• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.23
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• pp.10495-10500
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• 2015

Background: To evaluate the effects of bufalin in A549 human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cells in vitro and assess the underlying mechanisms. Materials and Methods: Human A549 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells were treated with various concentrations of bufalin. Cell proliferation was measured by CCK-8 assay, apoptotic cell percentage was calculated by flow cytometry and morphological change was observed by inverted phase contrast microscopy/transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the membrane potential of mitochondria was detected by JC-1 fluorescence microscopy assay, and the related protein expression of cytochrome C and caspase-3 was analyzed by Western blotting. Results: Bufalin could inhibit the proliferation of A549 cells via induction of apoptosis, with the evidence of characteristic morphological changes in the nucleus and mitochondria. Furthermore, bufalin decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential with up-regulation of cytochrome C in the cytosol, and activation of caspase-3. Conclusions: Bufalin inhibits the proliferation of A549 cells and triggers mitochondria-dependent apoptosis, pointing to therapeutic application for NSCLC.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.873-878
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• 2005

Emissions of nitrous oxide (N$_2$O) and methane (CH$_4$) from poultry enteric fermentation were investigated using a respiration chamber. Birds were placed in a respiration chamber for certain intervals during their growing period or for the whole life cycle. The accumulated gas inside the chamber was sampled and analyzed for N$_2$O and CH$_4$ production. A curve for gas production during a life cycle was fitted. The calculated area under the curve estimated the emission factor of poultry enteric fermentation on a life cycle basis (mg bird$^{-1}$ life cycle$^{-1}$). This method can be used to estimate CH$_4$ or N$_2$O emissions from different types of avian species taking into account factors such as diet, season or thermal effects. The CH$_4$/N$_2$O emission factors estimated for commercial broiler chickens, Taiwan country chickens and White Roman Geese were 15.87/0.03, 84.8/16.4 and 1,500/49 (mg bird$^{-1}$ life cycle$^{-1}$), respectively, while the calculated CH$_4$/N$_2$O emission from enteric fermentations were 3.03/0.006, 14.73/2.84 and 9.5/0.31 (Mg year$^{-1}$), respectively in Taiwan in the year of 2000. The described method is applicable to most poultry species and the reported emission factors were applicable to meat type poultry only.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.663-670
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• 2004

ZNF 333 is a new and sole gene containing two KRAB domains which has been identified currently. It is a member of subfamilies of zinc finger gene complex which had been localized on chromosome 19p13.1. The ZNF333 gene mainly encodes a 75.5 kDa protein which contains 10 zinc finger domains. Using the methods of random oligonucleotide selection assay, electromobility gel shift assay and luciferase activity assay, we found that ZNF333 recognized the specific DNA core binding sequence ATAAT. Moreover, these data indicated that the KRAB domain of ZNF333 really has the ability of transcriptional repression.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.1361-1370
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• 2015

A blue laccase was purified from a white rot fungus of Trametes trogii, which was a monomeric protein of 64 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE. The enzyme acted optimally at a pH of 2.2 to 4.5 and a temperature of 70℃ and showed high thermal stability, with a half-life of 1.6 h at 60℃. A broad range of substrates, including the non-phenolic azo dye methyl red, was oxidized by the laccase, and the laccase exhibited high affinity towards ABTS and syringaldazine. Moreover, the laccase was fairly metal-tolerant. A high-molecular-weight kraft lignin was effectively polymerized by the laccase, with a maximum of 6.4-fold increase in weight-average molecular weight, as demonstrated by gel permeation chromatography. Notable structural changes in the polymerized lignin were detected by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. This revealed an increase in condensed structures as well as carbonyl and aliphatic hydroxyl groups. Simultaneously, phenolic hydroxyl and methoxy groups decreased. These results suggested the potential use of the laccase in lignin modification.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.617-624
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• 2007

Protein arginine methylation is a posttranslational modification involved in various cellular functions including cell signaling, protein subcellular localization and transcriptional regulation. We analyze the protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) that catalyze the formation of methylarginines in porcine brain. We fractionated the brain extracts and determined the PRMT activities as well as the distribution of different PRMT proteins in subcellular fractions of porcine brain. The majority of the type I methyltransferase activities that catalyze the formation of asymmetric dimethylarginines was in the cytosolic S3 fraction. High specific activity of the methyltransferase was detected in the S4 fraction (high-salt stripping of the ultracentrifugation precipitant P3 fraction), indicating that part of the PRMT was peripherally associated with membrane and ribosomal fractions. The amount and distribution of PRMT1 are consistent with the catalytic activity. The elution patterns from gel filtration and anion exchange chromatography also indicate that the type I activity in S3 and S4 are mostly from PRMT1. Our results suggest that part of the type I arginine methyltransferases in brains, mainly PRMT1, are sequestered in an inactive form as they associated with membranes or large subcellular complexes. Our biochemical analyses confirmed the complex distribution of different PRMTs and implicate their regulation and catalytic activities in brain.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.361-370
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• 2013

