• BMB Reports
• /
• v.48 no.11
• /
• pp.597-598
• /
• 2015

Mitochondrial respiratory defect is a key bioenergetics feature of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. However, their involvement and roles in HCC development and progression remain unclear. Recently, we identified 10 common mitochondrial defect (CMD) signature genes that may be induced by retrograde signaling-mediated transcriptional reprogramming in response to HCC mitochondrial defects. HCC patients with enriched expression of these genes had poor prognostic outcomes, such as shorter periods of overall survival and recurrence-free survival. Nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1), a key transcription regulator, was up-regulated by Ca⁺⁺-mediated retrograde signaling. NUPR1-centric network analysis and a biochemical promoter-binding assay demonstrated that granulin (GRN) is a key downstream effector of NUPR1 for the regulation of HCC cell invasiveness; association analysis of the NUPR1-GRN pathway supported this conclusion. Mitochondrial respiratory defects and retrograde signaling thus play pivotal roles in HCC progression, highlighting the potential of the NUPR1-GRN axis as a novel diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for HCC.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.296-300
• /
• 2004

We investigated feasibility of using the formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue to study mitochondrial mutations in the case that fresh or frozen tissue, or blood samples are not available. Four paraffin blocks of muscle biopsies in Korean MELAS (mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes) patients were chosen. Total DNA was extracted from these blocks for PCR/RFLP analysis, and sequencing was performed to study the most common mutation, A to G transition at nucleotide position 3243 underlying MELAS in the mitochondrial tRN $A^{Leu(UUR)}$ gene. We could identify the A to G mutation at nt.3243 in three MELAS patients. Our results show that the mitochondrial genome of our paraffin blocks is presumably in good condition. Our results are in accordance with the previous findings by other investigators that PCR allows molecular genetic analysis of paraffin-embedded tissues stored in most histopathology laboratories.s.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.239-242
• /
• 2008

Obesity results from a combination of genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors. Uncoupling proteins (UCP) are members of the larger family of mitochondrial anion carrier proteins (MACP). UCP separates oxidative phosphorylation from ATP synthesis with energy dissipated as heat, also referred to as the mitochondrial proton leak. UCP facilitates the transfer of anions from the inner to the outer mitochondrial membrane and the return transfer of protons from the outer to the inner mitochondrial membrane. Therefore, we investigated the genotype for the G>A polymorphism at the position -866 of UCP2 gene in Koreans and compared genotype of patients with control group. 50 patients (Male 22, Female 28), who previously underwent type 2 diabetcs (T2DM) and 30 controls (Male 14, Female 16) participated in this study. There was a weak significant association between -866 G>A polymorphism in UCP2 gene and T2DM. The present study shows that UCP2 -866 G>A polymorphism may not be associated with the pathogenesis of T2DM as opposed to the previous reports in other countries. Further studies with larger population may be needed for the development of diagnostic methods at genetic level such as DNA chip.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.109-117
• /
• 2015

Purpose: Mitochondrial diseases are clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders, which make their exact diagnosis and classification difficult. The purpose of this study was to identify pathogenic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in 2 Korean families with myoclonic epilepsy with ragged-red fibers (MERRF) and Leigh syndrome, respectively. Materials and Methods: Whole mtDNAs were sequenced by the method of mtDNA-targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS). Results: Two causative mtDNA mutations were identified from the NGS data. An m.8344A>G mutation in the tRNA-Lys gene (MT-TK) was detected in a MERRF patient (family ID: MT132), and an m.9176T>C (p.Leu217Pro) mutation in the mitochondrial ATP6 gene (MT-ATP6) was detected in a Leigh syndrome patient (family ID: MT130). Both mutations, which have been reported several times before in affected individuals, were not found in the control samples. Conclusion: This study suggests that mtDNA-targeted NGS will be helpful for the molecular diagnosis of genetically heterogeneous mitochondrial diseases with complex phenotypes.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.147-164
• /
• 2009

Objectives : We investigated the effects of Sopungsungi-won(Shu!engshunqiyuan) (SSEx1, SSEx2) to treat the metabolic syndrome by the molecular mechanism of regulation of PPAR and modulation of mitochondrial MCAD, VLCAD mRNA expression. Methods : Mouse NMu2Li liver cells and C2C12 skeletal muscle myogenic progenital cells were transiently transfected with expression plasmids for PPAR(PPAR${\alpha}$, PPAR${\delta}$), a luciferase reporter gene construct containing 3 copies of the PPRE from the rat acyl-CoA oxidase gene and ${\beta}$-galactosidase gene. Cells were treated with several concentrated kinds of SSEx1, SSEx2 at the initial time of culture and analyzed PPAR${\alpha}$, PPAR${\delta}$ reporter gene activity using spectrophotometer (405 nm). Total RNA was extracted from SSEx1, SSEx2 and measured mRNA levels of mitochondrial MCAD, VLCAD. Representative RT-PCR bands are shown. Results : 1. SSEx1 increased the expression of PPAR${\alpha}$ reporter gene activities at 0.1 ${\mu}$g/ml (p${\mu}$g/ml (p<0.05), SSEx2 at 0.1 ${\mu}$g/ml (p${\mu}$g/ml (p<0.05) significantly in NMu2Li liver cell lines. 2. SSEx1 increased the expression of PPAR${\alpha}$ reporter gene activities at 1 ${\mu}$g/ml (p${\mu}$g/ml (p${\alpha}$ reporter gene activities in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells. 4. SSEx1 increased the modulation of mitochondrial MCAD mRNA expression (p<0.05) significantly in NMu2Li liver cell lines. 5. SSEx1, SSEx2 both increased the modulation of mitochondrial MCAD mRNA expression (p<0.05) significantly in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells. Conclusions : These results show the SSEx1, SSEx2 can be used as therapeutic agent for metabolic syndrome and it's molecular mechanisms of PPAR more contribute to the activation of PPAR${\alpha}$ then PPAR${\delta}$ reporter gene activities and it's total RNA more contribute to the modulation of mitochondrial MCAD then VLCAD mRNA expression.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.56-61
• /
• 1995

