• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.384-394
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• 2024

Background: Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), known to latently infect the host's trigeminal ganglion, can lead to severe herpes encephalitis or asymptomatic infection, potentially contributing to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. The virus generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that significantly impact viral replication and induce chronic inflammation through NF-κB activation. Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), an oxidative stress regulator, can prevent and treat HSV-1 infection by activating the passive defense response in the early stages of infection. Methods and results: Our study investigated the antiviral effects of ginsenoside Rg5, an Nrf2 activator, on HSV-1 replication and several host cell signaling pathways. We found that HSV-1 infection inhibited Nrf2 activity in host cells, induced ROS/NF-κB signaling, and triggered inflammatory cytokines. However, treatment with ginsenoside Rg5 inhibited ROS/NF-κB signaling and reduced inflammatory cytokines through NRF2 induction. Interestingly, the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 suppressed the expression of NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1) and enhanced the expression of KEAP1 in HSV-1 infected cells. This led to the reversal of VP16 expression inhibition, a protein factor associated with HSV-1 infection, thereby promoting HSV-1 replication. Conclusion: These findings suggest for the first time that ginsenoside Rg5 may serve as an antiviral against HSV-1 infection and could be a novel therapeutic agent for HSV-1-induced neuroinflammation.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.151-156
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• 2002

Fucoidan is a kind of polysaccharides in brown seaweeds. For the past years have been extensively studied due to their numerous biological activities : anticancer, anticoagulant, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory and antiviral. In this study, we h ave extracted fucoidan from the Korean brown seaweeds and examined it's anticancer activities for employed SV40 DNA replication assay, RPA-ssDNA binding assay of replication protein A(RPA: known as human single-stranded DNA-binding protein essential for DNA rep-lication) and MCF7 cell growth inhibition assay. In addition to, we found that chemically sulfated fucoidan'santicancer activity is more higher than natural and desulfated fucoidan. It seem that fucoidan's sulfate group affect on DNA replication, cause of decrease RPA's DNA binding activity. These results suggests that sulfated fucoidan from Korean brown seaweeds have anticancer activity.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.85-90
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• 2017

Mitochondria participate in various intracellular metabolic pathways such as generating intracellular ATP, synthesizing several essential molecules, regulating calcium homeostasis, and producing the cell's reactive oxygen species (ROS). Emerging studies have demonstrated newly discovered roles of mitochondria, which participate in the regulation of innate immune responses by modulating NLRP3 inflammasomes. Here, we review the recently proposed pathways to be involved in mitochondria-mediated regulation of inflammasome activation and inflammation: 1) mitochondrial ROS, 2) calcium mobilization, 3) nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide ($NAD^+$) reduction, 4) cardiolipin, 5) mitofusin, 6) mitochondrial DNA, 7) mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein. Furthermore, we highlight the significance of mitophagy as a negative regulator of mitochondrial damage and NLRP3 inflammasome activation, as potentially helpful therapeutic approaches which could potentially address uncontrolled inflammation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 1999

Pokeweed antiviral protein II (PAP-II) encoding cDNA was synthesized by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from Phytolacca american a leaf. The PAP-II cDNA fragment of 974bp was subcloned to pBluescript II SK- SmaI site and the inserted PAP-II cDNA fragment was sequenced by dideoxy sequencing method. The number of nucleotides of PAP-II cDNA coding region containing start and stop codon was 933bp. To develop a virus-resistant tobacco plant, PAP-II cDNA fragment was inserted to pKGT101B and the insertion of PAP-II cDNA fragment was confirmed by restriction enzyme analysis and colony PCR.

• Proceedings of the KAIS Fall Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.292-294
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• 2001

Cystocin is identified from the screening of Streptomyces sp GCA0001. It is isolated from the culture of streptomyces sp GCA0001. A white coloured cystocin is structurally similar to puromycin, an antibiotic produced by streptomyces albonrger. Like puromycin, cystocin possesses an antibacterial, antitumour and antiviral activity. It impairs the protein synthesis by inhibiting polypeptide chain elongation.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.776-780
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• 2004

Interferons are cytokines that confer resistance to viral infection and inhibit cellular proliferation. The interferon alpha gene from human blood samples was amplified, cloned and expressed in E. coli (BL21). Leukocyte chromosomal DNA was used as a source of template DNA. Using specific primers, the gene for HulFN$\{alpha}$-2b was amplified and inserted into the E. coli vector, pET21b, by ligation of the HindIII and BamHI linkers of the vector and insert. The insert was further analyzed by PCR, DNA restriction mapping and sequencing, and expressed in a suitable E. coli strain. The production of this important cellular protein in the laboratory has significant applications in production of the recombinant pharmaceutical proteins.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2001

