The assembly of the respiratory apparatus requires the coordinate expression of a large number of genes from both nuclear and mitochondrial genetic systems. In vertebrate organisms, the molecular mechanisms integrating the activities of these distinct genomic compartments in response to tissue demands for respiratory energy remain unknown. A potential inroad to this problem came with the discov...

Fluoxetine (Prozac) is one of the most widely prescribed pharmaceuticals, yet important aspects of its mechanism of action remain unknown. We previously reported that fluoxetine and related antidepressants induce nose muscle contraction of C. elegans. We also reported the identification and initial characterization of mutations in seven C. elegans genes that cause defects in this response (Nrf,...

The ubiquitous transcription factor NRF (NF-kappaB repressing factor) is a constitutive transcriptional silencer of the multifunctional cytokine interferon-beta. NRF mRNA contains a long 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) predicted to fold into a strong secondary structure. The presence of stable hairpins is known to be incompatible with efficient translation by ribosomal scanning. Using dicistroni...

The expression of CD47 on the cancer cell surface transmits "don't eat me" signalling that not only inhibits phagocytosis of cancer cells by phagocytes but also impairs anti-cancer T cell responses. Here we report that oncogenic activation of ERK plays an important role in transcriptional activation of CD47 through nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1) in melanoma cells. Treatment with BRAF/MEK ...

Abstract The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, has threatened the global health. Since first case infection was reported in December 2019, rapidly spread all over world and millions deaths. As vaccination is best way to protect host from invading pathogens, several vaccines have been developed prevent saved huge numbers lives so far. However, constantly change their ...

NF-kappaB repressing factor (NRF), a nuclear inhibitor of NF-kappaB, is constitutively expressed and is implicated in the basal silencing of specific NF-kappaB targeting genes, including IFN-beta, IL-8/CXCL8, and iNOS. Little is known about the regulation of NRF and its role in response to stimuli. Airway smooth muscle (ASM) is a rich source of inflammatory mediators that may regulate the devel...

Recent evidence indicates that microglial activation and hippocampal damage may play important roles in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Bambusae Caulis in Taeniam has been used as a folk remedy for the treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in China and Korea. In this study, the mechanism responsible for the neuroprotective and anti-neuroinflammatory eff...

Cystic fibrosis is characterized by recurring pulmonary exacerbations that lead to the deterioration of lung function and eventual lung failure. Excessive inflammatory responses by airway epithelia have been linked to the overproduction of the inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and IL-8. The mechanism by which this occurs is not fully understood, but normal IL-1beta mediated activation of the productio...

INTRODUCTION Acrolein (2-propenal) is a reactive α, β-unsaturated aldehyde which causes a health hazard to humans. The present study focused on determining the protection offered by sulforaphane against acrolein-induced damage in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). MATERIAL AND METHODS Acrolein-induced oxidative stress was determined through evaluating the levels of reactive oxygen spe...

We previously reported that a novel marine compound, xyloketal B, has strong antioxidative actions in different models of cardiovascular diseases. Induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an important endogenous antioxidant enzyme, has been considered as a potential therapeutic strategy for cardiovascular diseases. We here investigated whether xyloketal B exhibits its antioxidant activity through ...