• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.795-803
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• 2013

Various endometrial genes in ruminant ungulates are regulated by conceptus interferon tau (IFNT). However, the effect of each IFNT isoform has not been carefully evaluated. In this study, the effects of 2 IFNT isoforms, paralogs found in utero, and interferon alpha (IFNA) on uterine epithelial and Mardin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells were evaluated. Expression vectors of the bovine interferon (bIFNT) genes bIFNT1, bIFNTc1, and bIFNA were constructed, and recombinant bIFNs (rbIFNs) were produced by 293 cells. Bovine uterine epithelial or MDBK cells were cultured in the presence or absence of increasing concentrations of each rbIFN for 24, 48, or 72 h. Transcript levels of the IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) ISG12, ISG15, MX1, and MX2 were analyzed using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. These messenger RNAs were up-regulated by rbIFN in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. In the epithelial cells, the ISG12 transcript level increased at 48 h after rbIFN treatment but slightly decreased at 72 h, whereas the transcript level of ISG15 increased at 24 h and was maintained through 72 h. Expressions of MX1 and MX2 increased at 72 h after rbIFN treatment. MX1 expression increased in all treatment groups, but MX2 increased only by bIFNTc1. In MDBK cells, the expression of ISG12 was increased by bIFNT1 and bIFNTc1 after 24 and 72 h; however, it was unchanged by rbIFNA. ISG15 increased following the same pattern as that seen in uterine epithelial cells, and MX1 showed a similar expression pattern. MX2 expression was increased by bIFNTc1 treatment in uterine epithelial cells, and its expression was increased by both bIFNT1 and bIFNTc1 in MDBK cells. These results show that epithelial and MDBK cell responses to IFNs differ, suggesting that IFNs possess common functions, but may have acquired different functions following gene duplication.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.251-261
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• 2007

A myofiber of skeletal muscle is composed of myofibrils, sarcolemma (plasma membrane), and constameres, which anchor the myofibrils to the sarcolemma. Achvillin is a recently identified F-actin binding muscle protein, co-isolates with dystrophin and caveolin-3 in low-density sarcolemma of striated muscle, and colocalizes with dystrophin at costameres, the specialized adhesion sites in muscle. Archvillin also binds to nebulin and localizes at myofibrillar Z-discs, the lateral boundaries of the sarcomere in muscle. However other roles of archvillin on the dynamics of myofibrillogenesis remain to be defined. The goal of this study is, by using siRNA-mediated gene silencing technique, to investigate the effect of archvillin on the dynamics of myofibrillogenesis in cell culture of a mouse skeletal myogenic cell line (C2C12), where presumptive myoblasts withdraw from the cell cycle, fuse, undergo de novo myofibrillogenesis, and differentiate into mature myotubes. The roles of archvillin in the assembly and maintenance of myofibril and during the progression of myofibrillogenesis induced in skeletal myoblast following gene silencing in the cell culture were investigated. Fluorescence microscopy demonstrated that the distribution of archvillin was changed along the course of myofibril assembly with nebulin, vinculin and F-actin and then located at Z-lines with nebulin. Fluorescence microscopy demonstrated that knockdown of mouse archvillin expression led to an impaired assembly of new myofibrillar clusters and delayed fusion and myofibrillogenesis although the mouse archvillin siRNA did not affect those expressions of archvillin binding proteins, such as nebulin and F-actin. This result is corresponded with that of RT-PCR and western blots. When the perturbed archvillin was rescued by co-transfection with GFP or Red tagged human archvillin construct, the inhibited cell fusion and myotube formation was recovered. By using siRNA technique, archvillin was found to be involved in early stage of myofibrillogenesis. Therefore, the current data suggest the idea that archvillin plays critical roles on cell fusion and dynamic myofibril assembly.

