• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.84 no.1
• /
• pp.77-86
• /
• 1995

To effectively modify tree function with genetic engineering, transgenes must be expressed at the proper level in the appropriate tissues at suitable developmental stages. Toward understanding the spatial and temporal expression of transgenes in woody plants, transgene expression was evaluated in three greenhouse-grown, transgenic lines of Populus alba ${\times}$ P. grandidentata hybrid clone 'Hansen'. All transgenic poplar lines possess constructs containing the bacterial nopaline synthase(nos) promoter linked to a neomycin phosphotransferase II(NPT II) selectable marker gene. In addition, each transgenic poplar line contains one of the following gene constructs : 1) a wound-inducible potato proteinase inhibitor II (pin2) promoter linked to a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase(CAT) reporter gene. 2) a nos promoter linked to a PIN2 structural gene : or 3) a Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35s promoter linked to a PIN2 structural gene. Polymerase chain reaction(PCR) was used to verify the presence of foreign genes in the poplar genome. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays(ELISAs) were used to evaluate organ specific expression of the nos-NPT II construct. NPT II expression was detected in leaves, petioles, stems, and roots of transgenic poplar, thereby indicating that the nos promoter is potentially effective for general constitutive expression of transgenes. NPT expression varied among transgenic poplar lines and among organs for one transgenic line, Tr15. With Tr15, NPT II levels were highest in older leaves and petioles. These results indicate that screening of several transgenic lines may be required to identify lines with optimal transgene expression.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.40 no.6
• /
• pp.691-695
• /
• 2008

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of glycoprotein isolated from Morus indica L. (MIL) on plasma cholesterol levels and on the activities of hepatic detoxicant enzymes in ICR mice. MIL glycoprotein evidenced good scavenging activities against lipid peroxyl radicals. When the mice were treated with Triton WR-1339, the levels of total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol in plasma increased significantly by 53.9 and 47.5 mg/dL, respectively, as compared to the controls. However, when pretreated with MIL glycoprotein $(100{\mu}g/mL)$, ICR mice showed marked reductions to 55.4 and 47.0 mg/dL, as compared to Triton WR-1339 treatment alone. Interestingly, high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were unchanged. These results indicate that the MIL glycoprotein is capable of scavenging lipidperoxyl radicals, lowering plasma lipid levels, and increasing the activities of detoxicant enzymes in the mouse liver.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.40 no.6
• /
• pp.696-701
• /
• 2008

The objective of this study was to determine whether Codonopsis lanceolata or Platycodon grandiflorum ethyl acetate fraction (CLEA or PGEA) protect cells against sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced oxidative stress via the expression of various antioxidant systems. The HepG2 cells exposed for 24 hr to 0.5 mM SNP showed a reduction in the cell viability by an MTT assay. Pretreatment with CLEA and PGEA resulted in an inhibition of SNP-induced cell death. In addition, the effects of CLEA and PGEA on the expression of antioxidant systems via RT-PCR analyses was assessed. The levels of catalase (CAT), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and metallothionein (MT)-1A mRNA were increased after 24 hr of CLEA exposure. The levels of Mn superoxide dismutase CAT, G6PD, MT-1A, and MT-2A mRNA were increased after PGEA treatment. In conclusion, CLEA and PGEA exert indirect antioxidant effects, perhaps via the induction of a variety of antioxidant systems which, may protect cells against oxidative stress.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.50-56
• /
• 2017

Formaldehyde is one of the toxic substances without any color and smell. Several methods to remove formaldehyde has been investigated up to now. Here, both the enzymatic and chemisorptive/catalytic liquid phase formaldehyde removal were investigated, and their catalytic activities in terms of specific activities were compared. Firstly, formaldehyde dehydrogenase (FDH) enzyme from Escherichia coli K12 was cloned, and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). And the catalytic activity was characterized as $2.49{\times}10^3sec^{-1}mM^{-1}$ of $k_{cat}/K_m$ with 8.69 U/mg of the specific activity. Secondly, the chemisorptive and oxidative catalytic removals were investigated simultaneously. Activated carbons and zeolites treated with heat, KI, and KOH were used as chemisorption medium. And $Pd/TiO_2$ was used as an oxidative catalyst for the formaldehyde removal. All of the tested chemicals showed similar formaldehyde removal efficiencies of around 50%. However, the specific activity of FDH dependent formaldehyde removal was absolutely higher than that of using chemisorptive and catalytic removal processes with the ranges of 0.01 to 0.26 U/g.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.23-33
• /
• 2011

