• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제32권10호
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• pp.3675-3681
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• 2011

Fusarium oxysporum, an important pathogen that mainly causes vascular or fusarium wilt disease which leads to economic loss. Disruption of gene encoding a heterotrimeric G-protein-${\beta}$-subunit (FGB1), led to decreased intracellular cAMP levels, reduced pathogenicity, colony morphology, and germination. The plant defense protein, Nicotiana alata defensin (NaD1) displays potent antifungal activity against a variety of agronomically important filamentous fungi. In this paper, we performed a molecular modeling and docking studies to find vital amino acids which can interact with various antifungal compounds using Discovery Studio v2.5 and GRAMMX, respectively. The docking results from FGB1-NaD1 and FGB1-antifungal complexes, revealed the vital amino acids such as His64, Trp65, Ser194, Leu195, Gln237, Phe238, Val324 and Asn326, and suggested that the anidulafungin is a the good antifungal compound.The predicted interaction can greatly assist in understanding structural insights for studying the pathogen and host-component interactions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.325-334
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• 2007

Recently, quorum sensing has been implicated as an important global regulator controlling the production of numerous virulence factors such as capsular polysaccharides in bacterial pathogens. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of smcR, a homolog of V. harveyi luxR identified from V. vulnificus ATCC29307, were analyzed. The amino acid sequence of SmcR from V. vulnificus was 72 to 92% similar to those of LuxR homologs from Vibrio spp. Functions of SmcR were assessed by the construction of an isogenic mutant, whose smcR gene was inactivated by allelic exchanges, and by evaluating its phenotype changes in vitro and in mice. The disruption of smcR resulted in a significant alteration in biofilm formation, in type of colony morphology, and in motility. When compared with the wild-type, the smcR mutant exhibited reduced survival under adverse conditions, such as acidic pH and hyperosmotic stress. The smcR mutant exhibited decreased cytotoxic activity toward INT 407 cells in vitro. Furthermore, the intraperitoneal $LD_{50}$ of the smcR mutant was approximately $10^2$ times higher than that of parental wild-type. Therefore, it appears that SmcR is a novel global regulator, controlling numerous genes contributing to the pathogenesis as well as survival of V. vulnificus.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제27권6호
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• pp.570-576
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• 2019

Particulate matter (PM), which refers to the mixture of particles present in the air, can have harmful effects. Damage to cells by PM, including disruption of organelles and proteins, can trigger autophagy, and the relationship between autophagy and PM has been well studied. However, the cellular regulators of PM-induced autophagy have not been well characterized, especially in keratinocytes. The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) is expressed in the epidermis and is activated by PM. In this study, we investigated the role of the AhR in PM-induced autophagy in HaCaT cells. Our results showed that PM led to AhR activation in keratinocytes. Activation of the AhR-target gene CYP1A1 by PM was reduced by co-treatment with ${\alpha}$-naphthoflavone (${\alpha}-NF$), an AhR inhibitor. We also evaluated activation of the autophagy pathway in PM-treated keratinocytes. In HaCaT cells, treatment with PM treatment led to the induction of microtubules-associated proteins light chain 3 (LC3) and p62/SQSTM1, which are essential components of the autophagy pathway. To study the role of the AhR in mediating PM-induced autophagy, we treated cells with ${\alpha}-NF$ or used an siRNA against AhR. Expression of LC3-II induced by PM was decreased in a dose dependent manner by ${\alpha}-NF$. Furthermore, knockdown of AhR with siAhR diminished PM-induced expression of LC3-II and p62. Together, these results suggest that inhibition of the AhR decreases PM-induced autophagy. We confirmed these results using the autophagy-inhibitors BAF and 3-MA. Taken together, our results indicate that exposure to PM induces autophagy via the AhR in HaCaT keratinocytes.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제25권6호
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• pp.575-583
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• 2021

Composition of the gut microbiota changes with aging and plays an important role in age-associated disease such as metabolic syndrome, cancer, and neurodegeneration. The gut microbiota composition oscillates through the day, and the disruption of their diurnal rhythm results in gut dysbiosis leading to metabolic and immune dysfunctions. It is well documented that circadian rhythm changes with age in several biological functions such as sleep, body temperature, and hormone secretion. However, it is not defined whether the diurnal pattern of gut microbial composition is affected by aging. To evaluate aging effects on the diurnal pattern of the gut microbiome, we evaluated the taxa profiles of cecal contents obtained from young and aged mice of both sexes at daytime and nighttime points by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. At the phylum level, the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes and the relative abundances of Verrucomicrobia and Cyanobacteria were increased in aged male mice at night compared with that of young male mice. Meanwhile, the relative abundances of Sutterellaceae, Alloprevotella, Lachnospiraceae UCG-001, and Parasutterella increased in aged female mice at night compared with that of young female mice. The Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group relative abundance increased in aged mice of both sexes but at opposite time points. These results showed the changes in diurnal patterns of gut microbial composition with aging, which varied depending on the sex of the host. We suggest that disturbed diurnal patterns of the gut microbiome can be a factor for the underlying mechanism of age-associated gut dysbiosis.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.287-296
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• 2020

