scholarly journals Inhibitory Effect of Arctigenin from Fructus Arctii Extract on Melanin Synthesis via Repression of Tyrosinase Expression

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hwayong Park ◽  
Kwang Hoon Song ◽  
Pil Mun Jung ◽  
Ji-Eun Kim ◽  
Hyunju Ro ◽  
...  

To identify the active compound arctigenin in Fructus Arctii (dried seed of medicinal plantArctium lappa) and to elucidate the inhibitory mechanism in melanogenesis, we analyzed melanin content and tyrosinase activity on B16BL6 murine melanoma and melan-A cell cultures. Water extracts of Fructus Arctii were shown to inhibit tyrosinase activity in vitro and melanin content inα-melanocyte stimulating hormone-stimulated cells to similar levels as the well-known kojic acid and arbutin, respectively. The active compound arctigenin of Fructus Arctii displayed little or no cytotoxicity at all concentrations examined and decreased the relative melanin content and tyrosinase activity in a dose-dependent manner. Melanogenic inhibitory activity was also identified in vivo with zebrafish embryo. To determine the mechanism of inhibition, the effects of arctigenin on tyrosinase gene expression and tyrosinase promoter activity were examined. Also in addition, in the signaling cascade, arctigenin dose dependently decreased the cAMP level and promoted the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase. This result suggests that arctigenin downregulates cAMP and the tyrosinase enzyme through its gene promoter and subsequently upregulates extracellular signal-regulated kinase activity by increasing phosphorylation in the melanogenesis signaling pathway, which leads to a lower melanin content.

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (23) ◽  
pp. 4920-4931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gyu-Un Bae ◽  
Youn-Joo Yang ◽  
Guoying Jiang ◽  
Mingi Hong ◽  
Hye-Jin Lee ◽  
...  

A variety of signaling pathways participate in the development of skeletal muscle, but the extracellular cues that regulate such pathways in myofiber formation are not well understood. Neogenin is a receptor for ligands of the netrin and repulsive guidance molecule (RGM) families involved in axon guidance. We reported previously that neogenin promoted myotube formation by C2C12 myoblasts in vitro and that the related protein Cdo (also Cdon) was a potential neogenin coreceptor in myoblasts. We report here that mice homozygous for a gene-trap mutation in the Neo1 locus (encoding neogenin) develop myotomes normally but have small myofibers at embryonic day 18.5 and at 3 wk of age. Similarly, cultured myoblasts derived from such animals form smaller myotubes with fewer nuclei than myoblasts from control animals. These in vivo and in vitro defects are associated with low levels of the activated forms of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), both known to be involved in myotube formation, and inefficient expression of certain muscle-specific proteins. Recombinant netrin-2 activates FAK and ERK in cultured myoblasts in a neogenin- and Cdo-dependent manner, whereas recombinant RGMc displays lesser ability to activate these kinases. Together, netrin-neogenin signaling is an important extracellular cue in regulation of myogenic differentiation and myofiber size.


2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 3237-3246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amardeep S. Dhillon ◽  
Claire Pollock ◽  
Helge Steen ◽  
Peter E. Shaw ◽  
Harald Mischak ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The Raf-1 kinase activates the ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase) pathway. The cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKA) can inhibit Raf-1 by direct phosphorylation. We have mapped all cAMP-induced phosphorylation sites in Raf-1, showing that serines 43, 259, and 621 are phosphorylated by PKA in vitro and induced by cAMP in vivo. Serine 43 phosphorylation decreased the binding to Ras in serum-starved but not in mitogen-stimulated cells. However, the kinase activity of a RafS43A mutant was fully inhibited by PKA. Mutation of serine 259 increased the basal Raf-1 activity and rendered it largely resistant to inhibition by PKA. cAMP increased Raf-1 serine 259 phosphorylation in a PKA-dependent manner with kinetics that correlated with ERK deactivation. PKA also decreased Raf-1 serine 338 phosphorylation of Raf-1, previously shown to be required for Raf-1 activation. Serine 338 phosphorylation of a RafS259A mutant was unaffected by PKA. Using RafS259 mutants we also demonstrate that Raf-1 is the sole target for PKA inhibition of ERK and ERK-induced gene expression, and that Raf-1 inhibition is mediated mainly through serine 259 phosphorylation.


