• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.315-325
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive primary brain tumor characterized by its heterogeneity and high recurrence and lethality rates. Glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) play a crucial role in therapy resistance and tumor recurrence. Therefore, targeting GSCs is a key objective in developing effective treatments for GBM. The role of Parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) in GBM and its impact on GSCs remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of PTHrP on GSCs and its potential as a therapeutic target for GBM. Methods and Results: Using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we found higher expression of PTHrP in GBM, which correlated inversely with survival. GSCs were established from three human GBM samples obtained after surgical resection. Exposure to recombinant human PTHrP protein (rPTHrP) at different concentrations significantly enhanced GSCs viability. Knockdown of PTHrP using target-specific siRNA (siPTHrP) inhibited tumorsphere formation and reduced the number of BrdU-positive cells. In an orthotopic xenograft mouse model, suppression of PTHrP expression led to significant inhibition of tumor growth. The addition of rPTHrP in the growth medium counteracted the antiproliferative effect of siPTHrP. Further investigation revealed that PTHrP increased cAMP concentration and activated the PKA signaling pathway. Treatment with forskolin, an adenylyl cyclase activator, nullified the antiproliferative effect of siPTHrP. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that PTHrP promotes the proliferation of patient-derived GSCs by activating the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway. These results uncover a novel role for PTHrP and suggest its potential as a therapeutic target for GBM treatment.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.257-268
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• 2024

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet among Korean baby boomers and their levels of psychosocial stress. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The study included 1,656 adults (889 men and 797 women) born between 1955 and 1963 who participated in the 2005-2006 survey of the community-based Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES). The Mediterranean-type diet score (MTDS) was calculated from the semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQFFQ) data. The psychosocial stress levels were calculated using the psychosocial well-being indexshort form (PWI-SF). Logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze the association between the MTDS (tertiles) and the prevalence of high psychosocial stress by gender. RESULTS: The ranges of the MTDS tertile groups were T1 (20-33 points), T2 (34-37 points), and T3 (38-39 points) for men, T1 (20-33 points), T2 (34-37 points), and T3 (38-48 points) for women. In both men and women, the consumption of whole grains, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and fish increased with higher MTDS, while the consumption of red meat and dairy products decreased (P for trend < 0.05). As MTDS score increased the intake of energy, fiber, vitamins, and minerals (P for trend < 0.05). Men in the highest MTDS tertile had a 41% lower odds ratio (OR) of high psychosocial stress compared with those in the lowest tertile (OR, 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38-0.91). Similarly, women in the highest tertile of the MTDS had a 39% lower OR of high psychosocial stress compared with those in the lowest tertile (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.40-0.95). CONCLUSION: Promoting adherence to the Mediterranean diet among baby boomers may have a positive impact on reducing their levels of psychosocial stress.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.1448-1456
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• 2023

A Gram-positive, non-motile, and non-spore-forming lactic acid bacterium, designated as BK2^T, was isolated from kimchi, a Korean traditional fermented vegetable food, and the taxonomic characteristics of strain BK2^T, along with strain LMG 11983, were analyzed. Both strains optimally grew at 30℃, pH 7.0, and 1.0% NaCl. Cells of both strains were heterofermentative and facultatively anaerobic rods, demonstrating negative reactions for catalase and oxidase. Major fatty acids (>10%) identified in both strains were C_18:1 ω9c, C_16:0, and summed feature 7 (comprising C_19:1 ω6c and/or C_19:1 ω7c). The genomic DNA G+C contents of both strains were 44.7 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (99.9%), average nucleotide identity (ANI; 99.9%), and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH; 99.7%) value between strains BK2^T and LMG 11983 indicated that they are different strains of the same species. Strain BK2^T was most closely related to Weissella confusa JCM 1093^T and Weissella cibaria LMG 17699^T, with 100% and 99.4% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, respectively. However, based on the ANI and dDDH values (92.3% and 48.1% with W. confusa, and 78.4% and 23.5% with W. cibaria), it was evident that strain BK2^T represents a distinct species separate from W. confusa and W. cibaria. Based on phylogenetic, phenotypic, and chemotaxonomic features, strains BK2^T and LMG 11983 represent a novel species of the genus Weissella, for which the name Weissella fermenti sp. nov. is proposed. The type of strain is BK2^T (=KACC 22833^T=JCM 35750^T).

