• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.83-92
• /
• 2009

Individual immunochromatographic assays (ICG) for ochratoxin A (OTA) and zearalenone (ZEA) were optimized and used in the development of a one-step simultaneous immunochromatographic assay (OS-ICG) for the rapid multianalysis of two mycotoxins in corn samples. The nitrocellulose membrane of the OS-ICG was treated with OTA-bovine serum albumin (BSA), ZEA-ovalbumin (OVA), and anti-mouse IgG in the OTA test, ZEA test, and control zones, respectively. Monoclonal antibody-gold conjugates (OTA3 MAb-gold and ZEA2C5 MAb-gold) were sprayed onto the conjugate pad. The visual detection limits were 2.5 and 5 ng/ml for OTA and ZEA, respectively, and the results were obtained within 15 min after starting the analysis. An efficient, simple, and rapid extraction method using 30% MeOH/PBS was established and validated by analyzing the corn samples spiked with OTA/ZEA mixtures (0/0, 5/10, 10/20, and $20/30\;{\mu}g/kg$). The cut-off values of the OS-ICG for the spiked corn were 5 and $10\;{\mu}g/kg$ for OTA and ZEA, respectively. Natural corn samples were analyzed by OS-ICG, direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DC-ELISA), and HPLC. Results of the OS-ICG were in good agreement with those obtained by DC-ELISA and HPLC. The developed OS-ICG offers a rapid, easy-to-use, and portable analytical system and can be used as a convenient qualitative tool for the on-site simultaneous determination of OTA and ZEA in cereals, food, and agricultural products in one analytical cycle.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.204-209
• /
• 2013

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a secreted glycoprotein and a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily. It usually functions in bone remodeling, by inhibiting osteoclastogenesis through interaction with a receptor activator of the nuclear factor ${\kappa}B$ (RANKL). Transglutaminases-2 (Tgase-2) is a group of multifunctional enzymes that plays a role in cancer cell metastasis and bone formation. However, relationship between OPG and Tgase-2 is not studied. Therefore, we investigated the involvement of 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate in the expression of OPG in MG-63 osteosarcoma cells. Interleukin-$1{\beta}$ time-dependently induced OPG and Tgase-2 expression in cell lysates and media of the MG-63 cells by a Western blot. Additional 110 kda band was found in the media of MG-63 cells. 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate also induced OPG and Tgase-2 expression. However, an 110 kda band was not found in TPA-treated media of MG-63 cells. Cystamine, a Tgase-2 inhibitor, dose-dependently suppressed the expression of OPG in MG-63 cells. Gene silencing of Tgase-2 also significantly suppressed the expression of OPG in MG-63 cells. Next, we examined whether a band of 110 kda of OPG contains an isopeptide bond, an indication of Tgase-2 action, by monoclonal antibody specific for the isopeptide bond. However, we could not find the isopeptide bond at 110 kda but 77 kda, which is believed to be the band position of Tgase-2. This suggested that 110 kda is not the direct product of Tgase-2's action. All together, OPG and Tgase-2 is induced by IL-$1{\beta}$ or TPA in MG-63 cells and Tgase-2 is involved in OPG expression in MG-63 cells.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.112-123
• /
• 1994

${\gamma}$-Glutamyltransferase (GGT: E.C. 2.3.2.2.) is a glycoprotein enzyme which is involved in glutathione metabolism and amino acid transport through the plasma membrane. It is distributed widely in several organs including liver and kidney. Several isozymes of GGT have been reported and some of the isozymes may be associated with hepatocarcinogenesis. We have produced six monoclnal antibodies (mAbs) against GGT purified from the liver of 2-acetamidofluorene (AAF) treated rats. All of the six mAbs were obtained by immunizing mice with liver GGT Six hybridomas which produced anti-GGT Abs were extensively subcloned and injected into the peritoneal cavity of BALB/c mice to obtain large quantities of Abs. These mAbs were purified from ascites by ammonium sulfate precipitation and protein A sepharose CL-4B column chromatography. Using these mAbs we preformed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), radioimmunoassay (RIA), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and autoradiography (ARG) to study the distribution of GGT isozyme in tissue. The results indicate that GGT-mAb 1 is specific for the AAF treated liver GGT, GGT-mAb 5 for the normal liver GGT, and GGT-mAb 6 for the normal kindey GGT. These mAbs may be used to evaluate the distribution of GGT isozymes in different tissues.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.311-323
• /
• 2000

