• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.203-218
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• 1980

Unscheduled DNA synthesis, chromosome aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges and DNA replication inhibition induced by the combined treatments with ara-C and UV-light or MMS in $HF_1$, CHO and $HelaS_3$ cells were studied, and the results obtained were as follows: (1) Ara-C was found to inhibit UV-or MMS-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis and the inhibitory effect of ara-C was more remarkable in its post-treatment. (2) Ara-C enhanced the rate of chromosome aberrations induced by MMS or UV-light. Post-treatment with ara-C exhibited the synergistic effect on MMS-induced chromosome aberrations mainly by increases of chromatid deletions. (3) Contrarily, ara-C did not increase the rate of sister chromatid exchanges, particularly in the pre-treatment with MMS, although it was found to induce sister chromatid exchanges. (4) The rate of DNA synthesis was declined immediately after are-C treatment and then recovered. The combined treatments with ara-C and UV-light or MMS showed that the initial response on replication inhibition was similar to that of ara-C, but later responses were similar to that of UV-light or MMS treated group.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.169-176
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• 2017

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is caused by chronic lipid accumulation due to dysregulation of lipid metabolism in the liver, and it is associated with various human diseases such as obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Histone acetylation is a representative epigenetic mechanism regulated by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and deacetylases. We observed that tartary buckwheat sprout (TBS) suppressed lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells through its anti-HAT activity. We showed that TBS was a novel HAT inhibitor with specificity for the major HAT enzyme p300. Importantly, TBS reduced acetylation of total and histone proteins, H3K9, H3K36, and H4K8, resulting in decreased transcriptional activities of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c, ATP citrate lyase, and fatty acid synthase. These results suggest that TBS inhibits the NAFLD transcription-modulating activity of lipogenesis-related genes through modification of histone acetylation.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.430-437
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• 2009

Metabolites of Soyasaponin I, a major constituent of soybean, by human intestinal microflora were investigated by LC-MS/MS analysis. We found four peaks, one parental constituent and three metabolites: m/z 941 [M-H]$^-$, m/z 795 [M-rha-H]$^-$, m/z 441 [aglycone-$H_2O$+H]$^+$, and m/z 633 [M-rha-gal-H]$^-$, which was an unknown metabolite, soyasapogenol B 3-$\beta$-D-glucuronide. When soyasaponin I was incubated with the human fecal microbial fraction from ten individuals for 48 h, soyasaponin I was metabolized to soyasapogenol B via soyasaponin III and soyasapogenol B 3-$\beta$-D-glucuronide or via soyasaponin III alone. Both soyasaponin I and its metabolite soyasapgenol B exhibited estrogenic activity. Soyasaponin I increased the proliferation, mRNA expression of c-fos and pS2, in MCF7 cells more potently than soyasapogenol B. However, soyasapogenol B showed potent cytotoxicity against A549, MCF7, HeLa and HepG2 cells, while soyasaponin I did not. The cytotoxicity of soyasapogenol B may prevent its estrogenic effect from increasing dose-dependently. These findings suggest that orally administered soyasaponin I may be metabolized to soyasapogenol B by intestinal microflora and that soyasapogenol B may express a cytotoxic effect rather than an estrogenic effect.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.69-89
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• 2000