2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 1140-1148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dae-Won Kim ◽  
Brent H. Cochran

ABSTRACT We have previously shown that TFII-I enhances transcriptional activation of the c-fos promoter through interactions with upstream elements in a signal-dependent manner. Here we demonstrate that activated Ras and RhoA synergize with TFII-I for c-fospromoter activation, whereas dominant-negative Ras and RhoA inhibit these effects of TFII-I. The Mek1 inhibitor, PD98059 abrogates the enhancement of the c-fos promoter by TFII-I, indicating that TFII-I function is dependent on an active mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway. Analysis of the TFII-I protein sequence revealed that TFII-I contains a consensus MAP kinase interaction domain (D box). Consistent with this, we have found that TFII-I forms an in vivo complex with extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK). Point mutations within the consensus MAP kinase binding motif of TFII-I inhibit its ability to bind ERK and its ability to enhance the c-fos promoter. Therefore, the D box of TFII-I is required for its activity on the c-fos promoter. Moreover, the interaction between TFII-I and ERK can be regulated. Serum stimulation enhances complex formation between TFII-I and ERK, and dominant-negative Ras abrogates this interaction. In addition, TFII-I can be phosphorylated in vitro by ERK and mutation of consensus MAP kinase substrate sites at serines 627 and 633 impairs the phosphorylation of TFII-I by ERK and its activity on the c-fos promoter. These results suggest that ERK regulates the activity of TFII-I by direct phosphorylation.


1996 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun W. Wong ◽  
Geoffrey O. Regester ◽  
Geoffrey L. Francis ◽  
Dennis L. Watson

SummaryStudies on the immunomodulatory activities of ruminant milk and colostral whey fractions were undertaken. By comparing with boiled colostral whey in a preliminary experiment, a putative heat-labile immunostimulatory factor for antibody responses was found to be present in ovine colostral whey. Studies were then undertaken in sheep in which the efferent prefemoral lymphatic ducts were cannulated bilaterally, and immune responses in the node were measured following subcutaneous injection in the flank fold of whey protein preparations of various purities. A significant sustained decline of efferent lymphocyte output was observed following injection with autologous crude milk whey or colostral whey preparations, but no changes were observed in interferon-gamma levels in lymph plasma. Two bovine milk whey fractions (lactoperoxidase and lactoferrin) of high purity were compared in bilaterally cannulated sheep. A transient decline over the first 6 h was seen in the efferent lymphocyte output and lymph flow rate after injection of both fractions. A significant difference was seen between the two fractions in interferongamma levels in lymph at 6 h after injection. However, no significant changes in the proportion of the various efferent lymphocyte phenotypes were seen following either treatment. Whereas both fractions showed a significant inhibitory effect in a dose-dependent manner on the proliferative response of T lymphocytes, but not B lymphocytes, to mitogenic stimulation in vitro, no similar changes were seen following in vivo stimulation with these two fractions.


Author(s):  
Ganiyu Oboh ◽  
Veronica O. Odubanjo ◽  
Fatai Bello ◽  
Ayokunle O. Ademosun ◽  
Sunday I. Oyeleye ◽  
...  

AbstractAvocado pear (The inhibitory effects of extracts on AChE and BChE activities and antioxidant potentials (inhibition of FeThe extracts inhibited AChE and BChE activities and prooxidant-induced TBARS production in a dose-dependent manner, with the seed extract having the highest inhibitory effect and the leaf extract exhibiting higher phenolic content and radical scavenging abilities, but lower Fe chelation ability compared with that of the seed. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of saponins, alkaloids, and terpenoids in both extracts, whereas the total alkaloid profile was higher in the seed extract than in the leaf extract, as revealed by GC-FID.The anti-cholinesterase and antioxidant activities of avocado leaf and seed could be linked to their phytoconstituents and might be the possible mechanisms underlying their use as a cheap and natural treatment/management of AD. However, these extracts should be further investigated in vivo.


2007 ◽  
Vol 176 (5) ◽  
pp. 709-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunxi Ge ◽  
Guozhi Xiao ◽  
Di Jiang ◽  
Renny T. Franceschi

The extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK)–mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway provides a major link between the cell surface and nucleus to control proliferation and differentiation. However, its in vivo role in skeletal development is unknown. A transgenic approach was used to establish a role for this pathway in bone. MAPK stimulation achieved by selective expression of constitutively active MAPK/ERK1 (MEK-SP) in osteoblasts accelerated in vitro differentiation of calvarial cells, as well as in vivo bone development, whereas dominant-negative MEK1 was inhibitory. The involvement of the RUNX2 transcription factor in this response was established in two ways: (a) RUNX2 phosphorylation and transcriptional activity were elevated in calvarial osteoblasts from TgMek-sp mice and reduced in cells from TgMek-dn mice, and (b) crossing TgMek-sp mice with Runx2+/− animals partially rescued the hypomorphic clavicles and undemineralized calvaria associated with Runx2 haploinsufficiency, whereas TgMek-dn; Runx2+/− mice had a more severe skeletal phenotype. This work establishes an important in vivo function for the ERK–MAPK pathway in bone that involves stimulation of RUNX2 phosphorylation and transcriptional activity.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. e2608-e2608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongfeng Yuan ◽  
Brandon Tan ◽  
Shou-Jiang Gao