Immunosuppressive effects of reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) infection in chickens were investigated. Primary antibody responses to Newcastle disease virus (strain B1) and sheep red blood cells were significantly low in chickens inoculated with the local isolate 89-74 of REV compared to those of uninfected chickens. In chickens infected with REV strain T or 89-74, blastogenesis of spleen cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to concanavalin A (Con A) was severely suppressed. When specific pathogen free (SPF) chickens were inoculated with the isolate, the suppressive effect was observed up to 7 weeks of age while, in the contact infected chickens, the suppression was absent. Similar suppressive effects were observed in chickens inoculated with REV strain T at 2, 3 and 4 weeks of age. When spleen cells or PBL from uninfected chickens were co-cultured with spleen cells or PBL from chickens infected with REV at 1 day-old or 2 week-old, the blastogenesis of the normal cells was suppressed. The suppressive effect of PBL from REV-infected chickens on normal lymphocytes was abrogated by the treatment with trypsin. However the suppressive activity of the REV-infected PBL was not influenced at removing machrophage from the cell suspension by incubation in plastic petri dishes. In addition to the immunosuppression, chickens infected with the REV isolate showed abnormal feather development (nakanuke), anemia, paralysis and retarded growth. Three out of 11 chickens inoculated with the isolate at day-old died between 6 and 9 weeks of age by bacterial infections.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.43 no.6
• /
• pp.537-545
• /
• 2005

Even though neutralizing antibodies against the Hantaan virus (HTNV) has been proven to be critical against viral infections, the cellular immune responses to HTNV are also assumed to be important for viral clearance. In this report, we have examined the cellular and humoral immune responses against the HTNV nucleocapsid protein (NP) elicited by virus infection or DNA vaccination. To examine the cellular immune response against HTNV NP, we used $H-2K^b$ restricted T-cell epitopes of NP. The NP-specific $CD8^+$ T cell response was analyzed using a $^{51}Cr-release$ assay, intracellular cytokine staining assay, enzyme-linked immunospot assay and tetramer binding assay in C57BL/6 mice infected with HTNV. Using these methods, we found that HTNV infection elicited a strong NP-specific $CD8^+$ T cell response at eight days after infection. We also found that several different methods to check the NP-specific $CD8^+$ T cell response showed a very high correlation among analysis. In the case of DNA vaccination by plasmid encoding nucleocapsid gene, the NP-specific antibody response was elicited $2\~4$ weeks after immunization and maximized at $6\~8$ weeks. NP-specific $CD8^+$ T cell response reached its peak 3 weeks after immunization. In a challenge test with the recombinant vaccinia virus expressing NP (rVV-HTNV-N), the rVV-HTNV-N titers in DNA vaccinated mice were decreased about 100-fold compared to the negative control mice.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.253-275
• /
• 1999

The effects of Sagunjatang and Samultang on the immunosuppression induced by methotrexate(MTX) in rats were investigated in this study. The multiple parameters of immunity assessed in each rats included leukocyte count, lymphocyte rate, the number of lymphocyte in tibial bone marrow, contact hypersensitivity to DNFB, morphological change of thymocyte and IgG antibody on SDS-PAGE. Sprague-Dawley male rats were used and divided into five groups at random. Group A was normal control. Group B, the MTX treatment control, was injected i.v. with 2mg/kg of on days 9, 11 after sensitization with SRBC on 5th day. Group C, the experimental control, was treated Sagunjatang for 18days and MTX. Group D was treated Samultang for 18days and MTX. Group E was treated Sagunjatang-Samultang for 18days and MTX. The dosage of Sagunjatang and Samultang was $1m{\ell}/day$ respectively. In the case of Group E, rats Were fed Sagunjatang $1m{\ell}$ in the morning and Samultang $1m{\ell}$ in the afternoon. The results are summarized as follows: 1. Leukocyte count in rats induced by intravenous sensitization with SRBC was decreased significantly in Group E. 2. Leukocyte counts of 2weeks later after being treated MTX were increased significantly in Groups C and D. 3. Lymphocyte rate in rats induced by intravenous sensitization with SRBC wasn't changed significantly in all the experimental groups. 4. Lymphocyte rate of 2weeks. later after being treated MTX was increased significantly in Group D. 5. The number of lymphocyte in tibial bone marrow was incereased significantly in Group C. 6. Contact hypersensitivity wasn't changed significantly in all the experimental groups. 7. Morphological finding of thymocyte in group C was similar to normal group as compared with control group. 8. Purified IgG of all the experimental groups showed two bands of 50,000 and 25,000 on SDS-PAGE. But there was no difference among experimental groups.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.489-499
• /
• 2019

Subunit vaccines are safer and more stable than live vaccines although they have the disadvantage of eliciting poor immune response. To develop a subunit vaccine, an effective delivery system targeting the key elements of the protective immune response is a prerequisite. In this study, oxidized carbon nanospheres (OCNs) were used as a subunit vaccine delivery system and tuberculosis (TB) was chosen as a model disease. TB is among the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide and an effective vaccine is urgently needed. The ability of OCNs to deliver recombinant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) proteins, Ag85B and HspX, into bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDMs) and dendritic cells (BMDCs) was investigated. For immunization, OCNs were mixed with the two TB antigens as well as the adjuvant monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL). The protective efficacy was analyzed in vaccinated mice by aerosol Mtb challenge with a virulent strain of Mtb and the bacterial burdens were measured. The results showed that OCNs are highly effective in delivering Mtb proteins into the cytosol of BMDMs and BMDCs. Upon immunization, this vaccine formula induced robust Th1 immune response characterized by cytokine profiles from restimulated splenocytes and specific antibody titer. More importantly, enhanced cytotoxic $CD8^+$ T cell activation was observed. However, it did not reduce the bacteria burden in the lung and spleen from the aerosol Mtb challenge. Taken together, OCNs are highly effective in delivering subunit protein vaccine and induce robust Th1 and $CD8^+$ T cell response. This vaccine delivery system is suitable for application in settings where cell-mediated immune response is needed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.482-488
• /
• 2019

