• Molecules and Cells
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.297-302
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• 2005

The integrity and proper functioning of telomeres require association of telomeric DNA sequences with specific binding proteins. We have characterized PLP-1, a $PUR{\alpha}$ homolog encoded by F45E4.2, which we previously identified as a candidate double stranded telomere binding protein, by affinity chromatography followed by mass spectrometry. PLP-1 bound double-stranded telomeric DNA in vitro as shown by competition assays. Core binding was provided by the third and fourth nucleotides of the TTAGGC telomeric repeat. This is quite different from the binding sequence of CEH-37, another C. elegans telomere binding protein, suggesting that multiple proteins may bind nematode telomeric DNA simultaneously in vivo.

• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.11
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• pp.578-583
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• 2018

Telomeres are specialized nucleoprotein complexes that function to protect eukaryotic chromosomes from recombination and erosion. Several telomere binding proteins (TBPs) have been characterized in higher plants, but their detailed in vivo functions at the plant level are largely unknown. In this study, we identified and characterized OsTRFL1 (Oryza sativa Telomere Repeat-binding Factor Like 1) in rice, a monocot model crop. Although OsTRFL1 did not directly bind to telomere repeats $(TTTAGGG){_4}$ in vitro, it was associated with telomeric sequences in planta. OsTRFL1 interacted with rice TBPs, such as OsTRBF1 and RTBP1, in yeast and plant cells as well as in vitro. Thus, it seems likely that the association of OsTRFL1 with other TBPs enables OsTRFL1 to bind to telomeres indirectly. T-DNA inserted OsTRFL1 knock-out mutant rice plants displayed significantly longer telomeres (6-25 kb) than those (5-12 kb) in wild-type plants, indicating that OsTRFL1 is a negative factor for telomere lengthening. The reduced levels of OsTRFL1 caused serious developmental defects in both vegetative and reproductive organs of rice plants. These results suggest that OsTRFL1 is an essential factor for the proper maintenance of telomeres and normal development of rice.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.197.1-197
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• 2000

No Abstract, See Full Text

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.183-188
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• 2002

Gradual attrition of telomere to a critical short length elicits successive cellular response of cellular senescence and crisis. Cancer cells evade this process by maintaining functional telomeres via one of two known mechanisms of telomere maintenance. The first and most frequent mechanism involves reactivation of enzyme activity of telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein complex mainly via transcriptional up-regulation of TERT, a catalytic subunit of telomerase complex. The second mechanism utilizes telomerase-independent way termed ALT (for Alternative Lengthening of Telomere), which possibly involves recombination pathways. Thus master key for cellular immortalization is supposed to possess adequate telomere reserves. Indeed, telomerase can alone induce the immortalization under culture on feeder cell layers without generally known inactivation mechanism of tumor suppressor genes. Including this phenomena, this review will focus on telomerase and telomere-associated proteins, thereby implication of these proteins for cellular immortalization processes.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.25-32
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• 2002

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.195-202
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• 2011

Maintenance of adequate telomere length in developing cells is the most important concern to preserve the integrity of the genome. The length of telomere is strictly regulated by numerous telomere-binding proteins and/or interacting factors. Even though the expression of telomerase in the male reproductive tract has been characterized, developmental expressional profiling of telomerase and other telomere-associated proteins has not been determined in detail. The present study was attempted to examine expression patterns of catalytic subunit (Tert) and RNA component (Terc) of telomerase and two telomerase associated factors, telomerase associated protein 1 (Tep1) and TERF1 (TRF1) interacting nuclear factor 2 (Tinf2) in the testis and seminal vesicle of male rat during postnatal development. The real-time PCR analysis was utilized to quantify mRNA expression of molecules. The abundance of Tep1 mRNA in the testis and seminal vesicle was the highest at 5 months of age. Expressional fluctuation of Tinf2 during postnatal development was found in the testis, while expression of Tinf2 in the seminal vesicle was gradually increased until 5 months of age and then significantly decreased later. mRNA level of Tert gene in the testis was significantly increased at the adult and the elder, while the highest expression of Tert gene in the seminal vesicle was found at 5 months of age. Expression of Terc transcript in the testis and seminal vesicle was the highest at 5 months of age, followed by significant reduction at 1 and 2 years of ages. Such differential gene expression of telomere-associated factors and telomerase components in different male reproductive tissues during postnatal development indicates that maintenance of telomere length would be regulated in tissue- and/or age-specific manners.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2002.07a
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• pp.113-113
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• 2002

