• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• 제17권1호
• /
• pp.121-124
• /
• 2008

The caspase family proteins play an important role in programmed cell death (apoptosis). To date, the expression profiles of the caspase family genes in Bombyx mori (Bm) are poorly known. In this study, we examined the expression profiles of two novel Bm caspase family genes (ice-2 and ice-5), the potential change of the mitochondrial membrane and the morphology in Bm cells after stimulation of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The results showed the potential change of the mitochondrial membrane occurred at 5 hours after UV irradiation treatment. Analysis of fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR demonstrated that both the ice-2 and ice-5 might be involved in UV induced apoptosis in Bm cells. Notably, after UV irradiating, expression pattern of ice-2 and ice-5 were remarkably different. The ice-2 gene was highly expressed at two time points, 0.5 and 5 hours after UV stimulating, while the expression level of ice-5 only peaked at 5 hours after UV stimulating. It indicated that apoptosis induced by UV irradiation was involved in the mitochondrial pathway and the two isoforms of Bm ice may act but play different role during the apoptosis of Bm cells.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• 제18권2호
• /
• pp.183-190
• /
• 2002

The mechanism by which catechin-mediated cytotoxicity against tumor cells remains to be elusive. To elucidate the mechanical mights of anti-tumor effects, (-)epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG) of catechin was applied to human prostate cancer DU 145 cells. Cell viability was measured by crystal violet staining. Cell lysates were wed to measure the catalytic activity of caspases by using fluorogenic peptide: Ac-DEVD-AMC for caspase-3 protease, Z-IETD-AFC for caspase-8 protease, Ac-LEHD-AFC for caspase-9 protease as substrates. The equal amounts of protein from cell lysate was separated on SDS-PAGE and analyzed by western blotting with anti-Fas antibody, anti-FasL antibody, anti-BCL2 antibody and anti-Bax antibody. (-)EGCG induced the death of DUl45 cells, which was revealed as apoptosis shown by DNA fragmentation. (-)EGCG induced the activation of caspase family cysteine proteases including caspase-3, -8 and -9 proteases in DU145 cells. Also, (-)EGCG increased the expression of Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) protein in DU145 colls. The expression level of BCL2 was decreased in (-)EGCG treated DU145 cells, whereas Bax protein was increased in a time-dependent manner. We suggest that (-)EGCG-induced apoptosis of DU145 cells is mediated by signaling pathway involving caspase family cysteine protease, mitochondrial BCL2-family protein and Fas/FasL.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• 제56권5호
• /
• pp.450-464
• /
• 2004

연구배경 : FHIT 유전자의 homozygous deletion과 이와 관련된 mRNA 발현 이상, 단백질의 발현 결손은 폐암에서 매우 높은 빈도로 관찰되고 있다. 일부 연구에 의하면 FHIT 유전자를 폐암 세포 내에 이입시켰을 때 apoptosis가 유발되었고, 세포 주기의 이상 소견이 관찰되었으며, 종양형성 능력이 억제됨이 관찰되었다. 하지만 아직까지 FHIT 단백질의 기능에 대한 지식은 미진한 상태이다. 본 연구에서는 FHIT 유전자를 폐암 세포에 이입시켰을 때 유발되는 apoptosis의 기전을 규명하고자 하였다. 방 법 : FHIT 유전자가 결손된 NCI-H358 세포주에 FHIT 유전자를 stable transfection 시킨 후, cisplatin 혹은 paclitaxel을 가하고 apoptosis가 항진되어 나타나는가를 DAPI staining과 flow cytometry로 관찰해 보았다. 또한 이 과정에서 나타나는 caspase system의 변화와 Bcl-2 family의 변화를 Western blotting으로 조사해 보았다. 결 과 : FHIT를 발현시킨 세포에서는 cisplatin 혹은 paclitaxel을 투여하였을 때 유의하게 생존율이 감소하였으며, 이는 apoptosis 증가에 의한 것으로 확인 되었다. 이 과정에서 FHIT가 발현된 세포는 caspase-3, caspase-7의 활성화가 유의하게 증가되었으며, Bcl-2와 Bcl-xL 발현은 유의하게 감소하고 Bax와 Bad 발현은 유의하게 증가하였다. 결 론 : FHIT가 발현된 폐암 세포에 항암제를 투여하였을 때 유의하게 증가한 apoptosis는 caspase system과 Bcl-2 family의 활성화와 관련되어 있다.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• 제17권6호
• /
• pp.1305-1309
• /
• 2008

Baicalein, one of the major flavonoid in Scutellaria baicalensis, has been known for its effects on proliferation and apoptosis of many tumor cell lines. Most biological effects of baicalein are thought to be from its antioxidant and prooxidant activities. In this report, baicalein was found to induce apoptosis in HL60 human promyelocytic leukemia cell line. Baicalein treatment induced DNA fragmentation and typical morphological features of apoptosis. To elucidate the mechanism of baicalein-induced apoptosis, the activities of the members of caspase family were measured. Interestingly caspase 2, 3, and 6 were significantly activated whereas caspase 1, 8, and 9 were not activated, suggesting selective involvement of specific caspases. Further, treatment with caspase inhibitors also supports the involvement of caspase 2 in apoptosis process. Although it has been reported that baicalein can induce apoptosis through many caspase pathways, the present study indicates that caspase 2 not caspase 9 pathway may be the important step in apoptosis on HL60 cell line.

