• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.197-202
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• 1990

Exogenously applied spermine, spermidine and putrescine caused a delay of senescence in fronds Lemna gibba G3 under continuous illumination. When the proximal half of a frond containing the meristematic“pockets”was removed, endogenous spermidine level in the distal half (half frond) increased initially to a miximal level, which was followed by a decline during a period of 10 days of incubation in light. No appreciable changes were observed with putrescine or spermine levels. Treatment of fronds with $\alpha$-difluromethylarginine (DFMA) resulted in both reduced level of spermidine and enhancement of chlorophyll loss in half fronds. $\alpha$-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) was found to be virtually ineffective in either parameter. Results of experiments with ABA and kinetin indicate that there is a close correlation between the progress of senescence and spermidine level in Lemna fronds under illumination. It is suggested that endogenous level of spermidine is associated, at least in part, with frond senescence in this aquatic plant.

• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.443-447
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• 1997

We have developed a novel method for assays of spermidine and spermine synthase (aminopropyltransferase) activities using antibody against 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine (MTA). A new assay is reported here which is based on the observation that MTA is formed as a stoichiometric by-product of the spermidine and spermine synthases reactions. In order to determine MTA, a radioimmunoassay method with sensitivity and rapidity was used. (Lee and Cho, 1997). In this assay, adenine must be added in the reaction mixture, since it effectively inhibits the action of MTA phosphorylase by which MTA is metabolized. This assay is a improvement in term of sensitivity and time saving, compared to the currently used methods. It has a level of sensitivity (100 fmol) sufficient to monitor aminopropyltransferase activities in incubations containing as little as $10{\mu}g$ protein prepared from rat tissue homogenate. The results obtained showed that this method is particularly useful for cultured cells with low enzyme concentration. Moreover, this assay has the advantage which allows studies using alternative substrates (other amines). Spermidine synthase activity was high in rat liver, but low in rat kidney. The activity of spermine synthase was in most rat tissues very low as compared to that of spermidine synthase, but was high in brain.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.42-51
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• 2019

We compared the antibacterial activities of spermidine and astaxanthin against two gram-positive bacteria such as Streptococcus parauberis and S. iniae to find new antibacterial candidates. We also evaluated the preventive effects of spermidine against oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity in C2C12 myoblasts. Our results indicated that spermidine has more significant antibacterial activities than astaxanthin against both two fish pathogenic bacteria as well as gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli used as a control group. Minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of spermidine were 0.25 mM and 1 mM against S. parauberis, 1 mM and 3 mM against S. iniae, and 0.5 mM and 1.5 mM against E. coli, respectively. In addition, the postantibiotic effect lasted from 7 h, 5 h and 6 h for S. parauberis, S. iniae and E. coli, respectively. The results also showed that the decreased C2C12 cell viability by H₂O₂ could be attributed to the induction of DNA damage and apoptosis accompanied by the increased production of reactive oxygen species, which was remarkably protected by spermidine. Additionally, the antioxidant effect of spermidine was associated with the activation of Nrf2 signaling pathway. According to the data, spermidine may be a potential lead compound which can be further optimized to discover novel antibacterial and antioxidant agents.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.146-156
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• 2018

Spermidine is a naturally occurring polyamine compound that has recently emerged with anti-aging properties and suppresses inflammation and oxidation. However, its mechanisms of action on anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects have not been fully elucidated. In this study, the potential of spermidine for reducing pro-inflammatory and oxidative effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages and zebrafish was explored. Our data indicate that spermidine significantly inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$), and cytokines including tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ and $interleukin-1{\beta}$ in RAW 264.7 macrophages without any significant cytotoxicity. The protective effects of spermidine accompanied by a marked suppression in their regulatory gene expression at the transcription levels. Spermidine also attenuated the nuclear translocation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ p65 subunit and reduced LPS-induced intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Moreover, spermidine prevented the LPS-induced NO production and ROS accumulation in zebrafish larvae and was found to be associated with a diminished recruitment of neutrophils and macrophages. Although more work is needed to fully understand the critical role of spermidine on the inhibition of inflammation-associated migration of immune cells, our findings clearly demonstrate that spermidine may be a potential therapeutic intervention for the treatment of inflammatory and oxidative disorders.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.403-408
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• 1992

The flowering in Lemna gibba G3, a long-day plant, was promoted under continuous light by agmatine, putrescine, spermidine and spermine present in the culture medium. Methylglyoxal-bis (guanylhydrazone) (MGBG) and cyc10hexylamine (CHA), inhibitors of polyamine biosynthesis, were found to suppress the flowering in the plants. The vegetative grov.1h rate was kept constant while the flowering was being promoted by the pOlyamines, and the inhibitors with depressive effect on flowering showed stimulatory effect on vegetative grov.1h. The pattern of vegetative growth during floral promotion or depression was an indication that the promotive action of the pOlyamines and the suppressive effect of the inhibitors may be outcome of their possible involvement specifically in the flowering process rather than in broad spectrum of growth of L. gibba G3. The degree of promotive action of spermdine and spermine could not be altered (or lessened) by simultaneous application of their inhibitors to the medium. This phenomenon indicates that the flowering process in L. gibba G3 may largely be dependent to the status of endogenous spermidine and spermine. Endogenous level of spermidine in florally induced Lemna, was found to rapidly increase. In 24 h of floral induction, the content reached at the level 2 times higher than that in non-induced plants. The elevated level of spermidine provides an additional, though premature, evidence supporting the postulation that endogenous polyamine status might play an important role in the very early stage of floral induction in L. gibba G3.bba G3.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.297-302
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• 1991