Objectives : The present study investigated effects of Artemisia Capillaris Thunberg ethanol extract(EtOH ext). on lowering lipid, anti-oxidation and concentration of plasma inflammatory mediators using rat fed on high oxidized fat. Methods : We divided fat sprague-dawley rats fed on high oxidized into 4 groups. They were normal group, feed with 100 mg/kg Artemisia Capillaris Thunberg group, feed with 200 mg/kg Artemisia Capillaris Thunberg group and feed with 300 mg/kg Artemisia capilaris Thunberg group. They were administered for 4 weeks. We measured concentration of plasma free fatty acid(FFA), plasma triglyceride, plasma total cholesterol, and plasma low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-cholesterol), plasma high density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-cholesterol), concentration of liver total cholesterol and liver triglyceride (TG), concentration of plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substance(TBARS) and liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substance(TBARS), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, superoxide dismutase(SOD) activity and catalase(CAT) activity, plasma nitric oxide(NO), ceruloplasmin and ${\alpha}-glycoprotein$. Results : 1. The Artemisia Capillaris Thunberg EtOH ext. groups showed low concentration of plasma FFA, plasma triglyceride, plasma total cholesterol and plasma LDL-cholesterol compared to control group. However, concentration of plasma HDL-cholesterol was increased in the Artemisia Capillaris Thunberg EtOH ext. groups. 2. Concentration of liver total cholesterol and liver TG showed a significantly decrement in all Artemisia Capillaris Thunberg EtOH ext. groups than that of control group. 3. The Artemisia Capillaris Thunberg EtOH ext. groups showed lower values in concentration of plasma TBARS and liver TBARS than that of control group. The values of GSH-Px activity, SOD activity and CAT activity were increased in the Artemisia Capillaris Thunberg EtOH ext. groups. 4. The values of plasma NO, ceruloplasmin and ${\alpha}-glycoprotein$ were decreased in Artemisia Capillaris Thunberg EtOH ext. groups. Conclusions : Based on the results in this study, the Artemisia Capillaris Thunberg EtOH ext. showed a positive effect in lowering lipid, anti-oxidation and decrement of plasma inflammatory mediators.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.84 no.2
• /
• pp.96-104
• /
• 2021

Background: Many chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients receiving monotherapy continue to experience symptoms, exacerbations and poor quality of life. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of direct switch from once-daily tiotropium (TIO) 18 ㎍ to indacaterol/glycopyrronium (IND/GLY) 110/50 ㎍ once daily in COPD patients in Korea. Methods: This was a randomized, open-label, parallel group, 12-week trial in mild-to-moderate COPD patients who received TIO 18 ㎍ once daily for ≥12 weeks prior to study initiation. Patients aged ≥40 years, with predicted post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁) ≥50%, post-bronchodilator FEV₁/forced vital capacity <0.7 and smoking history of ≥10 pack-years were included. Eligible patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either IND/GLY or TIO. The primary objective was to demonstrate superiority of IND/GLY over TIO in pre-dose trough FEV₁ at week 12. Secondary endpoints included transition dyspnea index (TDI) focal score, COPD assessment test (CAT) total score, and rescue medication use following the 12-week treatment, and safety assessment. Results: Of the 442 patients screened, 379 were randomized and 347 completed the study. IND/GLY demonstrated superiority in pre-dose trough FEV₁ versus TIO at week 12 (least squares mean treatment difference [Δ], 50 mL; p=0.013). Also, numerical improvements were observed with IND/GLY in the TDI focal score (Δ, 0.31), CAT total score (Δ, -0.81), and rescue medication use (Δ, -0.09 puffs/day). Both treatments were well tolerated by patients. Conclusion: A direct switch from TIO to IND/GLY provided improvements in lung function and other patient-reported outcomes with an acceptable safety profile in patients with mild-to-moderate airflow limitation.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.93-96
• /
• 2011

