• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.16-24
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• 2017

For the development of feasible retinal prosthesis, one of the important elements is acquiring proper judging tool if electrical stimulus leads to patient's visual perception. If evoked potential to electrical stimulus is recorded in primary visual (V1) cortex, it means that the stimulus effectively evokes visual perception. Therefore, in this study, we established VEP recording system on V1 cortex using BioPAC modules as the judging tool. And the measuring system was evaluated by recording VEP of mice. After anesthesia, normal mice (C57BL/6J strain; n = 6) were secured to stereotaxic apparatus (Harvard Apparatus, USA). For the recording of VEP, the stainless steel needle electrode (impedance: $2-5k{\Omega}$) was positioned on the surface of the cortex through the burr hole at 2.5 mm lateral and 4.6 mm caudal to bregma. DA 100C and EEG 100C BioPAC modules were used for the trigger signal and VEP recording, respectively. When left eye was blocked by black cover and right eye was stimulated by flash light using HMsERG (RetVet Corp, USA), VEP response at left V1 cortex was detected, but there was no response at right V1 cortex. Amplitudes and latencies of P2, N3 peaks of VEP recording varied according to the depths of the electrodes on V1 cortex. From the surface upto $600{\mu}m$ depth, amplitudes of P2 and N3 increased, while deeper than $600{\mu}m$, those amplitudes decreased. The deeper the insertion depth of the electrode, the latency of N1 peaks tends to be delayed. However, there was no statistically significant difference among the latencies of P2 and N3 peaks (P > 0.05, ANOVA). Our VEP recording data such as the insertion depth and the latency and amplitudes of peaks might be used as guidelines for electrically-evoked potential (EEP) recording experiment in near future.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.301-310
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• 2010

Bacillus subtilis strains produce a broad spectrum of bioactive peptides. The lipopeptide surfactin belongs to one well-known class, which includes amphiphilic membrane-active biosurfactants and peptide antibiotics. Both the srfA promoter and the ComP-ComA signal transduction system are an important part of the factor that results in the production of surfactin. Bs-M49, obtained by means of low-energy ion implantation in wild-type Bs-916, produced significantly lower levels of surfactin, and had no obvious effects against R. solani. Occasionally, we found strain Bs-M49 decreased spore formation and the development of competence. Blast comparison of the sequences from Bs-916 and M49 indicate that there is no difference in the srfA operon promoter PsrfA, but there are differences in the coding sequence of the comA gene. These differences result in three missense mutations within the M49 ComA protein. RT-PCR analyses results showed that the expression levels of selected genes involved in competence and sporulation in both the wild-type Bs-916 and mutant M49 strains were significantly different. When we integrated the comA ORF into the chromosome of M49 at the amyE locus, M49 restored hemolytic activity and antifungal activity. Then, HPLC analyses results also showed the comA-complemented strain had a similar ability to produce surf actin with wild-type strain Bs-916. These data suggested that the mutation of three key amino acids in ComA greatly affected the biological activity of Bacillus subtilis. ComA protein 3D structure prediction and motif search prediction indicated that ComA has two obvious motifs common to response regulator proteins, which are the N-terminal response regulator receiver motif and the C-terminal helix-turn-helix motif. The three residues in the ComA N-terminal portion may be involved in phosphorylation activation mechanism. These structural prediction results implicate that three mutated residues in the ComA protein may play an important role in the formation of a salt-bridge to the phosphoryl group keeping active conformation to subsequent regulation of the expression of downstream genes.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.597-606
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• 2008

