• Applied Microscopy
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.411-419
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• 2002

Metallothionein (MT) is a family of ubiquitous, low molecular weight ($6,000{\sim}7,000D$), cysteine-rich ($30{\sim}35%$) inducible protein with a high affinity to metal ions and has no aromatic amino acids and histidine. Some of the known functions of MT include detoxification of heavy metals and alkylating agents and neutralization of free radicals. Also, this protein has been reported to involve in tumor pathophysiology and therapy resistance. MT expression may affect a number of cellular processes including gene expression, apoptosis, proliferation and differentiation. Many reports on the physiological and biochemical properties of MT have been published, but ultrastructural reports on the localization of MT in human gastric cancer tissues are extremely rare. The present study was undertaken to examine the ultrastructural features and the localization of MT within the gastric adenocarcinoma. Ultrastructures of gastric cancer cells were characterized by the high nuclear cytoplasmic ratio, the interdigitation between cells, the irregular nucleus containing much heterochromatin and the wide distribution of free ribosomes in the cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical reaction for MT was prominent in the gastric adenocarcinoma. And the immunogold labellings were more prominent within the nucleus than the cytoplasm. Particularly, immunogold particles were numerously seen at nulcleolus or nucleolar associated heterochromatin. These results suggest that MT expression by gastric cancer cells is associated with cell proliferative activity and is possibly synthesized in the cytoplasm, and then the protein is transported into the nucleus to participate in any transcriptional steps.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2005

Metallothionein (MT) is a low molecular weight, cysteine-rich, metal-binding, and non-enzymatic protein. The present study was carried out to investigate the expression of MT gene as well as the localization of MT in regenerating rat liver. In partial hepatectomized rats, MT mRNA was detected as early as 1 hr and reached a maximal level by 8 hr after the operation. Thereafter, this level decreased gradually until 24 hr, and it became similar to that of sham control. Meanwhile, time course of MT immunoreactivity using immunogold-labelling revealed that the number of gold particles in hepatocytes increased significantly by 12 hr, but decreased at 48 hr after partial hepatectomy. Ultrastructurally, immunogold particles indicating the presence of MT were distributed in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus of the rat hepatocytes, particularly the particles were distributed at rough endoplasmic reticulum and nucleolus and did not seem to adhere to mitochondria or lysosomes in proliferating hepatocytes. Briefly, high level of MT mRNA expression and the intense immunoreactivity and/or the specific localization of MT was observed during liver regeneration. These results suggest that MT possibly involves hepatocyte proliferation via the storage or the supply of various metal ions in the regenerating rat liver.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.175-183
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• 2002

In this study, we carried out immunostaining and immunogold labeling with rabbit anti-dopamine (TH) and rabbit anti-calbindin-$D_{28K}$ to examine the characteristics and functions of the neurons that secrete neurotransmitters in optic lobes of Todarodes pacificus and Octopus minor inhabiting the Korean waters. The obtained results are as follow. In the immunostaining with anti-dopamine, only a few of the large amacrine cells in an the upper part of an outer granule cell layer and the cells forming the islands of medulla showed positive reaction in Todarodes pacificus, while $2{\sim}3$ cells in the upper and middle parts of an outer granule cell layer and more than 5 cells in the islands of medulla reacted positively in Octopus minor. For the case of anti-calbindin case, $2{\sim}3$ small amacrine cells in the upper portion of the outer granule cell layer and $1{\sim}2$ cells which are located in the lower part of an inner granule cell layer showed positive reaction in Todarodes pacificus, while, in Octopus minor, 4 cells in the outer granule cell layer reacted positively, no immunoreactive cell being found in the inner granule cell layer. As a result of performing the immunogold labeling, relative large number ($17{\sim}26$) of gold particles were labeled per $0.5{\mu}m^2$ of the cytoplasm of the cells which showed the immunoreactivity to the anti-dopamine and anti-calbindin in Todarodes pacificus, however, small number (10) of gold particles were labeled in Octopus minor, which reach only half of the number in the Todarodes pacificus.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.311-315
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• 1995

