• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.201-205
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• 2016

In August 2015, leaf spot symptoms were observed on Korean gondre thistle (Cirsium setidens) in Youngwol, Korea. During the early stage, the symptoms appeared as one or more small gray-brown to brown spots on plant leaves. The spots showed extensive enlargement over time and eventually became large dark brown to black lesions on the whole leaf. Stemphylium species were consistently isolated from affected leaves. All isolates were identified as S. lycopersici, S. solani, or S. xanthosomatis based on morphological and cultural characteristics. The isolates were confirmed as S. lycopersici based on a multilocus sequence analysis using the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, elongation factor 1, GAPDH (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase), and the noncoding region between the vacuolar membrane ATPase catalytic subunit A gene and a gene involved in vacuolar biogenesis. Pathogenicity was tested by spore suspension inoculation on wounded or unwounded gondre leaves. The lesions were observed on inoculated leaves within 3 days after inoculation, regardless of wound. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the leaf spot on gondre thistle caused by S. lycopersici in Korea or elsewhere.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.70 no.4
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• pp.301-306
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• 2011

Background: It is well-known that cell-free nucleic acids rise in patients with many types of malignancies. Several recent experimental studies using cancer cell lines have shown that changes in cell-free RNA are predictive of the response to chemotherapy. The objective of this study was to determine whether quantification of free RNA can be used as a biomarker for clinical responses to chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer. Methods: Thirty-two patients with lung cancer (non-small cell lung cancer, n=24; small cell lung cancer, n=8) were divided into 2 groups according to their responses to chemotherapy (response group, n=19; non-response group, n=13). Blood samples were collected before and after two cycles of chemotherapy. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR was used for transcript quantification of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene. Results: The pre chemotherapy values (Response group $41.36{\pm}1.72$ vs. Non-response group $41.33{\pm}1.54$, p=0.78) and post chemotherapy values (Response group $39.92{\pm}1.81$ vs. Non-response group $40.41{\pm}1.47$, p=0.40) for cell free RNA concentrations, expressed as Ct GAPDH (threshold cycle glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene) levels, was not different between the two groups. There was no significant relationship between changes in the cell free RNA level clinical responses after chemotherapy (p=0.43). Conclusion: We did not find a correlation between quantification of serum cell free RNA levels and clinical responses to chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer. Further investigations are needed to determine whether the cell free RNA level is a useful predictor of responses to chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.6 s.73
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• pp.851-856
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• 2005

Although valuable microbes have been isolated from the soil for the various productions of useful components, the microbes which can be cultivated in the laboratory are only $0.1-1\%$ of all microbes. To solve this problem, the study has recently been tried for making the valuable components from the environment by directly separating unculturable micrbial DNA in the soil. But it is known that humic acid originated from the soil interrupts various restriction enzymes and molecular biological process. Thus, in order to prevent these problems, this study modified the method separated soil DNA with phenol, CTAB and PEG. In order to compare the degree of purity for each DNA and the molecular biological application process, $A_{260}/A_{280}$ ratio, restriction enzymes, and PCR were performed. In case of DNA by the modified method, total yield of DNA was lower but $A_{260}/A_{280}$ ratio was higher than the previously reported methods. It was confirmed that the degree of purity is improved by the modified method. But it was not cut off by all kinds of tested restriction enzymes because of the operation of a very small amount of interrupting substances. When PCR was operated with each diluted DNA in different concentrations and GAPDH primer, the DNA by the modified method could be processed for PCR in the concentration of 100 times higher than by the previously reported separation method. Therefore, this experiment can find out the possibility of utilization for the unknown substances by effectively removing the harmful materials including humic acid and help establishing metagenomic DNA library from the soil DNA having the high degree of purity.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.1850-1859
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• 2022