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the causative agent of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) in pigs. Replicase (Rep) proteins are considered essential for viral replication. Capsid (Cap) protein is the primary immunogenic protein that induces protective immunity. Little is known about comparison on the immunogenicity of PCV2 Rep and Cap fusion protein and Cap protein. In the present study, recombinant baculoviruses expressing the Rep-Cap fusion protein (Bac-Rep-Cap) and the Cap protein (Bac-Cap) of PCV2 were constructed and confirmed with western blot and indirect fluorescence assay. Immunogenicities of the two recombinant proteins were tested in mice. The titers of antibodies were determined with a PCV2-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a serum neutralization assay. The $IFN-{\gamma}$ response of immunized mice was measured by ELISA. The mice immunized with the Bac-Rep-Cap and Bac-Cap successfully produced Cap-specific immunoreaction. The mice immunized with the Bac-Cap developed higher PCV2-specific neutralizing antibody titers than mice injected with the Bac-Rep-Cap. $IFN-{\gamma}$ in the Bac-Rep-Cap group was increased compared to those in the Bac-Cap group. Vaccination of mice with the Bac-Rep-Cap showed significantly decreased protective efficacy compared to the Bac-Cap. Our findings will indubitably not only lead to a better understanding of the immunogenicity of PCV2, but also improved vaccines.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.243-256
• /
• 2019

Field surveys for Plum pox virus (PPV) infection were conducted in stone fruit orchards all over Bulgaria. In total, 1168 out of 3020 leaf samples from cultivated Prunus spp. and wildly growing P. cerasifera trees reacted positive for PPV in DASI-ELISA with the universal monoclonal antibody (MAb) 5B. Further ELISA analyses showed that 987 and 127 isolates belonged to PPV-M and PPV-D serotypes, respectively. The plum and P. cerasifera showed 82.0% and 50.5% levels of infection, respectively followed by the peach (40.0%) and the apricot (32.0%). Five hundred fifty one PPV isolates were further typed by IC-RT-PCR with PPV-Rec, -M and -D-specific primers, targeting (Cter)NIb-(Nter) CP genome region, as 125 isolates were sequenced. The results revealed the presence of PPV-Rec, PPV-M and PPV-D and mixed infections of these strains. PPV-Rec was the most prevalent strain (49.0%), followed by PPV-M (40.1%), while PPV-D was the less spread strain (8.2%). PPV-Rec was the most common strain in plums, including the eight "old-aged" trees from the region of the first Sharka discovery. PPV-M was the most prevalent strain in peach and apricot. Phylogenetic analyses on (Cter)NIb-(Nter)CP of the isolates were performed. PPV-Rec isolates formed a homogeneous group, while PPV-M isolates split into PPV-Ma and PPV-Mb subgroups. Five separated clades were formed by the analyzed PPV-D isolates. Nucleotide sequences of the partial CP coding region of the analyzed isolates revealed a slightly higher intra-strain genetic variability in PPV-Rec and PPV-M isolates, while that of PPV-D strain isolates was higher from the reported for these strains.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.59-67
• /
• 2024

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) has memory impairment associated with aggregation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. Although anti-amyloid β (Aβ) protein antibody and chemical drugs can be prescribed in the clinic, they show adverse effects or low effectiveness. Therefore, the development of a new drug is necessarily needed. We focused on the cognitive function of Panax ginseng and tried to find active ingredient(s). We isolated panaxcerol D, a kind of glycosyl glyceride, from the non-saponin fraction of P. ginseng extract. Methods: We explored effects of acute or sub-chronic administration of panaxcerol D on cognitive function in scopolamine- or Aβ_25-35 peptide-treated mice measured by several behavioral tests. After behavioral tests, we tried to unveil the underlying mechanism of panaxcerol D on its cognitive function by Western blotting. Results: We found that pananxcerol D reversed short-term, long-term and object recognition memory impairments. The decreased extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) or Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in scopolamine-treated mice was normalized by acute administration of panaxcerol D. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), caspase 3, NF-kB p65, synaptophysin and brainderived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression levels in Aβ_25-35 peptide-treated mice were modulated by sub-chronic administration of panaxcerol D. Conclusion: Pananxcerol D could improve memory impairments caused by cholinergic blockade or Aβ accumulation through increased phosphorylation level of ERK or its anti-inflammatory effect. Thus, panaxcerol D as one of non-saponin compounds could be used as an active ingredient of P. ginseng for improving cognitive function.