Role of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and its effects on embryonic stem cells.
Abstract
The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is important for embryonic development and the formation of various tissues or organs. However, EMT dysfunction in normal cells leads to diseases, such as cancer or fibrosis. During the EMT, epithelial cells are converted into more invasive and active mesenchymal cells. E-box-binding proteins, including Snail, ZEB and helix-loop-helix family members, serve as EMT-activating transcription factors. These transcription factors repress the expression of epithelial markers, for example, E-cadherin, rearrange the cytoskeleton and promote the expression of mese...
Source: exp Mol Med - August 6, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Kim YS, Yi BR, Kim NH, Choi KC Tags: Exp Mol Med Source Type: research
Benzylideneacetophenone derivatives attenuate IFN-γ-induced IP-10/CXCL10 production in orbital fibroblasts of patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy through STAT-1 inhibition.
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to identify a new candidate anti-inflammatory compound for use in the active stage of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Benzylideneacetophenone compound JC3 [(2E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)phenylpro-2-en-l-one] was synthesized based on a structural modification of yakuchinone B, a constituent of the seeds of Alpinia oxyphylla, which belongs to the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), has been widely used in folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory phytochemical. Orbital fibroblasts were primarily cultured from patients with TAO, and the potential of JC3 to suppres...
Source: exp Mol Med - June 15, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Lee SH, Lim SY, Choi JH, Jung JC, Oh S, Kook KH, Choi YH Tags: Exp Mol Med Source Type: research
CD36, a scavenger receptor implicated in atherosclerosis.
Abstract
CD36 is a membrane glycoprotein that is present on various types of cells, including monocytes, macrophages, microvascular endothelial cells, adipocytes and platelets. Macrophage CD36 participates in atherosclerotic arterial lesion formation through its interaction with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), which triggers signaling cascades for inflammatory responses. CD36 functions in oxLDL uptake and foam cell formation, which is the initial critical stage of atherosclerosis. In addition, oxLDL via CD36 inhibits macrophage migration, which may be a macrophage-trapping mechanism in atheroscle...
Source: exp Mol Med - June 10, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Park YM Tags: Exp Mol Med Source Type: research
Transplantation of betacellulin-transduced islets improves glucose intolerance in diabetic mice.
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease caused by permanent destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic β cells and requires lifelong exogenous insulin therapy. Recently, islet transplantation has been developed, and although there have been significant advances, this approach is not widely used clinically due to the poor survival rate of the engrafted islets. We hypothesized that improving survival of engrafted islets through ex vivo genetic engineering could be a novel strategy for successful islet transplantation. We transduced islets with adenoviruses expressing betacellulin, an epidermal gr...
Source: exp Mol Med - June 1, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Song MY, Bae UJ, Jang KY, Park BH Tags: Exp Mol Med Source Type: research
Silencing of KIF14 interferes with cell cycle progression and cytokinesis by blocking the p27(Kip1) ubiquitination pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Abstract
Although it has been suggested that kinesin family member 14 (KIF14) has oncogenic potential in various cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the molecular mechanism of this potential remains unknown. We aimed to elucidate the role of KIF14 in hepatocarcinogenesis by knocking down KIF14 in HCC cells that overexpressed KIF14. After KIF14 knockdown, changes in tumor cell growth, cell cycle and cytokinesis were examined. We also examined cell cycle regulatory molecules and upstream Skp1/Cul1/F-box (SCF) complex molecules. Knockdown of KIF14 resulted in suppression of cell proliferation a...
