• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.10
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• pp.635-646
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• 2011

Due to its high external and low internal concentration the $Ca^{2+}$ ion is used ubiquitously as an intracellular signaling molecule, and a great many $Ca^{2+}$-sensing proteins have evolved to receive and propagate $Ca^{2+}$ signals. Among them are ion channel proteins, whose $Ca^{2+}$ sensitivity allows internal $Ca^{2+}$ to influence the electrical activity of cell membranes and to feedback-inhibit further $Ca^{2+}$ entry into the cytoplasm. In this review I will describe what is understood about the $Ca^{2+}$ sensing mechanisms of the three best studied classes of $Ca^{2+}$-sensitive ion channels: Large-conductance $Ca^{2+}$-activated $K^+$ channels, small-conductance $Ca^{2+}$-activated $K^+$ channels, and voltage-gated $Ca^{2+}$ channels. Great strides in mechanistic understanding have be made for each of these channel types in just the past few years.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.69-76
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• 1992

The effects of $Ca_{2+}$ ion on the formation of micelle colloid of nonionic surfactants, nonylphenol-(ethylene oxide)n [NP-(EO)n: n= 11, 40, 100) were investigated by the iodine solubilization method. The characteristics of spectra depended on the concentration of $Ca_{2+}$ ion and the number of EO unit. Above CMC(critical micelle concentration), the intensity of the CT (charge transfer) band by the addition of $Ca_{2+}$ ion for the NP-(EO)11 and NP-(EO)40 increased and when decreased and for the NP-(EO)In continuously increased. The increase in the intensity of CT band were attributed to the compactness of micelle in the presence of $Ca_{2+}$ ion. These phenomena may be explained by the fact that the linear ethylene oxide (EO) chain, relatively free to assume various configuration in aqueous solution, could form a pseudo-crown ether structures capable of forming complexes with $Ca_{2+}$ ion.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1994 no.05
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• pp.142-145
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• 1994

Calcium(Ca) ion plays an important role to trigger the secretion of important neurotransmitters. Since Ca ion flows into the cell thru the ion selective channel, the conductance of which depends on the transmembrane potential, the voltage-dependent characteristic of Ca ion channel is crucial to elucidate the stimulus-secretion coupling of exocytosis. The present study measured the Ca ion currents thru a whole-cell configuration patch at the transmembrane potential clamped at various desired levels in the rat chromaffin cell. The resultant current-voltage relationship was differentiated to obtain dynamic conductance at each clamped voltage. Based on these measured data, five numerical parameters were extracted to reveal electrical properties of Ca ion inflow process thru the voltage-gated channel. The present study can be applied to comparing the electrical characteristics of Ca channel under different experimental conditions. Also, further study is warranted to model the conformational changes of the channel molecules.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.243-244
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• 2013

Over the past 15 years, several groups have incorporated radio-frequency quadrupole (RFQ) based instruments before the accelerator in accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) systems for ion-gas interactions at low kinetic energy (＜40 eV). Most AMS systems arebased on a tandem accelerator, which requires negative ions at injection. Typically, AMS sensitivity abundance ratios for radioactive-to-stable isotope are limited to Xr/Xs ＞10^-15, and the range of isotopes that can be analyzed is limited because of theneed to produce rather large negative ion beams and the presence of atomic isobaric interferences after stripping. The potential of using low-kinetic energy ion-gas interactions for isobar suppression before the accelerator has been demonstrated for several negative ion isobar systems with a prototype RFQ system incorporated into the AMS system at IsoTrace Laboratory, Canada (Ontario, Toronto). Requisite for any such RFQ system applied to very rare isotope analysis is large transmission of the analyte ion. This requires proper phase-space matching between the RFQ acceptance and the ion beam phase space (e.g. 35 keV, ${\varphi}3mm$, +-35 mrad), and the ability to control the average ion energy during interactions with the gas. A segmented RFQ instrument is currently being designed at Korea Institute for Science and Technology (한국과학기술연구원, KIST). It will consist of: a) an initial static voltage electrode deceleration region, to lower the ion energy from 35 keV down to ＜40 eV at injection into the first RFQ segment; b) the segmented quadrupole ion-gas interaction region; c) a static voltage electrode re-acceleration region for ion injection into a tandem accelerator. Design considerations and modeling will be discussed. This system should greatly lower the detection limits of the 6 MV AMS system currently being commissioned at KIST. As an example, current detection sensitivity of 41Ca/Ca is limited to the order of 10^-15 while the 41Ca/Ca abundance in modern samples is typically 41Ca/Ca~10^-14 - 10^-15. The major atomic isobaric interference in AMS is 41K. Proof-of-principal work at IsoTrace Lab. has demonstrated that a properly designed system can achieve a relative suppression of KF3-/41CaF3- ＞4 orders of magnitude while maintaining very high transmission of the 41CaF3- ion. This would lower the 41Ca detection limits of the KIST AMS system to at least 41Ca/Ca~10^-19. As Ca is found in bones and shells, this would potentially allow direct dating of valuable anthropological archives and archives relevant to our understanding of the most pronounced climate change events over the past million years that cannot be directly dated with the presently accessible isotopes.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.123-130
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• 1991

