supports regeneration of organs such as liver, kidney, lung, and vascular tissues. HGF is also a novel member of neurotrophic factor in nervous systems. Together with the preferential expression of HGF in mesenchymal or stromal cells, and c-Met/HGF receptor In epithelial or endothelial cells, the HGF-Met coupling seems to orchestrate dynamic morphogenic processes through epithelial-mesenchymal (or-stromal) interactions for organogenesis and organ regeneration. HGF or HGF gene may well become unique therapeutic tools for treatment of patients with various organ failure, through its actions to reconstruct organized tissue architectures. This review focuses on recently characterized biological and physiological functions integrated by HGF-Met coupling during organogenesis and organ regeneration.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.221-225
• /
• 1998

Malignant tumors of the breast with stromal multinucleated giant cells are rare entity of uncertain clinical significance. There have been few reports on the fine needle aspiration cytologic(FNAC) findings about these rare tumors. We report a FNAC case of invasive mammary carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells not only for its rare occurrence but in particular for its distinctive cytologic picture on aspirated material. The patient was a 40-year-old woman who presented with a right breast mass for one month. Mammography showed a well-demarcated rounded mass density without calcification. The aspirates of FNAC were highly cellular and two main cell types were seen; malignant epithelial cells and osteoclast-like multinucleated giant cells. The carcinoma cells occurred singly or arranged in loose clusters with ill-defined cytoplasm, oval nuclei, coarse chromatin and small but distinct nucleoli. The multinucleated giant cells showed variable number of nuclei with prominent nucleoli and abundant dense oxyphilic cytoplasm. The immunocytochemical studies suggested that osteoclast-like giant cells were not of epithelial origin, but rather of histlocytic origin.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.307-313
• /
• 2021

Traf4 (Tumor necrosis factor Receptor Associated Factor 4) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) - associated factors (TRAFs) family. TRAF4 is overexpressed in tumor cells such as breast cancer and associated with cytoskeleton and membrane fraction. Interestingly, TRAF4 was localized with tight junctions (TJs) proteins including OCLN and TJP1 in mammary epithelial cells. However, the expression patterns and biological function of Traf4 were not examined in preimplantation mouse embryos although Traf4-deficient mouse showed embryonic lethality or various dramatic malformation. In this study, we examined the temporal and spatial expression patterns of mouse Traf4 during preimplantation development by qRT-PCR and immunostaining, and its biological function by using siRNA injection. We found upregulation of Traf4 from the 8-cell stage onwards and apical region of cell - cell contact sites at morula and blastocyst embryos. Moreover, Traf4 knockdown led to defective TJs without alteration of genes associated with TJ assembly but elevated p21 expression at the KD morula. Taken together, Traf4 is required for TJs assembly and cell proliferation during morula to blastocyst transition.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
• /
• 2003.06a
• /
• pp.17-17
• /
• 2003

The milk of transgenic animals may provide an attractive vehicle for large-scale production of hEPO. Since glycosylation is cell type specific, recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) produced in different host cells contain different patterns of oligosaccharides, which could affect the biological functions. However, there have been no reports on the characteristics of rhEPO derived from milk of transgenic animals. To address this objective, several transgenic mice by using pWAPhEPO and/or pBC1hEPO expression vector were produced. However, 2 lines of pWAPhEPO founder female mouse died during late gestational day (day 18) before offspring could be obtained. They showed a severe splenomegaly, Unlike those of pWAPhEPO, mammary gland epithelial cells from biopsies of lactating pBC1hEPO transgenic mice had marked immunoreactivity to EPO and any activity was not detected in other tissues. The expression level of rhEPO is about 0.7% of mammary gland cellular total soluble proteins and an amount of 300~500 mg/L rhEPO is secreted into milk. Furthermore, the pBC1hEPO transgenic mice transmitted this character to their progeny in mendelian manner. In order to determine the extent of glycosylation variation, N-linked oligosaccharide structures present in the milk-derived rhEPO were characterized. Most of milk-derived rhEPO is fully glycosylated. the biological activity of milk-derived rhEPO was comparable to that of purified CHO-derived rhEPO, and milk-derived rhEPO showed relatively stable after freezing and thawing. Taken together, the results illustrate the potential of transgenic animals in the large-scale production of biopharmaceuticals.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
• /
• 2001.10a
• /
• pp.52-53
• /
• 2001

In order for vitamin D to be active, it needs to get metabolized to 1, 25 (OH)$_2$D3. This active metabolite of vitamin D induces epithelial cell differentiation and is antiproliferative. However, at the efficacious concentration, the natural ligand for VDR is hypercalcemic and toxic to cells. Therefore, numerous analogs have been synthesized with the hope of generating a compound that retains vitamin D activity and is non-toxic.(omitted)

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
• /
• 2001.10b
• /
• pp.9-10
• /
• 2001

In order for vitamin D to be active, it needs to get metabolized to 1, 25 (OH)$_2$D3. This active metabolite of vitamin D induces epithelial cell differentiation and is antiproliferative. However, at the efficacious concentration, the natural ligand for VDR is hypercalcemic and toxic to cells. Therefore, numerous analogs have been synthesized with the hope of generating a compound that retains vitamin D activity and is non-toxic.(omitted)

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.143-149
• /
• 2018

Excessive exposure to estrogens is the most important risk factor for the development of hormone-sensitive cancers, especially breast cancer. Estrogen stimulates the expression of genes and proteins involved in cell proliferation by binding to estrogen receptor (ER). Another possible mechanism of ER-independent carcinogenicity of estrogens is based on the hydroxylation of estradiol resulting in the formation of catechol estrogens. Catechol estrogen 4-hydroxyestradiol ($4-OHE_2$) is further oxidized to catechol estrogen-3,4-quinones, the major carcinogenic metabolites of estrogens. Evidence increasingly supports the critical role of $4-OHE_2$ in hormonal carcinogenesis via DNA adduct formation or production of reactive oxygen species, which finally contribute to the transformation of normal mammary epithelial cells and the enhanced growth of breast cancer cells. It is also reported that the level of $4-OHE_2$ or its quinones is highly up-regulated in urine or tissues of breast cancer patients. Thus, we highlight the oncogenic roles of $4-OHE_2$ in catechol estrogen-induced breast carcinogenesis.