• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.87-94
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• 2001

Background: Cytokine-mediated ex vivo expansion has been proposed as a means of increasing the number of cord blood (CB) hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation. As well as stem cell number, stromal cells are necessary for functional maturation of hematopoiesis. The purpose of this study was to analyze the development of stromal cells during ex vivo expansion of CB $CD34^+$ cells. Methods : $CD34^+$ cells were purified from CB by magnetic bead selection. The levels of of interleukin-3, interleukin-$1{\beta}$, interleukin-6, granulocyte macrophagecolony stimulating factor and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ were measured in culture supernatants on 0, 1, 2, and 3 weeks, using ELISA techniques. CB $CD34^+$ cells were expanded in Iscoves modified Dulbeccos medium in the presence of several cytokines. The expression of E-selectin, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1, von Willebrand factor, vimentin, and CD14 in newly developed stromal cells was examined by immunocytochemical method. Relevant extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and proper cytokines were also assayed for the most suitable condition for expansion of stromal cells. Results: Several cytokines were found to have been produced by CB $CD34^+$ cells as well as bone marrow-derived $CD34^+$ cells. During ex vivo expansion of CB $CD34^+$ cells, stromal cells appeared in the culture by day 4 and expanded over the following 7-10 days before being confluent by day 2 1. These cells expressed surface markers characteristic of cells of endothelial lineage. Furthermore, these stroaml cells also expanded effectively when treated with thrombopoietin+flt-3 ligand+stem cell factor+leukemia inhibitory factor or 0.1% poly-L-lysine-coated wells. Conclusion: Stromal cells were developed during ex vivo expansion of CB $CD34^+$ cells and that this development could be enhanced further by treating the stromal cells with cytokines or ECM.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.4983-4988
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• 2013

Objectives: To establish a taxol-resistant cell line of human ovarian carcinoma (A2780/Taxol) and investigate its biological features. Methods: The drug-resistant cell line (A2780/Taxol) was established by continuous stepwise selection with increasing concentrations of Taxol. Cell morphology was assessed by microscopy and growth curves were generated with in vitro and in vivo tumor xenograft models. With rhodamine123 (Rh123) assays, cell cycle distribution and the apoptotic rate were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). Drug resistance-related and signal associated proteins, including P-gp, MRPs, caveolin-1, PKC-${\alpha}$, Akt, ERK1/2, were detected by Western blotting. Results: A2780/Taxol cells were established with stable resistance to taxol. The drug resistance index (RI) was 430.7. Cross-resistance to other drugs was also shown, but there was no significant change to radioresistance. Compared with parental cells, A2780/Taxol cells were significantly heteromorphous, with a significant delay in population doubling time and reduced uptake of Rh123 (p<0.01). In vivo, tumor take by A2780 cells was 80%, and tumor volume increased gradually. In contrast, with A2780/Taxol cells in xenograft models there was no tumor development. FCM analysis revealed that A2780/Taxol cells had a higher percentage of G0/G1 and lower S phase, but no changes of G2 phase and the apoptosis rate. Expression of P-gp, MRP1, MRP2, BCRP, LRP, caveolin-1, PKC-${\alpha}$, Phospho-ERK1/2 and Phospho-JNK protein was significantly up-regulated, while Akt and p38 MARK protein expression was not changed in A2780/Taxol cells. Conclusion: The A2780/Taxol cell line is an ideal model to investigate the mechanism of muti-drug resistance related to overexpression of drug-resistance associated proteins and activation of the PKC-${\alpha}/ERK$ (JNK) signaling pathway.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.731-737
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• 2000

Objective : Growth factor receptors on the tumor cells are known to be expressed highly allowing the tumor cells to bind growth factors to stimulate cellular division. Immunotoxin therapy is one of the novel approaches to the primary malignant brain tumor, and expression of cell-surface receptor is essential for the immunotoxin to have specific anti-tumor activity. Despite promising cytotoxic activity of immunotoxin, tumor responses are not curative on clinical trials, and additional studies are needed regarding various factors influencing the efficacy of the immunotoxin. The purpose of this study is to detect the expression of various growth factor receptors on brain tumor cell lines which are going to be used in these studies. Materials and Methods : The authors detected transferrin receptor(TR), insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor(IGF-1R), and interleukin-4 receptor(IL-4R) on medulloblastoma cell line(Daoy) and glioblastoma cell lines(U373 MG and T98 G) by flow cytometric analysis. Results : TR was expressed on Daoy, U373 MG, and T98 G. IGF-1R was expressed on Daoy and U373 MG, but not on T98 G. IL-4R was expressed on all cell lines tested. Conclusion : The transferrin and interleukin-4 receptors might be good targets for immunotoxin therapy. The results should be considered in additional in vitro and in vivo studies regarding immunotoxin and in establishing the proper treatment model of the immunotoxin therapy including selection of the adequate immunotoxin.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 2007