The absence of functional estrogen receptor α (Esr1) results in an overgrowth of the epididymal fat, as observed in estrogen receptor α knockout (ERαKO) mouse. The present research was aimed to evaluate expression of various molecules associated with adipocyte differentiation and maturation in the epididymal fat of ERαKO mouse at several postnatal ages by using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The highest transcript levels of all molecules were detected at 12 months of postnatal age, except leptin which the mRNA level was increased at 5 months of age and was unchanged until 12 months of age. The expression levels of CCAAT enhancer binding protein (Cebp) alpha, androgen receptor, and lipoprotein lipase were decreased at 5 months of age but increased at about 8 months of age. The mRNA levels of Cebp gamma and sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 remained steady until 8 months of age. Continuous increases of transcript levels during postnatal period were found in Cebp beta, estrogen receptor (ER) beta, fatty acid binding protein 4, and delta like non-canonical Notch ligand 1. The increases of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and adiponectin mRNA levels were detected as early as 8 months of age. The levels of fatty acid synthase and resistin transcript at 5 and 8 months of age were lower than that at 2 months of age. These findings show the aberrant expression patterns of genes related to adipocyte differentiation and maturation in the postnatal epididymal fat pad by the disruption of ER alpha function.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제33권10호
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• pp.1351-1360
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• 2023

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are compounds that disturb hormonal homeostasis by binding to receptors. EDCs are metabolized through hepatic enzymes, causing altered transcriptional activities of hormone receptors, and thus necessitating the exploration of the potential endocrine-disrupting activities of EDC-derived metabolites. Accordingly, we have developed an integrative workflow for evaluating the post-metabolic activity of potential hazardous compounds. The system facilitates the identification of metabolites that exert hormonal disruption through the integrative application of an MS/MS similarity network and predictive biotransformation based on known hepatic enzymatic reactions. As proof-of-concept, the transcriptional activities of 13 chemicals were evaluated by applying the in vitro metabolic module (S9 fraction). Identified among the tested chemicals were three thyroid hormone receptor (THR) agonistic compounds that showed increased transcriptional activities after phase I+II reactions (T3, 309.1 ± 17.3%; DITPA, 30.7 ± 1.8%; GC-1, 160.6 ± 8.6% to the corresponding parents). The metabolic profiles of these three compounds showed common biotransformation patterns, particularly in the phase II reactions (glucuronide conjugation, sulfation, GSH conjugation, and amino acid conjugation). Data-dependent exploration based on molecular network analysis of T3 profiles revealed that lipids and lipid-like molecules were the most enriched biotransformants. The subsequent subnetwork analysis proposed 14 additional features, including T4 in addition to 9 metabolized compounds that were annotated by prediction system based on possible hepatic enzymatic reaction. The other 10 THR agonistic negative compounds showed unique biotransformation patterns according to structural commonality, which corresponded to previous in vivo studies. Our evaluation system demonstrated highly predictive and accurate performance in determining the potential thyroid-disrupting activity of EDC-derived metabolites and for proposing novel biotransformants.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.194-209
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• 2024

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: High levels of plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol are an important determinant of atherosclerotic lesion formation. The disruption of cholesterol efflux or reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) in peripheral tissues and macrophages may promote atherogenesis. The aim of the current study was to examine whether bioactive ellagic acid, a functional food component, improved RCT functionality and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) function in diet-induced atherogenesis of apolipoproteins E (apoE) knockout (KO) mice. MATERIALS/METHODS: Wild type mice and apoE KO mice were fed a high-cholesterol Paigen diet for 10 weeks to induce hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis, and concomitantly received 10 mg/kg ellagic acid via gavage. RESULTS: Supplying ellagic acid enhanced induction of apoE and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter G1 in oxidized LDL-exposed macrophages, facilitating cholesterol efflux associated with RCT. Oral administration of ellagic acid to apoE KO mice fed on Paigen diet improved hypercholesterolemia with reduced atherogenic index. This compound enhanced the expression of ABC transporters in peritoneal macrophages isolated from apoE KO mice fed on Paigen diet, indicating increased cholesterol efflux. Plasma levels of cholesterol ester transport protein and phospholipid transport protein involved in RCT were elevated in mice lack of apoE gene, which was substantially reduced by supplementing ellagic acid to Paigen diet-fed mice. In addition, ellagic acid attenuated hepatic lipid accumulation in apoE KO mice, evidenced by staining of hematoxylin and eosin and oil red O. Furthermore, the supplementation of 10 mg/kg ellagic acid favorably influenced the transcriptional levels of hepatic LDL receptor and scavenger receptor-B1 in Paigen diet-fed apoE KO mice. CONCLUSION: Ellagic acid may be an athero-protective dietary compound encumbering diet-induced atherogenesis though improving the RCT functionality.

