• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.262-273
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• 2020

Amending biopolymers such as β-glucan (BG) and Xanthan gum (XG) generally enhances soil strength by ionic and hydrogen bonds between soil particles. Thus, biopolymers have been studied as eco-friendly construction materials in levees. However, physiological responses of plants grown on soil amended with biopolymers are not fully understood. This study focuses on the effects of biopolymers on the growth of Camelina sativa L. (Camelina) under excess zinc (Zn) stress. The optimal concentrations of BG and XG were confirmed to have a 0.5% ratio in soil depending on the physiological parameters of Camelina under excess Zn stress. The Zn binding capacity of biopolymers was investigated using 1,5-diphenylthiocarbazone (DTZ). The reduction of Zn damage in Camelina was evaluated by analyzing the Zn content and expression of heavy metal ATPase (HMA) genes under excess Zn stress. Amendments of BG and XG improved Camelina growth under excess Zn stress. In DTZ staining and ICP-OES analysis, Camelina grown on BG and XG soil showed less Zn uptake than normal soil under excess Zn stress. The Zn-inducible CsHMA3 gene was not stimulated by either BG or XG amendment under excess Zn stress. Moreover, both BG and XG amendments in soil exhibit Zn-stress mitigation similar to that of Zn-tolerant CsHMA3 overexpres sed Camelina. These results indicate that biopolymer-amended soils may influence the prevention of Zn absorption in Camelina under excess Zn stress. Thus, BG and XG are proven to be suitable materials for levee construction and can protect plants from soil contamination by Zn.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.552-558
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• 2021

Traditional foods are manufactured according to the characteristics of each region for the nations of the world. Korea has mainly farmed, and seasonings have developed around rice and vegetables. In fermented foods, lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus sp. and Pediococcus sp. and Bacillus sp. were isolated and identified from fermented foods. In this study, lactic acid bacteria were isolated and identified from commercially available traditional Korean fermented foods, and candidate strains were selected through antibacterial activity tests on human and fish disease bacteria. Thereafter, the final strain was selected by examining the resistance to simulated gastric and intestinal fluids, and hemolysis. The three (M1, K1, C13) final selected latic acid bacteria were miced with prebiotics and the antibacterial activity of synbiotics was evaluated. As for the fist antibacterial activity result, C13 showed high antibacterial acitivity in human diseases and fish diseases. Then, M1, K1 and C13, which did not produce β-haemolysis and were resistant to simulated gastric and intestinal fluids, were subjected to the second antibacterial activity of synbiotics. When the three prebiotics (FOS, GOS, Inulin) and probiotics (M1, K1, C13) were mixed, the antibacterial activity was increased or inhibited. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequencing results, K1 and M1 were analyzed as Bacillus tequiensis 99.72%, Bacillus subtilis 99.65%, Bacillus inaquosorum 99.72%, Bacillus cabrialesii 99.72%, Bacillus stercoris 99.58%, Bacillus spizizenii 99.58%, Bacillus halotolerans 99.58%, and Bacillus mojavensis 99.51%. And C13 was analyzed as Bacillus velezensis 99.71%, Bacillus nematocida 99.36%, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens 99.44%, Bacillus atrophaeus 99.22%, and Bacillus nakamurai 99.44%.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2022

Perilla is an annual plant in the family Lamiaceae and are widely cultivated in Asian countries. Perilla leaves are important sources of bioactive compounds and are reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-cancer and antioxidant effects, drawing attention as functional food materials. We examined caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, total phenol content, and antioxidant activity in the leaves of 18 perilla accessions obtained from the gene bank of the National Agrobiodiversity Center, Jeonju, Korea. The caffeic acid content ranged between 9.86-27.52 mg/g with an average content of 17.75 mg/g while the level of. rosmarinic acid was in the range between 49.14 and 90.30 mg/g with an average content of 61.88 mg/g. The total polyphenol content ranged between 138.39 ㎍ GAE/mg dried extract (DE) and 378.19 ㎍ GAE/mg DE with an average content of 225.93 ㎍ GAE/mg DE. Cluster analysis based on the content of caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid. and antioxidant activity showed that the accessions collections were grouped in two distinct classes. The first group contained six genetic resources with high content of rosmarinic acid, and antioxidant activities respectively. The second group contained 12 genetic resources with high content of caffeic acid. These results could help develop new varieties of nutrient dense perilla resources.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.155-163
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• 2022