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.125-138
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• 2024

Citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) is a member of the Alphaflexiviridae family that causes yellow vein clearing symptoms on citrus leaves. A total of 118 leaf samples from nine regions of six provinces in Korea were collected from various citrus species in 2020 and 2021. Viral diagnosis using next-generation sequencing and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) identified four viruses: citrus tristeza virus, citrus leaf blotch virus, citrus vein enation virus, and CYVCV. A CYVCV incidence of 9.3% was observed in six host plants, including calamansi, kumquat, Persian lime, and Eureka lemon. Among the citrus infected by CYVCV, only three samples showed a single infection; the other showed a mixed infection with other viruses. Eureka lemon and Persian lime exhibited yellow vein clearing, leaf distortion, and water-soak symptom underside of the leaves, while the other hosts showed only yellowing symptoms on the leaves. The complete genome sequences were obtained from five CYVCV isolates. Comparison of the isolates reported from the different geographical regions and hosts revealed the high sequence identity (95.2% to 98.8%). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that all the five isolates from Korea were clustered into same clade but were not distinctly apart from isolates from China, Pakistan, India, and Türkiye. To develop an efficient diagnosis system for the four viruses, a simultaneous detection method was constructed using multiplex RT-PCR. Sensitivity evaluation, simplex RT-PCR, and stability testing were conducted to verify the multiplex RT-PCR system developed in this study. This information will be useful for developing effective disease management strategies for citrus growers in Korea.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2008

Purpose : Large exon deletions in the DMD gene are found in about 60% of DMD/BMD patients. Multiplex PCR has been employed to detect the deletion mutation, which frequently generates noise PCR products due to the presence of multiple primers in a single reaction as well as the stringency of PCR conditions. This often leads to a false-negative or false-positive result. To address this problematic issue, we introduced the dual primer oligonucleotide (DPO) system. DPO contains two separate priming regions joined by a polydeoxyinosine linker that results in high PCR specificity even under suboptimal PCR conditions. Methods : We tested 50 healthy male controls, 50 patients with deletion mutation as deletion-positive patient controls, and 20 patients with no deletions as deletion-negative patient controls using DPO-multiplex PCR. Both the presence and extent of deletion were verified by simplex PCR spanning the promoter region (PM) and 18 exons including exons 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 43-48, 50-52, and 60 in all 120 controls. Results : DPO-multiplex PCR showed 100% sensitivity and specificity for the detection a deletion. However, it showed 97.1% sensitivity and 100% specificity for determining the extent of deletions. Conclusion : The DPO-multiplex PCR method is a useful molecular test to detect large deletions of DMD for the diagnosis of patients with DMD/BMD because it is easy to perform, fast, and cost-effective and has excellent sensitivity and specificity.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.842-850
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• 2010

Sex steroids are known to be involved in skeletal muscle development (anabolic effect) and are frequently used in medicines. It has been known that pork contains a variety of steroids that are mainly synthesized in the gonads (testis and ovary). Thus, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of anabolic steroids of pork on the proliferation and differentiation of myogenic satellite cells (MSC). Three different methods (M1, M2, and M3) were developed for the isolation and purification of steroids from porcine tissues. Among three extraction methods that we developed, M3 was the best method with respect to the quantities of steroids and the induction of MSC proliferation. Hormonal analysis showed that the steroid hormone levels were the highest in muscle and fat of intact male than those of castrated males and females. In addition, the highest serum levels of nandrolone and testosterone were detected in intact males, whereas estrone and $17{\beta}$-estradiol levels were similar in the entire experimental serum samples. Expression of androgen receptor (AR), myoD, desmin, and myogenin in bovine muscle cells were significantly up-regulated by the treatment of steroid extracts. The highest increas of myogenin and AR mRNA abundance were observed in the MSCs treated with M3 extract (p<0.001). Altogether, the present research showed the positive effect of steroids on MSC proliferation and differentiation in vitro. These results would certainly imply a beneficial effect of pork consumption on human muscle development.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.2 s.69
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• pp.261-266
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• 2005

To figure out conserved genes in 66 microbial species and measuring the degree of conservation, analyses based on COG (Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins) algorithm were applied. Sixty-six microbial genomes, including three eukaryotes, hold 63 conserved orthologs in common. The majority $(82.5\%)$ of the conserved genes was related to translation, meaning the importance of protein in living creatures. Ribosomal protein S12 (COG0048) and L14 (COG0093) were more conserved genes than others from the distance value analysis. Phylogenetically related microbes grouped in genome analysis by average and standard deviation of 63 conserved genes. The 63 conserved genes, found in this research, would be useful in basic research and applied ones such as antibiotic development.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1121-1129
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• 2016

