• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1309-1320
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• 2021

Objective: Investigation of muscle growth at different developmental stages is an appropriate strategy for studying the mechanisms underlying muscle development and differences in phenotypes. In particular, the muscle development mechanisms and the difference between the fastest and slowest growth rates. Methods: In this study, we used a growth curve model to fit the growth inflection point (IP) of QingYu pigs and compared differences in the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) transcriptome of muscle both at the growth IP and plateau phase (PP). Results: The growth curve of the QingYu pig had a good fit (R² = 0.974) relative to a typical S-curve and reached the IP at day 177.96. At the PP, marbling, intramuscular fat, and monounsaturated fatty acids had increased significantly and the percentage of lean muscle and polyunsaturated fatty acids had decreased. A total of 1,199 mRNAs and 62 lncRNAs were differentially expressed at the IP compared with the PP. Additional to gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analyses, these differentially expressed protein coding genes were principally related to muscle growth and lipid metabolism. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the identified differentially expressed lncRNAs, could play roles in muscle growth, fat deposition and regulation of fatty acid composition at the IP and PP.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.18-29
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• 2021

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the characteristic expression patterns of advanced periodontitis in 2 cohort data sets analyzed using different microarray platforms, and to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) through a meta-analysis of both data sets. Methods: Twenty-two patients for cohort 1 and 40 patients for cohort 2 were recruited with the same inclusion criteria. The 2 cohort groups were analyzed using different platforms: Illumina and Agilent. A meta-analysis was performed to increase reliability by removing statistical differences between platforms. An integrative meta-analysis based on an empirical Bayesian methodology (ComBat) was conducted. DEGs for the integrated data sets were identified using the limma package to adjust for age, sex, and platform and compared with the results for cohorts 1 and 2. Clustering and pathway analyses were also performed. Results: This study detected 557 and 246 DEGs in cohorts 1 and 2, respectively, with 146 and 42 significantly enriched gene ontology (GO) terms. Overlapping between cohorts 1 and 2 was present in 59 DEGs and 18 GO terms. However, only 6 genes from the top 30 enriched DEGs overlapped, and there were no overlapping GO terms in the top 30 enriched pathways. The integrative meta-analysis detected 34 DEGs, of which 10 overlapped in all the integrated data sets of cohorts 1 and 2. Conclusions: The characteristic expression pattern differed between periodontitis and the healthy periodontium, but the consistency between the data sets from different cohorts and metadata was too low to suggest specific biomarkers for identifying periodontitis.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.184-190
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• 2020

This study was performed to find antibacterial substances contained in Scutellariae Radix (SR) using a systems pharmacological analysis method and to establish an effective strategy for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Analysis of the main active ingredients of SR was performed using Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) Database and Analysis Platform. 36 active compounds were screened by the parameter values of Drug-Likeness (DL), Oral Bioavailability (OB), and Caco-2 permeability (Caco-2), which were based on the drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion indicators. The UniProt database was used to obtain information on 159 genes associated with active compounds. The main active compounds with antibacterial effects were wogonin, β-sitosterol, baicalein, acacetin and oroxylin-A. Target proteins associated with the antibacterial action were chemokine ligand 2, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor, caspase-8,9 and mitogen-activated protein kinase 14. In the future, systems pharmacological analysis of traditional medicine will be able to make it easy to find the important mechanism of action of active substances present in natural medicines and to optimize the efficacy of medicinal effects for combinations of major ingredients to help treat certain diseases.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.975-988
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• 2022

Objective: In this study, we aimed to identify long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that play important roles in starvation stress, analyze their functions, and discover potential molecular targets to alleviate starvation stress to provide a theoretical reference for subsequent in-depth research. Methods: We generated a piglet starvation stress animal model. Nine Yorkshire weaned piglets were randomly divided into a long-term starvation stress group (starved for 72 h), short-term starvation stress group (starved for 48 h), and the control group. LncRNA libraries were constructed using high-throughput sequencing of piglet ileums. Results: We obtained 11,792 lncRNAs, among which, 2,500 lncRNAs were novel. In total, 509 differentially expressed (DE)lncRNAs were identified in this study. Target genes of DElncRNAs were predicted via cis and trans interactions, and functional and pathway analyses were performed. Gene ontology functions and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes analysis revealed that lncRNA-targeted genes mainly participated in metabolic pathways, cellular processes, immune system processes, digestive systems, and transport activities. To reveal the mechanism underlying starvation stress, the interaction network between lncRNAs and their targets was constructed based on 26 DElncRNAs and 72 DEmRNAs. We performed an interaction network analysis of 121 DElncRNA-DEmRNA pairs with a Pearson correlation coefficient greater than 0.99. Conclusion: We found that MSTRG.19894.13, MSTRG.16726.3, and MSTRG.12176.1 might play important roles in starvation stress. This study not only generated a library of enriched lncRNAs in piglets, but its outcomes also provide a strong foundation to screen key lncRNAs involved in starvation stress and a reference for subsequent in-depth research.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.56.1-56.17
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• 2022