A lysine histidine transporter (LHT) cDNA was isolated and characterized from the roots of Panax ginseng, designated PgLHT. The cDNA is 1,865 bp with an open reading frame that codes for a protein with 449 amino acids and a calculated molecular mass of 50.6 kDa with a predicted isoelectric point of 8.87. Hydropathy analysis shows that PgLHT is an integral membrane protein with 9 putative membrane-spanning domains. Multiple sequence alignments show that PgLHT shares a high homology with other plant LHTs. The expression profile of the gene was investigated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction during various chemical treatments. PgLHT was up-regulated in the presence of abscisic acid, salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate, NaCl, and amino acids. To further explore the function of PgLHT gene, full-length cDNA of PgLHT was introduced into P. ginseng by Agrobacterium rhizogenes A4. The overexpression of PgLHT in the hairy roots led to an obviously increase of biomass compared to the controls, and after addition of the amino acids, the overexpressed-PgLHT hairy roots grew more rapidly than untreated controls during early stage of the culture cycle. The results suggested that the PgLHT isolated from ginseng might have role in the environmental stresses and growth response.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1442-1448
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• 2015

The objectives of this study were to determine the molecular weight of condensed tannins (CT) extracted from mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L) peel, its protein binding affinity and effects on fermentation parameters including total gas, methane ($CH_4$) and volatile fatty acids (VFA) production. The average molecular weight ($M_w$) of the purified CT was 2,081 Da with a protein binding affinity of 0.69 (the amount needed to bind half the maximum bovine serum albumin). In vitro gas production declined by 0.409, 0.121, and 0.311, respectively, while CH4 production decreased by 0.211, 0.353, and 0.549, respectively, with addition of 10, 20, and 30 mg CT/500 mg dry matter (DM) compared to the control (p<0.05). The effects of CT from mangosteen-peel on in vitro DM degradability (IVDMD) and in vitro N degradability was negative and linear (p<0.01). Total VFA, concentrations of acetic, propionic, butyric and isovaleric acids decreased linearly with increasing amount of CT. The aforementioned results show that protein binding affinity of CT from mangosteen-peel is lower than those reported for Leucaena forages, however, the former has stronger negative effect on IVDMD. Therefore, the use of mangosteen-peel as protein source and $CH_4$ mitigating agent in ruminant feed requires further investigations.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.8
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• pp.541-546
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• 2011

It is generally accepted that spermatozoa capacitation is associated with protein kinase A-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation. In our previous study, we identified the fibrous sheath CABYR binding protein (FSCB), which was phosphorylated by PKA. However, the phosphorylation status of FSCB protein during spermatozoa capacitation should be further investigated. To this aim, in this study, we found that phosphorylation of this 270-kDa protein occurred as early as 1 min after mouse spermatozoa capacitation, which increased over time and remained stable after 60 min. Immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that the tyrosine and Ser/Thr phosphorylation of FSCB occurred during spermatozoa capacitation. The extent of phosphorylation and was closely associated with the PKA activity and spermatozoa motility characteristics. FSCB phosphorylation could be induced by PKA agonist DB-cAMP, but was blocked by PKA antagonist H-89.Therefore, FSCB contributes to spermatozoa capacitation in a tyrosine-phosphorylated format, which may help in further elucidating the molecular mechanism of spermatozoa capacitation.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.375-380
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• 2016

Angiostrongyliasis is difficult to be diagnosed for the reason that no ideal method can be used. Serologic tests require specific equipment and are not always available in poverty-stricken zone and are time-consuming. A lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) may be useful for angiostrongyliasis control. We established a LFIA for the diagnosis of angiostrongyliasis based on 2 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against antigens of Angiostrongylus cantonensis adults. The sensitivity and specificity were 91.1% and 100% in LFIA, while those of commercial ELISA kit was 97.8% and 86.3%, respectively. Youden index was 0.91 in LFIA and 0.84 in commercial ELISA kit. LFIA showed detection limit of 1 ng/ml of A. cantonensis ES antigens. This LFIA was simple, rapid, highly sensitive and specific, which opened an alternative approach for the diagnosis of human angiostrongyliasis.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.141-151
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• 2010

1. Objectives: Three herbal formulas (Yuldahanso-tang, Chungsimyonja-tang, and Taeeumjowi-tang) for Taeeumin were applied to investigate the immunological activities on antigen (Ag)-specific or Ag-non-specific immune responses in murine macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) and ovalbumin (OVA)-immunized mice. 2. Methods: This study was carried out in nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in RAW 264.7 cells and cellular proliferation in mouse splenocytes according to three herbal formulas. C57BL/6 mice were immunized intraperitonially with OVA/aluminium ($100\;{\mu}g/200\;{\mu}g$/mouse) on day 1, 8, and 15. Three herbal formulas were administrated to mice orally for 3 weeks from day 1. On day 22, OVA-, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-, and concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated splenocyte proliferation and antibodies (OVA-specific antibodies of the IgG, IgG1, and total IgM classes) in plasma were measured. 3. Results: Yuldahanso-tang and Chungsimyonja-tang increased NO synthesis in RAW 264.7 cells. Three herbal formulas significantly enhanced cellular proliferation by LPS and Con A in splenocytes from OVA-immunized mice (p<.001). Three herbal formulas for Taeeumin also significantly enhanced plasma OVA-specific IgG, IgG1, and total IgM levels compared with the OVA/Alum group. 4. Conclusion: These results suggested that three herbal formulas for Taeeumin could be used as stimulator of immune response.