• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2010

A total of 10,753 oligotrophic bacteria were isolated from the cultivated soils of red-pepper infected by Phytophthora blight disease in various regions of Korea (Chungju, Anmyon, Taean, Andong, Eumsung and Goesan). Seven bacteria isolates among these collected resources were selected by the first screening of in vitro antagonistic assay against major several plant pathogenic fungi including Phytophthora capsici. Finally, strain 7F was selected by pot assay for a possible biological control agent against Phytophthora blight disease of pepper seedling in the greenhouse. Strain 7F was identified as Bacillus subtilis on the basis of its 16S rDNA sequence analysis and as standardized biochemical characteristics assay kits such as API20 NE. In the experiment of P. capsici zoospore infected red-pepper on the pot test, infection rate of red-pepper with nonetreatment to Phytophthora blight disease was 87%, while the rate was only 6% in the pot treated with strain 7F. This result indicated that the Bacillus subtilis strain 7F will be useful as a potential biocontrol agent for Phytophthora blight disease of red-pepper.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.5317-5323
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• 2013

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and one of the leading causes of death among women in the world. Plants and herbs may play an important role in complementary or alternative treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-proliferative potential of Urtica dioica. The anti oxidant activity of an aqueous extract of Urtica dioica leaf was measured by MTT assay and the FRAP method while its anti-proliferative activity on the human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) and fibroblasts isolated from foreskin tissue was evaluated using MTT assay. Mechanisms leading to apoptosis were also investigated at the molecular level by measuring the amount of anti and pro-apoptotic proteins and at the cellular level by studying DNA fragmentation and annexin V staining by flow cytometry. The aqueous extract of Urtica dioica showed antioxidant effects with a correlation coefficient of $r^2$=0.997. Dose-dependent and anti-proliferative effects of the extract were observed only on MCF-7 cells after 72 hrs with an $IC_{50}$ value of 2 mg/ml. This anti proliferative activity was associated with an increase of apoptosis as demonstrated by DNA fragmentation, the appearance of apoptotic cells in flow cytometry analysis and an increase of the amount of calpain 1, calpastatin, caspase 3, caspase 9, Bax and Bcl-2, all proteins involved in the apoptotic pathway. This is the first time such in vitro antiproliferative effect of aqueous extract of Urtica dioica leaf has been described for a breast cancer cell line. Our findings warrant further research on Urtica dioica as a potential chemotherapeutic agent for breast cancer.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2000

A bacterial strain, designated as JK-43, producing extracellular cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase)[EC 2.4.1.19] was isolated from kimchi. The CGTase from isolated strain JK-43 showed the transglucosylation activity from soluble starch to L-ascorbic acid(AA) compared to those obtained from other strains. A main product formed by this reaction was identified as $2-O-{\alpha}-glucopyranosyl$ L-ascorbic acid(AA-2G) by testing its susceptibility to ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ hydrolysis, the HPLC profiles, and through the elementary analysis. the ${\beta}-CD,\;{\gamma}-CD$, potato starch and corn starch were identified to be suitable glucosyl donor for transglucosylation reaction on AA by CGTase. Acceptor specificity on AA-2G production was examined by use of AA, Iso-AA and AA-2P. Transglucosylation was observed toward AA-2P as well as AA and Iso-AA. The microorganism isolated from kimchi was identified as a strain of Bacillus sp. JK-43 based on the morphological, cultural, biochemical characteristics and partial 16SrDNA sequence analysis. The maximal CGTase production was observed in a medium containing 1.0% soluble starch, 1.0% yeast extract, 1.0% $Na_2CO_3\;0.1%\;K_2HPO_4,\;and\;0.02%\;MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$ with initial pH 7.0. The strain was cultured at $37^{\circ}C$ for 26 hrs with reciprocal shaking.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.375-380
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• 2011