• BMB Reports
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• 제39권6호
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• pp.696-702
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• 2006

Recently three proteins, playing central roles in the bidirectional transport of urate in renal proximal tubules, were identified: two members of the organic anion transporter (OAT) family, OAT1 and OAT3, and a protein that designated renal urate-anion exchanger (URAT1). Antibodies against these transporters are very important for investigating their expressions and functions. With the cytokine gene as a molecular adjuvant, genetic immunization-based antibody production offers several advantages including high specificity and high recognition to the native protein compared with current methods. We fused high antigenicity fragments of the three transporters to the plasmids pBQAP-TT containing T-cell epitopes and flanking regions from tetanus toxin, respectively. Gene gun immunization with these recombinant plasmids and two other adjuvant plasmids, which express granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor and FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand, induced high level immunoglobulin G antibodies, respectively. The native corresponding proteins of URAT1, OAT1 and OAT3, in human kidney can be recognized by their specific antibodies, respectively, with Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Besides, URAT1 expression in Xenopus oocytes can also be recognized by its corresponding antibody with immuno-fluorescence. The successful production of the antibodies has provided an important tool for the study of UA transporters.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.247-253
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• 2006

Our previous research has identified granulin (grn) and p130 genes as sex steroid-inducible genes in the rat hypothalamus, which might be involved in sexual differentiation of the brain. Phthalate esters that are used as plasticizers and also found at low levels in foods such as dairy products are often mentioned as suspected endocrine disrupters. The purpose of the present study is to elucidate whether perinatal exposure to di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and di-2-ethylhexyl adipate (DEHA) affects hypothalamic sex steroid-inducible genes. The present study assessed the effects of perinatal exposure to DBP, DINP and DEHA on sex steroid hormones levels and hypothalamic gm and p130 mRNA expressions at postnatal day (PND) 3 and 7. Pregnant rats were fed a soy-free diet containing 20, 200, 2,000 and 10,000 ppm of DBP, 40, 400, 4,000 and 20,000 ppm of DINP, or 480, 2,400 and 12,000 ppm of DEHA from gestational day (GD) 15 to GD 3 or 7. At PND 3 and 7, perinatal exposure to these chemicals did not substantially affect serum concentrations of testosterone and estradiol. At PND 3, the expression of grn mRNA levels in males was decreased by DEHA, and that of p130 was decreased by DBP, DINP and DEHA, though the effects were not dose-dependent. At PND 7, the expression of gm gene in female pups was increased by higher doses of DBP and all the doses, except for 4,000 ppm, of DINP, while that in male pups decreased by 480 and 12,000 ppm of DEHA. Hypothalamic expression of p130 mRNA in males was increased by lower doses of DBP and all the doses of DINP, whereas that of females was decreased by 480 and 2,400 ppm of DEHA. These results suggest that these chemicals may affect the expression of gm and p130 genes by directly acting on the hypothalamus, thus leading to inappropriate expression of these genes.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.387-391
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• 2007

Recently, much attention has been paid to developing various kinds of fermented herbal extracts, a new type of traditional herbal medicine, in the field of Korean traditional medicine. The fermentation of medicinal herbs is intended to exert a favorable influence on digestability, bioavailavility and pharmacological activity of herbal extract in the gastrointestinal tract. It also produces a number of fermentation products that intensify the nutritional and pharmacological aspects of the medicinal herbs. In order to develop a functional beverage of alleviating the aftereffects of the previous drinks, the extracts (HP-1) of fermented herbal mixture, including Artemisia capillaris Thunb., Lonicera japonica Thunberg, and Hovenia dulcis Thunb., were prepared and the medicinal effect as a hangover cure was evaluated in ethanol-loaded rats. The enzyme activities of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) were analyzed by measuring the concentration of blood ethanol and acetaldehyde. The mRNA expression of ADH and ALDH2 was also investigated through RT-PCR analysis. In the HP-1-treated group, the concentration of blood ethanol was significantly reduced at one hour after loading of ethanol, as compared to that in the saline-treated group. The reduced ethanol was converted to acetaldehyde, which resulted in rapid increase in acetaldehyde concentration in an hour. Acetaldehyde was started to decrease at 5 hours after ethanol loading. It implies that HP-1 is highly effective to stimulate the activities of ADH and ALDH2. The HP-1 treatment also activated the mRNA expression of ADH and ALDH. This study suggests that fermented herbal extract, HP-1 can be used as a functional beverage of alleviating the alcohol-induced hangover symptoms by stimulating the activities and gene expression of hepatic alcohol metabolizing enzymes.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• 제1권4호
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• pp.224-229
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• 2005