Resorption of alveolar bone in periodontitis is due to excessive differentiation and activation of osteoclasts. Bacterial antigens causing periodontitis activates CD4 T cells, which leads to expressing RANK ligand (RANKL) on CD4 T cells. RANKL binds RANK on preosteoclasts or osteoclasts, and enhances the differentiation preosteoclasts into osteoclasts and the activation of mature osteoclasts. CD137, one of TNF receptor (TNFR) family, expressed on activated T cells binds with CD137 ligand (CD137L) on antigen presenting cells. Cross-linking of CD137 by CD137L acts as T cell co-stimulatory signals and, therefore, enhances the activation of T cell. In this study, I elucidated the biological responses of CD137L on (pre)osteoclasts and RANKL on T cells in the context of in vivo interaction between T cells and osteoclasts. RAW264.7, murine monocytic cells, constitutively express CD137L. Ligation of CD137L with anti-CD137L mAb inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclast formation in a dosedependent manner. Bone marrow cells are expressed CD137L by the treatment with M-CSF. Cross-linking of CD137L abolished M-CSF/ RANKL-evoked the formation of multi-nucleated osteoclasts. Both mouse CD4 and CD8 T cells are expressed RANKL following their activation. Ligation of RANKL with OPG, the decoy receptor for RANKL, inhibited both CD4 and CD8 T cell proliferation. These effects were attributed to RANKL-induced apoptosis. These data indicate that CD137L and RANKL on osteoclasts and T cells, respectively provide them with inhibitory signal.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.9
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• pp.1226-1234
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• 2012

3,4,3',5'-Tetrahydroxy-trans-stilbene (piceatannol) is a derivative of resveratrol with a variety of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and anti-cancer activities. We assessed the mechanisms by which piceatannol inhibits inflammatory responses using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated Raw264.7 murine macrophages. Piceatannol (0~10 ${\mu}mol/L$) decreased LPS-induced release of nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-$1{\beta}$, and inhibited LPS-induced protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-${\kappa}B$), activator protein (AP)-1, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) are crucial steps during an inflammatory response. Piceatannol prevented LPS-induced degradation of inhibitor of ${\kappa}B$ ($I{\kappa}B$), translocation of p65 to the nucleus, and phosphorylation of stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK). Additionally, piceatannol inhibited LPS-induced phosphorylation of STAT3 and IL-6-induced translocation of STAT3 to the nucleus. Furthermore, piceatannol increased the protein and mRNA levels of hemeoxygenase (HO)-1, the rate-limiting enzyme of heme catabolism that plays a critical role in mediating antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Piceatannol further induced antioxidant response elements (ARE)-driven luciferase activity in Raw264.7 cells transfected with an ARE-luciferase reporter construct containing the enhancer 2 and minimal promoter region of HO-1. These results suggest that piceatannol exerts anti-inflammatory effects via the down-regulation of iNOS expression and up-regulation of HO-1 expression.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.53 no.12
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• pp.67-75
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• 2016

DNA computing technology makes the interests on DNA storage and DNA watermarking / steganography that use the DNA information as a newly medium. DNA watermarking that embeds the external watermark into DNA information without the biological mutation needs the reversibility for the perfect recovery of host DNA, the continuous embedding and detecting processing, and the mutation analysis by the watermark. In this paper, we propose a reversible DNA watermarking based on circular histogram shifting of DNA code values with the prevention of false start codon, the preservation of DNA sequence length, and the high watermark capacity, and the blind detection. Our method has the following features. The first is to encode nucleotide bases of 4-character variable to integer code values by code order. It makes the signal processing of DNA sequence easy. The second is to embed the multiple bits of watermark into -order coded value by using circular histogram shifting. The third is to check the possibility of false start codon in the inter or intra code values. Experimental results verified the our method has higher watermark capacity 0.11~0.50 bpn than conventional methods and also the false start codon has not happened in our method.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.532-541
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• 2020

In this study, we describe the inhibition of adipocyte differentiation by the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation product of Chrysanthemum indicum L. (CI) extract to control obesity. Preparation of LAB-fermented products was performed to overcome the cytotoxicity of CI extract. During fermentation and 3T3-L1 cell line experiment, cytotoxicity was not induced in the CI fermentation products over 1 day in culture. Fermented materials from highly proliferative cultures were selected for treatment of 3T3-L1 cells and for comparison with unfermented control groups. Cell survival and undifferentiated cell populations were decreased differentiation population in all experimental groups compared with controls, as measured using fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis. Akt pathway activity increased upon treatment with these fermented extracts in 3T3-L1 cells. Gli2 depleted at the protein level in association with adipocyte differentiation. LAB KCTC 3115- and 3109-fermented extract treatment caused controlled Gli2 protein accumulation. Moreover, KCTC 3115 and 3109 were found to reduce C/EBPα and FAS was depleted, whereas pACC was increased at the protein level upon treatment with the fermentation products of each of the four LAB used in this study. With Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis KCTC 3115 fermentation, the regulation of adipose differentiation and hedgehog signaling were also suppressed, thereby inhibiting the differentiation of progenitor cells. The basis for the activation of hedgehog signaling may provide insights into the treatment of obesity and the inhibition of adipocyte differentiation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1711-1714
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• 2014

