• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.459-466
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• 2007

The cDNA sequence of the Japanese flounder (Paralychthys olivaceus) IgD has been previously reported (GenBank accession no. AB052658) and this was followed by the detection of IgD mRNA expression in some flounder organ tissues. However, it has not been determined whether the flounder IgD gene is virtually expressed into IgD protein. To characterize the flounder immunoglobulins utilized in elucidating the mechanism, evolution and diversity of the flounder immune system, antibodies specific to IgD and IgM were necessary. In the present study, partial flounder recombinant IgD (rIgD), IgM (rIgM) and the conserved regions of IgD and IgM (rCIg) were produced by cloning the cDNA sequence using isotype specific primers which were designed to produce unique fragments of IgD and IgM specific amino acid sequences. The production of recombinant Igs was ascertained by SDS-gel electrophoresis and immunoblot analysis using anti-T7$\cdot}$Taq antibody. The produced recombinant Igs were purified using affinity columns, and used as immunogens. Antibodies specific to the isotype of flounder Igs were generated by immunizing rabbits with rfIgs and the antibodies produced were identified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting. Specificities of the generated antibodies were evaluated by testing cross-reactivity between recombinant IgM and IgD. By ELISA, rabbit antibodies against the rfIgD fragment (anti-rfIgD) failed to recognize any kind of flounder serum Igs, whereas respective antibodies against rfCIg (anti-rfCIg) and rfIgM fragments (anti-rfIgM) reacted with serum Igs. Likewise, in immunoblot assays, though anti-rfIgD did not, both anti-rfCIg and anti-rfIgM bound with the ~85 kd flounder IgM heavy chain. By flow cytometry analysis, anti-rfCIg, anti-rfIgD and anti-rfIgM reacted with 6%, 3% and 6.5% of cells, respectively, suggesting that flounder IgD is not secreted in serum but expressed on flounder B-like cell surfaces as in mammals. Antibodies produced against recombinant flounder Igs could be used to develop sandwich assay systems for detecting flounder Igs and for further investigating the flounder immune system.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2007

The aim of the study was to see if there is any differences in urinary 1-hydroxypyrene glucuronide (1-OHPG) and 2-naphthol levels in children ($8{\sim}14$ years old) and their mothers ($30{\sim}46$ years old) living three cities in South Korea (Seoul, Incheon and Pohang) and three in China (Changchun, Datong and Kunming), where the levels of air pollution varies. The factors related with urinary biomarkers levels were also evaluated. The study subjects consisted of 118 Korean (60 children and 58 their mothers) and 120 Chinese (60 children and 60 their mothers). Urinary 1-OHPG was measured by synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy after immuno-affinity purification using monoclonal antibody 8E11 and urinary 2-naphthol concentrations were determined by HPLC with fluorescence detector. Information on recent consumption of diet containing high PAHs, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), type of cooking and heating fuels, and other life-style characteristics were collected by self-administered questionnaire. The arithmetic mean of urinary 1-OHPG levels (n = 120, $mean{\pm}SD$, $6.77{\pm}7.96{\mu}mol/mol$ creatinine) in Chinese were 10 fold higher than those in Korean (n = 118, $0.62{\pm}0.61{\mu}mol/mol$ creatinine) (P < 0.01). Urinary 2-naphthol levels in Chinese (n = 119, $59.50{\pm}82.29{\mu}g/g$ creatinine) were significantly higher than those in Korean (n = 117, $25.09{\pm}46.56{\mu}g/g$ creatinine) (P < 0.01). Urinary 1-OHPG and 2-naphthol levels were significantly higher in children living the polluted cities in China (Datong and Chanchun, respectively). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that living in factory area (vs. residential area) and use of coal stove as heating fuel were significant predictors for urinary 1-OHPG (overall model $R^2$= 0.46, n = 204). And ETS was predictor for urinary 2-naphthol levels in Korean ($R^2$ = 0.36, n = 46). These results indicated that urinary 1-OHPG and 2-naphthol levels were related with different ambient particulate air pollution, type of heating fuels and ETS.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.87-94
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• 1988

