• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.1035-1045
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• 2016

To evaluate the effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on Peyer's patch cells, mice were treated with a high dose of kanamycin to disturb the gut microbial environment. The overarching goal was to explore the potential of LAB for use as a dietary probiotic that buffers the negative consequences of antibiotic treatment. In vitro, LAB stimulated the production of immunoglobulin A (IgA) from isolated Peyer's patch cells. Inflammation-related genes (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-8) were up-regulated in Caco-2 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), while tight-junction-related genes (ZO-1 and occludin) were down-regulated; the effects of LPS on inflammatory gene and tight-junction gene expression were reversed by treatment with LAB. Mice treated with a high dose of kanamycin showed increased serum IgE levels and decreases in serum IgA and fecal IgA levels; the number of Peyer's patch cells decreased with kanamycin treatment. However, subsequent LAB treatment was effective in reducing the serum IgE level and recovering the serum IgA and fecal IgA levels, as well as the number of Peyer's patch cells. In addition, ZO-1 and occludin mRNA levels were up-regulated in the ileum tissues of mice receiving LAB treatment. Lactic acid bacteria can enhance the intestinal immune system by improving the integrity of the intestinal barrier and increasing the production of IgA in Peyer's patches. Lactic acid bacteria should be considered a potential probiotic candidate for improving intestinal immunity, particularly in mitigating the negative consequences of antibiotic use.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1200-1207
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• 2019

Ultraviolet radiation exposure is a major cause of extrinsic skin aging, which leads to skin hyperpigmentation. Loganin, a major iridoid glycoside obtained from Corni fructus, has anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and neuroprotective effects. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the anti-melanogenic effects of loganin in B16F10 melanocytes treated with ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone (${\alpha}-MSH$) and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX). Anti-melanogenic activity was measured by treating cells with loganin at concentrations between 1 and $20{\mu}m$. Cell viability assays confirmed that doses of loganin up to $20{\mu}m$ were not cytotoxic. Loganin significantly and dose-dependently decreased intracellular melanin production. We also investigated potential molecular signaling pathways for the anti-melanogenesis effects of loganin. Western blotting showed that treatment with ${\alpha}-MSH$ and IBMX increased the phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and the gene expressions of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and tyrosinase. Addition of loganin suppressed these increases, while promoting the phosphorylation of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) and the anti-melanogenesis response. Our data therefore indicated that loganin could attenuate the increased melanin synthesis induced by ${\alpha}-MSH$ and IBMX treatment of B16F10 melanocytes. This attenuation appears to occur by downregulation of CREB phosphorylation and MITF and tyrosinase gene expression and upregulation of ERK phosphorylation. These finding suggests that loganin could be a valuable candidate for treatment of skin diseases related to hyperpigmentation.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.801-810
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• 2021

Objective: microRNAs (miRNAs) can play a role in a variety of physiological and pathological processes, and their role is achieved by regulating the expression of target genes. Our previous high-throughput sequencing found that ssc-miR-185 plays an important regulatory role in piglet diarrhea, but its specific target genes and functions in intestinal porcine epithelial cell (IPEC-J2) are still unclear. We intended to verify the target relationship between porcine miR-185 and cell division cycle 42 (CDC42) gene in IPEC-J2 and to explore the effect of miR-185 on the proliferation of IPEC-J2 cells. Methods: The TargetScan, miRDB, and miRanda software were used to predict the target genes of porcine miR-185, and CDC42 was selected as a candidate target gene. The CDC42-3' UTR-wild type (WT) and CDC42-3'UTR-mutant type (MUT) segments were successfully cloned into pmirGLO luciferase vector, and the luciferase activity was detected after co-transfection with miR-185 mimics and pmirGLO-CDC42-3'UTR. The expression level of CDC42 was analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. The proliferation of IPEC-J2 was detected using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays. Results: Double enzyme digestion and sequencing confirmed that CDC42-3'UTR-WT and CDC42-3'UTR-MUT were successfully cloned into pmirGLO luciferase reporter vector, and the luciferase activity was significantly reduced after co-transfection with miR-185 mimics and CDC42-3'UTR-WT. Further we found that the mRNA and protein expression level of CDC42 were down-regulated after transfection with miR-185 mimics, while the opposite trend was observed after transfection with miR-185 inhibitor (p<0.01). In addition, the CCK-8, MTT, and EdU results demonstrated that miR-185 promotes IPEC-J2 cells proliferation by targeting CDC42. Conclusion: These findings indicate that porcine miR-185 can directly target CDC42 and promote the proliferation of IPEC-J2 cells. However, the detailed regulatory mechanism of miR-185/CDC42 axis in piglets' resistance to diarrhea is yet to be elucidated in further investigation.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.286-293
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• 2019