The regional geography had been at the height of prosperity in the first half of the twentieth century since Alexander von Humboldt and Carl Ritter. The geography remained stationary in the late 19th century had greatly developed around the regional geography in European countries since the early 20th century. Particularly, A. Hettner and O. $Schl{\ddot{u}}ter$ in Germany, Vidal de la Blache in France and A. J. Herbertson in Britain developed their own methods of regional studies and produced many results of empirical studies ; accordingly the regional geography had been at the height of prosperity in the 1920s and 1930s. This paper aims to study the regional concepts and the methods of regional studies of Germany geographers in the 1920s and 1930s. This study is useful to understand the current methods of classifications of regions and descripitive systems of regions. The noteworthy results of studies are summarized as follows : First, The regional geography of Germany had been developed by Hettner who regarded the geography as the chorological science of the earth's surface, $Schl{\ddot{u}}ter$ who did the geography as the study of cultural landscape and Penck's students, the morphologists of landscape (Landschaftsmorphologie). Hettner defined the geography as the chorological science, maintained that the earth's surface was classify according to its localized difference -continents, lands, districts and localities(Erdteile, $L{\ddot{a}}nder$, Landschaften und Ortlichkeiten) and emphasized on the total character of areas. He tried to classify downward from continents to localities based on the sizes of regions. He also gave the logic of causal relation to schematic approach(Das $L{\ddot{a}}nderkundliche$ Schema) and further developed it. $Schl{\ddot{u}}ter$ argued that The process of change on the landscape through time must be studied. And Passarge and Penck's pupils, morphologists of landscape, tried to classify the landscape synthetically. Thereafter, De Geer and $Gran{\ddot{o}}$ employed the creative methods of regional classification which used signs and simbols. Second, The regional geography of Germany differed from that of France on the next points ; 1. The former was analytic, but the latter was synthetic. 2. The former placed great emphasis on physical elements, terrain and climate etc., but the latter did great emphasis on both physical and human elements. 3. The former gave priority to the studies of large scale regions, but the latter did priority to the studies of small scale regions. In 1920s and 1930s the regional study of Germany geographers exerted direct influence on the development of geography of Japan. Especially, Tanaka Keiji, Japanese typical regional geographer, tried to classify Japan synthetically on the bases of terrain, climate, vegetation and human elements under the influence of European geographers. He exerted great influence on both Japanese and Korean geographers at that time.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.483-489
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• 2011

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is a polyphenolic compound frequently found in green tea, and its physiological actions have been extensively investigated. In the present study, changes in chemical stability and cytotoxic properties of EGCG in the presence of different types of antioxidants were investigated. The antioxidants used modulated the chemical stability of EGCG. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) significantly increased EGCG stability; EGCG was less stable in the presence of catalase. Ascorbic acid, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), and glutathione (GSH) stabilized EGCG concentration dependently. The $H_2O_2$ level generated from EGCG was decreased by catalase, SOD, and NAC but not by GSH. The cytotoxic effects of EGCG also decreased in the presence of NAC, catalase, and SOD. GSH, however, showed a complicated modulatory pattern according to the EGCG and GSH concentrations, and ascorbic acid rather enhanced EGCG toxicity. The results suggest that certain antioxidants could modulate the cytotoxic properties of EGCG in a cell culture system not only by removing reactive oxygen species but by modulating chemical stability and other factors, which should be considered carefully when studying reactive oxygen species-dependent mechanisms of EGCG.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.378-387
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• 2007

The Bcl-2 family of proteins interacts at the mitochondria to regulate apoptosis. However, the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and $Bcl-X_L$ are not completely localized to the mitochondria. In an attempt to generate Bcl-2 and $Bcl-X_L$ chimeras that are constitutively localized to the mitochondria, we substituted their C-terminal transmembrane tail or both the C-terminal transmembrane tail and the adjacent loop with the equivalent regions from Bak or Bax mutant (BaxS184V) as these regions determine the mitochondrial localization of Bak and Bax. The effects of these substitutions on subcellular localization and their activities were assessed following expression in HeLa and CHO K1 cells. The substitution of the C-terminal tail or the C-terminal tail and the adjacent loop of Bcl-2 with the equivalent regions from Bak or the Bax mutant resulted in its association with the mitochondria. This change in subcellular localization of Bcl-2 chimeras triggered cells to undergo apoptotic-like cell death. The localization of this Bcl-2 chimera to the mitochondria may be associated with the disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential. Unlike Bcl-2, the loop structure adjacent to the C-terminal tail in $Bcl-X_L$ is crucial for its localization. To localize the $Bcl-X_L$ chimeras to the mitochondria, the loop structure next to the C-terminal tail in $Bcl-X_L$ protein must remain intact and cannot be substituted by the loop from Bax or Bak. The chimeric $Bcl-X_L$ with both its C-terminal tail and the loop structure replaced by the equivalent regions of Bak or Bax mutant localized throughout the entire cytosol. The $Bcl-X_L$ chimeras that are targeted to the mitochondria and the wild type $Bcl-X_L$ provided same protection against cell death under several death inducing conditions.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.191-196
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• 2004

