• Molecules and Cells
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.342-349
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• 2005

Cytokinins are adenine derivatives that regulate numerous plant growth and developmental processes, including apical and floral meristem development, stem growth, leaf senescence, apical dominance, and stress tolerance. However, not much is known about how cytokinin biosynthesis and metabolism is regulated. We identified a novel Arabidopsis gene, ALL, encoding an aldolase-like enzyme that regulates cytokinin signaling. An Arabidopsis mutant, all-1D, in which ALL is activated by the nearby insertion of the 35S enhancer, exhibited extreme dwarfism with rolled, dark-green leaves and reduced apical dominance, symptomatic of cytokinin-overproducing mutants. Consistent with this, ARR4 and ARR5, two representative primary cytokinin-responsive genes, were significantly induced in all-1D. Whereas SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM) and KNAT1, which regulate meristem development, were also greatly induced, expression of REV and PHV that regulate lateral organ polarity was inhibited. ALL encodes an aldolase-like enzyme that belongs to the HpcH/HpaI aldolase family in prokaryotes and is down-regulated by exogenous cytokinin, possibly through a negative feedback pathway. We propose that ALL is involved in cytokinin biosynthesis or metabolism and acts as a positive regulator of cytokinin signaling during shoot apical meristem development and determination of lateral organ polarity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제22권6호
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• pp.780-787
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• 2012

The maize pathogen Gibberella moniliformis produces fumonisins, a group of mycotoxins associated with several disorders in animals and humans, including cancer. The current focus of our research is to understand the regulatory mechanisms involved in fumonisin biosynthesis. In this study, we employed a proteomics approach to identify novel genes involved in the fumonisin biosynthesis under nitrogen stress. The combination of genome sequence, mutant strains, EST database, microarrays, and proteomics offers an opportunity to advance our understanding of this process. We investigated the response of the G. moniliformis proteome in limited nitrogen (N0, fumonisin-inducing) and excess nitrogen (N+, fumonisin-repressing) conditions by one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis. We selected 11 differentially expressed proteins, six from limited nitrogen conditions and five from excess nitrogen conditions, and determined the sequences by peptide mass fingerprinting and MS/MS spectrophotometry. Subsequently, we identified the EST sequences corresponding to the proteins and studied their expression profiles in different culture conditions. Through the comparative analysis of gene and protein expression data, we identified three candidate genes for functional analysis and our results provided valuable clues regarding the regulatory mechanisms of fumonisin biosynthesis.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.225-243
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• 2016

Thanks to recent advance of next generation sequencing techniques, RNA-seq enabled to have an unprecedented opportunity to identify transcript variants with isoform diversity and allelic imbalance (Anders et al., 2012) by different transcriptional rates. To date, it is well known that those features might be associated with the aberrant patterns of disease complexity such as tissue (Anders and Huber, 2010; Anders et al., 2012; Nariai et al., 2014) specific differential expression at isoform levels or tissue specific allelic imbalance in mal-functionality of disease processes, etc. Nevertheless, the knowledge of post-transcriptional modification and AI in transcriptomic and genomic areas has been little known in the traditional platforms due to the limitation of technology and insufficient resolution. We here stress the potential of isoform variability and allelic specific expression that are relevant to the abnormality of disease mechanisms in transcriptional genetic regulatory networks. In addition, we systematically review how robust Bayesian approaches in RNA-seq have been developed and utilized in this regard in the field.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제41권5호
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• pp.381-389
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• 2018

ARF is a tumor suppressor protein that has a pivotal role in the prevention of cancer development through regulating cell proliferation, senescence, and apoptosis. As a factor that induces senescence, the role of ARF as a tumor suppressor is closely linked to the p53-MDM2 axis, which is a key process that restrains tumor formation. Thus, many cancer cells either lack a functional ARF or p53, which enables them to evade cell oncogenic stress-mediated cycle arrest, senescence, or apoptosis. In particular, the ARF gene is a frequent target of genetic and epigenetic alterations including promoter hyper-methylation or gene deletion. However, as many cancer cells still express ARF, pathways that negatively modulate transcriptional or post-translational regulation of ARF could be potentially important means for cancer cells to induce cellular proliferation. These recent findings of regulators affecting ARF protein stability along with its low levels in numerous human cancers indicate the significance of an ARF post-translational mechanism in cancers. Novel findings of regulators stimulating or suppressing ARF function would provide new therapeutic targets to manage cancer- and senescence-related diseases. In this review, we present the current knowledge on the regulation and alterations of ARF expression in human cancers, and indicate the importance of regulators of ARF as a prognostic marker and in potential therapeutic strategies.

• 한국약용작물학회지
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.261-267
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• 2008

Malate dehydrogenase is a ubiquitous enzyme in plants, involving in a range of metabolic processes depending on its subcellular location. A malate dehydrogenase (PgMDH) cDNA was isolated and characterized from the root of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer. The deduced amino acid sequence of PgMDH showed high similarity with the NAD-dependent mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase from Glycinemax (P17783), Eucalyptus gunnii (P46487), and Lycopersicon esculentum (AAU29198). And the segment of a malate dehydrogenase gene was amplified through RT-PCR. The expression of PgMDH was increased after treatments of chilling, salt, UV, cadmium or copper treatment.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제29권9호
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• pp.1453-1459
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• 2019