The present study was performed to investigate the effect of Ca ion concentration on sperm viability and acrosome reaction rate and to evaluate the effect of treatments using caffeine and Ca-ionophore A23187 on acrosome reaction rate in frozen-thawed bull spermatozoa. Viabilities of in vitro capacitated bull spermatozoa at 0, 2.25 and 4.5 mM Ca ion concenrations were 21.00, 26.00 and 22.59%, respectively and significantly higher in Ca ion 2.25mM added group than Ca ion free group (p<0.05) and acrosome reaction rates of in vitro capacitated bull spermatozoa were 17.09, 52.15 and 47.92%, respectively and significantly high in Ca ion added groups(p<0.05). Viabilities in vitro capacitation by caffeine and Ca-ionophore A23187 in control, caffeine treated group, Ca-ionophore A23187 treated group and caffeine+Ca-ionophore A23187 treated group were 37.91, 27.67, 22.33 and 25.59%, respectively and significantly higher in control than treated groups(p<0.05), there were no significant differences among the treated groups, and acrosome reaction rates were 10.33, 37.92, 48.09 and 57.17%, respectively and there were significant differences among the groups(p<0.05), especially higher in caffeine+Ca-ionophore A23187 treated group than others.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.32-40
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• 2005

The last two decades have shown a marked expansion in publications of diverse effects of Panax ginseng. Ginsenosides, as active ingredients of Panax ginseng, are saponins found in only ginseng. Recently, a line of evidences shows that ginsenosides regulate various types of ion channel activity such as Ca$^{2+}$, K$^+$, Na$^+$, Cl$^-$, or ligand gated ion channels (i.e. 5-HT$_3$, nicotinic acetylcholine, or NMDA receptor) in neuronal, non-neuronal cells, and heterologously expressed cells. Ginsenosides inhibit voltage-dependent Ca$^{2+}$, K$^+$, and Na$^+$ channels, whereas ginsenosides activate Ca$^{2+}$-activated Cl$^-$ and Ca$^{2+}$-activated K$^+$ channels. Ginsenosides also inhibit excitatory ligand-gated ion channels such as 5-HT$_3$. nicotinic acetylcholine, and NMDA receptors. This presentation will introduce recent findings on the ginsenoside-induced differential regulations of ion channel activities as a ligand as other drugs do.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.36 no.8
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• pp.813-819
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• 1999

Inner crack-like pores with controlled amount of Ca impurity level in the high purity alumina single crystal sapphire had been created by micro-fabrication technique which includes ion implantation photo-lithography Ar ion milling and hot press technique. The morphological change and the healing of crack-like pore in the Ca doped high purity single crystal alumina during high temperature heat treatment in vacuum were observed using optical microscopy. The hexagonal bridging ligaments were developed and the size of hexagonal bridging ligaments had been increased with temperature and Ca amount and had grown to their corner rounded. It appeared that the hexagonal bridging ligaments would have an equilbrium size with temperature and the amount of Ca addition. Three kinds of crack-like pore healing type were observed. Edge regression and ligament growth were observed from relatively low temperature in the crack-like pore. Edge regression were found in almost all of the crack-like pore but the ligament growth were found only in the several crack-like pores accelerating heating very fast. Flow type healing was observed above $1800^{\circ}C$ and It healed the crack-like pore very slowly.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.11
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• pp.528-534
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• 2022

Mitochondria are cellular organelles that perform various functions within cells. They are responsible for ATP production, cell-signal regulation, autophagy, and cell apoptosis. Because the mitochondrial proteins that perform these functions need Ca²⁺ ions for their activity, mitochondria have ion channels to selectively uptake Ca²⁺ ions from the cytoplasm. The ion channel known to play the most important role in the Ca²⁺ uptake in mitochondria is the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) holo-complex located in the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM). This ion channel complex exists in the form of a complex consisting of the pore-forming protein through which the Ca²⁺ ions are transported into the mitochondrial matrix, and the auxiliary protein involved in regulating the activity of the Ca²⁺ uptake by the MCU holo-complex. Studies of this MCU holo-complex have long been conducted, but we didn't know in detail how mitochondria uptake Ca²⁺ ions through this ion channel complex or how the activity of this ion channel complex is regulated. Recently, the protein structure of the MCU holo-complex was identified, enabling the mechanism of Ca²⁺ uptake and its regulation by the MCU holo-complex to be confirmed. In this review, I will introduce the mechanism of action of the MCU holo-complex at the molecular level based on the Cryo-EM structure of the MCU holo-complex to help understand how mitochondria uptake the necessary Ca²⁺ ions through the MCU holo-complex and how these Ca²⁺ uptake mechanisms are regulated.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.201-205
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• 1991

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of Ca and BSA on hydrogen ion concentration in sperm washed solution. The results obtained were as follows : 1. The hydrogen concentration in 1st and 2nd sperm washed solutions was signifcinatly(p<0.01) higher when sperm was washed with SHPsolution containing 2mM Ca than when sperm washed with SHP solution or SHP solution containing 10mM Ca. 2. The hydrogen ion concentration in sperm washed solution was significnatly(p<0.05) higher when seprm was washed with SHP solution containing BSA-FAF than when sperm was washed with SHP solution or SHP solution containing BSA-V.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2005

The last two decades have shown a marked expansion in publications of diverse effects of Panax ginseng. Ginsenosides, as active ingredients of Panax ginseng, are saponins found in only ginseng. Recently, a line of evidences shows that ginsenosides regulate various types of ion channel activity such as $Ca^{2+},\;K^+,\;Na^+,\;Cl^-$, or ligand gated ion channels (i.e. $5-HT_3$, nicotinic acetylcholine, or NMDA receptor) in neuronal, non-neuronal cells, and heterologously expressed cells. Ginsenosides inhibit voltage-dependent $Ca^{2+},\;K^+,\;and\;Na^+$ channels, whereas ginsenosides activate $Ca^{2+}-activated\;Cl^-\;and\;Ca^{2+}-activated\;K^+$ channels. Ginsenosides also inhibit excitatory ligand-gated ion channels such as $5-HT_3$, nicotinic acetylcholine, and NMDA receptors. This review will introduce recent findings on the ginsenoside-induced differential regulations of ion channel activities and will further expand the possibilities how these ginsenoside-induced ion channel regulations are coupled to biological effects of Panax ginseng.