The application of fungicides is indispensable to global food security, and their use has increased in recent times. Fungicides, directly or indirectly, have impacted insects, leading to genetic and molecular-level changes. Various detoxification mechanisms allow insects to eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS) toxicity induced by agrochemicals including fungicides. In the present study, we analyzed the mRNA expression levels of detoxifying enzymes in Tenebrio molitor larvae following exposure to non-lethal doses (0.2, 2, and 20 ㎍/µL) of a fungicide captan. Transcripts of peroxidases (POXs), catalases (CATs), superoxide dismutases (SODs), and glutathione-s-transferases (GSTs) were screened from the T. molitor transcriptome database. RT-qPCR analysis showed that TmPOX5 mRNA increased significantly 24 h post-captan exposure. A similar increase was noticed for TmSOD4 mRNA 3 h post-captan exposure. Moreover, the expression of TmCAT2 mRNA increased significantly 24 h post-treatment with 2 ㎍/µL captan. TmGST1 and TmGST3 mRNA expression also increased noticeably after captan exposure. Taken together, these results suggest that TmPOX5 and TmSOD4 mRNA can be used as biomarkers or xenobiotics sensors for captan exposure in T. molitor, while other detoxifying enzymes showed differential expression.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.784-791
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• 2022

This study observed changes in the body composition of Protaetia brevitarsis sinulensis larvae when reared with feed that included noni and nipa palm. Compared to the control group, the death rate and product yield of the treatment group were improved after the larval fasting process. The brightness of the larval powder of the treatment group increased, but the redness decreased. The crude fat content of the treated group was slightly increased according to the assays of the general components, but the mineral content was significantly increased. The total structural amino acids of the treatment group decreased, but the total free amino acids increased. The structural amino acids generally tended to decrease in the treatment group. However, the free amino acids showed no specific differences. Among the free amino acids, tryptophan, phosphoserine, and methylhistidine were highly increased in the treatment group, whereas threonine, methionine, and asparagine showed the opposite results. Among the polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n3) of omega-3 was increased in the treatment group, but the omega-6 series was decreased. Since minerals, total free amino acids, and omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment group were increased compared to the control group, we suggest that noni and nipa palm can potentially be applied to the production of functionally improved substances as additional sources of feed for Protaetia brevitarsis sinulensis larvae.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.565-573
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• 2022

Gingival inflammation is one of the main causes that can be related to various periodontal diseases. Human gingival fibroblast (HGF) is the major constituent in periodontal connective tissue and secretes various inflammatory mediators, such as nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), upon lipopolysaccharide stimulation. This study is aimed at investigating the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities of Lotus Root extract (LRE) in Porphyromonas gingivalis derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS-PG)-stimulated HGF-1 cells. The concentration of NO and PGE₂, as well as their responsible enzymes, inducible NO synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), was analyzed by Griess reaction, ELISA, and western blot analysis. LPS-PG sharply elevated the production and protein expression of inflammatory mediators, which were significantly attenuated by LRE treatment in a dose-dependent manner. LRE treatment also suppressed activation of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in LPS-PG-stimulated HGF-1 cells. In addition, one of phase II enzyme, NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase (NQO)-1, and its transcription factor, Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), were significantly induced by LRE treatment. Consequently, these results suggest that LRE ameliorates LPS-PG-induced inflammatory responses by attenuating TLR4/MyD88-mediated NF-κB, and activating NQO-1/Nrf2 antioxidant response element signaling pathways in HGF-1 cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.872-881
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• 2022

In this study, we optimized the composition of the indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production medium using response surface methodology on Pantoea agglomerans SRCM 119864 isolated from soil. IAA-producing P. aglomerans SRCM 119864 was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. There are 11 intermediate components known to affect IAA production, hence the effect of each component on IAA production was investigated using a Plackett-Burman design (PBD). Based on the PBD, sucrose, tryptone, and sodium chloride were selected as the main factors that enhanced the IAA production at optimal L-tryptophan concentration. The predicted maximum IAA production (64.34 mg/l) was obtained for a concentration of sucrose of 13.38 g/l, of tryptone of 18.34 g/l, of sodium chloride of 9.71 g/l, and of L-tryptophan of 6.25 g/l using a the hybrid design experimental model. In the experiment, the nutrient broth medium supplemented with 0.1% L-tryptophan as the basal medium produced 45.24 mg/l of IAA, whereas the optimized medium produced 65.40 mg/l of IAA, resulting in a 44.56% increase in efficiency. It was confirmed that the IAA production of the designed optimal composition medium was very similar to the predicted IAA production. The statistical significance and suitability of the experimental model were verified through analysis of variance (ANOVA). Therefore, in this study, we determined the optimal growth medium concentration for the maximum production of IAA, which can contribute to sustainable agriculture and increase crop yield.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.471-480
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• 2023