Background: At the therapeutic doses, diclofenac sodium (DFS) has few toxic side effects on mammals. On the other hand, DFS exhibits potent toxicity against birds and the mechanisms remain ambiguous. Objectives: This paper was designed to probe the toxicity of DFS exposure on the hepatic proteome of broiler chickens. Methods: Twenty 30-day-old broiler chickens were randomized evenly into two groups (n = 10). DFS was administered orally at 10mg/kg body weight in group A, while the chickens in group B were perfused with saline as a control. Histopathological observations, serum biochemical examinations, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were performed to assess the liver injury induced by DFS. Proteomics analysis of the liver samples was conducted using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) technology. Results: Ultimately, 201 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were obtained, of which 47 were up regulated, and 154 were down regulated. The Gene Ontology classification and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis were conducted to screen target DEPs associated with DFS hepatotoxicity. The regulatory relationships between DEPs and signaling pathways were embodied via a protein-protein interaction network. The results showed that the DEPs enriched in multiple pathways, which might be related to the hepatotoxicity of DFS, were "protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum," "retinol metabolism," and "glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism." Conclusions: The hepatotoxicity of DFS on broiler chickens might be achieved by inducing the apoptosis of hepatocytes and affecting the metabolism of retinol and purine. The present study could provide molecular insights into the hepatotoxicity of DFS on broiler chickens.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.27.1-27.13
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• 2022

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent head and neck malignancy, with frequent cervical lymph-node metastasis, leading to a poor prognosis in OSCC patients. The present study aimed to identify potential markers, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and genes, significantly involved in the etiology of early-stage OSCC. Additionally, the main OSCC's dysregulated Gene Ontology annotations and significant signaling pathways were identified. The dataset GSE45238 underwent multivariate statistical analysis in order to distinguish primary OSCC tissues from healthy oral epithelium. Differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) with the criteria of p-value < 0.001 and |Log2 fold change| > 1.585 were identified in the two groups, and subsequently, validated targets of DEMs were identified. A protein interaction map was constructed, hub genes were identified, significant modules within the network were illustrated, and significant pathways and biological processes associated with the clusters were demonstrated. Using the GEPI2 database, the hub genes' predictive function was assessed. Compared to the healthy controls, main OSCC had a total of 23 DEMs. In patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), upregulation of CALM1, CYCS, THBS1, MYC, GATA6, and SPRED3 was strongly associated with a poor prognosis. In HNSCC patients, overexpression of PIK3R3, GIGYF1, and BCL2L11 was substantially correlated with a good prognosis. Besides, "proteoglycans in cancer" was the most significant pathway enriched in the primary OSCC. The present study results revealed more possible mechanisms mediating primary OSCC and may be useful in the prognosis of the patients with early-stage OSCC.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.38-44
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• 2021

[Purpose] Exercise can prevent conditions such as atrophy and degenerative brain diseases. However, owing to individual differences in athletic ability, exercise supplements can be used to improve a person's exercise capacity. Schisandra chinensis (SC) is a natural product with various physiologically active effects. In this study, we analyzed SC using a pharmacological network and determined whether it could be used as an exercise supplement. [Methods] The active compounds of SC and target genes were identified using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP). The active compound and target genes were selected based on pharmacokinetic (PK) conditions (oral bioavailability (OB) ≥ 30%, Caco-2 permeability (Caco-2) ≥ -0.4, and drug-likeness (DL) ≥ 0.18). Gene ontology (GO) was analyzed using the Cytoscape software. [Results] Eight active compounds were identified according to the PK conditions. Twenty-one target genes were identified after excluding duplicates in the eight active compounds. The top 10 GOs were analyzed using GO-biological process analysis. GO was subsequently divided into three representative categories: postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptor activity (53.85%), an intracellular steroid hormone receptor signaling pathway (36.46%), and endopeptidase activity (10%). SC is related to immune function. [Conclusion] According to the GO analysis, SC plays a role in immunity and inflammation, promotes liver metabolism, improves fatigue, and regulates the function of steroid receptors. Therefore, we suggest SC as an exercise supplement with nutritional and anti-fatigue benefits.