• 한국잡초학회지
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.261-270
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• 1992

Many herbicides that are applied at the soil before weed emergence inhibit plant growth soon after weed germination occurs. Plant growth has been known as an irreversible increase in size as a result of the processes of cell divison and cell enlargement. Herbicides can influence primary growth in which most new plant tissues emerges from meristmatic region by affecting either or both of these processes. Herbicides which have sites of action during interphase($G_1$, S, $G_2$) of cell cycle and cause a subsequent reduction in the observed frequency of mitotic figures can be classified as an inhibitor of mitotic entry. Those herbicides that affect the mitotic sequence(mitosis) by influencing the development of the spindle apparatus or by influencing new cell plate formation should be classified as causing disruption of the mitotic sequence. Sulfonylureas, imidazolinones, chloroacetamides and some others inhibit plant growth by inhibiting the entry of cell into mitosis. The carbamate herbicides asulam, carbetamide, chlorpropham and propham etc. reported to disrupt the mitotic sequence, especially affecting on spindle function, and the dinitroaniline herbicides trifluralin, nitralin, pendimethalin, dinitramine and oryzalin etc. reported to disrupt the mitotic sequence, particularly causing disappearence of microtubles from treated cells due to inhibition of polymerization process. An inhibition of cell enlargement can be made by membrane demage, metabolic changes within cells, or changes in processes necessary for cell yielding. Several herbicides such as diallate, triallate, alachlor, metolachlor and EPTC etc. reported to inhibit cell enlargement, while 2, 4-D has been known to disrupt cell enlargement. One potential danger inherent in the use of soil acting herbicides is that build-up of residues could occur from year to year. In practice, the sort of build-up that would be disastrous is unikely to occur for substances applied at the correct soil concentration. Crop injury caused by soil applied herbicides can be minimized by (1) following the guidance of safe use of herbicides, particularly correct dose at correct time in right crop, (2) by use of safeners which protect crops against injury without protecting any weed ; interactions between herbicides and safeners(antagonists) at target sites do occur probably from the following mechanisms (1) competition for binding site, (2) circumvention of the target site, and (3) compensation of target site, and another mechanism of safener action can be explained by enhancement of glutathione and glutathione related enzyme activity as shown in the protection of rice from pretilachlor injury by safener fenclorim, (3) development of herbicide resistant crops ; development of herbicide-resistant weed biotypes can be explained by either gene pool theory or selection theory which are two most accepted explanations, and on this basis it is likely to develop herbicide-resistant crops of commercial use. Carry-over problems do occur following repeated use of the same herbicide in an extended period of monocropping, and by errors in initial application which lead to accidental and irregular overdosing, and by climatic influence on rates of loss. These problems are usually related to the marked sensitivity of the particular crops to the specific herbicide residues, e.g. wheat/pronamide, barley/napropamid, sugarbeet/ chlorsulfuron, quinclorac/tomato. Relatively-short-residual product, succeeding culture of insensitive crop to specific herbicide, and greater reliance on postemergence herbicide treatments should be alternatives for farmer practices to prevent these problems.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.99-104
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• 2005