Background: The role of the interferon consensus sequence binding protein (ICSBP), a member of interferon regulatory factor family, in protecting against a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infection has not been firmly elucidated. Thus, it was investigated utilizing the human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells which do not express ICSBP. Methods: HL-60 cells were stably transfected with plasmid containing cDNA for either ICSBP or DNA binding domain (DBD) and tested for their VSV-susceptibilities. The susceptibility of each transfectant group to a VSV infection was determined by a plaque assay at 1 h, 24 h, and 48 h post-infection in the presence (500 IU/ml) or absence of interferon ${\alpha}$ ($IFN{\alpha}$). Results: In the absence of $IFN{\alpha}$, the three groups showed similar sensitivities to a VSV infection. However, when pre-treated with IFN, the viral titers in both the ICSBP and control clones steadily decreased over 48 h of incubation, indicating the existence of $IFN{\alpha}$-mediated protection against VSV infection. The $IFN{\alpha}$-treated ICSBP clones appeared to be more resistant to infection compared with the control clones, although the difference was not great. On the contrary, the viral titers in the $IFN{\alpha}$-treated DBD clones increased at 24 h then decreased by 48 h. Conclusion: The expression of truncated ICSBP (DBD) does not appear to underlie the impaired protection against a VSV infection in the DBD clones, since even the control clones lacking ICSBP were protected from a VSV infection. This suggests that ICSBP does not play a critical role in the $IFN{\alpha}$- mediated anti-VSV response of HL-60 cells, although it appears to confer some resistance to a VSV infection.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.704-713
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• 2014

The highly pathogenic avian influenza A (HPAI) viruses of the H5N1 subtype infect poultry and have also been spreading to humans. Although new antiviral drugs and vaccinations can be effective, rapid detection would be more efficient to control the outbreak of infections. In this study, a phage-display library was applied to select antibody fragments for HPAI strain A/Hubei/1/2010. As a result, three clones were selected and sequenced. A hemagglutinin inhibition assay of the three scFvs revealed that none exhibited hemagglutination inhibition activity towards the H5N1 virus, yet they showed a higher binding affinity for several HPAI H5N1 strains compared with other influenza viruses. An ELISA confirmed that the HA protein was the target of the scFvs, and the results of a protein structure simulation showed that all the selected scFvs bound to the HA2 subunit of the HA protein. In conclusion, the three selected scFVs could be useful for developing a specific detection tool for the surveillance of HPAI epidemic strains.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.684-692
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• 2016

Acute respiratory virus infectious diseases are a growing health problem, particularly among children and the elderly. Much effort has been made to develop probiotics that prevent influenza virus infections by enhancing innate immunity in the respiratory tract until vaccines are available. Lactobacillus plantarum GB-LP2, isolated from a traditional Korean fermented vegetable, has exhibited preventive effects on influenza virus infection in mice. To identify the molecular basis of this strain, we conducted a whole-genome assembly study. The single circular DNA chromosome of 3,284,304 bp was completely assembled and 3,250 protein-encoding genes were predicted. Evolutionarily accelerated genes related to the phenotypic trait of anti-infective activities for influenza virus were identified. These genes encode three integral membrane proteins, a teichoic acid export ATP-binding protein and a glucosamine - fructose-6-phosphate aminotransferase involved in host innate immunity, the nonspecific DNA-binding protein Dps, which protects bacteria from oxidative damage, and the response regulator of the three-component quorum-sensing regulatory system, which is related to the capacity of adhesion to the surface of the respiratory tract and competition with pathogens. This is the first study to identify the genetic backgrounds of the antiviral activity in L. plantarum strains. These findings provide insight into the anti-infective activities of L. plantarum and the development of preventive probiotics.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.66-72
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• 2022

Flos Lonicerae Japonicae (the flower buds of Lonicera japonica Thunberg) has been used as an antibacterial and antiviral drug in Korean Medicine. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of Flos Lonicerae Japonicae water extract (FL) on the production of cytokines in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After 24 h treatment, the production of various cytokines from RAW 264.7 was measured with multiplex cytokine assay using Bio-Plex 200 suspension array system. FL at concentrations of 50, 100, and 200 ㎍/mL significantly inhibited productions of tumor necrosis factor-α, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1β, and MIP-2 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells; FL at concentrations of 100 and 200 ㎍/mL significantly inhibited productions of leukemia inhibitory factor, LIX (CXCL5), and RANTES in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells; FL at concentrations of 200 ㎍/mL significantly inhibited productions of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and macrophage colony-stimulating factor in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells; FL at concentrations of 50 and 100 ㎍/mL significantly increased productions of interleukin (IL)-10 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells; FL at concentrations of 50, 100, and 200 ㎍/mL significantly increased productions of IL-6 and interferon gamma-induced protein-10 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells; FL at concentrations of 100 and 200 ㎍/mL significantly increased productions of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Taken together, these data mean that FL might modulate productions of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factor in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Further study needs to verify the exact mechanism for modulatory activities of FL with macrophages.