• Mycobiology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.121-131
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• 2022

The rare edible and medicinal fungus Antrodia cinnamomea has a substantial potential for development. In this study, Illumina HiSeq 2000 was used to sequence its transcriptome. The results were assembled de novo, and 66,589 unigenes with an N50 of 4413 bp were obtained. Compared with public databases, 6,061, 3,257, and 2,807 unigenes were annotated to the Non-Redundant, Gene Ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases, respectively. The genes related to terpene biosynthesis in the mycelia of A. cinnamomea were analyzed, and acetyl CoA synthase (ACS2 and ACS4), hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMGR), farnesyl transferase (FTase), and squalene synthase (SQS) were found to be upregulated in XZJ (twig of C. camphora) and NZJ (twig of C. kanehirae). Moreover, ACS5 and 2,3-oxidized squalene cyclase (OCS) were highly expressed in NZJ, while heme IX farnesyl transferase (IX-FIT) and ACS3 were significantly expressed in XZJ. The differential expression of ACS1, ACS2, HMGR, IX-FIT, SQS, and OCS was confirmed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR. This study provides a new concept for the additional exploration of the molecular regulatory mechanism of terpenoid biosynthesis and data for the biotechnology of terpenoid production.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.6
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• pp.1144-1172
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• 2022

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolate HJL777 is a virulent bacterial strain in pigs. The high rate of salmonella infection are at high risk of non-typhoidal salmonella gastroenteritis development. Salmonellosis is most common in young pigs. We investigated changes in gut microbiota and biological function in piglets infected with salmonella via analysis of rectal fecal metagenome and intestinal transcriptome using 16S rRNA and RNA sequencing. We identified a decrease in Bacteroides and increase in harmful bacteria such as Spirochaetes and Proteobacteria by microbial community analysis. We predicted that reduction of Bacteroides by salmonella infection causes proliferation of salmonella and harmful bacteria that can cause an intestinal inflammatory response. Functional profiling of microbial communities in piglets with salmonella infection showed increasing lipid metabolism associated with proliferation of harmful bacteria and inflammatory responses. Transcriptome analysis identified 31 differentially expressed genes. Using gene ontology and Innate Immune Database analysis, we identified that BGN, DCN, ZFPM2 and BPI genes were involved in extracellular and immune mechanisms, specifically salmonella adhesion to host cells and inflammatory responses during infection. We confirmed alterations in gut microbiota and biological function during salmonella infection in piglets. Our findings will help prevent disease and improve productivity in the swine industry.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.159-165
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• 2023

Background: Red ginseng marc, the residue of red ginseng left after water extraction, is rich in dietary fiber. Dietary fiber derived from fruits or vegetables can promote the proliferation of probiotics, and it is a key technology in the food industry to increase the productivity of probiotics by adding growth-enhancing substances such as dietary fiber. In this study, the effect of red ginseng dietary fiber (RGDF) on the growth of probiotic bacterial strains was investigated at the phenotypic and genetic levels. Methods: We performed transcriptome profiling of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum IDCC3501 in two phases of culture (logarithmic (L)-phase and stationary (S)-phase) in two culture conditions (with or without RGDF) using RNA-seq. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and classified according to Gene Ontology terms. Results: The growth of L.plantarum IDCC3501 was enhanced in medium supplemented with RGDF up to 2%. As a result of DEG analysis, 29 genes were upregulated and 30 were downregulated in the RGDF-treated group in the L-phase. In the S-phase, 57 genes were upregulated and 126 were downregulated in the RGDF-treated group. Among the upregulated genes, 5 were upregulated only in the L-phase, 10 were upregulated only in the S-phase, and 3 were upregulated in both the L- and S-phases. Conclusions: Transcriptome analysis could be a valuable tool for elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which RGDF promotes the proliferation of L.plantarum IDCC3501. This growth-promoting effect of RGDF is important, since RGDF could be used as a prebiotic source without additional chemical or enzymatic processing.