Objective: To explore the effect of Withaferin A on A549 cellular proliferation and apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods: NSCLC cell line A549 was selected to explore the effect of Withaferin A on A549 cellular proliferation, apoptosis and the PI3K/Akt signal pathway capable of regulating tumor biological behavior by assessment of cellular proliferation, cellular apoptotic rates and cellular cycling as well as by immuno-blotting. Results: Withaferin A could inhibit A549 cellular proliferation and the control rate was dosage-dependent (P<0.05), which also increased time-dependently with the same dosage of Withaferin A (P<0.05). The apoptotic indexes in A549 cells treated with 0, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 ${\mu}mol{\cdot}L^{-1}$ Withaferin A for 48 h were significantly different (P<0.05). In addition, the apoptotic rates of each group in both early and advanced stages were higher than those in 0 ${\mu}mol{\cdot}L^{-1}$ (P<0.05), which were evidently higher after 48 h than those after 24 h (P<0.05). A549 cells treated by Withaferin A for 48 h were markedly lower in Bcl-2 level and obviously higher in Bax and cleaved caspase-3 levels than those treated by 0 ${\mu}mol{\cdot}L^{-1}$ Withaferin A (P<0.05), and there were significant differences among 5, 10 and 20 ${\mu}mol{\cdot}L^{-1}$ Withaferin A (P<0.05). The ratios of A549 cells treated by Withaferin A for 48 h in G0/G1 stage were higher than those in 0 ${\mu}mol{\cdot}L^{-1}$, while those in S and G2/M stages were obviously lower than those in G2/M stage, and there were significant differences in 5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 ${\mu}mol{\cdot}L^{-1}$ Withaferin A (P<0.05). Additionally, p-Akt/Akt values were in reverse association with dosage, and the differences were significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: Withaferin A can inhibit the proliferation and apoptosis of A549 cells by suppressing activation of the PI3K/Akt pathways.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.4983-4988
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• 2013

Objectives: To establish a taxol-resistant cell line of human ovarian carcinoma (A2780/Taxol) and investigate its biological features. Methods: The drug-resistant cell line (A2780/Taxol) was established by continuous stepwise selection with increasing concentrations of Taxol. Cell morphology was assessed by microscopy and growth curves were generated with in vitro and in vivo tumor xenograft models. With rhodamine123 (Rh123) assays, cell cycle distribution and the apoptotic rate were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). Drug resistance-related and signal associated proteins, including P-gp, MRPs, caveolin-1, PKC-${\alpha}$, Akt, ERK1/2, were detected by Western blotting. Results: A2780/Taxol cells were established with stable resistance to taxol. The drug resistance index (RI) was 430.7. Cross-resistance to other drugs was also shown, but there was no significant change to radioresistance. Compared with parental cells, A2780/Taxol cells were significantly heteromorphous, with a significant delay in population doubling time and reduced uptake of Rh123 (p<0.01). In vivo, tumor take by A2780 cells was 80%, and tumor volume increased gradually. In contrast, with A2780/Taxol cells in xenograft models there was no tumor development. FCM analysis revealed that A2780/Taxol cells had a higher percentage of G0/G1 and lower S phase, but no changes of G2 phase and the apoptosis rate. Expression of P-gp, MRP1, MRP2, BCRP, LRP, caveolin-1, PKC-${\alpha}$, Phospho-ERK1/2 and Phospho-JNK protein was significantly up-regulated, while Akt and p38 MARK protein expression was not changed in A2780/Taxol cells. Conclusion: The A2780/Taxol cell line is an ideal model to investigate the mechanism of muti-drug resistance related to overexpression of drug-resistance associated proteins and activation of the PKC-${\alpha}/ERK$ (JNK) signaling pathway.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.741-748
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• 2004