The K. aerogenes ureal gene product was previously shown to facilitate assembly of the crease metallocenter (Lee, M. H., Mulrooney, S. B., Renner, M. J., Markowicz, Y., and Hausinger, R. P. (1992) J. Bacteriol. 174, 4324-4330). UreG protein has now been purified and characterized. Although the protein is predicted to possess a putative NTP-binding P-loop motif, equilibrium dialysis studies showed negative results. Immunogold electron microscopic studies using polyclonal antibodies directed against UreG protein confirm that UreG is located in the cytoplasm as predicted in the DNA sequence.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.71-71
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• 2001

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 1997.06a
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• pp.5-21
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• 1997

Unique virus-like particles were associated with five eriophyid mite-borne plant diseases of unknown etiology; fig mosaic, redbud yellow ringspot, rose orsette, thistle mosaic, and high plains disease of corn and wheat. Quasi-spherical, double membrane-bound particles (DMPs), 120 - 200 nm in diameter, were observed in the cytoplasm of all cell types in symptomatic leaves of infected plants. No DMPs were observed in symptomless plants. The DMPs in symptomatic thistles were associated with two types of inclusions, electron-dense amorphous material and tubular aggregates. Similar amorphous inclusions were also found in corn and wheat with high plains disease, while tubular inclusions were observed in figs with mosaic symptoms. The particles and inclusions were similar in some aspects to immature particles associated with viroplasms of animal and insect poxviruses and also to the double-enveloped particles of tomato spotted wilt virus associated with viroplasms during early stages of infection, but were unique and unlike any known plant viruses. The DMPs and associated viroplasm-like inclusions in the high plains disease were specifically immunogold labeled in situ with the disease-specific antiserum. Thread-like structures, similar to tenuivirus particles, present in the partially purified virus preparations were also immunogold labeled with the antiserum. It is suggested that the thread-like structures are derived from the DMP. In many cells of symptomatic corn and wheat samples, DMPs occurred together with flexuous rod-shaped particles and cylindrical inclusions of wheat streak mosaic potyvirus (WSMV), suggesting that the disease is caused by a mixed infection of WSMV and the agent represented by the DMPs. Based on cytopathology, symptomatology and mite and/or graft-transmissibility, the five diseases described in this paper are potentially caused by virus(es) and the DMPs associated with these diseases may represent virus particles. If the DMPs are indeed viral in nature, they would comprise a new group of plant viruses.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.149-159
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• 1998

In order to observe the anticellulolytic localization in the epithelia of the digestive tract such as esophagus, crop, and intestine of a Korean land snail N. samarangae, a cytochemical method and a immunogold labelling method were applied. For the cytochemical study on the cellulase activity, Benedict reaction method applied. And for the immunocytochemical study, the rabbit serum immunoglobuins (IgG) was obtained from the rabbits injected with cellulase which was extracted from body fluid of the snail. The digestive tract tissues of N. samarangae were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and 2% OsO4 and embedded in Lowicryl K4M at -40$^{\circ}C$ under UV light (360 nm). The thin sections were loaded on the nickel grids and stained with the serum IgG and protein A-gold complex (particle size: 10 nm). Observations were undertaken with transmission electron microscope (Jeol, JEM-1010). The epithelium of the digestive tract was consisted of five types of cells. In the cytochemical study, the reaction products were found along the periphery of the vacuoles derived from the Bebedict reaction. In the immunocytochemical study, the protein-A gold particles were selectively labelled in Type 1, Type 3 and Type 4 cells in intestinal tissue. membranes of rER, in the surrounding cytoplasm of the rER and secretory granules, and in the apical cytoplasm of the cells. On the material being secreted from the apical cytoplasm was also labelled with the immunogold particles. The all results obtained throughtout present study suggest that the intestinal epithelium of the snail N. samarangae seretes cellulase as one of digestive enzymes.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.499-509
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• 1999