In this study, to construct more effective retrovirus system, we compared four internal promoters (RSV: Rous sarcoma virus, UbC: Ubiquitin C, β-actin, CMV: human cytomegalovirus) in the retrovirus vector by measuring GFP (green fluorescent protein) expression. The effect of WPRE (woodchuck hepatitis virus posttrans-criptional regulatory element) sequence on transgene expression was also investigated. Experiments were conducted with cells derived from three different species (human, pig and chicken) and evaluated the activity of each promoter and the effect of WPRE sequence by fluorometry and Western blotting. In all cells tested, RSV and CMV promoters were superior to UbC and β-actin promoters, and RSV promoter was the best one in chicken cells. The boosting effect of WPRE sequence on GFP expression was evident in human and porcine cells but not in chicken cells.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.143-148
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• 2007

This study was to investigate the mixed buckwheat flour quality by observing antimutagenic and cytotoxic effects of mixed buckwheat flour extracts using Ames test and SRB (sulforhodamine B) assay. Samples were prepared to the ratio of 100% (B1), 90% (BF1), 80% (BF2), 70% (BF3) and 60% (BF4) (w/w) flour buckwheat based on wheat flour weight. The initial pasting temperature in an amylograph was increased according to the increase of the buckwheat flour. The water absorption in farinograph decreased with the addition of buckwheat flour. The inhibition rates of B1, BF3 and BF4 extract (160 g/plate) were 45%, 37.3% and 42% against the mutagenesis of Salmonella Typhimurium TA100 induced by MNNG $(0.4{\mu}g/plate)$, respectively. In addition, the B1 at the same concentration showed 64% and 44.3% inhibition on the mutagenesis of Salmonella Typhimurium TA98 and TA100 induced by 4NQO $(0.15{\mu}g/plate)$, respectively. In SRB assay, human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF 7), human hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep3B), human stomach adonocarcinoma (AGS), human lung carcinoma (A549) and human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) proliferations were inhibited by the increase in the sample concentration.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 2011

Sphagnum palustre is a semi aquatic moss. S. palustre has been used as Korean traditional medicine to treat cardiac pain and stroke. This study was carried out to analyze phytochemical constituents of S. palustre and investigate the biological activity for the promotion of human health. At first, we isolated seven compounds from the ethanolic extract of this plant, and their structures were characterized by spectroscopic methods. Their structures were characterized to be Coumarin(1), Caffeic acid(2), Quercetin(3), Astragalin(4), Luteolin(5), Chlorogenic acid(6), Rutin(7) were for the first time reported from this source. The ethanol extract from S. palustre which was tested for its anticancer activity against three human tumor cell line by in vitro assay.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.172-179
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• 2003

This study was carried out to find the preventive medical and therapeutic effects of Sarcodon asparatus on adult disease by employing several biological and biochemical assays. Nitrate scavenging ability(NSA) of Sarcodan asparatus extracts was displayed up to 99.9% at pH 1.2 in a dose-dependent manner. They also had 90.4% electron donating ability(EDA) at the concentration of 0.1 mg/mL. Extracts of Sarcodon asparatus were also able to function as a powerful antioxidant at all concentrations(0.01∼l.0 mg/mL). Furthermore, we observed that 1 mg/mL concentration of the extracts was more powerful than BHT, With respect to fibrolytic activity, Sarcodon asparatus showed 1,843.8 unit/g, which was higher than streptokinase(1,189 unit/g). The inhibitory effects of the extracts on angiotensin converting enzyme, measured by the normal and pretreatment methods, were 53 and 58%, respectively. We also performed cytotoxicity effect of Sarcodon asparatus extracts on a various cancer cell lines. The growth inhibitory effects of the extracts(5.0 mg/mL) on A549, HeLa, AGS, and SK-Hep-1 cells were 78.9, 55.3, 69.0, and 42.5 %, respectively. Interestingly, Sarcodon asparatusextracts induced mutation on Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 when Ames test was done.