• 생물정신의학
• /
• 제5권2호
• /
• pp.219-226
• /
• 1998

Cytosine arabinoside(AraC) inhibits DNA synthesis and ${\beta}$-DNA polymerase, an enzyme involved in DNA repair. This, a potent antimitotic agent, is clinically used as an anticancer drug with side effect of severe neurotoxicity. Earlier reports suggested that inhibition of neuronal survival by AraC in sympathetic neuron may be due to the inhibition of a 2'-deoxycytidine-dependent process that is independent of DNA synthesis or repair and AraC induced a signal that is triggers a cascade of new mRNA and protein synthesis, leading to apoptotic cell death in cultured cerebellar granule cells. The present study would suggest whether caspase family(ICE/CED-3-like protease) involved in AraC-induced apoptosis pathway of PC12 cells. It was observed that treatment of PC12 cells with AraC led to decrease of viability by MTT assay and morphology changes, which did not suggest that AraC induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. The mRNA of caspase-1/caspase-3 were expressed in PC12 cells constitutively, and AraC did not activate caspase family. These results suggest that caspase-1/caspase-3 may not be required for AraC-induced cell death pathway in PC12 cells.

• 대한한의학회지
• /
• 제23권3호
• /
• pp.145-163
• /
• 2002

Objectives: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of Woohwangcheongsim-won and to study the mechanism for neuronal death protection in hypoxia with Embryonic day 20 (E20) cortical cells of a rat (Sprague Dawley). Methods: E20 cortical cells were dissociated in neurobasal media and grown for 14 days in vitro (DIV). On 14 DIV, Woohwangcheongsim-won was added to the culture media for 24 hrs or 72 hrs. On 17 DIV, cells were given a hypoxic shock and further incubated in normoxia for another three days. On 20 DIV, Woohwangcheongsim-won's effects for neuronal death protection were evaluated by LDH assay, propidium iodide stain and phospho-H2AX immunostain and the mechanisms were studied by Bcl-2, Bak, Bax, caspase family, PKCα, ca1pain I. Results & Conclusions : 1. This study indicated that Woohwangcheongsim-won's effects for neuronal death protection in hypoxia were confirmed by LDH assay, propidium iodide stain and phospho-H2AX immunostain in culture method of Embryonic day 20(E20) cortical neuroblasts. 2. Woohwangcheongsim-won's mechanisms for neuronal death protection in hypoxia are to reduce the membrane damage fraction, to restrain DNA truncate, to restrain inflow of cytochrome c into cellularity caused by Bak diminution, to reduce the caspase cascade intiator caspase-8 and the effector caspase-3, to reduce the calpain I activity and to increase PKCand its activity in the membrane fraction. (J Korean Oriental Moo 2002;23(3):145～163)

• 생명과학회지
• /
• 제27권11호
• /
• pp.1340-1348
• /
• 2017

Sanguinarine은 다양한 목적으로 사용되고 있는 Sanguinaria canadensis L.의 뿌리에서 유래된 benzophenanthridine alkaloid 계열 물질중의 하나이다. 그동안 sanguinarine의 다양한 약리학적인 효능이 알려져 왔고, 항암활성에 대한 연구도 여러 암세포들을 대상으로 수행되어 왔다. 그러나 sanguinarine에 의한 암세포의 apoptosis 유도에 대한 현상은 여전히 많은 부분에서 연구의 대상으로 남아 있다. 본 연구는 Hep3B 인체 간암세포를 대상으로 sanguinarine의 항암활성에 대한 추가적인 자료를 제시하기 위하여 수행되었다. 본 논문의 결과에 의하면, sanguinarine은 처리 농도 의존적으로 Hep3B 세포의 증식을 억제하였으며, 이는 apoptosis 유도와 연관성이 있었다. Sanguinarine은 두 가지 apoptosis 경로인 extrinsic 및 intrinsic 경로의 개시 initiator caspase인 caspase-8 및 caspase-9 뿐만 아니라 대표적인 effector caspase인 caspase-3의 활성을 증가시켰고, caspase-3의 기질인 PARP의 분절을 유발하였다. 아울러 sanguinarine은 DR-related 유전자들의 발현을 부분적으로 증가시켰으며, Bcl-2 family에 속하는 pro-apoptotic Bax의 발현을 증가시킨 반면, anti-apoptotic Bcl-2의 발현은 억제시켰다. 또한 sanguinarine은 Bid의 truncation을 촉진하였고, MMP의 소실에 따른 cytochrome c를 미토콘드리아에서 세포질로의 이동을 증가시켰다. 그리고 sanguinarine에 의한 apoptosis 유도 및 세포 증식율 억제 현상이 caspase의 활성을 인위적으로 억제하였을 경우, 모두 사라졌다. 따라서 sanguinarine에 의하여 유도하는 Hep3B 세포의 apoptosis 유발에는 caspase 의존적으로 extrinsic 및 intrinsic 경로가 모두 관여하고 있음을 알 수 있었다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제24권5호
• /
• pp.719-723
• /
• 2014

