• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.345-354
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• 2022

NADPH oxidase (Nox) complexes are known to play essential roles in differentiation and proliferation of many filamentous fungi. However, the functions of Noxs have not been elucidated in Colletotrichum species. Therefore, we set out to characterize the roles of Nox enzymes and their regulators in Colletotrichum scovillei, which causes serious anthracnose disease on pepper fruits in temperate and subtropical and temperate region. In this study, we generated targeted deletion mutants for CsNox1, CsNox2, CsNoxR, and CsNoxD via homologous recombination. All deletion mutants were normal in mycelial growth, conidiation, conidial germination, and appressorium formation, suggesting that CsNox1, CsNox2, CsNoxR, and CsNoxD are not involved in those developmental processes. Notably, conidia of 𝜟Csnox2 and 𝜟Csnoxr, other than 𝜟Csnox1 and 𝜟Csnoxd, failed to cause anthracnose on intact pepper fruits. However, they still caused normal disease on wounded pepper fruits, suggesting that Csnox2 and CsnoxR are essential for penetration-related morphogenesis in C. scovillei. Further observation proved that 𝜟Csnox2 and 𝜟Csnoxr were unable to form penetration peg, while they fully developed appressoria, revealing that defect of anthracnose development by 𝜟Csnox2 and 𝜟Csnoxr resulted from failure in penetration peg formation. Our results suggest that CsNox2 and CsNoxR are critical for appressorium-mediated penetration in C. scovillei-pepper fruit pathosystem, which provides insight into understanding roles of Nox genes in anthracnose disease development.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.616-624
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• 2022

Mebendazole (MBZ), a microtubule depolymerizing drug commonly used for the treatment of helminthic infections, has been suggested as a repositioning candidate for the treatment of brain tumors. However, the efficacy of MBZ needs further study to improve the beneficial effect on the survival of those patients. In this study, we explored a novel strategy to improve MBZ efficacy using a drug combination. When glioblastoma cells were treated with MBZ, cell proliferation was dose-dependently inhibited with an IC₅₀ of less than 1 µM. MBZ treatment also inhibited glioblastoma cell migration with an IC₅₀ of less than 3 µM in the Boyden chamber migration assay. MBZ induced G2-M cell cycle arrest in U87 and U373 cells within 24 h. Then, at 72 h of treatment, it mainly caused cell death in U87 cells with an increased sub-G1 fraction, whereas polyploidy was seen in U373 cells. However, MBZ treatment did not affect ERK1/2 activation stimulated by growth factors. The marked induction of autophagy by MBZ was observed, without any increased expression of autophagy-related genes ATG5/7 and Beclin 1. Co-treatment with MBZ and the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) markedly enhanced the anti-proliferative effects of MBZ in the cells. Triple combination treatment with temozolomide (TMZ) (another autophagy inducer) further enhanced the anti-proliferative effect of MBZ and CQ. The combination of MBZ and CQ also showed an enhanced effect in TMZ-resistant glioblastoma cells. Therefore, we suggest that the modulation of protective autophagy could be an efficient strategy for enhancing the anti-tumor efficacy of MBZ in glioblastoma cells.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.293-304
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• 2022

Objectives : Sagunja-Tang is a famous prescription used in Korean medicine for the purpose of promoting vital energy, and there are few studies using Sagunja-Tang on cerebrovascular diseases yet. As previous studies confirmed that Sagunja-tang is highly likely to be used effectively for stroke, this study was intended to predict the mechanism through which Sagunja-tang would act effectively on stroke. Methods : In this study, a network pharmacology analysis method was used, and oral bioavailability (OB), drug likeness (DL), Caco-2 and BBB permeability were utilized to select compounds with potential activity. For the values of each variable used in this study, OB ≥ 30%, DL ≥ 0.18, Caco-2 ≥ 0, and BBB ≥ 0.3 were applied. Using the above variables, the relations between target genes and diseases that are presumed to be involved in the selected bioavailable compounds were constructed in a network format, and proteins thought to play a major role were identified. Results : Among the compounds included in Sagunja-Tang, 26 bioavailable compounds were selected and it was confirmed that these compounds can be effectively used in cerebrovascular diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and stroke. These compounds are considered to act on proteins related in cell death and growth. The most important mechanism of action was predicted to be apoptosis, and the protein that is thought to play the most key action in this mechanism was caspase-3. Conclusions : In our future study, Sagunja-Tang will be used in an ischemic stroke mouse model, and the mechanism of action will be explored focusing on apoptosis and cell proliferation.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.71-78
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• 2019

