The origin of GSKIP, a multifaceted regulatory factor in the mammalian Wnt pathway.

GSK3β interacting protein (GSKIP) is a naturally occurring negative regulator of GSK3β and retains both the Protein Kinase A Regulatory subunit binding (PKA-RII) domain and GSK3β interacting domain. Of these two domains, we found that PKA-RII is required for forming a working complex comprising PKA/GSKIP/GSK3β/Drp1 to influence phosphorylation of Drp1 Ser637. In this study, bioinformatics and experimental explorations re-analyzing GSKIP's biofunctions suggest that the evolutionarily conserved Domain of Unknown Function (DUF727) is an ancestral prototype of GSKIP in prokaryotes, and acquired the C-terminal GSK3β binding site (tail) in invertebrates except for Saccharomyces spp.

Hexane fraction of root extract inhibits proliferation and induces autophagy in human glioblastoma cells.

(L.) Less. is a perennial plant known for its versatile uses in traditional medicine.

Downregulation of a novel human gene, ROGDI, increases radiosensitivity in cervical cancer cells.

ROGDI is a protein that contains a leucine zipper domain and may be involved in cell proliferation. In addition, ROGDI is associated with genome stability by regulating the activity of a DNA damage marker, γ-H2AX. The role of ROGDI in tumor radiosensitization has not been investigated.

Ethanolic Extracts of Pluchea indica Induce Apoptosis and Antiproliferation Effects in Human Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells.

Pluchea indica is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of lumbago, ulcer, tuberculosis and inflammation. The anti-cancer activities and the underlying molecular mechanisms of the ethanolic extracts of P. indica root (PIRE) were characterized in the present study.

GSKIP- and GSK3-mediated anchoring strengthens cAMP/PKA/Drp1 axis signaling in the regulation of mitochondrial elongation.

GSK3β binding of GSKIP affects neurite outgrowth, but the physiological significance of PKA binding to GSKIP remains to be determined. We hypothesized that GSKIP and GSK3β mediate cAMP/PKA/Drp1 axis signaling and modulate mitochondrial morphology by forming a working complex comprising PKA/GSKIP/GSK3β/Drp1. We demonstrated that GSKIP wild-type overexpression increased phosphorylation of Drp1 S637 by 7-8-fold compared to PKA kinase-inactive mutants (V41/L45) and a GSK3β binding-defective mutant (L130) under H2O2 and forskolin challenge in HEK293 cells, indicating that not only V41/L45, but also L130 may be involved in Drp1-associated protection of GSKIP.

Brefeldin A reduces anchorage-independent survival, cancer stem cell potential and migration of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subset of cancer cells in tumors or established cancer cell lines that can initiate and sustain the growth of tumors in vivo. Cancer stem cells can be enriched in serum-free, suspended cultures that allow the formation of tumorspheres over several days to weeks. Brefeldin A (BFA) is a mycotoxin that induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in eukaryotic cells.

Heat shock induces expression of OSTC/DC2, a novel subunit of oligosaccharyltransferase, in vitro and in vivo.

Mammalian oligosaccharyltransferase complex subunit OSTC/DC2 protein has recently been shown to be a new subunit of the oligosaccharyltransferase; however, its physiological role is still unclear. Here, we report the expression pattern of OSTC/DC2 protein in the context of heat shock stress. Its upregulation was detected both in cells treated with heat shock in vitro and in an animal model of heat shock in vivo.

5-azacytidine induces anoikis, inhibits mammosphere formation and reduces metalloproteinase 9 activity in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells.

Cancer stem cells are a subset of cancer cells that initiate the growth of tumors. Low levels of cancer stem cells also exist in established cancer cell lines, and can be enriched in serum-free tumorsphere cultures. Since cancer stem cells have been reported to be resilient to common chemotherapeutic drugs in comparison to regular cancer cells, screening for compounds selectively targeting cancer stem cells may provide an effective therapeutic strategy.

High-throughput gender identification of penguin species using melting curve analysis.

Most species of penguins are sexual monomorphic and therefore it is difficult to visually identify their genders for monitoring population stability in terms of sex ratio analysis. In this study, we evaluated the suitability using melting curve analysis (MCA) for high-throughput gender identification of penguins. Preliminary test indicated that the Griffiths's P2/P8 primers were not suitable for MCA analysis.

Reduction of RNA A-to-I editing in Drosophila acclimated to heat shock.

Although an increasing number of RNA adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing sites are being discovered, how the editing frequencies of these sites are modulated to fine-tune protein function in adaptive responses is not well understood. A previous study screening for heat tolerance in Drosophila mutants discovered a hypnos-2 mutant strain that was later found to be defective in dADAR, the Drosophila gene encoding the A-to-I editing enzyme. This supports the hypothesis that cells and organisms respond to stressful environments by ADAR (adenosine deaminase acting on RNA)-mediated RNA editing.

Brefeldin a effectively inhibits cancer stem cell-like properties and MMP-9 activity in human colorectal cancer Colo 205 cells.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subset of cancer cells with indefinite potential for self-renewal and the capacity to drive tumorigenesis. Brefeldin A (BFA) is an antibiotic that is known to block protein transport and induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in eukaryotic cells, but its effects on colorectal CSCs are unknown. We investigated the inhibitory effect of BFA on human colorectal cancer Colo 205 cells.

Inosine-specific cleavage of RNA for microarray analysis of RNA A-to-I editing targets.

Dysregulations of RNA A-to-I editing are associated with developmental defects in mouse and human diseases. Although several methods of identifying RNA A-to-I editing sites are currently available, most of the critical editing targets responsible for the important biological functions of adenosine deaminases that act on RNA (ADARs) remain unknown. Here we report a modified I-specific cleavage method that improves the quality of the RNA product.

