• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.273-286
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• 2021

Background: Prostate carcinoma is the second most common cancer among men worldwide. Developing new therapeutic approaches and diagnostic biomarkers for prostate cancer (PC) is a significant need. The Chinese herbal medicine Panax quinquefolius saponins (PQS) have been reported to show anti-tumor effects. We hypothesized that PQS exhibits anti-cancer activity in human PC cells and we aimed to search for novel biomarkers allowing early diagnosis of PC. Methods: We used the human PC cell line DU145 and the prostate epithelial cell line PNT2 to perform cell viability assays, flow cytometric analysis of the cell cycle, and FACS-based apoptosis assays. Microarray-based gene expression analysis was used to display specific gene expression patterns and to search for novel biomarkers. Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR were performed to demonstrate the expression levels of multiple cancer-related genes. Results: Our data showed that PQS inhibited the viability of DU145 cells and induced cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase. A significant decrease in DU145 cell invasion and migration were observed after 24 h treatment by PQS. PQS up-regulated the expression levels of p21, p53, TMEM79, ACOXL, ETV5, and SPINT1 while it down-regulated the expression levels of bcl2, STAT3, FANCD2, DRD2, and TMPRSS2. Conclusion: PQS promoted cells apoptosis and inhibited the proliferation of DU145 cells, which suggests that PQS may be effective for treating PC. TMEM79 and ACOXL were expressed significantly higher in PNT2 than in DU145 cells and could be novel biomarker candidates for PC diagnosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.85 no.2
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• pp.147-154
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• 2022

Background: The expression of calcium signaling pathway molecules is altered in various carcinomas, which are related to the proliferation and altered characteristics of cancer cells. However, changes in calcium signaling in anti-cancer drug-resistant cells (bearing a T790M mutation in epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR]) remain unclear. Methods: Afatinib-mediated changes in the level of store-operated Ca²⁺ entry (SOCE)-related proteins and intracellular Ca²⁺ level in non-small cell lung cancer cells with T790M mutation in the EGFR gene were analyzed using western blot and ratiometric assays, respectively. Afatinib-mediated autophagic flux was evaluated by measuring the cleavage of LC3B-II. Flow cytometry and cell proliferation assays were conducted to assess cell apoptosis and proliferation. Results: The levels of SOCE-mediating proteins (ORAI calcium release-activated calcium modulator 1 [ORAI1], stromal interaction molecule 1 [STIM1], and sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ ATPase [SERCA2]) decreased after afatinib treatment in non-small cell lung cancer cells, whereas the levels of SOCE-related proteins did not change in gefitinib-resistant non-small cell lung cancer cells (PC-9/GR; bearing a T790M mutation in EGFR). Notably, the expression level of SOCE-related proteins in PC-9/GR cells was reduced also responding to afatinib in the absence of extracellular Ca²⁺. Moreover, extracellular Ca²⁺ influx through the SOCE was significantly reduced in PC-9 cells pre-treated with afatinib than in the control group. Additionally, afatinib was found to decrease the level of SOCE-related proteins through autophagic degradation, and the proliferation of PC-9GR cells was significantly inhibited by a lack of extracellular Ca²⁺. Conclusion: Extracellular Ca²⁺ plays important role in afatinib-mediated autophagic degradation of SOCE-related proteins in cells with T790M mutation in the EGFR gene and extracellular Ca²⁺ is essential for determining anti-cancer drug efficacy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.235-245
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• 2021

Lindera glauca Blume has been used in Korean traditional medicine to treat the symptoms of paralysis, abdominal pain, speech disorders, extravasations, contusions, and pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis. We investigated the effect of L. glauca Blume extracts on the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells in vitro using HCT116 human colorectal cancer cell lines. We also investigated its mechanism of action. For this purpose, we used the MTT assay, western blotting, DNA fragmentation analysis, and flow cytometry. HCT116 cells were cultured in several concentrations of ethanol extracts of L. glauca Blume root (0, 50, 100 ㎍/mL). In this study, colon cancer cell growth was inhibited by L. glauca Blume root extract in a dose-dependent manner. It was associated with induction of apoptosis as assessed by nuclear fragmentation and cell cycle analysis. Apoptosis was assessed using western blotting for TNF-α, IL-6, NF-κB, Caspase-3, PARP, Bax, Bcl-2, and SIRT1. The extract also dose-dependently upregulated the expression Bax, the pro-apoptotic gene and downregulated the expression of the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2. Furthermore, the extract enhanced Caspase-3 activity in a dose-dependent manner. Our findings provide evidence that L. glauca Blume extract may mediate its anti-proliferative effect via the modulation of apoptosis.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.1120-1129
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• 2023

