A TGF‐β‐induced gene, βig‐h3, is crucial for the apoptotic disappearance of the medial edge epithelium in palate fusion

TGF‐β3, TβR‐I, and TGF‐β‐activated Smad2 has been suggested to be a series of signaling molecules for secondary palate fusion. In this article, we show that a gene induced by TGF‐β, βig‐h3, is coincidentally expressed with TGF‐β3 in medial edge epithelial (MEE) cells undergoing apoptosis during normal palatal fusion. βig‐h3 was also highly expressed in the areas of post‐weaning mammary gland cells and developing phalangeal joints in which TGF‐β3 or BMP‐4‐induced apoptosis occurs, respectively. Blocking of βig‐h3 expression in E12.5 embryos with antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) resulted in cleft of the secondary palate in 84% of the treated mice that were born. Moreover, the antisense ODN treatment resulted in a failure of apoptosis in the MEE between palatal shelves in physical contact in organ culture. We conclude that βig‐h3 expression in the MEE is stimulated by TGF‐β3, causes cell death, and consequently results in complete fusion of the apposed palatal shelves. J. Cell. Biochem. 107: 818–825, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Effects of UCP2 and UCP3 Variants on the Manifestation of Overweight in Korean Children

To investigate the associations of uncoupling protein (UCP)2 and UCP3 gene variants with overweight and related traits, we genotyped UCP2−866G>A, UCP2Ala55Val, and UCP3−55C>T in 737 Korean children and 732 adults and collected data regarding anthropometric status and blood biochemistry. Information concerning the children's lifestyles and dietary habits was collected. The UCP2−866G>A and UCP3−55C>T gene variants showed significant associations with BMI level, waist circumference, and body weight in the children but not in the adults. Compared with −866GG carriers, the −866GA and AA carriers showed a strong decreasing trend in the risk for overweight (odds ratio (OR), 0.67; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.45–1.01; P = 0.053). In comparison with UCP3−55CC carriers, children carrying −55CT and TT showed a significant reduction in the risk of overweight (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.46–0.98; P = 0.039). There was also evidence of interactions between the effects of the combined UCP2−UCP3 genotype and obesity‐related metabolic traits. The greatest protective effect against overweight was seen in those with the combined genotype non‐UCP2−866GG and non‐UCP3−55CC, as compared with those carrying both UCP2−866GG and UCP3−55CC (OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.38–0.95; P = 0.030). In the subgroup with a low level of physical activity, UCP3−55CC carriers had higher BMI values than UCP3−55T carriers (16.6 ± 2.3 kg/m² vs. 16.1 ± 1.9 kg/m², P = 0.016). Low physical activity may aggravate the susceptibility to overweight in UCP2−866GG and UCP3−55CC carriers.     

Dysregulated lipid metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma cancer stem cells

Molecular Biology Reports - According to the stem cell theory for cancer, hepatocellular carcinomas are sustained by a group of cancer stem cells (CSCs) which are responsible for resistance to...     

Analysis of population structure among Korean and Japanese Legionella pneumophila isolates using hsp60 sequences

The population structure of Korean (150 strains) and Japanese (92 strains) Legionella pneumophila isolates along with 18 reference strains were investigated using hsp60 sequence (1647 bp) analysis. Twelve clonal subgroups (hsP-I to hsP-X and hsF-I and hsF-II) were designated on the hsp60 tree, inferred from representative sequences using the neighbor-joining method. Some of the isolates showed unique subgroups depending on the source of isolates, including hsP-I, hsF-I, and hsF-II from cooling tower water, and subgroups hsP-VIII and hsP-X from circulating hot water bath. These subgroups may be useful for epidemiological studies to chase or specify sources of infection in Korea and Japan.     