By affinity chromatography using a monoclonal antibody as ligand, Kim et at. (1986) purified a protein fraction in cystic fluid of Taenia solium metacestodes (CF) In this study, the biochemical properties of the purified protein were characterized. Discontinuous-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (disc-PAGE) of the protein at 4.5∼10% separating gel concentration showed its molecular weight (MW) to be 150 kilodalton (kDa) in non·denatured state, while denaturing sodium dodecyl suifate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed that it was composed of 3 different subunits with respective fnw of 15, 10 and 7 kDa. Subunit of 7 kDa was shown to be linked to other subunits by disulade bonds. Isoelectric point of the protein was pH 6.8. The protein was relatively heat-stable for immunologic analysis. These properties indicated that the protein, comprising about 70% of total content in CF, had similar biochemical characters with antigen B of Oriol et at.(1971) in hydatid cyst quid (HF).

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.145-153
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• 1991

Human neutrophil cathepsin-G, which has been known as one of the active enzymes causing inflammatory diseases, was purified by two steps procedure involving one size exclusion (Ultorogel AcA54) and one ion exchange (CM-Sephadex) chromatography. Purified HNCGs were cross-reacted with Anti-HNCathepsin-G antibodies which were radised in rabbits and purified by cathepsin-G labeled Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. HNCGs were effectively inhibited by NSAIDs including phenylbutazone, sulindac, oxyphenbutazone, salicylic acid and salicyluric acid. $IC_{50}_s$ of these drugs for inhibition of Cathepsin G were 0.3-0.8 mM. Other NSAIDs including aspirin showed little or no inhibition effect on the activity of Cathepsin G. These results strongly indicated that NSAIDs which showed inhibition effect on the activity of HNCGs possibly be at least a part of mechanism of action which might be related to direct inhibition of cathepsin G at the tissue destruction sites beside of their known mechanism of action as an anticyclo-oxygenase in treatment of inflammatory diseases. Lipid soluble component of Korean Red Ginseng which was known as an anti-inflammatory agent inhibited HNCGs strongly, but no other fractions did inhibited HNCGs. Antibiotics including novobiosin and rifamycin showed some inhibition effect on HNCGs, i. e.., $IC_{50}$ of these drugs were 2.6 mM and 1.5 mM respectively, and other antibiotics including penicillin G showed no or negligible inhibition effect on the activity of HNCGs. However. tetracyclines inhibited HNCGs very effectively at the concentration of therapeutic range. The inhibition effect of the activity of HNCGs by tetracycline are not related to the N-dimethyl radical on the 4 position of the tetracycline molecule. Furthermore, N-dedimethylated tetracyclines may have beneficial effect for long term treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases without developing any drug resistance to microorganisms.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.77-90
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• 1996

Nucleocapsid protein (NP)which exists in the particle of hantavirus and surrounds the viral RNA genome is one of the major structural proteins and plays role of antigen to elicit the antibody detected predorminantly right after infection of the virus in the patients of hemorragic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS)or experimental animals. NP is important target antigen in serological diagnostic system of HFRS utilizing whole antigens from the native virus particle, such as IFA, ELISA and Western blotting. Therefore, the preparation of this protein in the level of higher quantity and purity is desirasble for developed dianosis of the disease. The purpose of this study is the cloning of NP gene which exists in the S genome segment of Maaji (MAA) virus and expression of the gene to obtain qualified, genetically engineered NP to be utilized as an immunodiagnostic antigen. First of all, for the purpose of amplifing the MAA-NP gene by PCR, the specific primers were built from the known nucleotide sequence of Hantaan viral NP gene. The viral cDNA of the NP gene was synthesized by using the primers and RNase $H^-$ AMV reverse transcriptase. Thereafter, using this cDNA as a template, the NP gene was amplified specifically by Taq DNA polymrerase. The pT7blue (R)T-overhang vector systems were used for cloning of the amplified NP gene. The expression system was consisted of BL21 (DE3)pLysS and pET16b as a host and a plasmid repectively. Into Ndel site of pET16b, NP gene was ligated with cohesive end for the expression. Insertion of NP gene in the plasmid was confirmed by PCR and mini prep methods. For expression, IPTG was used and the expressed protein was characterized by Western blotting. The MAA-NP was expressed as the form of inclusion body (insoluble fraction)and the protein purified by affinity and metal chealating columns reacted specifically with the sera from patients of HFRS as to be tested by ELISA and Western blotting.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.307-313
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• 1994