We isolated an endophytic actionmycete from root tissues of rice plant collected from paddy field near Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea. Surface sterilized roots were laid on the selective agar plates and incubated. The powdery actinomycete colonies appeared on the root surface after four weeks incubation. We isolated a strain JK-5 among them and could determine its taxonomical position as Streptomyces diastaticus subsp. ardesiacus by using 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing. The chemotaxonomical and morphological studies confirmed the taxonomical position of the strain JK-5. The shape of aerial hyphae was flexible and they contained spore chains with more than 30 smooth spherical spores per chain. Cell walls contained LL-diaminopimelic acid. There was no characteristic sugar in whole-cell hydrolysates. The major fatty acids were anteiso-15:0, anteiso-17:0 and iso-16:0. The specific menaquinones, MK-9 ($H_6$), MK-9 ($H_8$), were detected. The GC content was 72%. Antifungal activities of the strain JK-5 were relatively strong against fungal plant pathogens. The endophytic growth of the strain JK-5 was confirmed by SEM observation of the root and stem of the infected rice plant.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.45-49
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• 2005

Previously, a flavonoid fraction, which consisted mainly of protocatechuic acid, fustin, fisetin, sulfuretin, and butein, here named RCMF [${\underline{R}}hus$ verniciflua Stokes (RVS) ${\underline{c}}hloroform-{\underline{m}}ethanol\;{\underline{f}}raction$], was prepared from a crude acetone extract of RVS which is traditionally used as a food additive and as an herbal medicine. In the present study, we investigated the effects of $TNF-{\alpha}$ on RCMF-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis induction using human osteosarcoma (HOS) cells. The results from tritium uptake and MTT assays showed that $TNF-{\alpha}$ treatment itself (10 ng/ml) did not induce any cytotoxicity, but it actively accelerated RCMF-mediated cytotoxicity of HOS cells. RCMF-induced cytotoxicity and its facilitation by $TNF-{\alpha}$ was verified to be apoptotic, based on the increased DNA fragmentation and low fluorescence intensity in nuclei after propidium iodide (PI) staining of HOS cells. This speculation was further demonstrated by monitoring the Annexin V/PI double staining which could discriminate the difference between apoptotic and necrotic deaths. Collectively, our findings indicate that $TNF-{\alpha}$ accelerates RCMF-induced cytotoxicity in HOS cells.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.310-314
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• 2011

The Banna miniature pig (BNMP) is a representative miniature pig breed in China. Even though BNMP dwarfism is obvious, its underlying causative mutations remain unknown. In this study, the BNMP and Large White pig (LWP) serum growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) levels were detected by ELISA and compared. BNMP serum IGF-1 levels were significantly lower than LWP levels (P<0.05). The miniature condition may arise from mutations in the GH and GH receptor (GHR) genes. Therefore, GH and GHR cDNA from the BNMP were cloned into a pMD18-T vector by RT-PCR using the total RNA obtained from the BNMP's pituitary and liver tissues. Sequencing results indicated that the open reading frame of the BNMP GH gene is composed of a 26-residue signal peptide and a 191-residue mature peptide. The coding sequence of the BNMP GHR gene contained 639 amino acids, including a signal peptide that is 18 amino acids long. Two amino acid substitutions, A09V and R22Q, were found in the signal peptide of the GH gene. Additionally, the S104P mutation was found in the BNMP's mature GH protein. Four mutations in the cytoplasmic domain of GHR may influence the downstream signal transduction of GHR, which needs further experimental evidence.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.1261-1269
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• 2017

Objective: The effect of flavonoids from alfalfa on the microbial flora was determined using molecular techniques of 16S ribosome deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) analysis. Methods: Four primiparous Holstein heifers fitted with ruminal cannulas were used in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design and fed a total mixed ration to which alfalfa flavonoids extract (AFE) was added at the rates of 0 (A, control), 20 (B), 60 (C), or 100 (D) mg per kg of heifer BW. Results: The number of operational taxonomic units in heifers given higher levels of flavonoid extract (C and D) was higher than for the two other treatments. The Shannon, Ace, and Chao indices for treatment C were significantly higher than for the other treatments (p<0.05). The number of phyla and genera increased linearly with increasing dietary supplementation of AFE (p<0.05). The principal co-ordinates analysis plot showed substantial differences in the microbial flora for the four treatments. The microbial flora in treatment A was similar to that in B, C, and D were similar by the weighted analysis. The richness of Tenericutes at the phylum level tended to increase with increasing AFE (p = 0.10). The proportion of Euryarchaeota at the phylum level increased linearly, whereas the proportion of Fusobacteria decreased linearly with increasing AFE supplementation (p = 0.04). The percentage of Mogibacterium, Pyramidobacter, and Asteroleplasma at the genus level decreased linearly with increasing AFE (p<0.05). The abundance of Spirochaeta, Succinivibrio, and Suttonella at the genus level tended to decrease linearly with increasing AFE (0.05