Hypertension (HTN) is one of the major chronic diseases, and HTN is defined as being in a state of continuous high blood pressure. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a condition in which the mass of the left ventricle has increased, and HTN is a leading cause of LVH. HTN and LVH are known to be caused by the interaction of environmental factors and genetic factors. It has been reported that the polymorphisms of SLC8A1, among the genetic factors that affect high blood pressure, are related to salt sensitivity hypertension. In this study, the genetic polymorphisms of SLC8A1 were chosen based on the Korean Genome and Epidemiology data. Logistic regression analysis was then performed for HTN and LVH. Linear regression analysis was also performed for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). As a result, 5 SNPs showed statistically significant associations (P<0.05) with HTN, and 10 SNPs showed statistically significant associations with LVH. rs1002671 and rs9789739 showed significant correlation at the same time with HTN and LVH. These results suggest that the polymorphisms of the SLC8A1 gene are linked to the development of HTN and LVH in Koreans. We expect these results to help us understand the pathogenic mechanisms for HTN and LVH.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2019.10a
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• pp.73-73
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• 2019

Angelica gigas Nakai (Korean danggui), a member of the Umbelliferae family, is a Korean traditional medicinal plant whose roots have been used for treating gynecological diseases. Transcriptomics is the study of the transcriptome, which is the complete set of RNA transcripts that are produced by the genome, using high-throughput methods, such as microarray analysis. In this study, transcriptome analysis of A.gigas Nakai was carried out. Transcriptome sequencing and assembly was carried out by using Illumina Hiseq 2500, Velvet and Oases. A total of 109,591,555 clean reads of A. gigas Nakai was obtained after trimming adaptors. The obtained reads were assembled with an average length of 1,154 bp, a maximum length of 13,166 bp, a minimum length of 200 pb, and N50 of 1,635 bp. Functional annotation and classification was performed using NCBI NR, InterprotScan, KOG, KEGG and GO. Candidate genes for phenylpropanoid biosynthesis were obtanied from A.gigas transcriptome and the genes and its proteins were confirmed through the NCBI homology BLAST searches, revealing high identity with other othologous genes and proteins from various plants pecies. In RNA sequencing analysis using an Illumina Next-Seq2500 sequencer, we identified a total 94,930 transcripts and annotated 71,281 transcripts, which provide basic information for further research in A.gigas Nakai. Our transcriptome data reveal that several differentially expressed genes related to flower color in A.gigas Nakai. The results of this research provide comprehensive information on the A.gigas Nakai genome and enhance our understanding of the flower color related gene pathways in this plant.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.48-57
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• 2021

Background: Ginsenoside Rh2 is well known for many pharmacological activities, such as anticancer, antidiabetes, antiinflammatory, and antiobesity properties. Glycosyltransferases (GTs) are ubiquitous enzymes present in nature and are widely used for the synthesis of oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, glycoconjugates, and novel derivatives. We aimed to synthesize new ginsenosides from Rh2 using the recombinant GT enzyme and investigate its cytotoxicity with diverse cell lines. Methods: We have used a GT gene with 1,224-bp gene sequence cloned from Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LRGT) and then expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The recombinant GT protein was purified and demonstrated to transform Rh2 into two novel ginsenosides, and they were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques and evaluated by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2-5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Results: Two novel ginsenosides with an additional glucopyranosyl (6→1) and two additional glucopyranosyl (6→1) linked with the C-3 position of the substrate Rh2 were synthesized, respectively. Cell viability assay in the lung cancer (A549) cell line showed that glucosyl ginsenoside Rh2 inhibited cell viability more potently than ginsenoside Rg3 and Rh2 at a concentration of 10 μM. Furthermore, glucosyl ginsenoside Rh2 did not exhibit any cytotoxic effect in murine macrophage cells (RAW264.7), mouse embryo fibroblasts cells (3T3-L1), and skin cells (B16BL6) at a concentration of 10 μM compared with ginsenoside Rh2 and Rg3. Conclusion: This is the first report on the synthesis of two novel ginsenosides, namely, glucosyl ginsenoside Rh2 and diglucosyl ginsenoside Rh2 from Rh2 by using recombinant GT isolated from L. rhamnosus. Moreover, diglucosyl ginsenoside Rh2 might be a new candidate for treatment of inflammation, obesity, and skin whiting, and especially for anticancer.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.197-201
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• 2008