N-terminal cleavage fragment of focal adhesion kinase is required to activate the survival signalling pathway in cultured myoblasts under oxidative stress

We have previously shown that the cultured L6 myoblasts are susceptible to menadione-induced oxidative stress. Damaged cells were detached from the culture dishes. In the present study, we focused on focal adhesion kinase (FAK), which plays pivotal roles in maintaining focal adhesion function and cell survival. FAK, normally localized at the focal adhesion regions of the myoblasts, was not observed at the regions under oxidative stress induced by menadione and H(2) O(2) . Two cleavage products, 80-kDa N-terminal FAK and 35-kDa C-terminal FAK fragments, as well as full-length FAK (125?kDa) were detected in myoblasts cultured under normal conditions by western blotting with anti-N-terminal FAK or anti-C-terminal FAK sera. Of interest was the finding that the cleavage products of FAK (but not full-length FAK) disappeared under oxidative stress. The cleavage of full-length FAK to N-terminal FAK and C-terminal FAK was inhibited by calpeptin, a specific calpain inhibitor. In addition, pre-incubation of cells with calpeptin resulted in a sharp decrease in survival signals, such as Akt phosphorylation and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax, under stress conditions. By contrast, not only relative viability, but also Akt phosphorylation and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was significantly improved when cells were transfected with a DNA construct of N-terminal FAK-Myc. These results suggest that the N-terminal FAK positively regulates survival signalling in early phases of oxidative stress in the cultured myoblasts.     

Sequence polymorphisms in ribosomal RNA genes and variations in chromosomal loci of Oenothera odorata and O. laciniata

Numerous studies on Oenothera species have been investigated for the physiological and ecological characteristics. However, no such an information based on molecular cytogenetic has yet been introduced, in turn, is very essential for identifying sequence polymorphisms of rRNA genes with their loci on mitotic phases for further biological researches. In this study, sequence variations of rRNA genes in Oenothera odorata and O. laciniata were examined to identify informative factors as unique or repeat sequences in intra- and inter-specific variations. Intra-specific variation revealed that the sequences of the rRNA genes including the spacer regions were highly conserved revealing only a few variations. From the inter-specific variation, spacer regions of species were completely different as (1) non-homologous sequences in NTS and (2) different type repeat sequences in ITS 1, 2 and 5.8S rRNA, whereas the remaining coding regions were highly conserved. FISH was carried out on mitotic phases using the 5S rDNA of the analyzed sequences. From the interphase and metaphase chromosomes of the examined species, two loci of 5S rDNA in O. odorata and four loci in O. laciniata were confirmed on the telomeric region of the short arm. Due to the small size and unclear centromere of the chromosomes, karyotype could not be completed. However, we confirmed that the chromosomes are organized by meta- and acrocentric chromosomes and the chromosomes with identified loci were assumed to be paired by the location of loci at the telomeric region on the short arm with relative lengths.     

DNA data and morphology reveal the existence of Kentrochrysalis streckeri Staudinger, 1880 (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) instead of K. consimilis in South Korea

In the present study, we determined that specimens of Kentrochrysalis consimilis collected from South Korea were K. streckeri, rather than K. consimilis, based on morphology, DNA barcodes and nuclear elongation factor 1 alpha (EF‐1α) sequences. The major morphological differences between K. streckeri and K. consimilis include the shape of forewing and hind‐wing pattern elements and male and female genitalia. The DNA barcode analysis of the South Korean specimens and the Russia‐originated K. streckeri showed a maximum sequence divergence of only 0.659% (4 bp), whereas that of the South Korean specimens and Japan‐originated K. consimilis showed a minimum sequence divergence of 2.965% (18 bp), indicating that the Korean specimens are, in fact, K. streckeri and not K. consimilis. Phylogenetic analyses both by Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood methods strongly clustered the South Korean specimens and Russian K. streckeri into one group, excluding K. consimilis. The EF‐1α‐based sequence and phylogenetic analyses of the two species also supported data from the DNA barcode, indicating the distribution of K. streckeri in South Korea, instead of K. consimilis.