Description: |
Physcion shows cytotoxic effect on human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells and its apoptosis induction in HeLa cells was investigated by the expressions of p53, p21, Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-9, and caspase-3 proteins. Physcion controls powdery mildew mainly through changing the expression of defence-related genes, and especially enhancing expression of leaf-specific thionin in barley leaves. |
In vitro: |
Microbiol Res. 2014 Apr;169(4):255-61. | Physcion from marine-derived fungus Microsporum sp. induces apoptosis in human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells.[Pubmed: 24071573] | Recently, the relationship between apoptosis and cancer has been emphasized and the induction of apoptosis is recognized as one of the key mechanisms of anti-cancer agents. Marine-derived fungi are valuable sources of structurally diverse bioactive anticancer agents. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the present study, a marine-derived fungus, Microsporum sp. was cultured and an anthraquinone derivative, physcion (11.8 mg) was isolated from the culture broth extract (1710 mg). Physcion has shown cytotoxic effect on human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells and its apoptosis induction in HeLa cells was investigated by the expressions of p53, p21, Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-9, and caspase-3 proteins. The Western blot analysis has revealed that physcion could significantly induce cell apoptosis through down-regulating of Bcl-2 expression, up-regulating of Bax expression, and activating the caspase-3 pathway. Furthermore, physcion induced the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HeLa cells. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these results suggest that physcion could be a potential candidate in the field of anticancer drug discovery against human cervical cancer. | Pest Manag Sci. 2010 Jul;66(7):718-24. | Physcion, a natural anthraquinone derivative, enhances the gene expression of leaf-specific thionin of barley against Blumeria graminis.[Pubmed: 20205209 ] | Physcion is a key active ingredient of the ethanol extract from roots of Chinese rhubarb (Rheum officinale Baill.) that has been commercialised in China for controlling powdery mildews. The biological mechanism of action of Physcion against the barley powdery mildew pathogen was studied using bioassay and microarray methods. METHODS AND RESULTS: Bioassay indicated that Physcion did not directly affect conidial germination of Blumeria graminis Speer f. sp. hordei Marchal, but significantly inhibited conidial germination in vivo. Challenge inoculation indicated that Physcion induced localised resistance rather than systemic resistance against powdery mildew. Gene expression profiling of Physcion-treated barley leaves detected four upregulated and five downregulated genes (ratio >or= 2.0 and P-value < 0.05) by using an Affymetrix Barley GeneChip. The five upregulated probe sequences blasted to the same barley leaf-specific thionin gene, with significant changes varying from 4.26 to 19.91-fold. All downregulated genes were defence-related, linked to peroxidase, oxalate oxidase, bsi1 protein and a pathogenesis-related protein. These changes varied from - 2.34 to - 2.96. Quantitative real-time PCR data confirmed that Physcion enhanced the gene expression of leaf-specific thionin of barley. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated that Physcion controls powdery mildew mainly through changing the expression of defence-related genes, and especially enhancing expression of leaf-specific thionin in barley leaves. |
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