• Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.293-297
• /
• 1999

The pts operon, which encodes several factors in the phosphoenolpyruvate:carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS) of Escherichia coli, has multiple promoters which respond to different signals to facilitate quick adaptation to changes in growth conditions. The influence of an 1 kbp DNA region upstream of the pts P0 promoter on pts expression was studied in vitro by employing the DNA templates containing both P0 and P1 promoter with or without the 1 kbp upstream DNA region for in vitro transcription assay. The 1 kbp DNA region upstream of the pts P0 promoter, however, had no effect on pts transcription in vitro. The intracellular concentration of cAMP was measured when cells were grown in the presence of glucose, mannose, or mannitol. The transcription of P0 was increased maximally in the presence of glucose even though the concentration of cAMP in the condition was lowest while the transcription from the P1b was highest when cells were grown in the presence of mannose or mannitol even though the intracellular concentration of cAMP was lower than cells grown in the absence of the sugar. These results suggest the possibility of the existence of a glucose inducible repressor specific for the P0 promoter and a second repressor that is inducible by glucose, mannose and mannitol specific for the P1 promoter.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
• /
• v.49 no.4
• /
• pp.292-2999
• /
• 2022

Anthocyanin, an important component in the grape berry skin, strongly affects grape quality. The transcription factors VvMYBA1 and VvMYBA2 (VvMYBA1/2) control anthocyanin biosynthesis. In addition, cultivation and environmental factors, such as light, influence anthocyanin accumulation. The present study aimed to clarify the effect of shading (reduced light condition) on the transcriptomic regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis using a red-wine grape cultivar, Vitis vinifera 'Pinot Noir', and its white mutant, 'Pinot Blanc', caused by the deletion of the red allele of VvMYBA1/2. The grape berry skins were analyzed for anthocyanin content and global gene transcription accumulation. The microarray data were later validated by quantitative real-time PCR. A decisive influence of VvMYBA1/2 on the expression of an anthocyanin-specific gene, UDP glucose: flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase, was observed as expected. In contrast, upstream genes of the pathway, which are shared by other flavonoids, were also expressed in 'Pinot Blanc', and the mRNA levels of some of these genes decreased in both cultivars on shading. Thus, the involvement of light-sensitive transcription factor(s) other than VvMYBA1/2 was suggested for the expression control of the upstream genes of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway. Furthermore, it was suggested that the effects of these factors are different among isogenes.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.103-108
• /
• 2023

Enhancers are cis-elements to regulate transcription of cell/tissue-specific genes in multicellular organisms. These elements locate in upstream or downstream regions of target genes and are found in a long distance up to 100 Kb in some cases. Transcription factors and coactivators bind to enhancers in a chromatin environment. Enhancers appear to facilitate the transcription of target genes by communicating with promoters and activating them. As transcription activation mechanism of enhancers, chromatin looping between enhancers and promoters, tracking of enhancer activity to promoters along the intervening regions, and movement of enhancers and promoters into transcription condensates have been suggested based on various molecular and cellular biology studies. These mechanisms are likely to act together rather than exclusive each other for gene transcription. Understanding of enhancer action mechanism may provide a way to regulate the transcription of cell/tissue-specific genes relating with aging or various diseases.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
• /
• 2005.09a
• /
• pp.63-68
• /
• 2005

Transcription factors regulate gene expression by binding to gene upstream region. Each transcription factor has the specific binding site in promoter region. So the analysis of gene upstream sequence is necessary for understanding regulatory mechanism of genes, under a plausible idea that assumption that DNA sequence motif profiles are closely related to gene expression behaviors of the corresponding genes. Here, we present an effective approach to the analysis of the relation between gene expression profiles and gene upstream sequences on the basis of kernel canonical correlation analysis (kernel CCA). Kernel CCA is a useful method for finding relationships underlying between two different data sets. In the application to a yeast cell cycle data set, it is shown that gene upstream sequence profile is closely related to gene expression patterns in terms of canonical correlation scores. By the further analysis of the contributing values or weights of sequence motifs in the construction of a pair of sequence motif profiles and expression profiles, we show that the proposed method can identify significant DNA sequence motifs involved with some specific gene expression patterns, including some well known motifs and those putative, in the process of the yeast cell cycle.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.2 no.3
• /
• pp.150-157
• /
• 2002

Background: Although Tat plays a role as a potent transactivator in the viral gene expression from the Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 long terminal repeat (HIV-1 LTR), it does not function efficiently in rodent cells implying the absence of a human specific factor essential for Tat-medicated transactivation in rodent cells. In previous experiments, we demonstrated that one of chimeric forms of TAR (transacting responsive element) of HIV-1 LTR compensated the restriction in rodent cells. Methods: To characterize the nature of the compensation, we tested the effects of several upstream binding factors of HIV-1 LTR by simple substitution, and also examined the role of the configuration of the upstream binding factor(s) indirectly by constructing spacing mutants that contained insertions between Sp1 and TATA box on Tat-mediated transactivation. Results: Human Sp1 had no effect whereas its associated factors displayed differential effects in human and rodent cells. In addition, none of the spacing mutants tested overcame the restriction in rodent cells. Rather, when the secondary structure of the chimeric HIV-1 TAR construct was destroyed, the compensation in rodent cells was disappeared. Interestingly, the proper interaction between Sp1 and TATA box binding proteins, which is essential for Tat-dependent transcription, was dispensable in rodent cells. Conclusion: This result suggests that the human-specific Tat cofactor acts to allow Tat to interact effectively in a ribonucleoprotein complex that includes Tat, cellular factors, and TAR RNA, rather than be associated with the HIV-1 LTR upstream DNA binding factors.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.24 no.9
• /
• pp.973-980
• /
• 2014