Objective: The quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is the most accurate and reliable technique for analysis of gene expression. Endogenous reference genes (RGs) have been used to normalize qPCR data, although their expression may vary in different tissues and experimental conditions. Verification of the stability of RGs in selected samples is a prerequisite for reliable results. Therefore, we attempted to identify the most stable RGs in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in sows. Methods: The cycle threshold values of nine commonly used RGs (18S, HPRT1, GAPDH, RPL4, PPIA, B2M, YWHAZ, ACTB, and SDHA) from HPG axis-related tissues in the domestic sows in the different stages of estrus cycle were analyzed using two RG-finding programs, geNorm and Normfinder, to rank the stability of the pool of RGs. In addition, the effect of the most and least stable RGs was examined by normalization of the target gene, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), in the hypothalamus. Results: PPIA, HPRT1, and YWHAZ were the most stable RGs in the HPG axis-related tissues in sows regardless of the stages of estrus cycle. In contrast, traditional RGs, including 18S and ACTB, were found to be the least stable under these experimental conditions. In particular, in the normalization of GnRH expression in the hypothalamus against several stable RGs, PPIA, HPRT1, and YWHAZ, could generate significant (p<0.05) elevation of GnRH in the preovulatory phase compared to the luteal phase, but the traditional RGs with the least stability (18S and ACTB) did not show a significant difference between groups. Conclusion: These results indicate the importance of verifying RG stability prior to commencing research and may contribute to experimental design in the field of animal reproductive physiology as reference data.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.79-89
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• 2020

This study was performed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activities of 70% ethanol extract from Ambrosia trifida L. (AT). The electron donating ability and ABTS⁺ radical scavenging ability of extract from AT was shown to be 84.1% and 92.5% at 1,000 ㎍/ml concentration. The astringent effect of extract from AT was shown to be 94.7% at 1,000 ㎍/ml. The anti- inflammatory activities of extract of AT were investigated using RAW 264.7 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The cell toxicity effect of AT extract on RAW 264.7 performed MTT assay. As a result of the measured cell toxicity effect, 90% or more was shown with cell viability at a 500 ㎍/ml concentration. In nitric oxide synthesis inhibition effect, it was shown that extract from AT concentration dependent inhibited nitric oxide production. The protein expression inhibitory effect of AT extract was measured by western blot at 25, 50, and 100 ㎍/ml concentration and the β-actin used as a positive control. Consequently, the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 protein expression inhibitory effect was decreased by 8.6%, 25.1% at 100 ㎍/ml concentration. The phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, p38, c-Jun NH₂-terminal kinase and Iκ-Bα protein expression inhibitory effect was a decreased dependent concentration. The mRNA expression inhibitory effect was measured by reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction at 25, 50, and 100 ㎍/ml concentration and the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase used as a positive control. Consequently, the iNOS, COX-2, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α mRNA expression inhibition effect was a decreased dependent concentration in an LPS-activated macrophage. In conclusion, AT extract may have some effects on inflammatory factors as potential anti-inflammatory agents and natural substance for cosmetics.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.697-704
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• 1998

Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by a marked infiltration of eosinophils in the bronchial mucosa. Asthmatic bronchial mucosa produces many factors described as being chemotactic for inflammatory cells. IL-5, RANTES, and MCP-1 alpha are the chemotactic factors for eosinophils, but their roles are controversial. Recently eotaxin that is a potent eosinophil chemoattractant cytokine was detected in a guinea-pig model of allergic airway inflammation, and human eotaxin was cloned. Eotaxin is a specific chemoattractant for eosinophils, but its role in asthma is not confirmed. We examined the in vivo expression of eotaxin in bronchi of asthmatic patients. Methods : 11 asthmatics and 2 normal controls were enrolled. All subjects were underwent bronchoscopy with bronchial biopsies in 2nd or 3rd carina. RNA extraction from biopsy samples was done by acid-guanidium method. Semi-quantitaive RT-PCR was done for evaluation of eotaxin mRNA expression The extent of eosinophil infiltration was evaluated by counting the eosinophils in submucosa in HPF of microscope. Results : Eotaxin mRNA expressed in symptomatic, uncontrolled asthma. Steroid inhibited expression of eotaxin mRNA in asthma. Expression of eotaxin mRNA correlated with eosinophil infiltration in bronchial tissues. Conclusion: Expression of eotaxin mRNA increases in uncontrolled asthma and eotaxin is involved in the recruitment of eosinophils.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.1297-1303
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• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate the anticancer (in vitro) and antiallergy effects of rice bran extracts. In an anticancer test using Hep3B cells and HeLa cells, water and 60% ethanol extracts of rice bran inhibited the growth of Hep3B and HeLa cell lines and morphological changes were also observed. In Hep3B cell lines, water extract of rice bran showed a higer antiproliferating effect than 60% ethanol extract. The growth-inhibitory effect against HeLa cells were 30.9% for $1,000{\mu}g/mL$, 88.8% for $3,000{\mu}g/mL$ rice bran water extract. The expressions of $Fc{\varepsilon}RI$ mRNA and c-kit in HMC-1 (human mast cell) were decreased by 60% ethanol treatment but tryptase mRNA was not changed. The extracts of rice bran inhibited histamine release from RPMC (rat peritoneal mast cell) activated by compound 48/80. Rice bran water extract showed inhibitory effect of 87% at $0.01{\mu}g/mL$ concentration and 60% ethanol extract inhibited the release of histamine by 86% at $100{\mu}g/mL$ concentration.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.622-632
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to investigate activities as functional cosmetic materials, focusing on Rhododendron brachycarpum (RB) and Rhododendron fortunei (RF). The tyrosinase inhibitory effect, related to skin-whitening, was 32.6% and 39.3% respectively at the concentration of 1,000 ㎍/ml. The elastase inhibitory effect, related to skin anti-wrinkling activity, was 30% and 36.2% at 1,000 ㎍/ml concentration. Collagenase inhibitory activity showed 77.7%, and 80.2% respectively at 1,000 ㎍/ml concentration, which demonstrated excellent inhibitory activity. For a cell viability test, that measured on fibroblast cells by RB and RF extracts. Furthermore, the cell viability test showed 100.9% and 98.9% with cell viability at 100 ㎍/ml concentration in CCD-986Sk. The protein expression inhibitory effect of RB and RF extracts was measured by western blot at 25, 50, and 100 ㎍/ml concentrations, and the β-actin was used as a positive control. As a result, western blot of RB and RF extracts was measured by the expression inhibition rate of the MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3 protein, and was decreased by 67.2%, 65.5%, 13.6%, and 89.1%, 85.0%, and 62.7% at 100 ㎍/ml concentration. The mRNA expression inhibitory effect of RB and RF extracts was measured by RT-PCR at 25, 50, and 100 ㎍/ml concentrations, and the GAPDH was used as a positive control. According to the results of RT-PCR of RB and RF extracts, the expression inhibition rate of the MMP-1, MMP-2, and MMP-3 mRNA was decreased by 70.1%, 9.1%, 37.9%, and 38.2%, 8.3%, 57.3% at 100 ㎍/ml concentrations. So, RB and RF extracts showed the anti-wrinkle effectiveness as a functional cosmetic material.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.160-169
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• 2024

In this study, Abies nephrolepis MAX. was divided into A. nephrolepis MAX. stem (AS) extract and A. nephrolepis MAX. leaf (AL) extract. Their anti-inflammatory abilities and applicability as cosmetic materials were determined. Tests of the cell survival rate measured using RAW 264.7 cells and extracts of AS and AL showed 97.8% and 95.6% cell viability at a 500 ㎍/ml concentration. To determine anti-inflammatory activity, we examined the inhibitory effects on the production of LPS-induced NO in RAW 264.7 cells by Griess assay. The results showed that the AS and AL extracts presented a concentration-dependent inhibition of NO production. The protein expression inhibitory effects of AS and AL extracts were measured by western blot at 25, 50, and 100 ㎍/ml concentrations. β-actin was used as a positive control. The results of western blot of extracts from AS showed that the expression inhibition rate of the iNOS protein was decreased by 50.1% at the 100 ㎍/ml concentration. Additionally, the results of western blot of AL extracts showed that the expression inhibition rate of COX-2 and iNOS protein was decreased by 66% and 8.2% at the 100 ㎍/ml concentration. The mRNA inhibitory effect was measured by RT-PCR at 25, 50, and 100 ㎍/ml concentrations. GAPDH was used as a positive control. Consequently, the iNOS mRNA expression effect by RT-PCR of AS extract demonstrated by RT-PCR decreased by 27.9% at the 100 ㎍/ml concentration, and the iNOS and IL-6 mRNA expression effect of AL extract measured by RT-PCR decreased by 48.6% and 48.7% at the 100 ㎍/ml concentration.