Objective: This study aimed to determine the protective efficacy of Buddha's Temple (BT) extract against tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced oxidative stress in Gallus gallus chicken embryo fibroblast cell line (DF-1) and its effects on the cell lipid metabolism. Methods: In this experimental study, Gallus gallus DF-1 fibroblast cells were pretreated with BT 10^-7 for 24 hours, followed by their six-hour exposure to t-BHP (100 μM). Water-soluble tetrazolium salt-8 (WST-8) assays were performed, and the growth curve was computed. The intracellular gene expression changes caused by BT extract were confirmed through quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Flow cytometry, oil red O staining experiment, and thin-layer chromatography were performed for the detection of intracellular metabolic mechanism changes. Results: The WST-8 assay results showed that the BT pretreatment of Gallus gallus DF-1 fibroblast cell increased their cell survival rate by 1.08%±0.04%, decreased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level by 0.93%±0.12% even after exposure to oxidants, and stabilized mitochondrial activity by 1.37%±0.36%. In addition, qPCR results confirmed that the gene expression levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), TIR domain-containing adapter inducing IFN-beta (TICAM1), and glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) were regulated, which contributed to cell stabilization. Thin-layer chromatography and oil red O analyses showed a clear decrease in the contents of lipid metabolites such as triacylglycerol and free fatty acids. Conclusion: In this study, we confirmed that the examined BT extract exerted selective protective effects on Gallus gallus DF-1 fibroblast cells against cell damage caused by t-BHP, which is a strong oxidative inducer. Furthermore, we established that this extract significantly reduced the intracellular ROS accumulation due to oxidative stress, which contributes to an increase in poultry production and higher incomes.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.145-152
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• 2024

Background: Despite its anticancer activity, cisplatin exhibits severe testicular toxicity when used in chemotherapy. Owing to its wide application in cancer therapy, the reduction of damage to normal tissue is of imminent clinical need. In this study, we evaluated the effects of catechin hydrate, a natural flavon-3-ol phytochemical, on cisplatin-induced testicular injury. Methods: Type 2 mouse spermatogonia (GC-1 spg cells) were treated with 0-100 μM catechin and cisplatin. Cell survival was estimated using a cell proliferation assay and Ki-67 immunostaining. Apoptosis was assessed via flow cytometry with the Dead Cell Apoptosis assay. To determine the antioxidant effects of catechin hydrate, Nrf2 expression was measured using qPCR and CellROX staining. The anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated by analyzing the gene and protein expression levels of iNOS and COX2 using qPCR and immunoblotting. Results: The 100 μM catechin hydrate treatment did not affect healthy GC-1 spg cells but, prevented cisplatin-induced GC-1 spg cell death via the regulation of anti-oxidants and inflammation-related molecules. In addition, the number of apoptotic cells, cleaved-caspase 3 level, and BAX gene expression levels were significantly reduced by catechin hydrate treatment in a cisplatin-induced GC-1 spg cell death model. In addition, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory marker genes, including Nrf2, iNOS, and COX2 were significantly downregulated by catechin hydrate treatment in cisplatintreated GC-1 cells. Conclusions: Our study contributes to the opportunity to reintroduce cisplatin into systemic anticancer treatment, with reduced testicular toxicity and restored fertility.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.90 no.1
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• pp.43-54
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• 2001

Genetic differentiation of populations is resulted from the environmental and the genetic effects, and the interactions between them. Whereas, the major factors influencing to the genetic differentiation within populations are the gene flow induced by seed or pollen dispersial, the microsite heterogeneity, and the density-dependent distribution of individuals. For the purpose of studying spatial genetic structure and the distribution pattern of Korean pines(Pinus koraiensis), we set up one $100{\times}100m$ plot at a Korean pine stand in Quercus mongolica community on Mt. Jumbong in Korea. To estimate the coefficient of spatial autocorrelation as Moran's index and an analogue, simple block distance, isozyme markers were analyzed in 325 Korean pines. For 11 polymorphic loci observed in 9 enzyme systems, the average percentage of polymorphic loci, the observed and expected heterozygocity were 72.2% 0.200, and 0.251, respectively. It was revealed the excess of homozygotes was observed in the plot, which suggests that here may be more number of consanguineous trees than expected. On the basis of isozyme genotypes observed in this study, 325 trees were classified into 147 groups in which the maximum number of trees for one group was 34. From the distance class of 24-32m, the genetic heterogeneity began to increase. The variation of simple block distance against the growth performance by tree height and diameter also showed the same trend at 24~32m class. According to high fixation index(F=0.204), the spatial genetic structure within a stand, the analysis of the growth performance, and the distribution patterns of identical genotypes, we inferred that the genetic structure of a Korean pine stand in Mt. Jumbong has been maintained rather density-dependent mechanism than the gene flow, such as the pollen dispersial or the heavy input of seeds following the forest gaps. The genetic patchy size was determined between 24~32m, which suggests that the selection of individuals for the ex situ conservation of Korean pine in Mt. Jumbong may be desirable to be made with the spatial distance over 37 meters between trees.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1088-1095
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• 2013