Accumulations of the storage proteins in protein storage vacuole and the differentiation of protein bodies from protein-filled ER in developing pea cotyledons have been investigated using conventional and immunoelectron microscopy. To improve the fixation quality, single cells separated enzymatically from sliced cotyledons were used. At early stages of seed development osmiophilic protein accumulates in rER lumen were observed quite often. This protein-filled ER cisternae were differentiated into cytoplasmic protein bodies at late stage by the process called terminal dilations which have been considered a principal route of the formation of cytoplasmic protein bodies somewhat later in seed maturation. Immunocytochemical labellings of the vicilin and legumin show that presence of vicilin on both of the cytoplasmic PB and PD, but limited presence of legumin only on the cytoplasmic PB at intermediate stage of seed development. Immunogold labellings of Bip, ER retention protein, were observed on the inner periphery of protein deposits in protein storage vacuole. This result was regarded that Bip can recognize and retrieve misfolded protein during active accumulation of storage protein to the PD in PSV.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.628-634
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• 2002

A microfilament-based motility in Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) Is involved in host cell invasion, yet the exact mechanism has not yet been determined. Accordingly, the current study examined the localization of actin and tubulin in T gondii using immunofluorescent (IF) and immunogold staining for electron microscopy. Indirect immunofluorescence (IF) staining using anti-actin and anti-tubulin monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) revealed localization of fluorescence on the entire surface of the tachyzoites. The actin in T. gondii was observed by immunogold staining, and the gold particles were seen on the surface, especially at the anterior end and in the cytoplasm of the parasite. However, there were no gold particles in the nucleus, rhoptries, and dense granules. The tubulin in T gondii was located on the surface and in the cytoplasm of the tachyzoites in the extracellular parasite, compared with anterior part of tachyzoites in the intracellular parasite. The antigens of T gondii recognized by anti-actin mAb were 107 kDa, 50 kDa, 48 kDa, and 40 kDa proteins, while those recognized by anti-tubulin mAb were 56 kDa, 52 kDa, and 34 kDa proteins. Tachyzoites of T gondii pretreated with the actin inhibitor, cytochalasin D (20 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml), and tubulin inhibitor, colchicine (2$\times$10$\^$-6/ M), for 30 min at 37$\^{C}$ were used to infect the isolated mouse macrophages (tachyzo ites:macrophage=2:1). Pretreatment with the inhibitors resulted in lower multiplication of tachyzoites within the macrophages than in the untreated group 18 h post infection (p<0.05). Therefore, the present results suggest that actin and tubulin appear to be involved in the invasion of and multiplication in host cells.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.45-59
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• 2000

Cis-platin is a widely used anticancer drug against certain solid tumors such as malignant ovarian tumor, malignant carcinoma of head and neck, bladder cancer and cervical cancer of uterus, and its major mechanism of action is inhibition of DNA synthesis of the tumor cell. To investigate the inhibitory effects of cis-platin on the ciliogensis of the ciliated cells in the mucosa of oviduct, the author pursued the alterations of $\alpha-tubulin$, which is the main constituent of the microtubles in cilia, after cis-platin treatment. To eliminate the possible variations due to ovarian cycle, female Spargue-Dawley rats ($150\sim200gm$ in B.W.) were pretreated with estradiol benzoate (20 mg/kg, once a day, for 4 consecutive days). Animals were administrated with cis-platin (6 mg/kg, i.p.) and sacrificed at 1day, 3days, 5days and 7days after treatment, respectively. Immunohistochemistry for $\alpha-tubulin$ using mouse anti-rat $\alpha-tubulin$ monoclonal antibody as primary antibody was done. Immunogold electronmicroscopy for intracellular distributions of $\alpha-tubulin$ was also performed with same primary antibody and Goat anti- mouse IgM which is preconjugated with gold particles of 15 nm as secondary antibody. The results obtained were as follows; 1. Strong immunoreactivity of $\alpha-tubulin$ was observed in ciliated cells of oviducts at 1, 3 and 5 days after estradiol pretreatment. 2. Weak immunoreactivity of $\alpha-tubulin$ was observed in ciliated cells of oviducts at 1 and 3 days after cis-platin treatment but it was recovered to strong immunoreactivity in 5 days 3. In immunogold electronmicroscopy, density of gold particles for $\alpha-tubulin$ reactions was decreased in apical cytoplasm, but few changes were observed in basal body or cilia at 1 and 3 days after cis-platin treatment. From these above results, it is indicated that synthesis of $\alpha-tubulin$ in ciliated cells of rat oviduct is inhibited by cis-platin treatment.