Abstract Tenovin-6 has attracted significant interest because it activates p53 and inhibits sirtuins. It has anti-neoplastic effects on multiple hematopoietic malignancies and solid tumors in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Tenovin-6 was recently shown to impair the autophagy pathway in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells and pediatric soft tissue sarcoma cells. However, whether tenovin-6 has a general inhibitory effect on autophagy and whether there is any involvement with SIRT1 and p53, both of which are regulators of the autophagy pathway, remain unclear. In this study, we have demonstrated that tenovin-6 increases microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3-II) level in diverse cell types in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Mechanistically, the increase of LC3-II by tenovin-6 is caused by inhibition of the classical autophagy pathway via impairing lysosomal function without affecting the fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes. Furthermore, we have revealed that tenovin-6 activation of p53 is cell type dependent, and tenovin-6 inhibition of autophagy is not dependent on its regulatory functions on p53 and SIRT1. Our results have shown that tenovin-6 is a potent autophagy inhibitor, and raised the precaution in interpreting results where tenovin-6 is used as an inhibitor of SIRT1.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Liu ◽  
Ping Chen ◽  
Xiaojun Du ◽  
Junxia Sun ◽  
Shasha Han

Abstract Background Obtusofolin is the major active ingredient of Catsia tora L., which possesses the activity of improving eyesight and protecting the optic nerve. Investigation on the interaction of obtusofolin with cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP450s) could provide a reference for the clinical application of obtusofolin. Methods The effect of obtusofolin on the activity of CYP450s was investigated in the presence of 100 μM obtusofolin in pooled human liver microsomes (HLMs) and fitted with the Lineweaver–Burk plots to characterize the specific inhibition model and kinetic parameters. Results Obtusofolin was found to significantly inhibited the activity of CYP3A4, 2C9, and 2E1. In the presence of 0, 2.5, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 μM obtusofolin, the inhibition of these CYP450s showed a dose-dependent manner with the IC50 values of 17.1 ± 0.25, 10.8 ± 0.13, and 15.5 ± 0.16 μM, respectively. The inhibition of CYP3A4 was best fitted with the non-competitive inhibition model with the Ki value of 8.82 μM. While the inhibition of CYP2C9 and 2E1 was competitive with the Ki values of 5.54 and 7.79 μM, respectively. After incubating for 0, 5, 10, 15, and 30 min, the inhibition of CYP3A4 was revealed to be time-dependent with the KI value of 4.87 μM− 1 and the Kinact value of 0.0515 min− 1. Conclusions The in vitro inhibitory effect of obtusofolin implying the potential drug-drug interaction between obtusofolin and corresponding substrates, which needs further in vivo validations.


2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 854-864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandrine Marchetti ◽  
Clotilde Gimond ◽  
Jean-Claude Chambard ◽  
Thomas Touboul ◽  
Danièle Roux ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphatases (MKPs) are dual-specificity phosphatases that dephosphorylate phosphothreonine and phosphotyrosine residues within MAP kinases. Here, we describe a novel posttranslational mechanism for regulating MKP-3/Pyst1/DUSP6, a member of the MKP family that is highly specific for extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) inactivation. Using a fibroblast model in which the expression of either MKP-3 or a more stable MKP-3-green fluorescent protein (GFP) chimera was induced by tetracycline, we found that serum induces the phosphorylation of MKP-3 and its subsequent degradation by the proteasome in a MEK1 and MEK2 (MEK1/2)-ERK1/2-dependent manner. In vitro phosphorylation assays using glutathione S-transferase (GST)-MKP-3 fusion proteins indicated that ERK2 could phosphorylate MKP-3 on serines 159 and 197. Tetracycline-inducible cell clones expressing either single or double serine mutants of MKP-3 or MKP-3-GFP confirmed that these two sites are targeted by the MEK1/2-ERK1/2 module in vivo. Double serine mutants of MKP-3 or MKP-3-GFP were more efficiently protected from degradation than single mutants or wild-type MKP-3, indicating that phosphorylation of either serine by ERK1/2 enhances proteasomal degradation of MKP-3. Hence, double mutation caused a threefold increase in the half-life of MKP-3. Finally, we show that the phosphorylation of MKP-3 has no effect on its catalytic activity. Thus, ERK1/2 exert a positive feedback loop on their own activity by promoting the degradation of MKP-3, one of their major inactivators in the cytosol, a situation opposite to that described for the nuclear phosphatase MKP-1.


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