• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.389-397
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• 2001

Cocaine-amphetamine regulated transcript (CART), a satiety factor regulated by leptin, is associated with food intake and motor behavior. In knock out studies, Leu34Phe mutation of human CART gene resulted in obese phenotype but mice carrying a targeted deletion of the CART gene exhibited no dramatic increase of body weight on normal fat diet. To establish a new transgenic mouse model for determining the function of CART on feeding behavior in vivo, we constructed the fusion gene, CART gene under the control of neurofilament light chain promoter, which regulates gene expression at the stage of neuronal differentiation. Transgenic mice were generated by microinjection method and screened by PCR and Southern blot analyses. In these transgenic mice, overexpression of CART was detected by in situ hybridization in spinal cords and brains at 13.5 days post-coitum embryos. At six weeks of age, RT-PCR analysis showed that exogenous CART mRNA was expressed strongly in brains and spinal cords, but not much in other tissues. Our results suggest that these transgenic mice provide a new model to investigate the function of CART gene in neuronal network associated with feeding behavior.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.100-100
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• 2003

Pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells differentiate spontaneously into beating cardiomyocytes via embryo-like aggregates. We describe the use of mouse embryonic stem (mES03) cells as a reproducible differentiation system for cardiomyocyte. To induce cardiomyocytic differentiation, mES03 cells were dissociated and allowed to aggregate (EB formation) at the presence of 0 75% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) for 4 days and then another 4 days without DMSO (4+/4-). Thus treated EBs were plated onto gelatin-coated dish for differentiation. Spontaneously contracting colonies which appeared in approximately 4-5 days upon differentiation. Expression of cardiac-specific genes were determined by RT-PCR. Rebust expression of myosin light chain (MLC-2V), cardiac myosin heavy chain $\alpha$, cardiac muscle heavy polypeptide 7 $\beta(\beta$-MHC), cardiac transcription factor GATA4 and skeletal muscle-specific ${\alpha}_1$-subunit of the L-type calcium channel (${\alpha}_1 CaCh_{sm}$) were detected as early as 8 days after EB formation, but message of cardiac muscle-specific $\alpha$$_1$-subunit of the L-type calcium channel (${\alpha}_1$CaCh) were revealed at a low level. Strikingly, the expression of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) was not detected. When spontaneous contracting cell masses were examined their electrophysiological features by patch-clamp technique, it showed ventricle-like action potential 17 days after the EB formation. This study indicates that mES03 cell-derived cardiomyocytes displayed biochemical and electrophysiological properties of cardiomyocytes and DMSO enhanced development of cardiomyocytes in 4+/4- method.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.310-316
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• 2016

In this study, the anti-osteoarthritis effects of Cynanchum wilfordii, Phlomis umbrosa, and Angelica gigas extract (CPAE), observed and confirmed in previously clinical studies were further investigated by in vitro and in vivo studies. Anabolic biomarkers related to healthy cartilage maintenance, such as aggrecan, type II collagen ${\alpha}$-1 (Col2a1), sex determining region Y-box-9 (Sox-9), and catabolic biomarkers related to osteoarthritis, such as cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), matrix metalloproteinase-13 (Mmp13), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells ($Nf{\kappa}b$), were evaluated by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and reporter gene assay. In vitro study results showed significant changes in both anabolic and catabolic biomarkers. For anabolic factors, significant changes in the level of aggrecan (P<0.05), Col2a1 (P<0.05), and Sox-9 (P<0.01) activation were shown after treatment of cartilage cells with CPAE (50 ng/mL) with similar efficacy compared to insulin growth factor, the positive control (100 ng/mL). For catabolic factors, significant changes in the inhibition activity of Cox-2 (P<0.05), Mmp13 (P<0.01), and $Nf{\kappa}b$ (P<0.05) were shown for CPAE (50 ng/mL) with similar efficacy compared to Celecoxib, the positive control ($10{\mu}M$). In the in vivo carrageenan-induced paw edema model study results showed that CPAE-treated groups (100 mg/kg) and Celecoxib-treated groups (60 mg/kg) showed comparably significant efficacy of inhibition by 37.1% and 52.1%, respectively. Furthermore, CPAE (200 mg/kg) showed similar effect to Celecoxib (60 mg/kg) with an inhibition rate of 54.3%. This result confirms that CPAE effectively inhibited the inflammation-induced osteoarthritis symptoms.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.1507-1515
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• 2018