1,5-Diphenylpent-3-en-1-ynes and methyl naphthalene carboxylates from Lawsonia inermis and their anti-inflammatory activity.

Lawsonia inermis (Lythraceae) known as henna is one of the most popular and ancient plants used in cosmetics and hair dying. It is cultivated for its leaves but other parts such as seeds, flowers, stem bark and roots are also used in traditional medicine for millennia. Henna tattoo paste also proved to be beneficial for wound healing and in several skin diseases suggesting potent anti-inflammatory activity.

Crude aqueous extracts of Pluchea indica (L.) Less. inhibit proliferation and migration of cancer cells through induction of p53-dependent cell death.

Background: Pluchea indica (L.) Less. (Asteraceae) is a perennial shrub plant with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant medicinal properties.

Antiproliferation and induction of apoptosis in Ca9-22 oral cancer cells by ethanolic extract of Gracilaria tenuistipitata.

The water extract of Gracilaria tenuistipitata have been found to be protective against oxidative stress-induced cellular DNA damage, but the biological function of the ethanolic extracts of G. tenuistipitata (EEGT) is still unknown. In this study, the effect of EEGT on oral squamous cell cancer (OSCC) Ca9-22 cell line was examined in terms of the cell proliferation and oxidative stress responses.

A method to identify RNA A-to-I editing targets using I-specific cleavage and exon array analysis.

RNA A-to-I editing is the most common single-base editing in the animal kingdom. Dysregulations of RNA A-to-I editing are associated with developmental defects in mouse and human diseases. Mouse knockout models deficient in ADAR activities show lethal phenotypes associated with defects in nervous system, failure of hematopoiesis and reduced tolerance to stress.

Anti-proliferative effect of methanolic extract of Gracilaria tenuistipitata on oral cancer cells involves apoptosis, DNA damage, and oxidative stress.

Background: Methanolic extracts of Gracilaria tenuistipitata (MEGT) were obtained from the edible red algae. Previously, we found that water extract of G. tenuistipitata was able to modulate oxidative stress-induced DNA damage and its related cellular responses.

Agrin induces association of Chrna1 mRNA and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in C2C12 myotubes.

In the mammalian central nervous system transcripts of certain synaptic components are localized near the synapse, allowing for rapid regulation of protein levels. Here we test whether an mRNA localization mechanism also exists in the postsynaptic specialization induced by agrin in C2C12 myotubes. RT-PCR showed that Chrna1 was co-purified with nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) isolated by affinity column or by ultracentrifugation.

Arecoline inhibits myogenic differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts by reducing STAT3 phosphorylation.

Areca nut (Areca catechu) is chewed regularly as a medical and psychoactive food by about 10% of the world population, in countries including India, Taiwan and parts of Southern Asia. Areca nut chewing during pregnancy has been associated with both lower birth weight and premature birth. Animals of low birth weights showed retardation of muscle development.

Aqueous extracts of the edible Gracilaria tenuistipitata are protective against H₂O₂-induced DNA damage, growth inhibition, and cell cycle arrest.

Potential antioxidant properties of an aqueous extract of the edible red seaweed Gracilaria tenuistipitata (AEGT) against oxidative DNA damage were evaluated. The AEGT revealed several antioxidant molecules, including phenolics, flavonoids and ascorbic acid. In a cell-free assay, the extract exhibited 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity that significantly reduced H₂O₂-induced plasmid DNA breaks in a dose-response manner (P < 0.

Inhibition of ATR-dependent signaling by protoapigenone and its derivative sensitizes cancer cells to interstrand cross-link-generating agents in vitro and in vivo.

DNA damage caused during cancer treatment can rapidly activate the ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) and ATM and Rad3-related (ATR)-dependent phosphorylation of Chk2 and Chk1 kinases, which are hallmarks of the DNA damage response (DDR). Pharmacologic inhibition of ATR causes a synthetic lethal effect on ATM- or p53-defective cancers, suggesting that such inhibition is an effective way to improve the sensitivity of cancers to DNA-damaging agents. Here, both the natural compound protoapigenone (WYC02) and its synthetic derivative WYC0209 exhibited cytotoxic effects on various cancer cell lines.

Hydrogen peroxide decreases the survival rate of HeLa cells with stable knockdown of survival motor neuron protein.

The mutations of survival motor neuron (SMN) gene result in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a common neurodegenerative disease. Some of the motor neurons undergoing cell death is the predominant characteristic in SMA pathology. However, the viability and sensitivity to stresses of other cell types also need to be determined.

Asparagine of z8 insert is critical for the affinity, conformation, and acetylcholine receptor-clustering activity of neural agrin.

Agrin isoforms with different bioactivities are synthesized by the nerve and the muscle. Neural agrin containing an 8-amino acid insert (z8) introduced by alternative splicing is the active form that induces synaptic differentiation at the neuromuscular junction. In addition to alternative splicing, extracellular calcium is also required for the activity of neural agrin.

Characterization and gene expression profiling of five new human embryonic stem cell lines derived in Taiwan.

Many human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines have been reported, but only a few of them have been fully characterized. In this report, five new hESC lines were derived from 32 discarded blastocysts in Taiwan, and these lines were continuously cultured on mitotically inactivated mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) feeder layer in the hESC medium for more than 44 passages and underwent freezing/thawing processes. All five hESC lines expressed characteristic undifferentiated hESC markers, such as SSEA-4, TRA-1-81, alkaline phosphatase, TERT, and the transcription factors POU5F1 (OCT4) and NANOG.