We have previously shown that crude water extract of Euonymus alatus (EA) had strong prophylactic effect against chemically induced-and tumor cell implanted-cancer, and that the mechanisms responsible for its antitumor effects were due to nonspecific enhancement of the NK cell activities and the cell mediated immunity. However, it was unknown that any components of crude extract did work so, since it consisted of several components. In this paper, we fractionated the crude watar EA-extract into several fraction such as hexane-, ethylether-, ethyl acetate-, n-butanol- and water soluble-fraction, and screened the immune regulating activities of each fraction by the evaluation of lymphokine production and activated lymphocyte proliferation. As a result of the component fraction of EA-extract, it was found that n-butanol fraction was a potent immunostimulator, and the remained water soluble fraction also contained some stimulator, But, other fraction did not showed any remarkable effect. It is therefore suggested that EA-glycosides in n-butanol fraction may be new one of the potent biological response modifiers. The present study was also undertaken in an efforts to investigate the effects of elm-bark(EB, Ulmus clavidiana var japonica), which has been used for curing ulcer and inflammation as a folk medicine without any kind of experimental evidence to support this, on the cellular- and humoral-immune responses, lymphocyte function and NK cell activities in mice. Regardless of time and duration of EB-treatment, Arthus reaction and antibody response to SRBC were not modified by EB, but delayed hypersensitivity to SRBC was significantly enhanced only when EB was treated prior to SRBC-sensitization. EB slightly inhibited the proliferation responses of splenocytes to PHA-stimulation, but it significantly augmented the responses of these cells to S aureus Cowan 1 and Con A-activation, and these effects were manifested only when EB was added at culture initiation. EB did not influence Ig secretion of spleen cells but it significantly augmented the Con A-induced 1L 2 and MIF production of splenocytes. NK cell activities of splenocytes were markedly riled when effector cells were pretreated with EB and this augmentation was dine to the increase of binding affinity of effector cells to target cells and the target cell lytic activities of effector cells. These results led to the conclusion that EB triggers increase of cellular immune responses, such as delayed hypersensitivitiy, lymphokine production and NK cell activities. Also these results suggested that EB contains potent immune stimulants, which may provide the rational basis for their therapeutic use as one of the new biological response modifiers.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.205-212
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• 2011

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) from the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis was analysed immunologically to obtain insights into the structural relationships between plant PAL and fungal PAL and between PAL and histidine ammonia-lyase (HAL). Cross-reactivity was found among all the PAL proteins from different species tested, using antibodies raised against both plant and fungal PALs. Both anti-Alfalfa and anti-popular PAL antibodies strongly recognized plant PALs but only weakly recognized fungal PALs. Antibodies raised against U. maydis PAL only weakly recognized the Rhodotorula glutinis yeast PAL. The anti-U. maydis PAL antibodies showed low affinity for the plant PALs but they bound strongly to Pseudomonas bacterial HAL. Significant cross-reactivity between the two plant PAL antibodies and the bacterial HAL was also observed. Both the anti-Ustilago PAL and the anti-poplar PAL antibodies displayed similar enzyme inhibition patterns, including moderate inhibition of bacterial HAL activity. However, the bacterial HAL antibody inhibited only Ustilago PAL. The PAL and HAL antibodies tested showed no inhibition against yeast PAL. This is first report on the immunological relationships between PAL and HAL.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.631-637
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• 2015

