• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.199-204
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• 2009

Purpose : Various proteins encoded in the early region 3 (E3) of adenoviruses protect cells from being killed by cytotoxic T cells and death-inducing cytokines. We sought to find out whether the genetic heterogeneity of the E3 gene might contribute to the molecular diversity of adenoviruses. Methods : Sequences in the E3 region were analyzed for 14 adenovirus type 3 (Ad3) strains that were isolated from children with lower respiratory tract infections in the Seoul National University Children's Hospital during the period 1991-2000. Full-length adenoviral DNA was purified from the infected A549 cell lysates using a modified Hirt procedure. Results : There was 98% homology between 14 Korean Ad3 strains with a reference strain (M15952). Homology within the Korean Ad3 strains was 98.7%. Variation was found in the region of transcripts 20.1 kDa, 20.6 kDa, truncated 7.7 kDa, 10.3 kDa, 14.9 kDa, and 15.3 kDa. In particular, all 14 Korean strains showed a missense single point mutation at the start codon of the truncated 7.7 kDa. In addition, a deletion was found in the truncated 7.7 kDa region by 58 base pairs in 10 strains and 94 base pairs in 4 strains. Variations in amino acids were observed in the receptor internalization and degradation complex (10.3 kDa/14.9 kDa) which stimulates the clearance from the cell surface and subsequent degradation of the receptors for the Fas ligand and TRAIL, while no variations were observed in another immunoregulatory transcript, 19 kDa. Conclusion : Sequence analysis of the immunoregulatory region of adenovirus E3 shows that genetic heterogeneities are related to genome type patterns.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.390-400
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• 2021

Background: We recently showed that gintonin, an active ginseng ingredient, exhibits antibrain neurodegenerative disease effects including multiple target mechanisms such as antioxidative stress and antiinflammation via the lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptors. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a spinal disease characterized by neurodegenerative changes in motor neurons with subsequent skeletal muscle paralysis and death. However, pathophysiological mechanisms of ALS are still elusive, and therapeutic drugs have not yet been developed. We investigate the putative alleviating effects of gintonin in ALS. Methods: The G93A-SOD1 transgenic mouse ALS model was used. Gintonin (50 or 100 mg/kg/day, p.o.) administration started from week seven. We performed histological analyses, immunoblot assays, and behavioral tests. Results: Gintonin extended mouse survival and relieved motor dysfunctions. Histological analyses of spinal cords revealed that gintonin increased the survival of motor neurons, expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factors, choline acetyltransferase, NeuN, and Nissl bodies compared with the vehicle control. Gintonin attenuated elevated spinal NAD(P) quinone oxidoreductase 1 expression and decreased oxidative stress-related ferritin, ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1-immunoreactive microglia, S100β-immunoreactive astrocyte, and Olig2-immunoreactive oligodendrocytes compared with the control vehicle. Interestingly, we found that the spinal LPA1 receptor level was decreased, whereas gintonin treatment restored decreased LPA1 receptor expression levels in the G93A-SOD1 transgenic mouse, thereby attenuating neurological symptoms and histological deficits. Conclusion: Gintonin-mediated symptomatic improvements of ALS might be associated with the attenuations of neuronal loss and oxidative stress via the spinal LPA1 receptor regulations. The present results suggest that the spinal LPA1 receptor is engaged in ALS, and gintonin may be useful for relieving ALS symptoms.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.404-416
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• 2023

Objective: Daweizi (DWZ) is a famous indigenous pig breed in China and characterized by tender meat and high fat percentage. However, the expression profiles and functions of transcripts in DWZ pigs is still in infancy. The object of this study was to depict the transcript profiles in DWZ pigs and screen the potential pathway influence adipogenesis and fat deposition, Methods: Histological analysis of backfat tissue was firstly performed between DWZ and lean-type Yorkshire pigs, and then RNA sequencing technology was utilized to explore miRNAs, lncRNAs and mRNAs profiles in backfat tissue. 18 differentially expressed (DE) transcripts were randomly selected for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) to validate the reliability of the sequencing results. Finally, gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were conducted to investigate the potential pathways influence adipocyte differentiation, adipogenesis and lipid metabolism, and a schematic model was further proposed. Results: A total of 1,625 differentially expressed transcripts were identified in DWZ pigs, including 27 upregulated and 45 downregulated miRNAs, 64 upregulated and 119 down-regulated lncRNA, 814 upregulated and 556 downregulated mRNAs. QPCR analysis exhibited strong consistency with the sequencing data. GO and KEGG analysis elucidated that the differentially expressed transcripts were mainly associated with cell growth and death, signal transduction, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), PI3K-Akt, adipocytokine and foxo signaling pathways, all of which are strongly involved in cell development, lipid metabolism and adipogenesis. Further analysis indicated that the BGIR9823_87926/miR-194a-5p/AQP7 network may be effective in the process of adipocyte differentiation or adipogenesis. Conclusion: Our study provides comprehensive insights into the regulatory network of backfat deposition and lipid metabolism in pigs from the point of view of miRNAs, lncRNAs and mRNAs.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 2000

Zinc is one of the most abundant oligoelements in the living cell. It appears tightly bound to some metalloproteins and nucleic acids, loosely bound to some metallothioneins or even as free ion. Small amounts of zinc ions (in the nanomolar range) regulate a plentitude of enzymatic proteins, receptors and transcription factors, thus rolls need accurate homeostasis of zinc ions. Zinc is an essential catalytic or structural element of many proteins, and a signaling messenger that is released by neural activity at many central excitatory synapses. Growing evidences suggest that zinc may also be a key mediator and modulator of the neuronal death associated with transient global ischemia and sustained seizures, as well as perhaps other neurological disease stoles. Some neurons have developed mechanisms to accumulate zinc in specific membrane compartment ('vesicular zinc') which can be evidenced using histochemical techniques. Substances giving a bright colour or emitting fluorescence when in contact with divalent metal ions are currently used to detect them inside cells; their use leads to the so called 'direct' methods. The fixation and precipitation of metal ions as insoluble salt precipitates, their maintenance along the histological process and, finally, their demonstration after autometallographic development are essential steps for other methods, the so called 'indirect methods'. This study is a short report on the autometallograhical approaches for zinc detection in the central nervous system (CNS) by means of a modified selenium method.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.11-22
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• 2022

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors have received considerable attention regarding their involvement in glutamate-induced neuronal excitotoxicity. Resveratrol has been shown to exhibit neuroprotective effects against this kind of overactivation, but the underlying cellular mechanisms are not yet clearly understood. In this study, HT-22 neuronal cells were treated with NMDA in Mg²⁺-free buffer and subsequently used as an experimental model of glutamate excitotoxicity to elucidate the mechanisms of resveratrol-induced neuroprotection. We found that NMDA treatment causes a drop in MTT reduction ability, disrupts inside-negative transmembrane potential of mitochondria, depletes cellular ATP levels, and stimulates intracellular ROS production. Double fluorescence imaging studies demonstrated an increased formation of mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pores accompanied by apoptotic cell death, while cobalt protoporphyrin and bilirubin showed protective effects against NMDA-induced mitochondrial injury. On the other hand, zinc protoporphyrin IX significantly attenuated the protective effects of resveratrol which was itself shown to enhance heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mRNA and protein expression levels. In cells transfected with HO-1 small interfering RNA, resveratrol failed to suppress the NMDA-induced effects on MTT reduction ability and MPT pore formation. The present study suggests that resveratrol may prevent mitochondrial injury in NMDA- treated HT-22 cells and that enhanced expression of HO-1 is involved in the underlying cellular mechanism.