• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.809-817
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• 2009

The phenotypes associated with a gene function are often the best clue to its role in the plant. Transgenic plants ectopically expressing or suppressing a gene can provide useful information related to the gene function. In this study, we constructed three vectors - pFGL571, pFGL846 and pFGL847 - for the Agrobacterium-mediated ectopic expression of plant genes using pPZP211 and modified CaMV 35S, UBQ3 or UBQ10 promoters. The three vectors have several merits such as small size, high copy in bacteria, enough restriction enzyme sites in multi cloning sites and nucleotide sequence information. Analysis of transgenic plants containing GUS or sGFP reporter genes under the control of modified CaMV 35S, UBQ3 or UBQI0 promoter revealed that all of the three promoters showed high activities during most developmental stages after germination and in floral organs. Furthermore, we generated a RNAi module vector, pFGL727, to suppress plant gene expressions and confirmed that pFGL727 is useful for the suppression of a gene expression using rice transgenic plants. Taken together, our new vectors would be very useful for the ectopic expression or the suppression of plant genes.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.63-74
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• 2003

목적 : 한의학에서 관절염이나 진통치료에 사용되어 왔던 봉독약침액이 인간 골육종 세포주인 MG-63 세포에서 항종양효과가 있는지 연구하고자 한다. 특히 본 실험에서는 이러한 봉독의 종양발생 억제작용이 세포사멸과 관련이 있는지, 그리고 프로스타글란딘 합성 효소인 cyclooxygenase(COX)-2의 억제와 관련이 있는지를 연구하고자 한다. 방법 : 인간 골육종 세포주에서 세포사멸의 변화를 관찰하기 위해서 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium brimide(MTT) assay, 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), DNA fragmentation assay 및 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) 방법을 이용하였다. 결과 : 세포독성 검사에서 봉독은 MG-63 세포에서 농도-의존적으로 세포독성을 나타내었다. 이러한 봉독의 세포독성이 세포사멸로 인한 것인지를 여러 가지 형태로 검사한 결과 봉독에 의한 세포독성은 TUNEL 검사와 DAPI 염색시 세포사멸의 특징적인 소견들을 나타내었고, flow cytometric 분석에서도 세포사멸을 의미하는 세포주기의 변화들을 나타내었다. 봉독이 COX-2의 발현에 미치는 영향을 RT-PCR로 실험한 결과 봉독은 COX-2 mRNA의 발현을 선택적으로 억제하였다. 결론 : 본 실험의 결과 봉독은 COX-2 mRNA의 발현을 억제함으로써 골육종 세포에서 세포사멸을 유발하고 그 결과 항종양효과를 나타내는 것으로 보여진다.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.91-97
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to investigate the mechanism of inhibition of chondrogenic differentiation by X-irradiation. Cultures of chick limb bud mesenchymal cells were exposed to various dose of X-ray and chondrogenesis was examined. X-irradiation inhibited accumulation of proteoglycan based on the observation of alcian blue staining and expression of chondorcyte specific-type II collagen. X-irradiation also inhibited expression of protein kinase $C{\alpha}$ while expression of $PKC{\lambda}({\iota}),\;{\varepsilon}$ was not altered. Expression of Erk-1 was not changed by X-irradiation but phosphorylation of Erk-1 was increased. In addition, inhibition of Erk-1 phosphorylation by PD98059 overcame inhibitory effect of X-irradiation on the chondrogenic differentiation. PNA staining data showed that X-irradiation inhibited cellular aggregation. Taken together, these results suggest that X-irradiation inhibits chondrogenic differentiation by inhibiting cellular aggregation and suppressing expression of $PKC{\alpha}$ and promoting phosphorylation of Erk-1. In addition to above pathway, our results also suggest that X-irradiation may exerts its inhibitory effect by another signaling pathways.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.7
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• pp.907-913
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• 2012