Zeaxanthin is an important pigment in the photo-protection mechanism of microalgae. However, zeaxanthin epoxidase, an enzyme involved in the accumulation and conversion of zeaxanthin, has not been extensively studied in microalgae. In this work, we report the expression pattern of zeaxanthin epoxidase in Dunaliella tertiolecta (DtZEP) at different light and diverse salinity conditions. To confirm the responsiveness to light conditions, the ZEP expression pattern was investigated in photoperiodic (16 h of light and 8 h of dark) and continuous (24 h of light and 0 h of dark) light conditions. mRNA expression levels in photoperiodic conditions fluctuated along with the light/dark cycle, whereas those in continuous light remained unchanged. In varying salinity conditions, the highest mRNA and protein levels were detected in cells cultured in 1.5 M NaCl, and ZEP expression levels in cells shifted from 0.6 M NaCl to 1.5 M NaCl increased gradually. These results show that mRNA expression of DtZEP responds rapidly to the light/dark cycle or increased salinity, whereas changes in protein synthesis do not occur within a short period. Taken together, we show that DtZEP gene expression responds rapidly to light irradiation and hyperosmotic stress. In addition, ZEP expression patterns in light or salinity conditions are similar to those of higher plants, even though the habitat of D. tertiolecta is different.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.239-247
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• 2021

The scuttle fly is a fly species in the Phoridae family. Scuttle fly which moves abruptly after standing for a while and stop suddenly to rush off again. These characteristic behaviors of the scuttle fly seem to be related to muscular and nervous system or neurotransmitters. Thus, we focused at the neurotransmitter, corazonin (Crz) that is known to be related to resistance to stress and investigated the developmental process of the neurons in the scuttle fly. In a previous studies, we found that there are three groups of corazoninergic neurons in the larval CNS of the scuttle. Larva has 3 pairs of Crz neurons at the dorsolateral area of the brain, 1 pair at the dorsomedial brain and 8 pairs at the ventral nerve cord. In this studies, among these neurons, 1 pair of dorsomedial brain and 8 pairs of ventral nerve cord disappear in early pupal stage after metamorphosis. Only the 3 pairs of dorsolateral brain persist expression of Crz gene through all the period of pupa stage. This group of neurons converge gradually to frontal center of the brain and situated at the medial region. These pairs of corazoninergic neurons keep their number and location in adult stage. In the future, we expect further studies on the histological characteristics of corazonin-expressing cells and the expression of corazonin gene.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.597-615
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• 2023

Healthy aging can be defined as an extended lifespan and health span. Nutrition has been regarded as an important factor in healthy aging, because nutrients, bioactive food components, and diets have demonstrated beneficial effects on aging hallmarks such as oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, apoptosis and autophagy, genomic stability, and immune function. Nutrition also plays a role in epigenetic regulation of gene expression, and DNA methylation is the most extensively investigated epigenetic phenomenon in aging. Interestingly, age-associated DNA methylation can be modulated by one-carbon metabolism or inhibition of DNA methyltransferases. One-carbon metabolism ultimately controls the balance between the universal methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine and the methyltransferase inhibitor S-adenosylhomocysteine. Water-soluble B-vitamins such as folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 serve as coenzymes for multiple steps in one-carbon metabolism, whereas methionine, choline, betaine, and serine act as methyl donors. Thus, these one-carbon nutrients can modify age-associated DNA methylation and subsequently alter the age-associated physiologic and pathologic processes. We cannot elude aging per se but we may at least change age-associated DNA methylation, which could mitigate age-associated diseases and disorders.

• Mycobiology
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• 제51권5호
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• pp.273-280
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• 2023

The nucleolus is the largest, membrane-less organelle within the nucleus of eukaryotic cell that plays a critical role in rRNA transcription and assembly of ribosomes. Recently, the nucleolus has been shown to be implicated in an array of processes including the formation of signal recognition particles and response to cellular stress. Such diverse functions of nucleolus are mediated by nucleolar proteins. In this study, we characterized a gene coding a putative protein containing a nucleolar localization sequence (NoLS) in the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae. Phylogenetic and domain analysis suggested that the protein is orthologous to Rrp8 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. MoRRP8-GFP (translational fusion of MoRRP8 with green fluorescence protein) co-localizes with a nucleolar marker protein, MoNOP1 fused to red fluorescence protein (RFP), indicating that MoRRP8 is a nucleolar protein. Deletion of the MoRRP8 gene caused a reduction in vegetative growth and impinged largely on asexual sporulation. Although the asexual spores of DMorrp8 were morphologically indistinguishable from those of wild-type, they showed delay in germination and reduction in appressorium formation. Our pathogenicity assay revealed that the MoRRP8 is required for full virulence and growth within host plants. Taken together, these results suggest that nucleolar processes mediated by MoRRP8 is pivotal for fungal development and pathogenesis.

• 환경생물
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.433-440
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• 2015

The Apostichopus japonicus is an important species in some Asia countries including Korea, China and Japan. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the differential gene expression of heat shock protein90 (Hsp90) and ferritin as a biomarker for the thermal stress during water temperature rising in the sea cucumber, A. japonicus. The A. japonicus (1.4 g) was cultured in incubator of separate temperature ($15^{\circ}C$, $20^{\circ}C$, $25^{\circ}C$ and $30^{\circ}C$) for each 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 hours. The mRNA expression levels of Hsp90 and ferritin were examined using RT-PCR assay. Results showed that, the expression of Hsp90 mRNA was not significantly changed at $15^{\circ}C$. The expression of Hsp90 mRNA was significantly increased at high temperature such as $20^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$. Furthermore, Hsp90 mRNA was early increased at $25^{\circ}C$ than $20^{\circ}C$. The ferritin mRNA was similar expression pattern with Hsp90. But, Hsp90 mRNA was more sensitive than ferritin mRNA at high thermal stress. These results indicate that Hsp90 and ferritin mRNAs were involved in the temperature changes response and may be play an important role in mediating the thermal stress in A. japonicas.