• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.68-75
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• 2006

In higher plants, P450s participate in the biosynthesis of many important secondary metabolites. Here we reported for the first time the isolation of a new cytochrome P450 cDNA that expressed in a stem-specific manner from Camptotheca acuminata (designated as CaSS), a native medicinal plant species in China, using RACE-PCR. The full-length cDNA of CaSS was 1735 bp long containing a 1530 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polypeptide of 509 amino acids. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that CASS contained a heme-binding domain PFGXGRRXCX and showed homology to other plant cytochrome P450 monooxygenases and hydroxylases. Southern blotting analysis revealed that there was only one copy of the CaSS present in the genome of Camptotheca acuminata. Northern blotting analysis revealed that CaSS expressed, in a tissue-specific manner, highly in stem and lowly in root, leaf and flower. Our study suggests that CaSS is likely to be involved in the phenylpropanoid pathway.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.44-49
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• 2015

We characterized tissue specific-expressed genes in the posterior silk gland of Bombyx mori using by the Annealing Control Primer based differential display-PCR manner. In this study, we isolated 34 differentially expressed PCR amplicons, which one of these was identified as a novel transcript named as ACP-16 (366 bp), its expression was observed only in the posterior silk glands by Northern blot analysis. To determine promoter region of the ACP-16, we isolated and analyzed a phage DNA having 1.7 kb-long genome DNA including the open reading flame and 5'- upstream untranslated region of the ACP-16 gene from a genomic DNA library. We have estimated a promoter region of the ACP-16 gene by a web promoter prediction engine, which locates -750 ~ -165 from translation initiation site (ATG, +1). ACP-16 gene is necessary to more studies about critical biological role in order to apply the silkworm's transgenic system.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.331-337
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• 2013

A disease, supposedly caused by a virus, was observed from Insam (Panax ginseng) fields of Punggi in year 2006. It has long believed to be a physiological disorder. However, the incidence of the disease has increased every year. When several samples were observed under electron microscope, filamentous virus-like particles were observed. The nucleotide sequences of the virus were analyzed by RT-PCR with specific primer sets derived from the results of DNA chip. The results indicated that the disease was caused by Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV). It revealed that the result of the biological assay by the virus was different from that of WMV previously found in other crops. Therefore, this is the first report that WMV causes the disease in P. ginseng and the virus is named to be WMV-Insam.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.175-180
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• 2010

Albumin-modification has been viewed as one of the most effective ways of extending the short in vivo lifetimes of peptide drugs by delaying glomerular filtration. In this study, we describe a new type 2 anti-diabetic exendin-4 (Ex4) peptide derivative with significant binding ability to human serum albumin (HSA). This exendin-4 derivative consists of a 4-branched polyethylene glycol $(PEG)_{5k}$ (Mw: 20 kDa) modified with three stearylamines ($C_{18}-NH_2$) and one exendin-4 on its branches. PEG and stearylamine were selected to provide functionality to increase molecular size and bind to albumin, respectively. This derivative ($3C_{18}-4PEG_{5k}$-Ex4) was shown to have larger molecular size (Ca. 152 kDa) than actual (25.0 kDa) when subjected to size-exclusion chromatography, and the fluorescein-tagged $3C_{18}-4PEG_{5k}$-Ex4 displayed significant binding to the HSA-immobilized Sepharose CL-4B resin using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Furthermore, $3C_{18}-4PEG_{5k}$-Ex4 was found to have acceptable anti-hyperglycemic efficacy via three consecutive oral glucose tolerance testings (OGTT) in fasted type 2 diabetic db/db mice. The $HD_{total}$ value ($57.6{\pm}12.3%$) of $3C_{18}-4PEG_{5k}$-Ex4 at a 50 nmol/kg dose was 2-fold greater than that ($31.0{\pm}8.7%$) of native exendin-4 in non-fasted db/db mice. Especially, the blood glucose levels in the mice group treated with $3C_{18}-4PEG_{5k}$-Ex4 did not rebound to ~150 mg/dL until 24 h after the injection, which obviously shows the extended hypoglycemia. We believe that this derivative has great pharmaceutical potential as a novel long-acting type 2 anti-diabetic injection treatment.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.38
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• pp.195-216
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• 2015

'Convention' refers to custom and practice as the dictionary definition; it means genre custom. Readers feel intimate with the pattern and grammar that a genre has, and they participate in the work, predicting and expecting the next in the 'truism.' So, all popular arts targeting the public have genre custom-that is, convention. A cartoon (comics) is one of the popular arts whose convention is developed most to the extent that its law comes across our mind just with the genre's name such as 'sports comics', 'detective comics' and 'romance comics.' However, although the fantasy cartoon is a genre that has been loved for a long time, it is one of the cartoon genres that has rarely been studied on its convention. There are several reasons for the lack of studies on convention of the fantasy cartoon. The most fundamental reason may be that its basic concept has not been properly prescribed. There are some precedent studies prescribing the fantasy cartoon as an extension of the fantastic literature, but it is hard to analyze convention that only fantasy cartoon has, because its range is too wide. So, this study considered J.R.R. Tolkein's 'Lord of the Ring' had made the genre custom of fantasy novel and fantasy comics, and classified concept and type of the fantasy cartoon. And through analysis of various cases, it investigated convention of the fantasy cartoon into 6 types. Genre is not the complete format. It is subdivided and differentiated, and it becomes one with other genres and makes a new one. For that reason, there exist limitations always when we study a genre convention of a certain genre. This study confesses in advance that it also has limitations as it just suggests convention of the general fantasy cartoon.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.515-525
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• 2020