High-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs) are extremely important determinants of the functional properties of wheat dough. Transgenic rice plants containing a wheat TaGlu-Ax1 gene encoding a HMG-GS were produced from the Korean wheat cultivar ‘Jokyeong’ and used to enhance the bread-making quality of rice dough using the Agrobacterium-mediated co-transformation method. Two expression cassettes with separate DNA fragments containing only TaGlu-Ax1 and hygromycin phosphotransferase II (HPTII) resistance genes were introduced separately into the Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105 strain for co-infection. Rice calli were infected with each EHA105 strain harboring TaGlu-Ax1 or HPTII at a 3:1 ratio of TaGlu-Ax1 and HPTII. Among 210 hygromycin-resistant T₀ plants, 20 transgenic lines harboring both the TaGlu-Ax1 and HPTII genes in the rice genome were obtained. The integration of the TaGlu-Ax1 gene into the rice genome was reconfirmed by Southern blot analysis. The transcripts and proteins of the wheat TaGlu-Ax1 were stably expressed in rice T₁ seeds. Finally, the marker-free plants harboring only the TaGlu-Ax1 gene were successfully screened in the T₁ generation. There were no morphological differences between the wild-type and marker-free transgenic plants. The quality of only one HMW-GS (TaGlu-Ax1) was unsuitable for bread making using transgenic rice dough. Greater numbers and combinations of HMW and LMW-GSs and gliadins of wheat are required to further improve the processing qualities of rice dough. TaGlu-Ax1 marker-free transgenic plants could provide good materials to make transgenic rice with improved bread-making qualities.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.386-391
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• 2009

Objectives : This cross-sectional study was performed to examine if the serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) level that is within its normal range is associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes and if the association between the waist hip ratio (WHR) and type 2 diabetes is different depending on the serum GGT levels. Methods : The study subjects were 23,436 persons aged 40 years or older and who participated in regular health check-ups at 11 hospitals (males: 5,821, females: 17,615). The gender-specific quintiles of the serum GGT and WHR were used to examine the associations with type 2 diabetes. Results : The serum GGT levels within their normal range were positively associated with type 2 diabetes only in women. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were 1.0, 1.0, 1.4, 2.1, and 2.5 according to the quintiles of the serum GGT ($p_{trend}$<0.01). The WHR was more strongly associated with the prevalence of diabetes among the women with a high-normal serum GGT level as compared with those with a low-normal serum GGT level (p for interaction=0.02). For example, the adjusted ORs for women with a low normal serum GGT level were 1.0, 1.2, 1.5, 2.2, and 2.4 according to the quintiles of the WHR, while those figures were 1.0, 2.4, 3.6, 5.0, and 8.3 among the women with a high normal serum GGT level. However, in men, the serum GGT was very weakly associated with type 2 diabetes and the association between the WHR and type 2 diabetes was not different depending on the serum GGT level. Conclusions : Serum GGT within its normal range was positively associated with type 2 diabetes, and central obesity was more strongly associated with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes when the serum GGT level was highnormal. However, these associations were observed only in women, which is different from the previous findings. The stronger relation between central obesity and type 2 diabetes among women with a high-normal serum GGT level can be useful for selecting a group that is at high risk for type 2 diabetes irregardless of whatever the underlying mechanism is.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.519-542
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• 2019

Twenty soybean cultivars developed recently were assessed using 27 insertion and deletion (InDel) markers derived from dense variation blocks (dVBs) of soybean genome. The objective of this study is to identify the distinctness and genetic relationships among a total of 169 soybean accessions including new cultivars. The genetic homology between 149 accessions in the soybean barcode system and 20 new cultivars was 61.3% on average with the range from 25.9% to 96.3%, demonstrating the versatile application of these markers for cultivars identification. The phylogenic analysis revealed four subgroups related to their usage. The 80% of cultivars for vegetable and early maturity and the 65.9% of cultivars for bean sprouts were clustered in subgroup I-2 and II-2, respectively, indicating of the limited gene pools of their crossing parents in breeding. On the other hands, the cultivars for soy sauce and tofu with considerable gene flow by genome reshuffling were distributed evenly to several subgroups, I-1 (44.4%), I-2 (26.4%) and II-2 (23.6%). We believe that the 27 InDel markers specific to dVBs can be used not only for cultivar identification and genetic diversity, but also in breeding purposes such as introduction of genetic resources and selection of breeding lines with target traits.