Streptavidin, a protein produced by Streptomyces avidinii, strongly binds up to four molecules of vitamin H, d-biotin exhibiting the dissociation constant of about 10⁻¹⁵ M. This strong binding affinity has been applied for detection and characterization of numerous biological molecules suggesting expression and purification of functional streptavidin should be very useful for the application of this streptavidin-biotin interaction. To express a soluble streptavidin in Escherichia coli, We synthesized streptavidin genes and cloned into pET-22b plasmid, which uses T7 RNA polymerase/T7 promoter expression systems containing pelB leader for secretion into periplasmic space and six polyhistidine tags at C-terminus for purification of expressed proteins. Although streptavidin is toxic to Escherichia coli due to strong biotin binding property, streptavidin was expressed very sufficiently in a range of 10-20 mg/ml. In SDS-PAGE, the size of purified protein was shown as 17 kDa in denatured condition (boiling) and 68 kDa in native condition (without boiling) suggesting tetramerization of monomeric subunit by non-covalent association. Further analysis by size-exclusion chromatography supported streptavidin’s tetrameric structure as well. In addition, soluble streptavidin detected biotinylated proteins in westernblot indicating its functional activity to biotin. Taken these results together, it concluded that our simple expression system was able to show high yield, homotetrameric formation and biotin binding activity analogous to natural streptavidin.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.67-77
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• 1991

本 試驗은 受精初期段階에서 생쥐卵子 透明帶의 機能을 糾明하고 種特異的인 精子受容體의 存在 및 構造理解를 위한 基礎硏究로서 ICR 생쥐의 透明帶를 免疫原으로 하여 토끼에서 抗透明帶抗體를 生産하고 免疫分析法 및 生物學的 檢査法으로 生産된 抗體가 생쥐 透明帶에 特異性이 있음을 確認한 후 이 抗體가생쥐 未受精卵의 體外受精에 미치는 影響과 또 이 抗體를 생쥐에 受動免疫하였을 때 受精에 미치는 影響을 調査하였던 바 다음과 같은 結果를 얻었다. 1. 處理區로서 抗血淸을, 對照區로서 對照血淸을 卵子培養液에 各各 0.3~10%로 含有한 培養液에서 생쥐의 未受精卵을 2時間 培養한 後 觀察하였을 때 對照區 卵子들의 透明帶가 正常的인 形態를 나타내었던 反面에, 處理區의 卵子들은 모두 透明帶 表面에 뚜렷한 沈澱層을 나타내었다. 이어 對照區와 處理區의 卵子를 0.1% pronase가 含有된 培養液으로 옮긴 후 觀察하였을 때, 對照區 卵子들의 透明帶가 5~7分만에 完全히 融解한 反面에, 處理區에서는 2~3時間까지 殘存하였다. 2. 處理區와 對照區 卵子를 FITC-goat anti-rabbit IgG가 含有된 培養液에서 養液한 후 螢光顯微鏡下에서 觀察하였을 때 對照區에서 對照血淸을 10% 含有한 培養液에서 培養한 일부 卵子들의 透明帶에서 희미한 螢光이 나타났으나 血淸稀釋度가 增加함에 따라 전혀 螢光을 나타내지 않았던 反面에, 處理區에서는 抗血淸이 1 : 1,000으로 含有된 培養液에서 培養한 卵子의 透明帶에서도 강한 螢光이 나타났다. 3. 帶抗體를 抗原으로 하여 間接酵素免疫分析法을 實施하였을 때 抗血淸과 對照血淸이 PBS에 1 : 200까지 稀釋되었을 때의 O.D.價는 별다른 差異를 나타내지 않았으나 血淸의 稀釋度가 增加함에 따라 O.D.價가 有意한 差異를 나타냄으로써 透明帶에 特異性을 갖는 抗體임을 確認할 수 있었다. 4. 抗血淸과 對照血淸이 各各 0.3~10%까지 含有된 培養液으로 생쥐의 未受精卵을 豫備培養한 다음 體外受精을 實施하였을 때의 受精率은 對照區에서 77.7%~87.7%이었던 反面에, 處理區에서는 0~29.8%로서 抗透明帶抗體가 생쥐卵子의 體外受精을 完全히 또는 顯著히 抑制하였다. 그러나 抗血淸과 對照血淸이 各各 2.5~10%까지 含有된 培養液으로 透明帶를 除去한 未受精卵의 體外受精을 하였을 때의 受精率은 處理區와 對照區에서 各各 93.0~98.3% 및 93.3~94.3%로서 受精抑制現象을 나타내지 않았다. 5. 抗血淸과 正常血淸, 그리고 兩 血淸으로부터 protein A-affinity chromatography에 의해 分離한 immunoglubulin G를 各各 생쥐에 受動免疫하였을 때, 對照區로서 對照血淸을 0.1~0.3ml 또는 control IgG를 1~3ml 投與했을 때의 各各의 受精率이 80.4~90.2%, 82.2~94.4%이었던 反面에, 處理區로서 抗血淸을 0.3ml 또는 immune IgG를 3mg 投與한 생쥐에서는 完全한 受精抑制現象이 確認되었다.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.470-486
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• 1995