Piceatannol (trans-3,4,3',5'-tetrahydroxystilbene) is a polyphenol detected in grapes, rhubarb, and sugarcane. Although recent experimental data revealed that this compound is known to exhibit immunosuppressive and antitumorigenic activities in several cell lines, the molecular mechanisms underlying anticancer activity are poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated possible further mechanisms by which piceatannol exerts its anti-proliferative action in cultured human gastric cancer AGS cells. Piceatannol treatment resulted in the inhibition of growth and G1 arrest of the cell cycle in a concentration-dependent manner, as determined by MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis. The induction of G1 arrest by piceatannol was associated with the modulation of cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) and cyclins, up-regulation of the expression of Cdk inhibitor p21 (WAF1/CIP1) in both transcriptional and translational levels, and the inhibition of phosphorylation of retinoblastoma proteins and E2F1 expression. In addition, piceatannol treatment caused a progressive decrease in the expression levels of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 without significant changes in the levels of COX-1, which was correlated with a decrease in prostaglandin $E_2$ synthesis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1254-1260
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• 2012

The moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) plant is used both as food and an anti-allergic agent. In this study, we investigated skin protection effects of methanol extracts from the root, seed, fruit, and leaves of moringa in HaCaT keratinocyte cells. To investigate the pharmacological potential of various moringa extracts on TNF-${\alpha}$-induced collagen degradation in HaCaT cells, we measured the activity of matrix metallopeptidase-9,2 (MMP-9,2) by zymography analysis. Our results showed that all the moringa extracts inhibit the TNF-${\alpha}$-induced enzyme activity of MMP-9. In particular, moringa root extracts significantly suppressed MMP-9 and MMP-2 in a dose-dependent manner. Next, to investigate the anti-inflammation effect of the moringa extracts, we examined cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression of the extracts. The results showed that both the root extracts and the seed extracts decreased the TNF-${\alpha}$-induced expression of COX-2. In addition, the root and leaf extracts reduced the expression of IL-6. However, none of the moringa extracts affected the expression of iNOS. The results suggest that moringa root extracts down-regulate MMP-9, COX-2, and IL-6 and that the root extracts offer superior skin protection effects compared with other extracts of moringa in HaCaT cells.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2018

A prokaryotic cell has various histone-like proteins also known as nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs). These proteins bind AT-rich sequence at DNA, which induce DNA wrapping, bending, and bridging, and subsequently regulate the gene expression in bacteria. Because NAPs function in transcriptional silencing of virulence genes, it is important to study their roles in gene silencing and specific mechanisms of these proteins. In this review, we discussed two well-known NAPs, H-NS, and HU, and summarized their roles for gene expression in Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium. Through the oligomerization and filamentation of H-NS, it represses the expression of virulence genes in human pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella Typhimurium, and it works with other NAPs positively or negatively. Recently, H-NS also regulates typhoid toxin expression, which causes typhoid fever and systemic disease in human. Additionally, HU regulates the expression of genes related to both virulence and physiology of Salmonella. Therefore, we suggest that NAPs like H-NS and HU are crucial factors to reveal the molecular mechanisms of virulence gene expression in bacteria.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.1097-1101
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• 2010

The aim of the present study is to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of a vegetable soup (VS). The present study was designed to determine the effect of the vegetable soup on pro-inflammatory factors such as NO, iNOS and TNF-$\alpha$ in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. The cell toxicity was determined by MTS assay. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of vegetable soup, amount of NO was measured using the NO detection kit and the iNOS expression was measured by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Also, proinflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA kit. The results showed that the vegetable soup reduced NO, iNOS and TNF-$\alpha$ production without cytotoxicity. Our results suggest that the vegetable soup may have an anti-inflammatory property through suppressing inflammatory mediator productions and appears to be useful to develop the functional food realted to anti-inflammation.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.224-231
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• 2008