This study was conducted to explore new nutraceutical resources from the plant kingdom possessing biological activities. To fulfill this purpose, the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of Decaisnea insignis ethanol extract (DIEE) were evaluated. First, DIEE possessed potent scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), similar to ascorbic acid used as a positive control. Moreover, DIEE inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) in RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, DIEE induced the expression of an anti-oxidative enzyme, heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), and its upstream transcription factor, nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), in a dose-dependent manner. The modulation of the HO-1 and Nrf2 expressions might be regulated by mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and their upstream signaling pathways. On the other hand, DIEE suppressed LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) formation without cytotoxicity. The inhibition of the NO formation was the result of the downregulation of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) by DIEE. The suppression of NO and iNOS by DIEE might be modulated by their upstream transcription factors, nuclear factor ${\kappa}B$ ($NF-{\kappa}B$), and activator protein 1 (AP-1) pathways. Taken together, these results provide important new insights that D. insignis possesses anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, it might be utilized as a promising material in the field of nutraceuticals.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.272-276
• /
• 2017

HOX genes are transcription factors that play important roles in body patterning and cell fate specification during normal development. In previous study, we found aberrant overexpression of HOXB5 in breast cancer tissues and cell lines, and demonstrated that HOXB5 is important in regulation of cell proliferation, tamoxifen resistance, and invasiveness through the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Although the relationship between HOXB5 and phenotypic changes in MCF7 breast cancer cells has been studied, the molecular function of HOXB5 as a transcription factor remains unclear. IL-6 has been reported to be involved in not only inflammation but also cancer progression, which is characterized by the increase of growth speed and invasiveness of tumor cells. In this study, we selected Interleukin-6 (IL-6) as HOXB5 putative downstream target gene and discovered that HOXB5 transcriptionally up-regulated the expression of IL-6 in HOXB5 overexpressing MCF7 cells. The upstream region (~1.2 kb) of IL-6 promoter turned out to contain several putative HOX consensus binding sites. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay confirmed that HOXB5 directly binds to the promoter region of IL-6 and positively regulated the expression of IL-6. These data all together, indicate that HOXB5 promotes IL-6 transcription by actively binding to the putative binding sites located in the upstream region of IL-6, which enable to increase its promoter activity in MCF7 breast cancer cells.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.59-67
• /
• 2023

Purpose : Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is recognized as an important cellular response in metastatic proceduresand characterized by loss of cellular polarity as well as gain of mesenchymal features, which enables migration and invasion. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common primary carcinomas in the liver and exhibits a poor prognosis due to frequent extrahepatic metastasis. Taraxacum officinale has been used for a long time in oriental medicine because of its various pharmacological activitiessuch as anti-rheumatic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and anticarcinogenic activities. In this study, the anti-metastatic activity of T. officinale water extract (TOWE) and ethanol extract (TOEE) was investigated through the regulation of EMT in the Huh7 cells. Methods : The effects of TOWE and TOEE on migratory and invasive activities were investigated by wound healing and in vitro invasion assays. Western blot analysis was also applied to analyze protein expression levels associated with EMT and their upstream transcription factors in Huh7 cells. Results : TOWE and TOEE treatment potently inhibited migration and invasion of Huh7 cells compared to the untreated group. Both extracts treatment inhibited protein expression levels of N-cadherin, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, and vimentin while E-cadherin was significantly accelerated. In addition, the activated status of transcription factors, Snail, nuclear factor (NF)-κ B, and zinc finger E-box binding homeobox (ZEB)1 was also inhibited with statistical significance. In comparison to both extracts, TOEE more potently attenuated migration, invasion, and EMT markers as well as their transcription factors in Huh7 cells than TOWE, which means that TOEE might possess more functional phytochemicals than TOWE. Conclusion : Consequently, TOWE and TOEEattenuated metastatic activity of hepatocellular carcinoma through the regulation of EMT markers and their transcription factors in Huh7 cells, which means that T. officinale might be a promising strategy for a chemopreventive agent against HCC metastasis.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.50 no.2
• /
• pp.71-78
• /
• 2017

The Hippo signaling pathway plays an essential role in adult-tissue homeostasis and organ-size control. In Drosophila and vertebrates, it consists of a highly conserved kinase cascade, which involves MST and Lats that negatively regulate the activity of the downstream transcription coactivators, YAP and TAZ. By interacting with TEADs and other transcription factors, they mediate both proliferative and antiapoptotic gene expression and thus regulate tissue repair and regeneration. Dysregulation or mutation of the Hippo pathway is linked to tumorigenesis and cancer development. Recent studies have uncovered multiple upstream inputs, including cell density, mechanical stress, G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling, and nutrients, that modulate Hippo pathway activity. This review focuses on the role of the Hippo pathway as effector of these biophysical cues and its potential implications in tissue homeostasis and cancer.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.9 no.5
• /
• pp.1218-1224
• /
• 2008

Located on the upstream of a gene, the promoter region that plays a very important role in the control of gene expression as a signal part has various binding sites for transcription factors. These binding sites are present in various parts of the promoter region and assume an aspect of highly conserved consensus sequence pattern. This paper deals with the introductions of search methods for consensus pattern, including Wataru method, EM algorithm, MEME algorithm, Genetic algorithm and Phylogenetic Footprinting method, and intends to give future prospects of research on this field.