Source: exp Mol Med - May 27, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Xu H, Choe C, Shin SH, Park SW, Kim HS, Jung SH, Yim SH, Kim TM, Chung YJ Tags: Exp Mol Med Source Type: research
Quantitative expression and localization of cysteine and aspartic proteases in human abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Abstract
Cysteine and aspartic proteases possess high elastolytic activity and might contribute to the degradation of the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) wall. The aim of this study was to analyze, in detail, the proteases (cathepsins B, D, K, L and S, and inhibitor cystatin C) found in human AAA and healthy aortic tissue samples. The vessel walls from AAA patients (n=36) and nonaneurysmal aortae (n=10) were retrieved using conventional surgical repair and autopsy methods. Serum samples from the same AAA patients and 10 healthy volunteers were also collected. Quantitative expression analyses were performed...
Source: exp Mol Med - May 17, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Lohoefer F, Reeps C, Lipp C, Rudelius M, Haertl F, Matevossian E, Zernecke A, Eckstein HH, Pelisek J Tags: Exp Mol Med Source Type: research
Characterizing affinity epitopes between prion protein and β-amyloid using an epitope mapping immunoassay.
PMID: 24833014 [PubMed - in process] (Source: exp Mol Med)
Source: exp Mol Med - May 17, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Kang M, Kim SY, An SS, Ju YR Tags: Exp Mol Med Source Type: research
Role of histone deacetylase activity in the developing lateral line neuromast of zebrafish larvae.
In this study, we examined the influence of histone deacetylases on the early development of neuromasts in the lateral line of zebrafish. Hair cell development was evaluated by fluorescent immunostaining in the absence or presence of histone deacetylase inhibitors. Our results suggested that pharmacological inhibition of histone deacetylases with inhibitors, including trichostatin A, valproic acid and MS-275, reduced the numbers of both HCs and supporting cells in neuromasts. We also found that the treatment of zebrafish larvae with inhibitors caused accumulation of histone acetylation and suppressed proliferation of neuro...
Source: exp Mol Med - May 11, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: He Y, Mei H, Yu H, Sun S, Ni W, Li H Tags: Exp Mol Med Source Type: research
Simultaneous deletion of floxed genes mediated by CaMKIIα-Cre in the brain and in male germ cells: application to conditional and conventional disruption of Goα.
Abstract
The Cre/LoxP system is a well-established approach to spatially and temporally control genetic inactivation. The calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha subunit (CaMKIIα) promoter limits expression to specific regions of the forebrain and thus has been utilized for the brain-specific inactivation of the genes. Here, we show that CaMKIIα-Cre can be utilized for simultaneous inactivation of genes in the adult brain and in male germ cells. Double transgenic Rosa26(+/stop-lacZ)::CaMKIIα-Cre(+/Cre) mice generated by crossing CaMKIIα-Cre(+/Cre) mice with floxed ROSA26 lacZ reporter (Ros...
Source: exp Mol Med - May 6, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Choi CI, Yoon SP, Choi JM, Kim SS, Lee YD, Birnbaumer L, Suh-Kim H Tags: Exp Mol Med Source Type: research
β1-integrin-dependent migration of microglia in response to neuron-released α-synuclein.
Abstract
Chronic neuroinflammation is an integral pathological feature of major neurodegenerative diseases. The recruitment of microglia to affected brain regions and the activation of these cells are the major events leading to disease-associated neuroinflammation. In a previous study, we showed that neuron-released α-synuclein can activate microglia through activating the Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) pathway, resulting in proinflammatory responses. However, it is not clear whether other signaling pathways are involved in the migration and activation of microglia in response to neuron-released α-synuclei...
Source: exp Mol Med - April 26, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Kim C, Cho ED, Kim HK, You S, Lee HJ, Hwang D, Lee SJ Tags: Exp Mol Med Source Type: research
Syntenin increases the invasiveness of small cell lung cancer cells by activating p38, AKT, focal adhesion kinase and SP1.
Abstract
Syntenin is a PDZ domain-containing adaptor protein that has been recently shown to regulate migration and invasion in several tumors. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is notorious for its invasiveness and strong potential for metastasis. We therefore studied the influence of syntenin on the invasiveness of SCLC. Immunohistochemistry in tumor tissues showed that syntenin was more frequently expressed in small cell carcinomas than other neuroendocrine tumors, such as carcinoids and neuroblastomas, suggesting that syntenin expression may be related to more aggressive forms of neuroendocrine tumors. In ...