Cirsii Japonici Herba (CJH) extract has been used for hundreds of years in Asian countries as a treatment for pollutant, radiation, and alcohol-induced liver damage. The reducing effect of CJH on hydrogen peroxide-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, the main cause of cell damage or death, was evaluated using the HepG2 cell line. Cell survival was determined using MTS assay. The viability of cells treated with CJH was not significantly different from oxidative-stressed HepG2 cells. A dose-dependent inhibitory effect by CJH on ROS production was shown in oxidative-stressed cells using the $H_{2}DCFDA$ assay. To identify candidate genes responsible for the anti-oxidative effects of CJH on HepG2 cells, an oligonucleotide microarray analysis was performed. The expressions of five genes were decreased, whereas nineteen genes were up-regulated in CJH plus hydrogen peroxide treated cells, compared to only hydrogen peroxide treated cells. Among them, the expression of 5 genes was decreased in hydrogen peroxide treatment when compared to control. These genes are known to regulate cell survival and progression. On the other hand, it was shown that its main compounds were not a sylimarin or its analogs. The list of differentially expressed genes may provide further insight on the action and mechanism behind the anti-oxidative effects of Cirsii Japonici Herba.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.123-128
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• 1995

Agrobacterium rhizogenes를 매개로 한 Populus의 형질전환계를 확립하고자 형질전환율에 영향을 주는 주요 인자들을 검토하고, 형질전환 식물체를 분화시켜 도입유전자의 발현을 확인하였다. 줄기조직보다 잎조직이 kanamycin에 대한 감수성이 커 형질전환체의 선발에 유리한 것으로 판단되었다. 접종용액의 박테리아 밀도는 $4{\times}10^5{\sim}7{\times}10^9\;cfu$의 범위내에서 형질전환율에 거의 영향을 주지 않았다. 공배양 기간은 1일 이내가 바람직하였고, 박테리아 제거배지의 항생제 농도는 cefotaxime과 ampicillin 각각 $250\;{\mu}g/ml$가 적당하였다. 배지에 acetosyringone을 첨가하여 배양한 박테리아를 사용했을 때 형질전환율이 증가했는데 acetosyringone의 적정농도는 $50\;{\mu}M$이었다. 형질전환된 gall은 kanamycin 농도가 $100\;{\mu}g/ml$ 이상인 배지를 사용하거나, 생장조절제가 들어있지 않은 배지를 사용하여 선택적으로 유기 및 증식시킬 수 있었다. A. rhizogenes를 접종시킨 조직으로부터 유기된 gall은 생장조절제를 포함하는 배지뿐만 아니라, 생장조절제가 없는 배지에서도 3주 이내에 뿌리를 형성하였다. NAA 0.05 mg/ml와 BA 0.5 mg/ml를 첨가한 배지에서 배양된 gall로 부터 약 6주일 후 식물체가 분화되었다. A. rhizogenes를 접종시켜 얻은 gall,그리고 gall로부터 재분화된 식물체의 추출물에서 agropine과 mannopine이 검출되어, 도입된 opine합성 유전자가 발현되고 있는 것이 확인되었다.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.105-113
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: A high-fat diet (HFD) induces obesity, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and cancer, while a calorie-restricted diet can extend life span by reducing the risk of these diseases. It is known that health effects of diet are partially conveyed through epigenetic mechanism including DNA methylation. In this study, we investigated the genome-wide hepatic DNA methylation to identify the epigenetic effects of HFD-induced obesity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were fed control diet (CD), calorie-restricted control diet (CRCD), or HFD for 16 weeks (after one week of acclimation to the control diet). Food intake, body weight, and liver weight were measured. Hepatic triacylglycerol and cholesterol levels were determined using enzymatic colorimetric methods. Changes in genome-wide DNA methylation were determined by a DNA methylation microarray method combined with methylated DNA immunoprecipitation. The level of transcription of individual genes was measured by real-time PCR. RESULTS: The DNA methylation statuses of genes in biological networks related to lipid metabolism and hepatic steatosis were influenced by HFD-induced obesity. In HFD group, a proinflammatory Casp1 (Caspase 1) gene had hypomethylated CpG sites at the 1.5-kb upstream region of its transcription start site (TSS), and its mRNA level was higher compared with that in CD group. Additionally, an energy metabolism-associated gene Ndufb9 (NADH dehydrogenase 1 beta subcomplex 9) in HFD group had hypermethylated CpG sites at the 2.6-kb downstream region of its TSS, and its mRNA level was lower compared with that in CRCD group. CONCLUSIONS: HFD alters DNA methylation profiles in genes associated with liver lipid metabolism and hepatic steatosis. The methylation statuses of Casp1 and Ndufb9 were particularly influenced by the HFD. The expression of these genes in HFD differed significantly compared with CD and CRCD, respectively, suggesting that the expressions of Casp1 and Ndufb9 in liver were regulated by their methylation statuses.