Objective : The purpose of the study was to identify expression profiling of miRNAs associated with cancers after treating allergen-removed Rhus Verniciflua Stokes and allergen-removed Rhus Verniciflua Stokes fumigaed Angelica gigas on leukemia cell lines. Methods : miRNA expression has been analyzed using miRNA array method through denaturation and hybridization after isolating the total RNA from leukemic cell line treated with 100 ㎍/㎖ of aRVS and aRVS-A each. Microarray expressions were interpreted as 'significant' on miRNAs when decreased less than 0.5 fold or increased more than 1.5 fold compared with the control group. Results : Among 158 miRNAs in total, 32 miRNAs were significantly presented in miRNAs expression. miRNA has been activated with a variety of genes for predicted targets, and the overexpressed miRNAs were categorized according to proliferation and metastasis of cancer in this study. The findings were reported that seven miRNAs (let-7b, miR-193a-5p, 296-3p, 26a, 22, 124a, 92b) showed significant expressions on proliferation and growth, seven miRNAs (miR-193a-5p, 26a, 200c, 183, 124a, 198, 210) presented meaningful expressions on invasion and metastasis, two miRNAs (let-7b, miR-210) were highly expressed on angiogenesis, five miRNAs (let-7b, miR-26a, 181d, 181c, 296-5p) related with apoptosis, and six miRNAs (let-7b, miR-200c, 183, 370, 124a, 191) were associated with prognosis of cancer and early diagnostic factors for cancer. Conclusion : The mechanism of miRNA takes a role in diagnosis, treatment, and prognotic factors for cancer as well. This study suggested that further detailed research on overexpression of specific miRNA should be carried out continuously in the future.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.858-868
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• 2022

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary yeast hydrolysate (YH) supplementation on intestinal morphology, barrier, and anti-inflammatory functions of broilers. Methods: A total of 320 one day old male broilers were randomly allocated into four groups with eight replicates of ten broilers each. The broilers were supplemented with a basal diet (the control group) or basal diets adding 50, 100, 150 mg/kg YH, respectively. This trial lasted for 42 days. The orthogonal polynomial contrasts were used to determine the linear and quadratic effects of increasing levels of YH. Results: In our previous research, supplementing YH improved growth performance by enhancing body weight gain but decreased feed-to-gain ratio. In this study, compared with the control group, dietary YH addition linearly and quadratically decreased serum diamine oxidase activity (p<0.05). Additionally, supplementing YH linearly and/or quadratically decreased jejunal crypt depth (CD), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) concentration as well as mucin 2, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, TNF-α, nuclear factor kappa B, and myeloid differentiation factor 88 gene expression levels (p<0.05). Whereas the jejunal villus height (VH), VH/CD, IL-10 concentration as well as zonula occludens-1 and IL-10 gene expression levels were linearly and/or quadratically increased by YH supplementation (p<0.05). Conclusion: Dietary YH supplementation improved intestinal morphology, barrier and anti-inflammatory functions while decreased intestinal permeability of broilers, which might be related with altering pertinent genes expression. This study provides evidence of YH as a promising feed additive for broilers.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.440-447
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• 2023

Background: The human hair follicle undergoes cyclic phases-anagen, catagen, and telogen-throughout its lifetime. This cyclic transition has been studied as a target for treating hair loss. Recently, correlation between the inhibition of autophagy and acceleration of the catagen phase in human hair follicles was investigated. However, the role of autophagy in human dermal papilla cells (hDPCs), which is involved in the development and growth of hair follicles, is not known. We hypothesized that acceleration of hair catagen phase upon inhibition of autophagy is due to the downregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in hDPCs, and that components of Panax ginseng extract can increase the autophagic flux in hDPCs. Methods: We generated an autophagy-inhibited condition using 3-methyladenine (3-MA), a specific autophagy inhibitor, and investigated the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling using the luciferase reporter assay, qRT-PCR, and western blot analysis. In addition, cells were cotreated with ginsenoside Re and 3-MA and their roles in inhibiting autophagosome formation were investigated. Results: We found that the unstimulated anagen phase dermal papilla region expressed the autophagy marker, LC3. Transcription of Wnt-related genes and nuclear translocation of β-catenin were reduced after treatment of hDPCs with 3-MA. In addition, treatment with the combination of ginsenoside Re and 3-MA changed the Wnt activity and hair cycle by restoring autophagy. Conclusions: Our results suggest that autophagy inhibition in hDPCs accelerates the catagen phase by downregulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Furthermore, ginsenoside Re, which increased autophagy in hDPCs, could be useful for reducing hair loss caused by abnormal inhibition of autophagy.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.508-517
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• 2023

