• BMB Reports
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.98-105
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• 2021

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) system is a family of DNA sequences originally discovered as a type of acquired immunity in prokaryotes such as bacteria and archaea. In many CRISPR systems, the functional ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) are composed of CRISPR protein and guide RNAs. They selectively bind and cleave specific target DNAs or RNAs, based on sequences complementary to the guide RNA. The specific targeted cleavage of the nucleic acids by CRISPR has been broadly utilized in genome editing methods. In the process of genome editing of eukaryotic cells, CRISPR-mediated DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) at specific genomic loci activate the endogenous DNA repair systems and induce mutations at the target sites with high efficiencies. Two of the major endogenous DNA repair machineries are non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homology-directed repair (HDR). In case of DSB, the two repair pathways operate in competition, resulting in several possible outcomes including deletions, insertions, and substitutions. Due to the inherent stochasticity of DSB-based genome editing methods, it was difficult to achieve defined single-base changes without unanticipated random mutation patterns. In order to overcome the heterogeneity in DSB-mediated genome editing, novel methods have been developed to incorporate precise single-base level changes without inducing DSB. The approaches utilized catalytically compromised CRISPR in conjunction with base-modifying enzymes and DNA polymerases, to accomplish highly efficient and precise genome editing of single and multiple bases. In this review, we introduce some of the advances in single-base level CRISPR genome editing methods and their applications.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2004

The alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay, called the comet assay, has been applied to detect DNA damage induced by a number of chemicals and biological factors in vivo and in vitro. The DNA damage was analysed by tail moment (TM) and tail length (TL), which were markers of DNA strand breaks in SCGE. Human, mouse and rat peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) were irradiated with different doses of $^{60}Co$ ${\gamma}$-rays, e.g. 1, 2, 4, and 8 Gy at a dose rate of 1 Gy/min. A dose-dependent increase in TM (p<0.01) and TL (p<0.01) was obtained at all the radiation doses (1-8 Gy) in human, mouse and rat PBLs. Mouse PBLs were more sensitive than human PBLs which were in turn more sensitive than rat PBLs when the treated dosages were 1 and 2 Gy. However, human PBLs were more sensitive than mouse PBLs which were in turn more sensitive than rat PBLs when the irradiation dosages were 4 and 8 Gy. Data from all three species could be fitted to a linear-quadratic model. These results indicated that there may be inherent differences in the radio-sensitivity among PBLs of mammalian species.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.376-383
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• 2008

Chungkookjang (CKJ) is a fermented soybean product and one of favorite traditional foods in Korea. In this study, the alcoholic extract from Korean fermented soybean (CKJ) and its one of major flavonoids, genistein were evaluated for their protective effect against B(a)P induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage in HepG2 cells. CKJ extract and genistein decreased B(a)P-induced cell cytotoxicity. CKJ extract inhibited DNA single strand breaks evaluated by single cell gel electrophoresis. From RT-PCR study, it was revealed that CKJ extract decrease DNA damage induced in HepG2 cells expressing CYP1A1 and 1A2 by B(a)P. The metabolizing activities of CYP1A1 and CYP1A2, as measured by the 7-alkoxy resorufin O-deethylation (AROD) assay, showed that CKJ extract and genistein inhibited CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 activities. Genistein may contribute to these biological effects of CKJ extract at least in part. All these results indicate that CKJ extract and genistein may be useful for protection against B(a)P-induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage. Therefore, the alcoholic extract of Korean fermented soybean (CKJ) is suggested to be promising functional food which can prevent the cellular genotoxicity of dietary and lifestyle related carcinogens.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.445-453
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• 2004

We identified apoptosis as being a significant mechanism of toxicity following the exposure of HeLa cell cultures to abrin holotoxin, which is in addition to its inhibition of protein biosynthesis by N-glycosidase activity. The treatment of HeLa cell cultures with abrin resulted in apoptotic cell death, as characterized by morphological and biochemical changes, i.e., cell shrinkage, internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, the occurrence of hypodiploid DNA, chromatin condensation, nuclear breakdown, DNA single strand breaks by TUNEL assay, and phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization. This apoptotic cell death was accompanied by caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation, as indicated by the cleavage of caspase substrates, which was preceded by mitochondrial cytochrome c release. The broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor, benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone (zVAD-fmk), prevented abrin-triggered caspase activation and partially abolished apoptotic cell death, but did not affect mitochondrial cytochrome c release. These results suggest that the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c, and the sequential caspase-9 and caspase-3 activations are important events in the signal transduction pathway of abrin-induced apoptotic cell death in the HeLa cell line.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.102-107
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• 2023

Genome editing using CRISPR-associated technology is widely used to modify the genomes rapidly and efficiently on specific DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced by Cas9 endonuclease. However, despite swift advance in Cas9 engineering, structural basis of Cas9-recognition and cleavage complex remains unclear. Proper assembly of this complex correlates to effective Cas9 activity, leading to high efficacy of genome editing events. Here, we develop a CRISPR/Cas9-RAD51 plasmid constitutively expressing RAD51, which can bind to single-stranded DNA for DSB repair. We show that the efficiency of CRISPR-mediated genome editing can be significantly improved by expressing RAD51, responsible for DSB repair via homologous recombination (HR), in both gene knock-out and knock-in processes. In cells with CRISPR/Cas9-RAD51 plasmid, expression of the target genes (cohesin SMC3 and GAPDH) was reduced by more than 1.9-fold compared to the CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid for knock-out of genes. Furthermore, CRISPR/Cas9-RAD51 enhanced the knock-in efficiency of DsRed donor DNA. Thus, the CRISPR/Cas9-RAD51 system is useful for applications requiring precise and efficient genome edits not accessible to HR-deficient cell genome editing and for developing CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout technology.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.19-28
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• 1983