The hepatitis C virus is associated with the development of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinomas. Among the 10 polyproteins produced by the virus, no function has been clearly assigned to the non-structural 5A (NS5A) protein. This study was designed to identify the hepatocellular proteins that interact with NS5A of the HCV. Yeast two-hybrid experiments were performed with a human liver cDNA prey-library, using five different NS5A derivatives as baits, the full-length NS5A (NS5A-F, amino acid (aa) 1~447) and its four different derivatives, denoted as NS5A-A (aa 1~150), -B (aa 1~300), -C (aa 300~447) and D (aa 150~447). NS5A-F, NS5A-B and NS5A-C gave two, two and 10 candidate clones, respectively, including an AHNAK-related protein, the secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (SFRP4), the N-myc downstream regulated gene 1 (NDRG1), the cellular retinoic acid binding protein 1 (CRABP-1), ferritin heavy chain (FTH1), translokin, tumor-associated calcium signal transducer 2 (TACSTD2), phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PI4K) and $centaurin{\delta}$ 2 ($CENT{\delta}2$). However, NS5A-A produced no candidates and NS5A-D was not suitable as bait due to transcriptional activity. Based on an in vitro binding assay, CRABP-1, PI4K, $CENT{\delta}2$ and two unknown fusion proteins with maltose binding protein (MBP), were confirmed to interact with the glutathione S-transferase (GST)/NS5A fusion protein. Furthermore, the interactions of CRABP-1, PI4K and $CENT{\delta}2$ were not related to the PXXP motif (class II), as judged by a domain analysis. While their biological relevance is under investigation, the results contribute to a better understanding of the possible role of NS5A in hepatocellular signaling pathways.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.120-122
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• 2007

All living organisms use numerous signal-transduction pathways to sense and respond to their environments and thereby survive and proliferate in a range of biological niches. Molecular dissection of these signalling networks has increased our understanding of these communication processes and provides a platform for therapeutic intervention when these pathways malfunction in disease states, including infection. Owing to the expanding availability of sequenced genomes, a wealth of genetic and molecular tools and the conservation of signalling networks, members of the fungal kingdom serve as excellent model systems for more complex, multicellular organisms. Here, we employed Cryptococcus neoformans as a model system to understand how fungal-signalling circuits operate at the molecular level to sense and respond to a plethora of environmental stresses, including osmoticshock, UV, high temperature, oxidative stress and toxic drugs/metabolites. The stress-activated p38/Hog1 MAPK pathway is structurally conserved in many organisms as diverse as yeast and mammals, but its regulation is uniquely specialized in a majority of clinical Cryptococcus neoformans serotype A and D strains to control differentiation and virulence factor regulation. C. neoformans Hog1 MAPK is controlled by Pbs2 MAPK kinase (MAPKK). The Pbs2-Hog1 MAPK cascade is controlled by the fungal "two-component" system that is composed of a response regulator, Ssk1, and multiple sensor kinases, including two-component.like (Tco) 1 and Tco2. Tco1 and Tco2 play shared and distinct roles in stress responses and drug sensitivity through the Hog1 MAPK system. Furthermore, each sensor kinase mediates unique cellular functions for virulence and morphological differentiation. We also identified and characterized the Ssk2 MAPKKK upstream of the MAPKK Pbs2 and the MAPK Hog1 in C. neoformans. The SSK2 gene was identified as a potential component responsible for differential Hog1 regulation between the serotype D sibling f1 strains B3501 and B3502 through comparative analysis of their meiotic map with the meiotic segregation of Hog1-dependent sensitivity to the fungicide fludioxonil. Ssk2 is the only polymorphic component in the Hog1 MAPK module, including two coding sequence changes between the SSK2 alleles in B3501 and B3502 strains. To further support this finding, the SSK2 allele exchange completely swapped Hog1-related phenotypes between B3501 and B3502 strains. In the serotype A strain H99, disruption of the SSK2 gene dramatically enhanced capsule biosynthesis and mating efficiency, similar to pbs2 and hog1 mutations. Furthermore, ssk2, pbs2, and hog1 mutants are all hypersensitive to a variety of stresses and completely resistant to fludioxonil. Taken together, these findings indicate that Ssk2 is the critical interface protein connecting the two-component system and the Pbs2-Hog1 pathway in C. neoformans.