In cancer patients, chemo/radio therapy may cause infertility by damaging the spermatogenesis affecting the self-renewal and differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). In vitro differentiation of stem cells especially mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into germ cells has recently been proposed as a new strategy for infertility treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the proliferation and differentiation of SSCs using their co-culture with Sertoli cells and conditioned medium (CM) from adipose tissue-derived MSCs (AD-MSCs). Testicular tissues were separated from 2-7 days old neonate Wistar Rats and after mechanical and enzymatic digestion, the SSCs and Sertoli cells were isolated and cultured in Dulbecco's modified eagle medium with 10% fetal bovine serum, 1X antibiotic, basic fibroblast growth factor, and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor. The cells were treated with the CM from AD-MSCs for 12 days and then the expression level of differentiation-related genes were measured. Also, the expression level of two major spermatogenic markers of DAZL and DDX4 was calculated. Scp3, Dazl, and Prm1 were significantly increased after treatment compared to the control group, whereas no significant difference was observed in Stra8 expression. The immunocytochemistry images showed that DAZL and DDX4 were positive in experimental group comparing with control. Also, western blotting revealed that both DAZL and DDX4 had higher expression in the treated group than the control group, however, no significant difference was observed. In this study, we concluded that the CM obtained from AD-MSCs can be considered as a suitable biological material to induce the differentiation in SSCs.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.912-933
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• 2024

The objective of this study was to isolate, identify, and evaluate novel Korean starter cultures for use in fermented sausages. A total of 72 strains were isolated from various indigenous sources, including Nuruk, Jeotgal, and mudflats on the west coast of South Korea. Two strains were identified as Penicillium nalgiovense (SD01 and SJ02), a traditional starter used in the production of fermented sausages. A comparative analysis was performed between SD01 and SJ02 using the commercial starter culture (M600). Strain SJ02 exhibited superior lipolytic and proteolytic activities, as well as an enhanced growth rate at the optimal salinity level of 2% NaCl compared to M600. No significant differences were observed in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values, sausage colors, and texture properties between SJ02 and M600 fermented sausages, except for adhesiveness. Profiles of mycotoxin-related genes were similar for both strains. Electronic nose analysis revealed distinct aroma profiles between SJ02 and M600 fermented sausages, with a relatively higher levels of propan-2-one and butyl butanoate in SJ02, and a higher level of ethanol and propanal in M600. In electronic tongue analysis, there was no significant differences in taste characteristics between SJ02 and M600. These results indicate that P. nalgiovense SJ02 is a potential starter culture to produce dry fermented sausages, enhancing Korean style cured meat processing industry.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.312-325
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• 2015

In this review, we summarized the trends of genomics and transcriptomics research on peach, a model species of Rosaceae. Peach genome maps have been developed from various progeny groups with many next-generation sequencing (NGS) based single nucleotide polymorphism markers. Molecular markers of qualitative traits and quantitative trait loci (QTL) such as fruit characteristics, blooming date, and disease resistance have been analyzed. Among many characteristics, markers related to flesh softening and flesh adhesion are useful for marker assisted selection. Through comparative genomics, peach genome has been compared to the genome of Arabidopsis, Populus, Malus, and Fragaria species. Through transcriptomics and proteomics, fruit growth and development, and flavonoid synthesis, postharvest related transcriptomes and disease resistance related proteins have been reported. Recently, development of NGS based markers, construction of core collection of germplasm, and genotyping of various progenies have been preceded. In the near future, accurate QTL analysis and identification of useful genes are expected to establish a foundation for effective molecular breeding.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.169-177
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• 2003

This study was conducted to determine effects of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), fetal bovine serum (FBS) bovine serum albumin (BSA) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) on blastocoel formation, total cell number, apoptosis and apoptosis-related gene expression of porcine diploid parthenotes developing in vitro. The addition of 0.4% BSA to the culture medium enhanced the development of 2-cell stage parthenotes to the blastocysts stage (P<0.01). FBS reduced cell numbers of blastocysts (P<0.01) and increased percentage of apoptosis in the blastocysts (P<0.001). However, while BSA increased cell numbers, it did so only when EGF was present. Either agent on its own had no effect. Similarly, apoptosis in the blastocysts was not influenced by either agent on its own but was reduced when both BSA and EGF were present. Furthermore, semi-quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction revealed that EGF enhanced the mRNA expression of Bcl-xL in the presence of 0.4% BSA but BSA and EGF alone had no effect, and EGF and/or BSA did not influence Bak gene expression in the blastocyst stage parthenotes. However FBS reduced Bcl-xL mRNA expression (P <0.05) and enhanced Bak expression. This result suggests that apoptosis related genes expression is significantly affected by supplements, which may result in alteration of apoptosis and embryo viability of porcine embryos developing in vitro.