Auxin-producing antagonistic bacterium K11, which can inhibit Phytophtora capsici, was isolated from a local red-pepper field soil in Gyeong-buk. In order to check for additional PGPR(plant growth promoting rhizobacterium) functions of the strain K11, we confirmed siderophore and cellulase productions by CAS (chrome azurol S) blue agar and CMC plate with congo red, respectively. The strain K11 was identified as Bacillus licheniformis with 98% similarity on 16s rDNA comparison and Biolog analyses. B. licheniformis K11 promoted mung bean adventitious root induction and enhanced root growth of mung bean (160%), pea (150%), and Chinese cabbage (130%), Also, B. licheniformis K11 was able to effectively suppress (63%) P. capsici causing red-pepper blight in the pot in vivo test. Therefore, we could select a triple-functional PGPR which has auxin, siderophore, and cellulase producing ability for effective crops production in organic farming.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.10-16
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• 2012

This study was conducted to examine the effects of the seeding rate on the disease incidence of sharp eyespot(Rhizoctonia cerealis) on three different varieties and to select effective chemicals to control the disease. When the seeds were sown twice as many as the recommendation, the disease incidence increased by approximately 13%. However, the susceptible variety 'Jopummil' alone showed the significantly enhanced disease incidence at a two-fold seeding rate. Two chemicals such as Hexaconazole EC and Tebuconazole EC highly inhibited the fungal growth on agar medium. However, two strobilurin fungicides such as Pyraclostrobin EC and Trifloxystrobin SC were relatively weak. The fungicides tested displayed the similar in vivo antifungal activities as in vitro activities. Hexaconazole EC and Tebuconazole EC showed the strongest both protective and curative activities and the protective activities of the chemicals were generally higher than the curative activities. Hexaconazole EC and Tebuconazole EC controlled the disease by 64% and 73%, respectively, and the two chemicals reduced the disease by 45% and 39%, respectively, when they were applied one day after pathogen inoculation. These results indicate that both Hexaconazole EC and Tebuconazole EC could be used to control sharp eyespot on wheat.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.194-199
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• 2005

In oder to select an antifungal substance-producing antagonistic bacterium against Fusarium oxysporum casuing fusarium wilt on tomato, strain BK4 was isolated from local soil of Gyeoungbuk and was identified as Bacillus thuringiensis by 16s rDNA analysis, biochemical test, and Mcirolog TM 3.0 System. The antibiotic of B. thuringiensis BK 4 was highly produced at $30^{\circ}C$ in nutrient broth (pH 9.0). The crude antibiotic was even stable at $121^{\circ}C$ and more stable at slight alkalic condition than acid condition. It was also remained $50{\%}$ activity at pH 3.0. B. thuringiensis BK4 showed the inhibition of spore germination and the biocontrol ability against F. oxysporum causing fusarium wilt of tomato in vivo test. According to these results, B. thuringiensis BK4 was enough to use with a microbial agent for biocontrol against fusarium wilt.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1252-1261
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• 2008

Twenty-four yearling Boer$\times$Spanish goats were used in a crossover design experiment to determine effects of tethering on forage selection, intake and digestibility, grazing behavior and energy expenditure (EE) with forage high in nutritive value and low to moderate in mass. Objectives were to determine if tethered goats could be used as a model for study of unrestrained animals and to characterize tethering as a production practice. Four 0.72-ha pastures of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrium) were grazed in December and January. Each pasture hosted six animals, three with free movement and three attached to a 4.11-m tether for access to a circular area of $53.1m^2$. Tethering areas were moved each day. One animal of each treatment and pasture was used to determine forage selection, fecal output or grazing behavior and EE; therefore, there were eight observations per treatment. Mass of forage DM before grazing in Tethered areas averaged 1,280 and 1,130 kg/ha in periods 1 and 2, respectively. The CP concentration in ingesta was greater ((p<0.05) 239 and 209 g/kg; SE = 8.0) and the NDF level was lower (p<0.05) for Free vs. Tethered animals (503 and 538 g/kg; SE = 12.0); in vitro true DM digestion was similar between treatments (0.808 and 0.807 for Free and Tethered, respectively; SE = 0.0096). Intakes of DM (1,013 and 968 g/d; SE = 78.6), NDF (511 and 521 g/d; SE = 39.9) and ME (10.9 and 10.7 MJ/d; SE = 0.90) were similar between treatments, but CP intake was greater (p<0.05) for Free vs. Tethered animals (241 and 203 g/d; SE = 17.2). There were small treatment differences in in vivo apparent digestibility of OM ((p<0.05) 0.780 and 0.814; SE = 0.0049), CP ((p<0.05) 0.800 and 0.817; SE = 0.0067) and NDF ((p<0.09) 0.777 and 0.760 for Free and Tethered, respectively; SE = 0.0078). There were no treatment effects on time spent ruminating or grazing (346 and 347 min/d for Free and Tethered, respectively; SE = 42.5), but EE was considerably greater (p<0.05) for Free vs. Tethered animals (571 and 489 kJ/kg $BW^{0.75}$; SE = 8.9). In conclusion, with forage of high nutritive value and low to moderate in mass, tethering can offer a production advantage over free grazing of less energy used for activity despite similar grazing time. With forage removal considerably less than that available for grazing, effects of tethering on chemical composition of selected forage were small and less than needed to markedly affect digestion. Tethering may offer a means of studying some aspects of grazing by ruminants, but would not seem suitable for energy metabolism.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.1071-1086
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• 2003