• 한국식품위생안전성학회지
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.1-14
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• 2007

The term, "food safety", has traditionally been viewed as a practical science aimed at assuring the prevention acute illnesses caused by biological microorganisms, and only to a minor extent, chronic diseases cause by chronic low level exposures to natural and synthetic chemicals or pollutants. "food safety" meant to prevent microbiological agents/toxins in/on foods, due to contamination any where from "farm to Fork", from causing acute health effects, especially to the young, immune-compromised, genetically-predisposed and elderly. However, today a broader view must also include the fact that diet, perse (nutrients, vitamins/minerals, calories), as well as low level toxins and pollutant or supplemented synthetic chemicals, can alter gene expressions of stem/progenitor/terminally-differentiated cells, leading to chronic inflammation and other mal-functions that could lead to diseases such as cancer, diabetes, atherogenesis and possibly reproductive and neurological disorders. Understanding of the mechanisms by which natural or synthetic chemical toxins/toxicants, in/on food, interact with the pathogenesis of acute and chronic diseases, should lead to a "systems" approach to "food safety". Clearly, the interactions of diet/food with the genetic background, gender, and developmental state of the individual, together with (a) interactions of other endogenous/exogenous chemicals/drugs; (b) the specific biology of the cells being affected; (c) the mechanisms by which the presence or absence of toxins/toxicants and nutrients work to cause toxicities; and (d) how those mechanisms affect the pathogenesis of acute and/or chronic diseases, must be integrated into a "system" approach. Mechanisms of how toxins/toxicants cause cellular toxicities, such as mutagenesis; cytotoxicity and altered gene expression, must take into account (a) irreversible or reversal changes caused by these toxins or toxicants; (b)concepts of thresholds or no-thresholds of action; and (c) concepts of differential effects on stem cells, progenitor cells and terminally differentiated cells in different organs. This brief Commentary tries to illustrate this complex interaction between what is on/in foods with one disease, namely cancer. Since the understanding of cancer, while still incomplete, can shed light on the multiple ways that toxins/toxicants, as well as dietary modulation of nutrients/vitamins/metals/ calories, can either enhance or reduce the risk to cancer. In particular, diets that alter the embryo-fetal micro-environment might dramatically alter disease formation later in life. In effect "food safety" can not be assessed without understanding how food could be 'toxic', or how that mechanism of toxicity interacts with the pathogenesis of any disease.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제22권11호
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• pp.1500-1506
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• 2012

Transforming growth factor-${\beta}$ (TGF-${\beta}$)에 의해 유도되는 세포사멸 과정은 간에서 손상 받은 조직이나 비정상적인 조직을 제거하는데 중요한 역할을 담당한다. 간세포에서 TGF-${\beta}$에 의해 유도되는 세포사멸 과정 동안 중요한 기능을 담당하는 유전자를 탐색하고자 쥐의 간세포인 AML12 세포를 이용하여 TGF-${\beta}$ 처리 전후에 발현이 변화되는 유전자를 microarray analysis를 통해 확인하였다. TGF-${\beta}$에 의해 여러 가지 유전자들의 발현이 변화됨을 확인하였는데, 그 가운데 여러 가지 세포사멸 인자들의 활성을 억제하여 세포사멸을 억제한다고 알려져 있는 SGK1의 발현 감소를 확인하였다. TGF-${\beta}$에 의해 SGK1의 mRNA와 단백질 level이 모두 감소함을 확인하였고, 항상 active한 형태의 SGK1 (CA-SGK1)을 발현시켰을 때 TGF-${\beta}$에 의한 세포사멸이 억제됨을 확인하였다. 이러한 결과들은 간세포에서 SGK1의 발현 감소가 TGF-${\beta}$에 의한 세포사멸을 유도하는데 중요한 기능을 담당할 가능성이 높음을 의미하는 것이다.