• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.293-298
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• 2012

The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is involved in various processes, including stress responses, development, and differentiation. However, little information on p38 MAPK in insects is available. In this study, a p38 MAPK gene, $Accp38b$, was isolated from $Apis$ $cerana$ $cerana$ and characterized. The quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR) analysis revealed that $Accp38b$ was induced by multiple stressors. Notably, the expression of $Accp38b$ was relatively higher in the pupae phase than in other developmental phases. During the pupae phase, Accp38b expression was higher in the thorax than in the head and abdomen and higher in the fat body than in the muscle and midgut. Immunohistochemisty showed significant positive staining of Accp38b in sections from the brain, eyes, fat body, and midgut of $A.$ $cerana$ $cerana$. These results suggest that Accp38b may play a crucial role in stress responses and have multiple aspects function during development.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.264-269
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• 1994

To determine the nucleotide sequence of the ds RNA segment B containing the RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene of the DRT strain of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (lPNV), the cDNA of the ds RNA segment B of the DRT strain of IPNV was synthesized using the reverse transcriptase (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and its cDNA nucleotide sequence was determined. The DRT segment B was 2, 783 bp long and contained only a single long open reading frame (ORF) of 2, 535 bp in length. This ORF nucleotides encoded the VPl protein, the putative RdRp of IPNV. The VPl protein comsisted of 845 amino acids. The molecular weight of the RdRp, as deduced from the nucleotide sequence, is 94, 426. The nucleotide sequence of the ORF of the DRT showed 89.7% homology to the Jasper strain, but 80.8% to the Sp strain. The amino acid sequence of the ORF of the DRT sho.wed 97.6% homology to the Jasper strain, but 88.7% to the Sp strain. The conserved GTP-binding motif was detected in VPl protein.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.126-131
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• 2010

In order to maximize the growth of Bifidobacterium lactis BL 740 and soy isoflavone agycones production, we investigated the optimization of a culture medium containing soy hypocotyls, which are the byproducts of the soy manufacturing process, and soy proteins. The ingredients of the medium containing soy materials (S-medium) were selected by fractional factorial design (FFD) and central composite design (CCD) within a desirable range. The FFD was applied by six factors: glucose, cellobiose, fructooligosaccharide, soy peptone, soy protein, and soy hypocotyl. Soy protein, soy peptone, and soy hypocotyl were found to be significant factors from the result of FFD for both the growth of B. lactis BL 740 and aglycone production. The CCD was then applied with three variables found from FFD at five levels each and the optimum values were determined for the three variables: soy peptone, soy protein, and soy hypocotyl. In the case of the growth of B. lactics BL740, the proposed optimal media contained 12.73 g/L of soy protein, 29.55 g/L of soy peptone, and 130.67 g/L of soy hypocotyl. To produce isoflavone aglycones, optimized media was composed of 2.06 g/L, soy protein, 1.25 g/L of soy peptone, and 60.02 g/L of soy hypocotyl.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.133-141
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• 2019

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known to differentiate into multiple lineages, making neurogenic differentiation an important target in the clinical field. In the present study, we induced the neurogenic differentiation of cells using histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors and studied their mechanisms for further differentiation in vitro. We treated cells with the HDAC inhibitors, MS-275 and NaB; and found that the cells had neuron-like features such as distinct bipolar or multipolar morphologies with branched processes. The mRNA expressions encoding for NEFL, MAP2, TUJ1, OLIG2, and SYT was significantly increased following HDAC inhibitors treatment compared to without HDAC inhibitors; high protein levels of MAP2 and Tuj1 were detected by immunofluorescence staining. We examined the mechanisms of differentiation and found that the Wnt signaling pathway and downstream mitogen-activate protein kinase were involved in neurogenic differentiation of MSCs. Importantly, Wnt4, Wnt5a/b, and Wnt11 protein levels were highly increased after treatment with NaB; signals were activated through the regulation of Dvl2 and Dvl3. Interestingly, NaB treatment increased the levels of JNK and upregulated JNK phosphorylation. After MS-275 treatment, Wnt protein levels were decreased and GSK-3β was phosphorylated. In this cell, HDAC inhibitors controlled the non-canonical Wnt expression by activating JNK phosphorylation and the canonical Wnt signaling by targeting GSK-3β.

• 대한방사선방어학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.212-213
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• 2011

The biological effects of low dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) remain insufficiently understood. We examined for the scientific evidence to show the biological effects of LDIR using radiation-sensitive immune cells. We found that Ikaros protein was responsed to low dose-dependent effects of gamma radiation in IM-9 B lymphocytes. Ikaros encodes zinc finger transcription factors that is important regulators of a hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) progression to the B lymphoid lineage development, differentiation and proliferation. In this study, we observed that cell proliferation was enhanced from 10% to 20% by LDIR (0.05 Gy) in IM-9 B lymphocytes. The Ikaros protein was phosphorylated in its serine/threonine (S/T) region and decreased its DNA binding activity in the cells exposed to LDIR. We found that Ikaros phosphorylation was up-regulated by CK2/AKT pathway and the residues of ser-304 and ser-306 in Ikaros was phosphorylated by LDIR. We also observed that Ikaros protein was localized from the nucleus to the cytoplasm after LDIR and bound with Autotaxin (ENPP2, ATX) protein, stimulating proliferation, migration and survival of immune cells. In addition, we found that the lysoPLD activity of ATX was dependent on Ikaros-ATX binding activity. These results indicate that the Ikaros is an important regulator of immune activation. Therefore, we suggest that low dose ionizing radiation can be considered as a beneficial effects, stimulating the activation of immune cells.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.158-164
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• 1989