The effects of polyamines on auxin polar transport were studied in corn coleoptile segments. Among putresine, spermidine and spermine tested in labelled auxin transport, spermidine inhibited auxin polar transport most strongly. Its inhibitory effect appeared after 1 h of transport period. Spermidine inhibited labelled auxin and 14C-benzoic acid accumulation into the tissue in the various pH range tested (pH 4.0-8.0). These results suggest that the inhibition of auxin transport may not be due to decrease in pH by spermine the effect of decreased pH in the extracellular space.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.305-312
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• 2002

The effects of two natural polyamines (putrescine and spermidine) on the synthesis of ArcA, a response regulator of the Arc two-component signal transduction system, were studied using an E. coli mutant deficient in polyamine biosynthesis. Endogenous polyamine deficiency of the mutant resulted in marked reduction in the ArcA level determined by Western blot analysis. Putrescine supplement to the growth medium effectively increased the ArcA level of the mutant in a concentration-dependent manner. Spermidine also stimulated the ArcA level in the mutant to a greater degree than putrescine. Expression of arcA'::lacZ operon fusion in the mutant was stimulated 6-fold and 10-fold by putrescine and spermidine at a 1mM concentration, respectively, indicating that the stimulatory effect of the polyamines on ArcA synthesis is due to transcriptional induction, and that spermidine is a more potent arcA inducer than putrescine. The polyamine-dependent arcA'::lacZ induction was growth-phase-dependent and independent of either arcA or fnr which are two regulators involved in anaerobic stimulation of the Arch level. These results suggested that putrescine and spermidine polyamines may be potential intracellular signal molecules in the control of arcA expression, and thereby may play an important role in cellular metabolism.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.533-538
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• 1992

The generation time of Methylobacterium extorquens AMI growing on methanol at pH 5.5 and 7.0 was found to be 23 hand 8.3 h. respectively. The bacterium grown at pH 7.0 were found to contain more amounts of spermidine and putrescine than the cell grown at pH 5.5. Cells grown at both conditions exhibited strong methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) activity at the mid-exponential growth phase. The amounts of MDH. however. were found to be almost equal through all gro~1h phases. Cells growing at the stationary phase contained large amounts of cytochrome c. The cytochrome c content was higher in cells growing at pH 7.0 than the cells growing at pH 5.5. Cells growing at pH 5.5 in the presence of putrescine or spermidine contained increased amounts of putrescine. The level of spermine, however. was decreased and that of spermidine was not changed. Spermine added into the medium was found to have no effect on the level of cellular polyamines. Putrescine or spermidine added into the medium stimulated MDH and hydroxypyruvate reductase activities. but did not affect the contents of MDH and cytochrome c. It was found that preincubation of cell-free extracts with polyamines does not stimulate MDH and hydroxypyruvate reductase activities.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.253-257
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• 1999

Effects of polyamines such as cadaverine, putrescine, spermidine and spermine on the self-splicig inhibition of the T4 phage thymidylate synthase(td) intron by spectinomycin have been investrigated. Without polyamine 7mM spectinomycin caused 40% reduction of the splicing rate. Cadaverine reduced the splicing rate over the concentrations of 0.1 to 5 mM. Putrescine at 0.5 mM increased the splicing rate by 13%. Spermidine at 0.5 mM enhanced the splicing rate by 11% while spermine at 0.01 mM enhanced the splicing rate by 16%. Of the all polyamines tested, spermine exhibited the maximum activation effect to counteract the splicing inhibition by spectinomycin. This effect appears to be due to the role of polyamine in stabilizing the conformation of td intron ribozyme essential for the catalytic function.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 1992

Effects of polyamines and their biosynthetic inhibitors on adventitions shoot regeneration of Populus leaf segments were investigated. Polyamine inhibitors such as difluoromethyl arginine (DFMA), difluoromethyl ornithine (DFMO), and dicyclohexylamine (DCHA) decreased the fresh weight of cultured leaf segment and the rate of adventitious shoot regeneration. The inhibitory effects of DCHA were stronger than any other oplyamine inhibitors, and the rest were in the order of DFMO and DFMA. The inhibitory effects of these inhibitors were lessened or disappeared by the addition of polyamines, among which spermidine was the highest in its effect. Therefore, it is suggested that the spermidine may be related to the adventitious shoot regeneration of Populus leaf segments.gments.