It has been shown that a nucleotide substitution at position 770 in Escherichia coli 16S rRNA, which is implicated in forming the evolutionary conserved B2c intersubunit bridge, has a detrimental effect on ribosome function. In order to isolate second-site revertants that complement ribosomes containing C770G, we performed a random mutagenesis of the 16S rRNA gene and selected clones that could produce more CAT protein translated by specialized ribosome. One of the clones contained two nucleotide substitutions at positions 569 and 904 (C569G and U904C) and these mutations partially complemented the loss of protein-synthesis ability caused by C770G. Further studies using the isolated revertant will provide information about which part of 16S rRNA is interacting with C770 and the consequence of the structure formed by these interactions in the process of protein synthesis.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.133-143
• /
• 2017

This study was conducted to evaluate the contents of total polyphenol and flavonoid, and the effect of antioxidant, antimicrobial activities and cytotoxicity in vitro by different solvent fractions from Orostachys japonicus. The ethylacetate fraction extract for O. japonicus contained $634.48{\mu}g/g$ polyphenol and $205.20{\mu}g/g$ flavonoid. The ABTS radical scavenging ability of ethylacetate fraction extract at 1 mg/ml was higher than 95% which is comparable to ascorbic acid of 97%. The APX enzymatic activity and CAT activity were $1125.89{\mu}mol$ ascorbate oxidized/min/mg protein and 119.87 H2O2 decomposed/min/mg protein, respectively. In disc agar plate diffusion assay, the extract gave rise to a larger inhibition circle with Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Malassezia furfur strains compared with antibiotics kanamycin suggestive of high antibiotic activity. The cytotoxicity of extracts of O. japonicus was significant differences between solvent fractions. That is, the cytotoxic effect against human cancer cell was higher in ethylacetate fraction extract than other fraction extracts. These results suggest that fraction extract of O. japonicus might be very effective and economical in developing natural antioxidant and antimicrobial.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.9-16
• /
• 2012

The goal of this study was to identify neurotransmitters in endings (p-endings) presynaptic to low-threshold mechanoreceptive vibrissa afferents in the laminae III/IV of cat trigeminal caudal nucleus (Vc). Rapidly-adapting vibrissa afferents were intra-axonally labeled after electrophysiological identification, and postembedding immunogold staining with antisera against ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine was performed, followed by quantitative ultrastructural analysis of p-endings presynaptic to the labeled vibrissa afferent terminals. Sixteen p-endings, which are presynaptic to the HRP-labeled vibrissa afferent terminals, were analyzed in this study: Eight p-endings (50%, 8/16) were immunopositive to GABA but immunonegative to glycine (GABA+ p-ending), and remaining 8 p-endings (50%, 8/16) exhibited immunoreactivity to both GABA and glycine. Bouton volume of the p-endings was not significantly different between the two groups. However, the p-endings differed from each other in relative content of GABA and glycine. These findings suggest that low-threshold mechanoreceptive information conveyed through vibrissa afferent at Vc is presynaptically modulated by GABA and/or glycine, and that degree of presynaptic modulation may differ among each vibrissa afferent terminal.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.657-663
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a cheonggukjang diet and aerobic exercise on lipid metabolism and antioxidant enzyme activity in rats. Thirty-two Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into a cheonggukjang diet with aerobic exercise (A), aerobic exercise (B), cheonggukjang diet (C), and control group (D). The cheonggukjang diet group consumed 20 g of 20% cheonggukjang a day with their normal diet. Exercise training consisted of treadmill running (25~40 min, 5 day/wk) and the exercise intensity was gradually increased. The results are as follows: T-C was significantly lower (p<0.05) in A compared to B and C. TG was significantly lower (p<0.001) in A compared to D. B and C were significantly lower than D. HDL-C was significantly higher (p<0.05) in C compared to D. LDL-C was not statistically different across the groups. Additionally, TBARS were not statistically different in the control or experimental groups. SOD was significantly lower (p<0.05) in A compared to D. C was significantly lower (p<0.05) that of D. CAT and GPx failed to reach the statistical difference between experimental and control groups. The major findings of this study were that aerobic exercise with a chenggukjang diet intervention improved lipid profiles and antioxidant capacity in this animal model. Therefore, a cheonggukjang diet and aerobic exercise will help to improve antioxidant capacity and prevent lifestyle related diseases.