Objective: In the poultry industry, the most important economic traits are meat quality and carcass yield. Thus, many studies were conducted to investigate the regulatory pathways during muscle differentiation. To gain insight of muscle differentiation mechanism during growth period, we identified and validated calcium-related genes which were highly expressed during muscle differentiation through mRNA sequencing analysis. Methods: We conducted next-generation-sequencing (NGS) analysis of mRNA from undifferentiated QM7 cells and differentiated QM7 cells (day 1 to day 3 of differentiation periods). Subsequently, we obtained calcium related genes related to muscle differentiation process and examined the expression patterns by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results: Through RNA sequencing analysis, we found that the transcription levels of six genes (troponin C1, slow skeletal and cardiac type [TNNC1], myosin light chain 1 [MYL1], MYL3, phospholamban [PLN], caveolin 3 [CAV3], and calsequestrin 2 [CASQ2]) particularly related to calcium regulation were gradually increased according to days of myotube differentiation. Subsequently, we validated the expression patterns of calcium-related genes in quail myoblasts. These results indicated that TNNC1, MYL1, MYL3, PLN, CAV3, CASQ2 responded to differentiation and growth performance in quail muscle. Conclusion: These results indicated that calcium regulation might play a critical role in muscle differentiation. Thus, these findings suggest that further studies would be warranted to investigate the role of calcium ion in muscle differentiation and could provide a useful biomarker for muscle differentiation and growth.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.231-237
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• 2003

Listeria (L.) monocytogenes in samples could not be detected occasioally by faster growth of other Listeria spp. especially L. innocua. The aim of this study was to develop the differential media and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for the rapid detection of L. monocytogenes. L. monocytogenes colonies were characterized by their ${\beta}$-hemolysis with fluorescence under 366 nm UV light on the Listeria hemolysis agar (LHA). L. innocua, a species commonly present in foods, did not produce ${\beta}$-hemolysis on LHA. Therefore, one or more colonies of L. monocytogenes were easily distinguished from large populations of L. innocua. The multiplex PCR assays were developed to distinguish from L. monocytogenes and other Listeria spp. with two pairs of primers. The primers were designed in 16S rRNA and listeriolysin O gene for specific amplification of all members of the genus Listeria and L. monocytogenes, respectively. The multiplex PCR assays produced 560 and 938 bp products in L. monocytogenes; only 938 bp products in the genus Listeria. The multiplex PCR assays could detect as little as 50 pg of L monocytogenes DNA. These results indicated that the differential media and multiplex PCR assays might be useful diagnostic tools for the rapid detection of L. monocytogenes.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.384-389
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• 2014

Adiponectin, an adipokine predominantly secreted from adipose tissue, exhibits diverse biological responses, including metabolism of glucose and lipid, and apoptosis in cancer cells. Recently, adiponectin has been shown to modulate autophagy as well. While emerging evidence has demonstrated that autophagy plays a role in the modulation of proliferation and apoptosis of cancer cells, the role of autophagy in apoptosis of cancer cell caused by adiponectin has not been explored. In the present study, we demonstrated that globular adiponectin (gAcrp) induces both apoptosis and autophagy in human hepatoma cell line (HepG2 cells) and breast cancer cells (MCF-7), as evidenced by increase in caspase-3 activity, Bax, microtubule-associated protein light chain 3-II (LC3 II) protein levels, and autophagosome formation. Interestingly, gene silencing of LC3B, an autophagy marker, significantly enhanced gAcrp-induced apoptosis in both HepG2 and MCF-7 cell lines, whereas induction of autophagy by rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor, significantly prevented gAcrp-induced apoptosis in hepatoma cells HepG2. Furthermore, modulation of autophagy produced similar effects on gAcrp-induced Bax expression in HepG2 cells. These results implicate that induction of autophagy plays a regulatory role in adiponectin-induced apoptosis of cancer cells, and thus inhibition of autophagy would be a novel promising target to enhance the efficiency of cancer cell apoptosis by adiponectin.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1820-1826
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• 2017

