A synthetic Nitraria alkaloid, isonitramine protects pancreatic β-cell and attenuates postprandial hyperglycemia.

Objective: The extracts of Nitraria genus are composed of Nitraria alkaloids and have been used traditionally as a hypoglycemic medicine. However, the efficacy and precise mechanism of Nitraria alkaloids remain largely unknown.

Methods: Previously, we reported the total synthesis of (+)-isonitramine, one of Nitraria alkaloids.

Essential Role of DNA Methyltransferase 1-mediated Transcription of Insulin-like Growth Factor 2 in Resistance to Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDI) are promising anticancer therapies; however, drug resistance limits their efficacy. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying HDI resistance, focusing on the mechanism of HDI-mediated induction of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) based on our previous study. The methylation status of CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF)-binding sites in the imprinting control region (ICR) were determined by methylation-specific PCR and bisulfite sequencing.

Activation of insulin-like growth factor receptor signaling mediates resistance to histone deacetylase inhibitors.

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are considered promising targets in the treatment of hematologic malignancies and several types of solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the efficacy of HDAC inhibitors in solid tumors is marginal, and the mechanisms underlying resistance to HDAC inhibitors are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate the involvement of type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) signaling in resistance to HDAC inhibitors in NSCLC.

Transduction of the MPG-tagged fusion protein into mammalian cells and oocytes depends on amiloride-sensitive endocytic pathway.

Background: MPG is a cell-permeable peptide with proven efficiency to deliver macromolecular cargoes into cells. In this work, we examined the efficacy of MPG as an N-terminal tag in a fusion protein to deliver a protein cargo and its mechanism of transduction.

Results: We examined transduction of MPG-EGFP fusion protein by live imaging, flow cytometry, along with combination of cell biological and pharmacological methods.