Source: exp Mol Med - April 14, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Kim WY, Jang JY, Jeon YK, Chung DH, Kim YG, Kim CW Tags: Exp Mol Med Source Type: research
Tetraspanin CD9 modulates ADAM17-mediated shedding of LR11 in leukocytes.
Abstract
LR11, also known as SorLA or SORL1, is a type-I membrane protein from which a large extracellular part, soluble LR11 (sLR11), is released by proteolytic shedding on cleavage with a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 17 (ADAM17). A shedding mechanism is presumed to have a key role in the functions of LR11, but the evidence for this has not yet been demonstrated. Tetraspanin CD9 has been recently shown to regulate the ADAM17-mediated shedding of tumor necrosis factor-α and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 on the cell surface. Here, we investigated the role of CD9 on the shedding of LR11 in leukocyt...
Source: exp Mol Med - April 10, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Tsukamoto S, Takeuchi M, Kawaguchi T, Togasaki E, Yamazaki A, Sugita Y, Muto T, Sakai S, Takeda Y, Ohwada C, Sakaida E, Shimizu N, Nishii K, Jiang M, Yokote K, Bujo H, Nakaseko C Tags: Exp Mol Med Source Type: research
Ribosomal protein mutations in Korean patients with Diamond-Blackfan anemia.
In conclusion, heterozygous mutations in the known DBA genes RPS19, RPS26 and RPS17 were detected in seven out of nine Korean DBA patients. Among these patients, RPS19 was the most frequently mutated gene. In addition, decreased RPS19 mRNA expression and p53 overexpression were observed in the Korean DBA patients, which supports the hypothesis that haploinsufficiency and p53 hyperactivation represent a central pathway underlying the pathogenesis of DBA.
PMID: 24675553 [PubMed - in process] (Source: exp Mol Med)
Source: exp Mol Med - March 31, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Chae H, Park J, Lee S, Kim M, Kim Y, Lee JW, Chung NG, Cho B, Chul Jeong D, Kim J, Kim JR, Park G Tags: Exp Mol Med Source Type: research
Anti-inflammatory activity of compounds isolated from Astragalus sinicus L. in cytokine-induced keratinocytes and skin.
Abstract
Inflammation is a part of the complex biological responses of a tissue to injury that protect the organ by removing injurious stimuli and initiating the healing process, and is considered as a mechanism of innate immunity. To identify biologically active compounds against pathogenic inflammatory and immune responses, we fractionated water, aqueous methanol and n-hexane layers from nine kinds of leguminosae and examined anti-inflammatory activity of the fractions in human keratinocytes and mouse skin. Among the fractions, rf3 and rf4, isolated from the aqueous methanol layer of Astragalus sinicus L...
Source: exp Mol Med - March 26, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Kim BH, Oh I, Kim JH, Jeon JE, Jeon B, Shin J, Kim TY Tags: Exp Mol Med Source Type: research
Regulatory T-cell vaccination independent of auto-antigen.
Abstract
To date, efforts to treat autoimmune diseases have primarily focused on the disease symptoms rather than on the cause of the disease. In large part, this is attributed to not knowing the responsible auto-antigens (auto-Ags) for driving the self-reactivity coupled with the poor success of treating autoimmune diseases using oral tolerance methods. Nonetheless, if tolerogenic approaches or methods that stimulate regulatory T (Treg) cells can be devised, these could subdue autoimmune diseases. To forward such efforts, our approach with colonization factor antigen I (CFA/I) fimbriae is to establish bys...
Source: exp Mol Med - March 21, 2014 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Pascual DW, Yang X, Holderness K, Jun S, Maddaloni M, Kochetkova I Tags: Exp Mol Med Source Type: research