We examined the effect of indole-3-carbinol (I3C, $C_9H_9NO$), an autolysis product of a glucosinolate and a glucobrassicin in vegetables, on MMP-2, -9 activities and TIMP-l and -2 inductions via microtubule-associated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway in prostate cancer cell line, PC3 cells. Our results indicated that I3C inhibited cell growth of PC3 cells in dose (0,50, 100 ,${\mu}M$) and time (0,24,48 and 72 h) dependent manners. Using gelatin zymography for MMP activity, we demonstrated that I3C significantly decrease MMP-2 and -9 activities in PC3 cells. We also observed that I3C decreased the proteins and mRNA levels of MMP-2 and -9 in PC3 cells as well. Inversely, expressions of TIMP-l and -2 protein and mRNA in PC3 cells were increased by I3C in a dose dependent manner. In another experiment, we showed that I3C inhibited PC3 cells invasiveness by using marigel invasion assay and we also found that I3C suppressed MMP transcriptional activity by MAPK signaling pathways. Taken together, our results suggest that I3C may contribute to the potential beneficial food component to prevent the cancer metastasis in prostate cancer cells. (KoreanJNutr2008; 41(3): 224~23I)

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1992.05a
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• pp.51-51
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• 1992

신의 약품을 개발하는 과정에서 안전성의 평가는 신약후보물질의 인체에 대한 유해의 정도를 파악하고 신약후보물질들의 독성을 초기에 검색하여 의약품으로써의 개발여부를 결정하는데 기여함으로써 개발연구에 소요되는 시간 및 경제적 낭비를 줄일 수 있는 매우 중요하고도 필수적인 단계이다. 또한 생체독성억제물질의 개발에 관한 연구는 다양한 연구기법을 활용하여 각종 생체이물에 의한 생체독성의 발현을 억제하거나 발현된 독성반응을 완화, 경감시키는 물질이나 기법을 탐색함으로써 신약후보물질의 창출에 기여 할 수 있을 것으로 기대되고 있다. 이와 같은 관점에서 안전성 연구팀은 그 연구분야를 크게 특수독성검색기술 개발연구와 생체독성억제물질 개발연구 분야로 대별하고 1)발암조기검색법 개발연구 2)독성물질 대사효소계에 관한 연구 3)유전자 손상억제물질개발연구 4)간독성 억제물질 개발연구 5)신장독성 억제물질 개발연구 6)면역독성 억제물질 개발연구 7)대사 및 내분비계 독성억제물질 개발연구 8)순환기계독성 억제물질 개발연구 등 총 8개의 세부과제와 안전성평가제도의 국제화를 위한 제도 및 기준에 관한 연구를 수행하고 있는바 이들의 연구목표와 내용 그리고 1차년도의 연구결과를 개괄적으로 소개함으로써 본 과제가 포괄하는 제반 안전성연구내용에 대한 이해를 도모하고자 한다.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.64-77
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• 2011

Objectives : 판람근(板藍根)은 십자화과에 속하는 대청(大靑) 또는 숭남의 근(根)을 건조한 것이다. 본 연구는 판람근(板藍根)이 청열해독(淸熱解毒)함에 근거하여, LPS로 활성화된 Raw264.7 cell에서 판람근(板藍根)과 그 성분중의 하나인 tryptanthrin이 염증매개물질에 미치는 효과를 살펴보고자 하였다. Methods : 세포생존율은 MTT, nitric oxide (NO)는 Griess reagent를 사용하여 측정하였으며, 각 단백질의 발현량은 Western blot 방법을 사용하였으며, cytokine 및 cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)는 ELISA방법을 사용하여 측정하였다. Results : LPS는 NO 및 prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)를 유의하게 상승시켰으며, 판람근(板藍根)추출물 (IRE) 및 tryptanthrin 은 이들을 유의하게 억제하였다. 그러나 판람근(板藍根)의 또 다른 성분인 indigo는 유의한 결과를 나타내지 못하였다. IRE와 tryptanthrin은 inhibitory kappa B alpha의 인산화를 억제하여, nuclear factor-${\kappa}$B (NF-${\kappa}$B)의 핵으로의 전위(轉位)를 억제하여, iNOS 및 cytokine을 억제하였다. IRE와 tryptanthrin의 PGE2 억제는, COX-2의 발현억제에서가 아니라, COX-2의 활성을 억제함에서 기인하였다. Conclusion : 이러한 결과는 판람근(板藍根)이 NF-${\kappa}$B pathway를 경유하여 iNOS의 발현 및 COX-2의 활성을 억제함을 나타내며, 이러한 판람근(板藍根)의 항염증효능은 일부 tryptanthrin의 작용에서 기인함을 시사한다.