Caspases are a family of cysteine proteases that play an important role in the apoptotic pathway. Caspase-6 is an apoptosis effector that cleaves a variety of cellular substrates. The active form of the enzyme is required for use in research. However, it has been difficult to obtain sufficient quantities of active caspase-6 from Escherichia coli. In the present study, we constructed a caspase-6 with a 23-amino-acid deletion in the pro-domain. This engineered enzyme was expressed as a soluble protein in E. coli and was purified using affinity resin. In vitro enzyme assay and cleavage analysis revealed that the engineered active caspase-6 protein had characteristics similar to those of wild-type caspase-6. This novel method can be a valuable tool for obtaining active caspase-6 that can be used for screening caspase-6-specific substrates, which in turn can be used to elucidate the function of caspase-6 in apoptosis.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• 제23권7호
• /
• pp.1003-1010
• /
• 2002

Caspase 3, a member of cysteine protease family, is well known as a major apoptosis effector and is involved in cell death as a result of ischemic diseases such as stroke and myocardial infarction, therefore the inhibition of caspase 3 may protect those apoptotic cell damages. During the high-throughput screening of the compounds from the Korea Chemical Bank, berberine derivatives (A and B), an isoquinoline alkaloid, have been identified as potential inhibitors for caspase 3. Based on this finding we carried out molecular modeling study to identify the pharmacophoric elements of berberine structure which interact with a substrate-recognition binding site of caspase 3 and came up with several novel scaffolds. In this report, we will discuss the molecular modeling, syntheses and the enzyme inhibitory activities of these novel compounds.

• 한국자원식물학회지
• /
• 제32권4호
• /
• pp.255-263
• /
• 2019

본 연구에서는 다양한 약리학적 활성을 가지는 것으로 알려진 감초 열수추출물(GRW)의 항암효능을 알아보기 위하여 인체 방광암 T24 세포에서 생존율 및 증식억제에 미치는 영향과 이와 연관된 apoptosis 유발 여부 및 관련 인자들의 발현 변화를 조사하였다. 먼저 GRW의 처리에 따른 증식억제 정도를 조사한 결과, GRW 처리 농도 의존적으로 생존율 및 증식억제 현상이 나타났으며, 핵의 형태 변화, DNA 단편화 및 apoptosis 유발에 관하여 조사한 결과 역시 GRW 처리 농도 의존적으로 증가됨을 확인할 수 있었다. 이는 GRW의 처리에 의한 암세포의 증식억제 및 형태적 변형이 암세포의 apoptosis 유발과 밀접한 관련이 있음을 시사하여 주는 것으로 사료된다. GRW 처리에 의한 apoptosis 유발에 관여하는 유전자의 탐색을 위하여 apoptosis와 연관성을 가지는 Bcl-2 family에 속하는 유전자의 발현을 조사한 결과 GRW 처리 농도 의존적으로 Bax 단백질의 발현증가와 더불어 Bcl-2 및 Bcl-xL 단백질의 발현감소가 관찰되었다(Fig. 3A). 이는 GRW에 의한 T24 세포의 apoptosis 유발에 Bcl-2 family에 속하는 유전자의 발현 조절이 중요한 역할을 하는 것으로 사료된다. 또한 GRW의 처리에 따른 MMP의 소실은 미트콘드리아 막의 교란이 유발되었음을 의미하는 것으로, 이러한 MMP 값의 변동은 Bcl-2 family 단백질의 발현 변화에 의한 것이라 추정된다. 한편 Apoptosis에 중요한 역할을 하는 것으로 알려진 caspase(-3/-8/-9)의 발현과 이들의 활성을 억제하는 IAP family (XIAP, cIAP-1, cIAP-2)의 발현에 GRW이 어떠한 영향을 미치는지를 조사한 결과, caspase-3, -8 및 -9의 활성형 단백질 발현 및 정량적 활성증가를 확인하였으며, IAP family 속한 3가지 단백질 모두 발현이 감소하는 것이 관찰되었다. 이상의 결과에서 GRW은 외인적 및 내인적 경로의 개시에 핵심적인 역할을 하는 caspase-8 및 -9의 활성을 모두 증가시켰으며, 이에 따른 caspase-3의 활성증가에 의하여 apoptosis가 유발되었음을 알 수 있었다. 이러한 두 경로의 동시 활성화에는 미트콘드리아의 기능 소실과 Bcl-2 및 IAP family의 발현 변화가 관여하고 있었으며, 특히 Bid의 발현 감소는 GRW에 의한 내인적 경로를 증폭시키는 효과로 작용했을 것이라 추정된다. 방광암의 치료에 보다 효과적인 생리활성을 갖는 물질을 발굴하고 그와 관련된 분자 및 세포수준에서의 기전을 밝히는 것이 중요하기에 본 연구의 결과는 향후 GRW로 수행될 추가 실험을 위한 기초자료로서 그 가치가 매우 높을 것으로 사료된다.