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA), a cell wall component of gram-positive bacteria, is recognized by Toll-like receptor 2, expressed on certain mammalian cell surfaces, initiating signaling cascades that include nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-${\kappa}B$) and mitogen-activated protein kinase. There are many structural and functional varieties of LTA, which vary according to the different species of gram-positive bacteria that produce them. In this study, we examined whether LTA isolated from Staphylococcus aureus (aLTA) affects the expression of junction proteins in keratinocytes. In HaCaT cells, tight junction-related gene expression was not affected by aLTA, whereas adherens junction-related gene expression was modified. High doses of aLTA induced the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2, which in turn induced the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HaCaT cells. When cells were given a low dose of aLTA, however, NF-${\kappa}B$ was activated and the total cell population increased. Taken together, our study suggests that LTA from S. aureus infections in the skin may contribute both to the outbreak of EMT-mediated carcinogenesis and to the genesis of wound healing in a dose-dependent manner.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2001

Background: Subcutaneous injection of 5% formalin into the hind paw of the rat produces a biphasic nociceptive response. The second phase depends on changes in the dorsal horn cell function that occur shortly after an initial C-fiber discharge, spinal sensitization, or windup phenomenon. This study was performed to investigate the role of glutamate during spinal sensitization. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200 to 250 g were used for this study. Under light anesthesia (0.5% isoflurane) the rats were segregated in a specially designed cage and $50{\mu}l$ 0.5% formalin was injected subcutaneously in the foot dorsum of right hindlimb. Forty minutes after the formalin injection, the rat was quickly decapitated and spinal cord was removed. The spinal segments at the level of L3 (largest area) was collected and stored in a deep freezer ($-70^{\circ}C$). The mRNA gene expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) and the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5) were determined by the polymerase chain reaction. Results: The number of flinches was $19.8{\pm}2.3/min$. at one minute after formalin injection and decreased to zero after then. The second peak appeared at 35 and 40 minutes after formalin injection. The values were $17.8{\pm}2.2$ and $17.2{\pm}3.0/min$. The mRNA gene expressions of NMDAR and mGluR5 were increased by $459.0{\pm}46.8%$ (P < 0.01) and $111.1{\pm}4.8%$ (P > 0.05) respectively at 40 minutes after formalin injection. The increased rate of NMDAR was significantly higher than that of mGluR5 (P < 0.01). Conclusions: From these results it suggested that NMDAR partly contributed to the mechanism of central sensitization after the formalin test but mGluR5 did not.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.246-250
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• 2013

In this study, a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method to rapidly detect Staphylococcus aureus strains was developed and evaluated by extensively applying a large number of S. aureus isolates from clinical and food samples. Six primers were specially designed for recognizing eight distinct sequences on the species-specific femA gene of S. aureus. The detection limits were 100 fg DNA/tube and $10^4$ CFU/ml. The LAMP assay was applied to 432 S. aureus strains isolated from 118 clinical and 314 food samples. Total detection rates for the LAMP and polymerase chain reaction assays were 98.4% (306/311) and 89.4% (278/311), respectively.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.112-124
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• 2016

Solid tumor is generally observed in tissues of epithelial or endothelial cells of lung, breast, prostate, pancreases, colorectal, stomach, and bladder, where several genes transcription is regulated by the microRNAs (miRNAs). Argonaute (AGO) protein is a family of protein which assists in miRNAs to bind with mRNAs of the target genes. Hence, study of the binding mechanism between AGO protein and miRNAs, and also with miRNAs-mRNAs duplex is crucial for understanding the RNA silencing mechanism. In the current work, 64 genes and 23 miRNAs have been selected from literatures, whose deregulation is well established in seven types of solid cancer like lung, breast, prostate, pancreases, colorectal, stomach, and bladder cancer. In silico study reveals, miRNAs namely, miR-106a, miR-21, and miR-29b-2 have a strong binding affinity towards PTEN, TGFBR2, and VEGFA genes, respectively, suggested as important factors in RNA silencing mechanism. Furthermore, interaction between AGO protein (PDB ID-3F73, chain A) with selected miRNAs and with miRNAs-mRNAs duplex were studied computationally to understand their binding at molecular level. The residual interaction and hydrogen bonding are inspected in Discovery Studio 3.5 suites. The current investigation throws light on understanding miRNAs based gene silencing mechanism in solid cancer.