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Saponins from soy bean and mung bean inhibit the antigen specific activation of helper T cells by blocking cell cycle progression

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Abstract

Treatment of helper T (Th) cells with saponins from soy bean and mung bean prevented their activation by inhibiting cell proliferation and cytokine secretion. However, the saponins did not affect the expression of major histocompatibility complex class II (Ab) and co-stimulatory molecule (CD86) on professional antigen-presenting cells. Instead, the saponins directly inhibited Th cell proliferation by blocking the G1 to S phase cell cycle transition. Moreover, blocking of the cell cycle by the saponins was achieved by decreased expression of cyclin D1 and cyclin E, and constitutive expression of p27KIP1. Saponins also increased stability of p27KIP1 in Th cells after antigenic stimulation.

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Abbreviations

B6 mouse:

C57BL/6 mouse

CDK:

Cyclin-dependent kinase

HPRT:

Hypoxanthine–guanine phosphoribosyltransferase

IFN-γ:

Interferon-γ

IL-2:

Interleukin-2

MHC:

Major histocompatibility complex

pAPC:

Professional antigen presenting cell

PI:

Propidium iodide

TCR:

T cell receptor

Th cell:

Helper T cell

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Technology Development Program for Food (109141-03), and the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Republic of Korea. This work was also supported by Next-Generation BioGreen 21 program (No. PJ008089), Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 136-701, Republic of Korea

    Suk Jun Lee, Joonbeom Bae, Sunhee Kim, Seonah Jeong, Chang-Yong Choi, Sang-Pil Choi & Taehoon Chun

  2. Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Science, Korea University, Seoul, 136-703, Republic of Korea

    Hyun-Sook Kim

  3. Research Institute of Health Science, College of Health Science, Korea University, Seoul, 136-703, Republic of Korea

    Woon-Won Jung

  4. Department of Foods and Nutrition, Kookmin University, Seoul, 136-702, Republic of Korea

    Jee-Young Imm

  5. Division of Food Bioscience and Technology, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 136-701, Republic of Korea

    Sae Hun Kim

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  1. Suk Jun Lee
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Correspondence to Taehoon Chun.

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Lee, S.J., Bae, J., Kim, S. et al. Saponins from soy bean and mung bean inhibit the antigen specific activation of helper T cells by blocking cell cycle progression. Biotechnol Lett 35, 165–173 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-012-1060-y

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