유전자 lacZYA가 aces 유전자의 프로모터 하단에 연계된 $(P_{aceB}-lacZYA)$ 리포터 플라스미드를 함유하는 Escherichia coli를 이용하여 glyoxylate bypass를 매개하는 유전자중하나인 aceB의 발현을 조절하는 것으로 여겨지는 Corynebacterium glutamicum클론들을 색판독에 의해 분리하였다. 이 중 한 개의 클론을 선택하여 분석할 결과 이 클론을 함유한 E. coli는 리포터 플라스미드에서 발현되는 $\beta-galactosidase$의 활성 이 약 $40\%$ 감소하였고 이는 클론에서 발현되는 단백질이 aceB프로로터에 작용함에 기인한 것으로 판단되었다. 서열분석결과 ORF1과 ORF2의 두 개의 인접한 ORF가 발견되었고 이중 ORF2가 reporter plasmid의 $\beta-galactosidase$의 활성 감소에 직접적으로 기여함을 알 수 있었다. ORF1은 206아미노산으로 구성된 23,218 Dalton의 단백질을 발현하는 것으로 여겨졌고, 유사성 분석결과 ECF-type에 해당되는 RNA polymerase의 sigma factor를 암호화하는 것으로 보여 sigH로 명명하였다. 유전자 sigH의 기능을 밝히기 위해 gene disruption technique을 이용하여 sigH 유전자가 기능을 하지 못하는 돌연변이 균을 제작하였으며 이 균주는 야생형에 비해 성장속도가 저하됨을 관찰하였다. 또한 변이균은 oxidative stress를유발하는 pumbagin둥에 대해서도 민감성을 나타내었다. 이들 결과는, 유사성 분석결과에서도 볼 수 있듯이 sigH유전자가 세포성장과정 중 처하게 되는 각종 stress중 특히 oxidative stress에 대한 대응과 관련되어 발현될 수 있음을 암시한다.상관관계는 공간적인 범위가 10$\times$10km 이하인 경우에 높게 나타났다. 하지만 공간범위가 그 이상이 될 경우에는 그 내부에서 나타나는 다양성으로 인해 통계적인 상관성이 현격하게 낮아지는 것을 관찰할 수 있었다. 이러한 결과는 지역 및 국가 단위의 환경변화모델에서 모델의 공간적인 구성범위가 일정한 수준을 넘으면, 그 내부에서 발생하고 있는 다양성이 급격하게 증가하여 지표피복변화의 원인과 결과를 정확하게 파악하기 힘들게 된다는 것을 의미한다. 10$\times$10km의 공간적인 범위는 농업생산이 위주가 되는 사바나 지역에서는 주로 개별 마을이 차지하고 있는 공간적인 범위와 대체적으로 일치한다. 따라서 사바나 지역에서 나타나는 지표피복변화의 다양성을 고려하면서 보다 정확하게 모형화하기 위해서는 마을단위에서 나타나는 지표피복변화과정이 최소의 모델단위가 되어야 함을 시사한다. 아니라 다른 방법으로 영향을 미치고 있다는 것을 알 수 있었다., 계절별로는 여름철에 강수가 집중됨으로서 습성강하물 침착량이 총량적으로 증가하였으며, 그 값은 $SO_4^{2-}\;2.118g/m^2/season,\;NO_3^-\;1.509g/m^2/season,\;Cl^-\;2.185g/m^2/season,\;NH_4\;^+\;1.096g/m^2/season$로. 나타났다. 계절별 잎의 평균 pH의 변화는 봄 pH $5.9\pm0.5$, 여름 pH $5.5\pm0.4$, 가을 pH $5.1\pm0.3$을 나타내었고, 엽중 수용성 황함량의 계절별 평균값은 봄 $0.012\pm0.004\%$, 여름 $0.012\pm0.002\%$, 가을 $0.020\pm0.007\%$ 수준을 보이고 있다. 수피 내 함유되어

• 한국가축번식학회지
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.339-347
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• 2001

정자를 매개체로 한 유전자 전이는 형질 전환 동물의 생산을 위한 가능성 있는 간단한 방법이다. 또한 세포질내 정자 주입법에 의한 외래 유전자의 전이에 의한 형질 전환 동물의 생산이 최근에 보고되었다. 본 연구에서는 정자를 EGFP유전자와 공배양한 후 이를 난모세포내에 미세 주입한 다음, 수정란의 발달과 EGFP유전자의 발현을 조사하였다. 돼지 난자에 정자, 세포질막이 파괴된 정자 또는 정자를 주입하였다. 주입 후 수정된 난자는 NCSU23 배양액에서 배반포까지 배양하였으며, 배발생율과 EGFP 유전자의 발현을 연구하였다. 정자를 미세 주입한 결과 난할율은 67.0%로 정자두부를 미세주입한 난할율인 59.7%보다 높았고, 수정란의 EGFP 유전자 발현율은 각각 42.1와 20.0%로서 전자가 유의하게 높았다. 세포질막을 파괴하기 위해 다른 방법들로 정자를 처리하여 주입하였을 시 구정란의 배발생율에 영향을 주지 않았다 정자, 세포막이 파괴된 정자를 주입하여 배반포 발생율을 조사한 결과, 15.0과 14.2%로서 유의차가 없었다. 동결융해하거나 Triton X-100으로 처리한 정자를 주입하여, EGFP 발현율을 조사한 결과, 동결융해 정자를 사용했을 때의 성적이 38.4%로 타군의 성적인 22.4%에 비해 유의하게 높았다. 미세 주입에 앞서 정자는 EGFP 유전자의 0.01 ng/${\mu}\ell$ 부터 1 ng/${\mu}\ell$까지의 여러 농도로 배양되었다. 그러나 난할율을 조사한 결과 EGFP 유전자의 농도 차이에 따른 유의차가 없었다. 정자 배양액에 첨가된 EGFP 유전자의 농도가 0.1 ng/$m\ell$일 때 EGFP 발현율은 37.4%로서 가장 높은 결과를 보였다. 따라서 본 연구의 결과에 의하면 세포질막을 제거한 정자에 외래 유전자가 묻게 되며, 이 정자는 외래유전자를 수정란내로 옮겨 매개체로서의 역할이 가능할 것으로 생각된다.