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.131.1-131
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• 2003

This study reports the identification of species of Colletotrichum strains originating from red-pepper and Chinese matrimony vine in Cheongyang. Ninteen isolates of red-pepper and 26 Coiletotrichum isolates of Chinese matrimony vine were compared with 5 isolates of strawberry representing C. gloeosporioides, by use of morphological and cultural criteria. Twenty three isolates among 26 isolates from Chinese matrimony vine were identified as C. acutatum, characterized by the low growth rates and the low sensitivity to carbendazim and diethofencarb. Also, all the isolates of red-pepper were identified as C. acutatum, showing the same characteristics as those of Chinese matrimony vine. Three and five isolates from Chinese matrimony vine and strawberry, respectively, were identified as C. gloeosporioides, characterized by the high growth rates and the high seneitivity to carbendazim and diethofencarb. There were differences in colony color and pathogenicity between Chinese matrimony vine isolates and red-pepper isolates of C. autatum. The isolates of C. acutatum from Chinese matrimony vine producing orange colored colonies with abundant spores showed the strong pathogenicity to Chinese matrimony vine, although they could not infect fruits of red-pepper by the wound inoculation. However, red-pepper isolates of C. acutatum producing gray colonies showed the strong pathogenicity to Chinese matrimony vine as well as red-pepper. Furthermore, comparative study on PCR amplification of ITS regions of rDNA was carried out using a number of Colletotrichum isolates. A species-specific primer could be used for the identification of C. acutatum from red-pepper and Chinese matrimony vine.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.80-87
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• 2007

Beet curly top virus (BCTV) and Beet severe curly top virus (BSCTV), members of curtoviruses, encode seven open reading frames (ORFs) within a ~3 kb genome. One of these viral ORFs, C1, is known to play an important role in the early stage of viral infection in plants during initiation of viral DNA replication. We used promoter:: reporter (${\beta}$-glucuronidase) gene fusions in transgenic Arabidopsis to identify the putative promoter region of BCTV ORF C1. Unlike other geminiviruses, the intergenic region of BCTV was not sufficient to promote C1 expression in transgenic plants. When sequences extending into the coding region of C1 were tested, strong expression of the reporter protein was observed in vascular tissues of transgenic plants. This expression was not dependent on the presence of the intergenic regions or proximal 5' portions of the C1 coding region. Transgenic plants expressing a reporter gene under control of the putative complete C1 promoter were inoculated with virus to determine if any viral transcript affected C1 expression. Virus inoculated plants did not show any altered pattern or change in of reporter gene expression level. These results suggest that (1) important transcriptional activator elements for C1 expression reside in the 3' portion of C1 coding area itself, (2) C1 protein does not auto-regulate its own expression and (3) C1 expression of two curtoviruses is controlled differently compared to other geminiviruses.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.106-114
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• 2014

Folic acid, one of the B group of vitamins, is an essential substance for maintaining the functions of the nervous system, and is also known to decrease the level of homocysteine in plasma. Homocysteine influences the lowering of the cognitive function in humans, and especially in elderly people. In order to determine the strains with a strong capacity to produce folic acid, 190 bacteria were isolated from various kinds of jeotgal and chungkuk-jang. In our test experiment, JA71 was found to contain $9.03{\mu}g/mL$ of folic acid after 24 h of incubation in an MRS broth. This showed that JA71 has the highest folic acid production ability compared to the other lactic acid bacteria that were isolated. JA71 was identified as Lactobacillus plantarum by the result of API carbohydrate fermentation pattern and 16s rDNA sequence. JA71 was investigated for its physiological characteristics. The optimum growth temperature of JA71 was $37^{\circ}C$, and the cultures took 12 h to reach pH 4.4. JA71 proved more sensitive to bacitracin when compared with fifteen different antibiotics, and showed most resistance to neomycin and vancomycin. Moreover, it was comparatively tolerant of bile juice and acid, and displayed resistance to Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus with restraint rates of 60.4%, 96.7%, and 76.2%, respectively. These results demonstrate that JA71 could be an excellent strain for application to functional products.