In order to provide information of genetic variants for Haptoglobin (Hp) gene, which may be related to weight traits in pig, a total of 235 animals from National Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) were screened with 3 primers. The primer sequences were selected using the porcine cDNA sequences based on NM_214000, and the exon boundaries were estimated. Genetic variants were observed using direct sequencing analysis, and there were 9 SNPs detected at nucleotide positions 503 (A/G), 509 (A/G), 709 (C/T), 734 (C/A), 742 (G/A), 769 (A/G), 840 (C/T), 876 (C/T) and 882 (C/A). All the SNPs were located in coding regions, and mutations caused amino acid changes at nucleotide positions 503, 509, 734, 742 and 769. Allele frequencies of SNPs were estimated for all segments. The SNPs at nucleotide position 509 (p<0.0001) and 734 (p<0.05) were significantly associated with average daily gain, but no significance was observed with other SNPs. From the results, the identified SNPs may be a useful candidate marker for the porcine weight gain traits.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.190-196
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• 2016

In this study, the Brucella abortus ohr gene coding for an organic hydroperoxide resistance protein (Ohr) was cloned into a maltose fusion protein expression system (pMAL), inserted into Escherichia coli, and purified, and its immunogenicity was evaluated by western blot analysis using Brucella-positive mouse sera. The purified recombinant Ohr (rOhr) was treated with adjuvant and injected intraperitoneally into BALB/c mice. A protective immune response analysis revealed that rOhr induced a significant increase in both the IgG1 and IgG2a titers, and IgG2a reached a higher level than IgG1 after the second and third immunizations. Additionally, immunization with rOhr induced high production of IFN-γ as well as proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF, MCP-1, IL-12p70, and IL-6, but a lesser amount of IL-10, suggesting that rOhr predominantly elicited a cell-mediated immune response. In addition, immunization with rOhr caused a significantly higher degree of protection against a virulent B. abortus infection compared with a positive control group consisting of mice immunized with maltose-binding protein. These findings showed that B. abortus rOhr was able to induce both humoral and cell-mediated immunity in mice, which suggested that this recombinant protein could be a potential vaccine candidate for animal brucellosis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.307-315
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• 2001

Litter size has been one of the important economic traits in porcine reproduction. The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system has been shown to mediate actions of the steroid hormone or to synergize with other endocrine factors so that it consequently plays roles in reproductive processes, including ovulation, implantation, maintenance of pregnancy, and fetal development. However, the effect of the serum IGF system on porcine litter size has not been deeply studied. Therefore, this study was conducted to relate serum IFG-II concentration and IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) expression with porcine litter size. Moreover, the possible association of those with estrogen receptor (ER) as a candidate gene for litter size was investigated. Swine were separated into two groups showing high and low litter sizes, and sera were collected from sows in the estrous cycle to postnatal growth of their female progeny. Serum IFG-II concentration was measured by radioimmunoassay and IGFBP-3 expression was detected by Western ligand blotting. During the estrous cycle, IGFBP-3 expression in both groups decreased moderately from metestrus to estrus, but IFG-II concentration showed a reverse pattern. Also, IFG-II concentration and IGFBP-3 expression decreased gradually as pregnancy proceeded. Unlike IGFBP-3, IFG-II decreased moderately as newborn pigs grew. Significant differences in serum IFG-II amount between the two groups were detected at 60 (p<0.01), 75, 90, and 105 d (p<0.05) of pregnancy and at 60 (p<0.01), 45, and 105 d (p<0.05) of postnatal growth. Furthermore, based on ER genotypes, a high litter size group with genotypes AB and BB showed lower IFG-II concentration than a low litter size group with a genotype AA during pregnancy. Taken together, the results indicate that the serum IFG-II and IGFBP-3 are correlated with the litter size in pigs.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.139-148
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• 2015

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to isolate and identify algicidal bacterium that tends to kill the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella, and to determine the algicidal activity and algicidal range of algicide. METHODS AND RESULTS: Among of algicidal bacteria isolated in this study, NH-3 isolate was the strongest algicidal activity against A. catenella. NH-3 isolate was identified on the basis of biochemical characteristics and analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences. The NH-3 isolate showed over 99% homology with Arthrobacter oxydans, and was designated as Arthrobacter sp. NH-3. The optimal culture conditions were $25^{\circ}C$, initial pH 7.0, and 2.0% (w/v) NaCl concentration. The algicidal activity of Arthrobacter sp. NH-3 was significantly increased to maximum value in the late of logarithmic phase. Arthrobacter sp. NH-3 showed algicidal activity through indirect attack, which excreted active substance into the culture filtrate. When 10% culture filtrate of NH-3 was applied to A. catenella, 100% of algal cells were destroyed within 30 h. In addition, the algicidal activities were increased in dose and time dependent manners. The pure algicide was isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the culture filtrate of NH-3 by using silica gel column chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). We investigated the algicidal activity of this algicide on the growth of harmful algal bloom (HAB) species, including A. catenella. As a result, it showed algicidal activity against several HAB species at a concentration of $100{\mu}g/mL$ and had a relatively wide host range. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our results suggest that Arthrobacter sp. NH-3 and its algicide could be a candidate for controlling of toxic and harmful algal blooms.