Mammary epithelial cells contain a subpopulation of cells with a large proliferativ potential which are responsible for the maintenance of glandular cellularity and are the progenitor cells of mammary cancer. These clonogens give rise to multicellular clonal alveolar or ductal units(AU or DU) on transplantation and hormonal stimulation. To isolate putative mammary clonogens, enzymatically monodispersed rat mammary epithelial cells from organoid cultures and from intact glands are sorted by flow cytometry according to their affinity for FITC labeled peanut lectin(PNA) and PE labeled anti-Thy-1.1 antibody(Thy-1.1) into four subpopulations : cells negative to both PNA and Thy-1.1(B-), PNA+cells, Thy-1.1+cells, and cells positive to both reagents(B+). The in vivo transplantation assays indicate that the clonogenic fractions of PNA+cells from out-growths of organoids in primary cultures for three days in complete hormone medium(CHM) are significantly higher than those of cells from other subpopulations derived from cultrues or from intact glands. Extracellular matrix(ECM) is a complex of several proteins that regulated cell function ; its role in cell growth and differentiation and tissue-specific gene expression. It can act as a positive as well as a negative regulator of cellular differentiation depending on the cell type and the genes studied. Regulation by ECM is closely interrelated with the action of other regulators of cellular function, such as growth factors and hormones. Matrigel supports the growth and development of several different multicellular colonies from mammary organoids and from monodispersed epithelial cells in culture. Several types of colonies are observed including stellate colonies, duct-like structures, two- and three-dimensional web structures, squamous organoids, and lobulo-duct colonies. Organoids have the greatest proliferative potential and formation of multi-cellular structures. Phase contrast micrographs demonstrate extensive intracellular lipid accumulation within the web structures and some of duct-like colonies. At the immunocytochemical and electron micrograph level, casein proteins are predominantly localized near the apical surface of the cells or in the lumen of duct-like or lobulo-duct colonies. Squamous colonies are comprised of several layers of squamous epithelium surrounding keratin pearls as is typical fo squamous metaplasia(SM). All-trans retinoic acid(RA) inhibits the growth of SM. The frequency of lobulo-ductal colony formation increased with the augmentation of RA concentration in these culture conditions. The current study models could provide powerful tools not only for understanding cell growth and differentiation of epithelial cells, but also for the isolation and characterization of mammary clonogenic stem cells.