title: Morin, a flavonoid from moraceae, induces apoptosis by induction of BAD protein in human leukemic cells.
abstract: Evidence suggests that phytochemicals can safely modulate cancer cell biology and induce apoptosis. Here, we investigated the anti-cancer activity of morin, a flavone originally isolated from members of the Moraceae family in human leukemic cells, focusing on apoptosis. An anti-cancer effect of morin was screened with several human leukemic cell lines. U937 cells were most sensitive to morin, where it induced caspase-dependent apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. It also induced loss of MMP (ΔΨm) along with cytochrome c release, down-regulated Bcl-2 protein, and up-regulated BAX proteins. The apoptotic activity of morin was significantly attenuated by Bcl-2 augmentation. In conclusion, morin induced caspase-dependent apoptosis through an intrinsic pathway by upregulating BAD proteins. In addition, Bcl-2 protein expression is also important in morin-induced apoptosis of U937 cells. This study provides evidence that morin might have anticancer properties in human leukemic cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Dongeui University, Busan 614-714, Korea. parkch@deu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Cheol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju 660-702, Korea. lwshmo@gnu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Won Sup
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju 660-702, Korea. gose1@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Se-Il
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Go
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju 660-702, Korea. arulbiotechtnau@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Arulkumar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagappan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Dongeui University College of Oriental Medicine, Busan 614-052, Korea. alsgh0615@lycos.co.kr.
authors.forename: Min Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Dongeui University College of Oriental Medicine, Busan 614-052, Korea. hongsh326@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Su Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute of Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-701, Korea. gonskim@gnu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Gon Sup
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Marine Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju 690-756, Korea. immunkim@jejunu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Gi Young
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Keimyung University, Daegu 704-701, Korea. kwontk@dsmc.or.kr.
authors.forename: Taeg Kyu
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Life Science (BK 21 Program), Research Institute of Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-701, Korea. ryu@gnu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Chung Ho
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Research Institute of Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-701, Korea. scshin@gnu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Sung Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Dongeui University College of Oriental Medicine, Busan 614-052, Korea. choiyh@deu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Yung Hyun
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells; D007938:Leukemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D029586:Moraceae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D020298:U937 Cells; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D047309:Flavones
chemical_list: D020169:Caspases; D005419:Flavonoids; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein; C008548:morin; D047309:Flavones