Phylogenetically conserved Bcl-2 family proteins play a pivotal role in the regulation of apoptosis from virus to human. Members of the Bcl-2 family consist of antiapoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Bcl-w, and proapoptotic proteins such as BAD, Bax, BOD, and Bok. It has been proposed that anti- and proapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins regulate cell death by binding to each other and forming heterodimers. A delicate balance between anti- and proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members exists in each cell and the relative concentration of these two groups of proteins determines whether the cell survives or undergoes apoptosis. Mcl-1 (Myeloid cell :leukemia-1) is a member of the Bcl-2 family proteins and was originally cloned as a differentiation-induced early gene that was activated in the human myeloblastic leukemia cell line, ML-1 . Mcl-1 is expressed in a wide variety of tissues and cells including neoplastic ones. We recently identified a short splicing variant of Mcl-1 short (Mcl-IS) and designated the known Mcl-1 as Mcl-1 long (Mcl-lL). Mcl-lL protein exhibits antiapoptotic activity and possesses the BH (Bcl-2 homology) 1, BH2, BH3, and transmembrane (TM) domains found in related Bcl-2 proteins. In contrast, Mcl-1 S is a BH3 domain-only proapoptotic protein that heterodimerizes with Mcl-lL. Although both Mc1-lL and Mcl-lS proteins contain BH domains fecund in other Bcl-2 family proteins, they are distinguished by their unusually long N-terminal sequences containing PEST (proline, glutamic acid, serine, and threonine) motifs, four pairs of arginine residues, and alanine- and glycine-rich regions. In addition, the expression pattern of Mcl-1 protein is different from that of Bcl-2 suggesting a unique role (or Mcl-1 in apoptosis regulation. Tankyrasel (TRF1-interacting, ankyrin-related ADP-related polymerasel) was originally isolated based on its binding to TRF 1 (telomeric repeat binding factor-1) and contains the sterile alpha motif (SAM) module, 24 ankyrin (ANK) repeats, and the catalytic domain of poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Previous studies showed that tankyrasel promotes telomere elongation in human cells presumably by inhibiting TRFI though its poly(ADP-ribosyl)action by tankyrasel . In addition, tankyrasel poly(ADP-ribosyl)ates Insulin-responsive amino peptidase (IRAP), a resident protein of GLUT4 vesicles, and insulin stimulates the PARP activity of tankyrase1 through its phosphorylation by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). ADP-ribosylation is a posttranslational modification that usually results in a loss of protein activity presumably by enhancing protein turnover. However, little information is available regarding the physiological function(s) of tankyrase1 other than as a PARP enzyme. In the present study, we found tankyrasel as a specific-binding protein of Mcl-1 Overexpression of tankyrasel led to the inhibition of both the apoptotic activity of Mel-lS and the survival action of Mcl-lL in mammalian cells. Unlike other known tankyrasel-interacting proteins, tankyrasel did not poly(ADP-ribosyl)ate either of the Mcl-1 proteins despite its ability to decrease Mcl-1 proteins expression following coexpression. Therefore, this study provides a novel mechanism to regulate Mcl-1-modulated apoptosis in which tankyrasel downregulates the expression of Mcl-1 proteins without the involvement of its ADP-ribosylation activity.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.167-173
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• 2005

To investigate the possible molecular mechanism (s) of bee venom as a candidate of anti-cancer drug, we examined the effects of the compound on the growth of human lung carcinoma cell line A549. Bee venom treatment declined the cell growth and viability of A549 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, which was associated with induction of apoptotic cell death. Bee venom down-regulated the levels of anti-apoptotic genes such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-XS/L, however, the levels of Bax, a pro-apoptotic gene, were up-regulated. Bee venom treatment induced not only tumor suppressor p53 but also cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21WAF1/CIP1 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, bee venom treatment induced the down-regulation of telomerase reverse transcriptase mRNA and telomeric repeat binding factor expression of A549 cells, however, the levels of telomerase-associated protein-1 and c-myc were not affected. Taken together, these findings suggest that bee venom-induced inhibition of human lung cancer cell growth is associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death via regulation of several major growth regulatory gene products, and bee venom may have therapeutic potential in human lung cancer.