In order to determine the relationships between the lea(-burning disease and the light harvesting chlorophyll-protein (LHCP) complex in Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, we investigated the chlorophyll-protein (CP) complex of the thylakoid membrane and its characteristics. In P. ginseng four Cp-complex bands determined by non-denaturing SDS-PAGE were identified CP I'(containing reaction center of photosystem I and LHCP I antennae), CP I (reaction center of photosystem I) LHCP II** (oligoform of LHCP II), and LHCP II (photosystem II antennae, CP 26 and CP 29) by Bassis and Dunahay's procedures. Under our experimental condition, the CP I band was only observed in P. ginseng and the band intensity of LHCP II** in P ginseng was higher than in spinach and soybean. There were differences in the absorption and fluorescence spectra and chlorophyll a/b ratio of the CP-complex bands between P. ginseng and other Plants. The Polypeptidr content of P. ginseng thylakoid was lower than in spinach and soybean thylakoid, and the Polypeptide profiles of P. ginseng was low band intensity, especially about 29-35 kD, 55 kD, and 60 kD, compared to spinach and soybean. The inhibitory effects of 2,5-dimethylfuran, specific singlet oxygen ($^1O_2$) quencher, showed that singlet oxygen destroyed 60% of chl.a, 90% of chl.b and 70% of carotenoid in bleaching P. ginseng with leaf-burning disease.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.370-374
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• 2010

A gene encoding the major secreted fibrinolytic protein of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CH86-1 was cloned from genomic DNAs. DNA sequencing showed that the gene, aprE86-1, could direct the synthesis of a mature protein 275 amino acids in length after processing. When aprE86-1 was introduced into B. subtilis, a mature 27-kDa protein was produced as expected. The fibrinolytic activity of the B. subtilis transformant (TF) was higher than that of B. amyloliquefaciens CH86-1, showing the possibility of increasing the fibrinolytic activity of Bacillus strains through genetic engineering.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.64-70
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• 2012

Bacilli with fibrinolytic activities were isolated from traditionally-prepared Meju and some of these strains showed strong antifungal activities. One isolate, MJ1-4, showed the strongest antifungal activity. MJ1-4 and other isolates were identified as B. amyloliquefaciens strains by recA gene sequencing and RAPD-PCR results. B. amyloliqufaciens MJ1-4 efficiently inhibited an Aspergillus spp.-producing aflatoxin B1 ($AFB_1$) and a Penicillium spp.-producing ochratoxin (OTA) in addition to other fungi. Antifungal activity of B. amyloliquefaciens MJ1-4 culture reached its maximum (40 AU/mg protein) in LB or TSB medium around 48 hr at $37^{\circ}C$. Antifungal activity of the concentrated culture supernatant was not decreased significantly by protease treatments, implying that the antifungal substance might not be a simple peptide or protein. Considering its antifungal and fibrinolytic activities together, B. amyloliquefaciens MJ1-4 can serve as a starter for fermented soyfoods such as Cheonggukjang and Doenjang.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.234-240
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• 2016

Bradykinin receptor B2, a GPCR protein, binds with the inflammatory mediator hormone bradkynin. It plays an important role in cross-talk between the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and the kinin-kallikrein system (KKS). Also, it is involved in many processes including vasodilation, edema, smooth muscle spasm and pain fiber stimulation. Hence, studuying the structural features of the receptor becomes important. But the unavailability of the three dimensional structure of the protein makes the analysis difficult. Hence we have performed the homology modelling of Bradykinin receptor B2 with 5 different templates. 25 different homology models were constructed. Two best models were selected based on the model validation. The developed models could be helpful in analysing the structural features of Bradykinin receptor B2 and in pathophysiology of various disorders related to them.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.576-583
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• 2018

Human rhinoviruses (HRV) are one of the major causes of common cold in humans and are also associated with acute asthma and bronchial illness. Heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90), a molecular chaperone, is an important host factor for the replication of single-strand RNA viruses. In the current study, we examined the effect of the Hsp90 inhibitor pochonin D, in vitro and in vivo, using a murine model of human rhinovirus type 1B (HRV1B) infection. Our data suggested that Hsp90 inhibition significantly reduced the inflammatory cytokine production and lung damage caused by HRV1B infection. The viral titer was significantly lowered in HRV1B-infected lungs and in Hela cells upon treatment with pochonin D. Infiltration of innate immune cells including granulocytes and monocytes was also reduced in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) by pochonin D treatment after HRV1B infection. Histological analysis of the lung and respiratory tract showed that pochonin D protected the mice from HRV1B infection. Collectively, our results suggest that the Hsp90 inhibitor, pochonin D, could be an attractive antiviral therapeutic for treating HRV infection.