The swimming crab, Portunus trituberculatus, inhabits seafloor habitats containing sand or pebbles and is widely distributed throughout the world. The present study investigated genetic polymorphisms of 10 microsatellites in 281 samples of P. trituberculatus collected from four locations along the coastal water of the Korean side of the Yellow Sea (Yeonggwang, Taean, Sorea, and Yeonpyeong-do Island). The number of alleles per locus ranged from 50 to 129, with a mean of 69.5. The observed and expected hetrozygosity varied from 0.111 to 1.000 and from 0.609 to 0.979, respectively. The inbreeding coefficients (Fis) varied among the loci from -0.0207 to 0.8175. The genetic differentiation (Fst) was less than 0.05 (range 0.0020-0.0124). Therefore, the four groups of P. trituberculatus appeared to exhibit little genetic differentiation. The lack of differentiation was confirmed in a phylogenetic tree constructed by the unweighted pair group method with the arithmetic average (UPGMA). The hypervariation between the populations and the lack of genetic differentiation may reflect active gene flow among the Yellow Sea populations and the absence of geographical boundaries. The highly polymorphic microsatellite loci will be useful for molecular and phylogenetic studies, as well as stock management, of swimming crab, which is an important fishery resource.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.2 s.75
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• pp.213-218
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• 2006

The study of genetic diversity and population structure was carried out in the Codium fragile using allozyme analysis. Although this species has been regarded as a ecologically and economically important source, there is no report on population structure in Korea. Starch gel electrophoresis was used to investigate the allozyme variation and genetic structure of four Korean populations of this species. Of the 15 genetic loci surveyed, nine (60.0%) was polymorphic in at least one population. Genetic diversity was high at the species level ($H_{ES}$=0.144), and, that of the population level was relatively low ($H_{EP}$=0.128). Nearly 87% of the total genetic diversity in C. fragile was apportioned within populations. The predominant asexual reproduction, population fragmentation, low fecundity, geographic isolation and colonization process are proposed as possible factors contributing to low genetic diversity in this species. The indirect estimated of gene flow based on $G_{ST}$ was 1.69. The moderate level of gene flow in C. fragile populations is mainly caused by thallus developed from isolated utricles dispersal via sea current.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.358-363
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• 2014

We was investigated parasporal inclusion proteins change to use industrial medium of new strain Bacillus thuringiensis CAB 565, CAB 566. To confirm medium's oxygen efficient consist of glucose and yeast extract, we was conducted oxygen transfer coefficients (KLa) of medium's concentration and impeller in 20 l-Jar fermentor. When to increase air flow rate and medium concentration, KLa rate is rise. Also it is effective on agitation rate 200 rpm, but KLa rate is decrease when to rise agitation rate. To hold dissolved oxygen rate (upper 50%), Air flow rate is steadily increase on culture to use microsparger. When 16 hour of culture stage, B.t. CAB 565 and B.t. CAB 566 harvested respectively $2.3{\times}10^{10}$, $1.8{\times}10^{10}$ viable cell/ml. When 54 hour, B.t. CAB565, 566 harvested respectively $1.9{\times}10^{10}$, $1.4{\times}10^{10}spore/ml$. To resulting carbon's concentration, It is the most effective that glucose concentration is contained 5% in medium.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.269-274
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• 2012

The genetic variation of Ark Shell, Scapharca broughtonii black was estimated using six polymorphic microsatellite (MS) loci in 443 individuals collected from five populations in Korea. The mean numbers of alleles per locus in five populations were 10-28. The mean number of alleles per locus in Jinhae Hatchery (JHH) population showed the least value as 15.5, but that in Gangjin (GJ) population showed the most value as 20.3. The mean expected heterozygosity in Saryangdo (SR) population showed the least value as 0.817, but that in Gangjin (GJ) population showed the most value as 0.831. In Jinhae hatchery(JHH) population, the mean expected heterozygosity was 0.822, there was no significant difference from those of wild population. The $F_{ST}$ values in Gangjin (GJ) population showed significant difference from those of the other populations, which revealed Gangjin (GJ) population is genetically different from the other populations. The $F_{ST}$ values among Jinhae Hatchery (JHH) population, Jinhae (JH) population and Saryangdo (SR) population showed lower values than the others, which implies there was a gene flow among these three populations. The $F_{ST}$ value and genetic distance between Jinhae (JH) population and Saryangdo (SR) population showed the least value as 0.0001 and 0.0386, indicating that these two populations were genetically the same.