This study was designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of Rumohra adiantiformis extracts fermented with Bovista plumbea mycelium (B-RAE) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The total polyphenol and total flavonoid content of B-RAE were 379.26±7.77 mg/g and 50.85±3.08 mg/g, respectively. The results of measuring the antioxidant activity of B-RAE showed that it scavenges 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2, 2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and superoxide anion radical in a dose-dependent manner. B-RAE inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production in a dose-dependent manner without affecting cell viability. The gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-lβ (IL-1β), and IL-6 was measured using real time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). We found that, compared to the LPS-treated group, B-RAE significantly reduced the mRNA levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines in a concentration-dependent manner. The expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the phosphorylation of transcription factors such as nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway proteins were assessed using Western blot analysis. We found that B-RAE significantly suppressed the expression of iNOS and COX-2, but their expression was increased by LPS treatment. In addition, the phosphorylation of NF-κB and IκB, which was increased by LPS treatment, was reduced with B-RAE treatment. The effect of B-RAE on the phosphorylation of the MAPK signaling pathway proteins was measured, and the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and the p38 MAPK proteins decreased in a dose-dependent manner, while the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) increased. These anti-inflammatory effects of B-RAE may thus have been achieved through the high antioxidant activity, the inhibition of NO production through the suppression of iNOS and COX-2 expression, the inhibition of the NF-κB pathway, and the suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine expression.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2023

Leigh syndrome is a rare progressive neurodegenerative mitochondrial disorder with clinical and genetic heterogeneity. Recently, balletic IARS2 variants have been identified in a number of patients presenting broad clinical phenotypes from Leigh and West syndrome to a rare syndrome CAGSSS characterized by cataracts, growth hormone deficiency, sensory neuropathy, sensorineural hearing loss, and skeletal dysplasia syndrome (OMIM#616007). We describe a child with Korean Leigh syndrome with urologic manifestations resulting from a compound heterozygote mutation in IARS2. A 5-year-old girl visited the emergency room with a complaint of abdominal pain accompanied by abdominal distension. Abdominal-pelvic CT showed a markedly distended urinary bladder without definite obstructive lesions. She was diagnosed with neurogenic bladder dysfunction based on a urodynamic study. She had global delayed development due to neurologic regression after 6 months of age and a history of bilateral cataract surgery at the age of 2 years. Her brain magnetic resonance imaging showed symmetrically increased signal intensities in the bilateral putamen and caudate nuclei with diffuse cerebral atrophy. No gene variants were identified through whole-mitochondrial genome analysis. Whole exome sequencing was performed for diagnosis, and compound heterozygous pathogenic variants were identified in IARS2: c.2446C>T (p. Arg816Ter) and c.2450G>A (p. Arg817His). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of bladder dysfunction manifestation in a patient with IARS2-related Leigh syndrome. Thus, it broadens the clinical and genetic spectrum of IARS2-associated diseases.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.39.1-39.15
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• 2023

DNA barcoding without assessing reliability and validity causes taxonomic errors of species identification, which is responsible for disruptions of their conservation and aquaculture industry. Although DNA barcoding facilitates molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of species, its availability in clariid catfish lineage remains uncertain. In this study, DNA barcoding was developed and validated for clariid catfish. 2,970 barcode sequences from mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cytb) genes and D-loop sequences were analyzed for 37 clariid catfish species. The highest intraspecific nearest neighbor distances were 85.47%, 98.03%, and 89.10% for COI, Cytb, and D-loop sequences, respectively. This suggests that the Cytb gene is the most appropriate for identifying clariid catfish and can serve as a standard region for DNA barcoding. A positive barcoding gap between interspecific and intraspecific sequence divergence was observed in the Cytb dataset but not in the COI and D-loop datasets. Intraspecific variation was typically less than 4.4%, whereas interspecific variation was generally more than 66.9%. However, a species complex was detected in walking catfish and significant intraspecific sequence divergence was observed in North African catfish. These findings suggest the need to focus on developing a DNA barcoding system for classifying clariid catfish properly and to validate its efficacy for a wider range of clariid catfish. With an enriched database of multiple sequences from a target species and its genus, species identification can be more accurate and biodiversity assessment of the species can be facilitated.