Alkaline elution profiles showed that the frequency of DNA single strand breaks associated with DNA-protein crosslinks in cells treated with both an inducing dose of MMC $(MMC_1)$ and a challenge dose of MMC $(MMC_2)$ was slightly less than that in cells treated with MMC alone. The amount of unscheduled DNA synthesisi in cells treated with both $MMC_1$ and $MMC_2$ was greater than that in cells treated with MMC alone. This enhancement of exicision repair detected by UDS autoradiography and alkaline elution, was not observed, when cells were incubated with cyclohexmide between the two treatments of $MMC_1$ and $MMC_2$. These results suggest that MMC-damaged DNA from Chinses hamster cells is repaired by excision repair mechanisms that require de novo protein synthesis for enhancement, and that an inducible repair mechanism may exist in CHO cells.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.415-423
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• 2007

This study was to evaluate the genotoxic effects of airborne particulate matters using single cell gell elec trophoresis (comet assay) in A549 human lung carcinoma cells. The total suspended particulate (TSP) was collected on back-up filter in Chuncheon, Kangwon Do, South Korea from April, 2003 to February, 2005. The concentrations of TSP, B(a)p and most of heavy metals seemed to be higher in spring and winter, and lower in summer. And they showed higher concentration in the commercial areas and the residential area having more traffics than in the rural area. It was found that A549 cells interacting with the organic extract of TSP showed more DNA single-strand breaks compare to untreated cells. The genotoxicity of the organic extract of TSP was increased with the pre-treatment of S-9 mixture during the culture or with the treatment of endonuclease after cell lysis. The DNA damage by the organic extract of TSP was higher in winter and the commercial area than in summer and the rural area. This study suggests that TSP, heavy metals and B(a)P analyzed showed significant variation depend on the seasons and the areas which are correlated with the DNA damage evaluated by Comet assay, indicating that genotoxic biomarker is useful for toxicological evaluation of air quality.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.373-380
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• 2004

Objectives : There has been gradually increasing concern about the adverse health effects of electromagnetic radiation originating from cell phones which are widely used in modern life. Cell phone radiation may affect human health by increasing free radicals of human blood cells. This study has been designed to identify DNA damage of blood cells by electromagnetic radiation caused by cell phone use. Methods : This study investigated the health effect of acute exposure to commercially available cell phones on certain parameters such as an indicator of DNA damage for 14 healthy adult volunteers. Each volunteer during the experiment talked over the cell phone with the keypad facing the right side of the face for 4 hours. The single cell gel electrophoresis assay (Comet assay), which is very sensitive in detecting the presence of DNA strand-breaks and alkali-labile damage in individual cells, was used to assess peripheral blood cells (T-cells, B-cells, granulocytes) from volunteers before and after exposure to cell phone radiation. The parameters of Comet assay measured were Olive Tail Moment and Tail DNA %. Results : The Olive Tail Moment of B-cells and granulocytes and Tail DNA % of B-cells and granulocytes were increased by a statistically significant extent after 4-hour use of a cell phone compared with controls. Conclusion : It is concluded that cell phone radiation caused the DNA damage during the 4 hours of experimental condition. Nonetheless, this study suggested that cell phone use may increase DNA damage by electromagnetic radiation and other contributing factors.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 2001

Agricultural pesticides may cause certain biological risks since they are widely used to eradicate pests. Agricultural disasters may arise even from the possibility of their synergistic interaction with other harmful enviromnetal factors. The effect of pesticide on radiation-induced DNA damage in human blood lymphocytes was evaluated by the single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay. The lymphocytes, with or without pretreatment of the pesticide, were exposed to 0-2.0 Gy of $^60 CO$ gamma ray. Significantly increased tail moment, which was a marker of DNA strand breaks in SCGE assay, showed an excellent dose-response relationship. The present study confirms that the pesticide has the cytotoxic effect on lymphocytes and that it shows the synergistic interaction with radiation on DNA damage as well. The results may have a role of providing biological information necessary for the prevention of environmental disaster.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.111-115
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• 2005

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation to mammalian skin is known to alter cellular function via generation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), DNA damage and DNA lesions, such as pyrimidine dimmers and photoproducts, which could lead to DNA mutation if they are not repaired. In this study, we have investigated the reduction of DNA damage and of apoptosis with a particular attention to genetic effect of paeoniflorin in Normal Human Epidermal Keratinocytes (NHEK). After UVB irradiation from $10\;to\;500mJ/cm^{2}$ to NHEK, Mean Tail Moments (MTM) were increased with UVB dose increase. The greatest amount of strand breaks was induced at $500mJ/cm^{2}$ of UVB. Even at the lowest dose of UVB ($10mJ/cm^{2}$), change in MTM was detected (P<0.0001). Pretreated cell with 0.1% paeoniflorin maximally reduced the level of DNA damage to about 21.3%, compared to untreated cell. In the lower concentrations less than 0.01% of paeoniflorin, MTM had a small increase but paeoniflorin still had reductive effects of DNA damage. We measured the apoptosis suppression of paeoniflorin with annexin V flous staining kit. As we observed under the fluorescence microscopy to detect apoptosis in the irradiated cell, the fluorescence intensity was clearly increased in the untreated cell, but decreased in treated cells with paeoniflorin. These results suggest that paeoniflorin reduces the alteration of cell membranes and prevents DNA damage. Therefore, the use of paeoniflorin as a free radical scavenger to reduce the harmful effects of UV lights such as chronic skin damage, wrinkling and skin cancer can be useful to prevent the formation of photooxidants that result in radical damage.