Reproductive biotechnologies continue to be developed for genetic improvement of both river and swamp buffalo. Although artificial insemination using frozen semen emerged some decades back, there are still considerable limitations. The major problem appears to be the lack of efficient methods for estrus detection and timely insemination. Controlled breeding experiments in the buffalo had been limited and similar to those applied in cattle. Studies on multiple ovulation and embryo transfer are essentially a replica of those in cattle, however with inherent problems such as lower number of primordial follicles on the buffalo ovary, poor fertility and seasonality of reproduction, lower population of antral follicles at all stages of the estrous cycle, poor endocrine status and a high incidence of deep atresia in ovarian follicles, the response in terms of transferable embryo recovery has remained low with 0.51 to 3.0 per donor and pregnancy rates between 15 to 30%. In vitro production of buffalo embryos is a valid alternative to recovery of embryos by superovulation. This aspect received considerable attention during the past decade, however the proportion of embryos that develops to the blastocyst stage is still around 25-30% and hence the in vitro culture procedures need substantial improvement. Embryo cryopreservation procedures for direct transfer post thaw need to be developed for bubaline embryos. Nuclear transfer and embryo cloning is a technique that has received attention in various species during recent years and can be of immense value in buffaloes as they have a low rate of embryo recoveries by both in vitro and in vivo procedures. Gender pre-selection, genome analysis, gene mapping and gene transfer are a few of the techniques that have been studied to a limited extent during recent years and are likely to be included in future studies on buffaloes. Very recently, reproductive biotechnologies have been applied to feral buffaloes as well, but the results obtained so far are modest. When fully exploited they can play an important role in the preservation of endangered species.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.234-243
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• 2007

Vibrio vulnificus is an opportunistic pathogen that causes septicemia in humans. To identify the genes associated with its pathogenicity, in vivo expression technology (IVET) was used to select genes specifically expressed in a host, yet not significantly in vitro. Random lacZ-fusions in the genome of V vulnificus strain MO6-24/O were constructed using an IVET vector, pSG3, which is a suicide vector containing promoterless-aph and -lacZ as reporter genes. A total of ${\sim}18,000$ resulting library clones were then intraperitoneally injected into BALB/c mice using a colony forming unit (CFU) of $1.6{\times}10^6$. Two hours after infection, kanamycin was administered at $200{mu}g$ per gram of mouse weight. After two selection cycles, 11 genes were eventually isolated, which were expressed only in the host. Among these genes, VV20781 and VV21007 exhibiting a homology to a hemagglutinin gene and tolC, respectively, were selected based on having the highest frequency. When compared to wild-type cells, mutants with lesions in these genes showed no difference in the rate of growth rate, yet a significant decrease in cytotoxicity and the capability to form a biofilm.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.2019-2029
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• 2016

Zinc finger proteins are among the most extensively applied metalloproteins in the field of biotechnology owing to their unique structural and functional aspects as transcriptional and translational regulators. The classical zinc fingers are the largest family of zinc proteins and they provide critical roles in physiological systems from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. Two cysteine and two histidine residues ($Cys_2His_2$) coordinate to the zinc ion for the structural functions to generate a ${\beta}{\beta}{\alpha}$ fold, and this secondary structure supports specific interactions with their binding partners, including DNA, RNA, lipids, proteins, and small molecules. In this account, the structural similarity and differences of well-known $Cys_2His_2$-type zinc fingers such as zinc interaction factor 268 (ZIF268), transcription factor IIIA (TFIIIA), GAGA, and Ros will be explained. These proteins perform their specific roles in species from archaea to eukaryotes and they show significant structural similarity; however, their aligned amino acids present low sequence homology. These zinc finger proteins have different numbers of domains for their structural roles to maintain biological progress through transcriptional regulations from exogenous stresses. The superimposed structures of these finger domains provide interesting details when these fingers are applied to specific gene binding and editing. The structural information in this study will aid in the selection of unique types of zinc finger applications in vivo and in vitro approaches, because biophysical backgrounds including complex structures and binding affinities aid in the protein design area.