Molecular cloning and restriction mapping on ATPase $\alpha$-subunit gene (atpA) were carried out to obtain genomic information concerned with the gene structure and organization in Korean ginseng mitochondria. Two different clones containing the homologous sequence of atpA gene were selected from SalI and PstI libraries of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of Korean ginseng. The sizes of mtDNA fragments inserted in SalI and PstI clones were 3.4 kb and 13 kb, respectively. Southern blot analysis with [$^{32}P$] labelled Oenothera atPA gene probe showed that atpA gene sequence was located in 2.0 kb XkaI fragment in PstI clone and in 1.7 kb XbaI fragment in SalI clone. A partial sequening ascertained that the SalI clone included about 1.2 kb fragment from SalI restriction site to C-terminal sequence of this gene but about 0.3 kb N-terminal sequence of open reading frame was abscent. The PstI fragment was enough large to cover the full sequence of atpA gene. The same restriction pattern of the overlapped region suggests that both clones include the same fragment of atiA locus. Data of Southern blot analysis and partial nucleotide sequencing suggested that mtDNA of Korean ginseng has a single copy of atpA gene. Key words ATPase a-subunit, mitochondrial DNA, Panax ginseng.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.60 no.12
• /
• pp.408-412
• /
• 2017

Combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency-17 (COXPD-17) is very rare and is caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in the ELAC2 gene on chromosome 17p12. The ELAC2 gene functions as a mitochondrial tRNA processing gene, and only 4 different pathogenic mutations have been reported in ELAC2-associated mitochondrial dysfunction involving oxidative phosphorylation. Affected patients show various clinical symptoms and prognosis, depending on the genotype. We report a novel mutation in the ELAC2 gene (c.95C>G [p.Pro32Arg], het), in an infant with COXPD-17 who presented with encephalopathy including central apnea and intractable epilepsy, and growth and developmental retardation. During hospitalization, consistently elevated serum lactic acid levels were noted, indicative of mitochondrial dysfunction. The patient suddenly died of shock of unknown cause at 5 months of age. This is the first case report of COXPD-17 in Korea and was diagnosed based on clinical characteristics and genetic analysis.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.36-40
• /
• 2008

We analyzed the nucleotide sequences of about 500 bp of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 3 (ND3) gene to estimate the genetic variation of Korean masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou) populations. DNA samples were collected from 104 river-only specimens and 52 anadromous specimens from three hatcheries and one river. There are no records of artificial release into the river. We amplified the ND3 gene by polymerase chain reaction, targeting areas that included parts of the cytochrome oxidase III gene and the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4L gene, and defined 14 haplotypes based on 12 variable nucleotide sites in the examined region. Among the haplotypes, ten were specific to river-only specimens within hatchery populations. Haplotype diversity of river-only populations in hatcheries was higher than that of anadromous and wild populations. Pairwise population $F_{ST}$ estimates and neighbor-joining tree analyses inferred that anadromous and river-only populations were distinct. These results suggest that sequence polymorphism in the ND3 region may be a useful marker for analyzing the genetic variation and population structure of masu salmon.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.117-121
• /
• 2000

Genetic relationships among six species of the genus Rana from Korea were investigated by complete nucleotide sequence analyses of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1143 bp). Based on Kimura-2-parameter distance, the interspecific sequence differences of cytochrome b gene within the genus Rana were ranged from 7.83% to 25.00%. The genetic distances were 7.83% between R. nigromaculata and R. plancyi, 8.47% between two types of R. rugosa (type A and B), 10.42% between the brown frogs (R. amurensis and R. dybowskii), 16.11% between R. dybowskii types 1 and 2 and 12.36% between pond frogs (R. nigromaculata and R. plancyi) and R. catesbeiana. In the neighbor-joining and parsimony trees, R. catesbeiana was more closely related to pond frogs than brown frogs. R. dybowskii types 1 and 2 were considered to be at a distinct and specific level of differentiation (16.11%), while two types of R. rugosa were suspected to be at a subspecific level (8.47%).

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.297-304
• /
• 2003

Phylogenetic analysis of 31 species representing 12 genera in the family Strigidae (Aves: Strigiformes) including 5 species (Bubo bubo, Otus sunia, O. semitorques, Ninox scutulato, Strix aluco) collected from Korea has been undertaken using nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Maximum likelihood analysis was performed and pairwise genetic distances were calculated with Kimura's two-parameter and p-distance. Among well-aligned 959 bp used for this study, 459 sites were variable and 398 sites were informative for the phylogenetic analysis. The family Strigidae was divided into three subgroups, Clade I (Aegolius), Clade II (Athene, Micrathene, Glaucidium and Surnia) and Clade III (Bubo, Nycteo, Pulsatrix, Strix, Otus, Ptilopsis, and Ninox). Also, two separated subgroups in the genus Otus were confirmed by the geographical distribution.