• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.158-164
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• 2021

Hypertriglyceridemia is the main risk factor for atherosclerosis. It is reported that triglyceride (TG) induces macrophage cell death, and is involved in the formation of plaques and development of atherosclerosis. We previously reported that TG-induced cell death of macrophages is mediated via pannexin-1 activation, which increases the extracellular ATP and subsequent increase in potassium efflux, thereby activating the caspase-2/caspase-1/apoptotic caspases, including the caspase-8 pathway. Contrarily, some studies have reported that caspase-8 is an upstream molecule of caspase-1 and caspase-2 in several cellular processes. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate whether caspase-8 influences its upstream molecules in TG-stimulated macrophage cell death. We first confirmed that caspase-8 induces caspase-3 activation and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage in TG-treated macrophages. Next, we determined that the inhibition of caspase-8 results in reduced caspase-1 and -2 activity, which are upstream molecules of caspase-8 in TG-induced cell death of macrophages. We also found that ATP treatment restores the caspase-8 inhibitor-induced caspase-2 activity, thereby implying that caspase-8 affects the upstream molecules responsible for increasing the extracellular ATP levels in TG-induced macrophage cell death. Taken together, these findings indicate that caspase-8 potentiates the TG-induced macrophage cell death by activating its upstream molecules.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.222-237
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• 2022

This study was performed to predict change of forestland area in future to 2050 based on System Dynamics Model which is based on feedback loop by causal relationship. As forestland area change in the future depends on potential forestland conversion demands, each demand type of forestland conversion such as agricultural, industrial, public and residential/commercial use was modeled using annual GDP, population, number of household, household construction permission area (1981~2019). In results, all of conversion demands would have continuously decreased to 2050 while residential and commercial land would be reduced from 2034. Due to such shortage, eventually, total of forestland in South Korea would have decreased to 6.18 million ha when compared to current 6.29 million ha. Moreover, the forestland conversion to other use types must be occurred continuously in future because most of forestland is owned privately in South Korea. Such steady decrement of forestland area in future can contribute to the shortage of carbon sink and encumber achievement of national carbon-neutral goal to 2050. If forestland conversion would be occurred inevitably in future according to such change trends of all types, improved laws and polices related to forestland should be prepared for planned use and rational conservation in terms of whole territory management. Therefore, it is needed to offer sufficient incentive, such as tax reduction and payment of ecosystem service on excellent forestland protection and maintenance, to private owners for minimizing forestland conversion. Moreover, active afforestation policy and practice have to be implemented on idle land for reaching national goal 'Carbon Neutral to 2050' in South Korea.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.356-364
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• 2024

Lymph nodes (LNs) are crucial sites where immune responses are initiated to combat invading pathogens in the body. LNs are organized into distinctive compartments by stromal cells. Stromal cell subsets constitute special niches supporting the trafficking, activation, differentiation, and crosstalk of immune cells in LNs. Fibroblastic reticular cells (FRC) are a type of stromal cell that form the three-dimensional structure networks of the T cell-rich zones in LNs, providing guidance paths for immigrating T lymphocytes. FRCs imprint immune responses by supporting LN architecture, recruiting immune cells, coordinating immune cell crosstalk, and presenting antigens. During inflammation, FRCs exert both spatial and molecular regulation on immune cells through their topological and secretory responses, thereby steering immune responses. Here, we propose a model in which FRCs regulate immune responses through a three-part scheme: setting up, supporting, or suppressing immune responses. FRCs engage in bidirectional interactions that enhance T cell biological efficiency. In addition, FRCs have profound effects on the innate immune response through phagocytosis. Thus, FRCs in LNs act as gatekeepers of immune responses. Overall, this study aims to highlight the emerging roles of FRCs in controlling both innate and adaptive immunity. This collaborative feedback loop mediated by FRCs may help maintain tissue function during inflammatory responses.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.180-193
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• 2014

In plants, a shoot apex has a small region known as the shoot apical meristem (SAM) having a group of dividing (initiating) cells. The SAM gives rise to all the groundabove structures of plants throughout their lifetime, and thus it plays important role in growth and development of plants. This review describes theories to explain the SAM organization and function developed over the last 250 years. Since in 1759 German botanist C. F. Wolff has described firstly the SAM, in 1858 Swiss botanist C. N${\ddot{a}}$geli proposed the apical cell theory from the observation of a large single apical cell in the SAM of seedless vascular plants: however, this view was recognized to be unsuitable to seed plants. In 1868, German botanist J. Hanstein suggested the histogen theory: this concept subdividing the SAM into dermatogen, periblem, and plerome was unable to generally apply to seed plants. In 1924, German botanist A. Schmidt proposed the tunica-corpus theory from the examination of angiosperm SAM in which two parts show different planes of cell division: this theory was proved to be not suitable to gymnosperm SAM, not have stable surface tunica layer. In 1938, American botanist A. Foster described zones in gymnosperm SAM based on the cytohistologic differentiation and thus called it a cytohistological zonation theory. With works by E. Gifford, in 1954, this zonation pattern was demonstrated to be also applicable to angiosperm SAM. As another theory, in 1952 French botanist R. Buvat proposed the m${\acute{e}}$rist${\grave{e}}$me d'attente (waiting meristem) theory: however, this concept was confuted because of its negation of function during vegetative growth phase to central initial cells. Rescent studies with Arabidopsis thaliana have found that formation and maintenance of the SAM are under the control of selected genes: SHOOTMERISTEMLESS (STM) gene forms the SAM, and WUSCHEL (WUS) and CLAVATA (CLV) genes function in maintaining the SAM; signaling between WUS and CLV genes act through a negative feedback loop.