Interferon (IFN)-λ plays an essential role in mucosal cells which exhibit strong antiviral activity. Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) has substantial application potential in the food and medical industries because of its probiotic properties. Alphacoronaviruses, especially porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), cause high morbidity and mortality in piglets resulting in economic loss. Co-infection by these two viruses is becoming increasingly frequent. Therefore, it is particularly important to develop a new drug to prevent diarrhea infected with mixed viruses in piglets. In this study, we first constructed an anchored expression vector with CWA (C-terminal cell wall anchor) on L. plantarum. Second, we constructed two recombinant L. plantarum strains that anchored IFN-λ3 via pgsA (N-terminal transmembrane anchor) and CWA. Third, we demonstrated that both recombinant strains possess strong antiviral effects against coronavirus infection in the intestinal porcine epithelial cell line J2 (IPEC-J2). However, recombinant L. plantarum with the CWA anchor exhibited a more powerful antiviral effect than recombinant L. plantarum with pgsA. Consistent with this finding, Lb.plantarum-pSIP-409-IFN-λ3-CWA enhanced the expression levels of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) (ISG15, OASL, and Mx1) in IPEC-J2 cells more than did recombinant Lb.plantarum-pSIP-409-pgsA'-IFN-λ3. Our study verifies that recombinant L. plantarum inhibits PEDV and TGEV infection in IPEC-J2 cells, which may offer great potential for use as a novel oral antiviral agent in therapeutic applications for combating porcine epidemic diarrhea and transmissible gastroenteritis. This study is the first to show that recombinant L. plantarum suppresses PEDV and TGEV infection of IPEC-J2 cells.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.201-211
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• 2016

Although the antioxidant and cardioprotective effects of NecroX-5 on various in vitro and in vivo models have been demonstrated, the action of this compound on the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system remains unclear. Here we verify the role of NecroX-5 in protecting mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation capacity during hypoxia-reoxygenation (HR). Necrox-5 treatment ($10{\mu}M$) and non-treatment were employed on isolated rat hearts during hypoxia/reoxygenation treatment using an ex vivo Langendorff system. Proteomic analysis was performed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and non-labeling peptide count protein quantification. Real-time PCR, western blot, citrate synthases and mitochondrial complex activity assays were then performed to assess heart function. Treatment with NecroX-5 during hypoxia significantly preserved electron transport chain proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation and metabolic functions. NecroX-5 also improved mitochondrial complex I, II, and V function. Additionally, markedly higher peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-$1{\alpha}$ ($PGC1{\alpha}$) expression levels were observed in NecroX-5-treated rat hearts. These novel results provide convincing evidence for the role of NecroX-5 in protecting mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation capacity and in preserving $PGC1{\alpha}$ during cardiac HR injuries.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.3035-3042
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• 2015

Background: Isorhamnetin (Iso), a novel and essential monomer derived from total flavones of Hippophae rhamnoides that has long been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for angina pectoris and acute myocardial infarction, has also shown a spectrum of antitumor activity. However, little is known about the mechanisms of action Iso on cancer cells. Objectives: To investigate the effects of Iso on A549 lung cancer cells and underlying mechanisms. Materials and Methods: A549 cells were treated with $10{\sim}320{\mu}g/ml$ Iso. Their morphological and cellular characteristics were assessed by light and electronic microscopy. Growth inhibition was analyzed by MTT, clonogenic and growth curve assays. Apoptotic characteristics of cells were determined by flow cytometry (FCM), DNA fragmentation, single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay, immunocytochemistry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick end labeling (TUNEL). Tumor models were setup by transplanting Lewis lung carcinoma cells into C57BL/6 mice, and the weights and sizes of tumors were measured. Results: Iso markedly inhibited the growth of A549 cells with induction of apoptotic changes. Iso at $20{\mu}g/ml$, could induce A549 cell apoptosis, up-regulate the expression of apoptosis genes Bax, Caspase-3 and P53, and down-regulate the expression of Bcl-2, cyclinD1 and PCNA protein. The tumors in tumor-bearing mice treated with Iso were significantly smaller than in the control group. The results of apoptosis-related genes, PCNA, cyclinD1 and other protein expression levels of transplanted Lewis cells were the same as those of A549 cells in vitro. Conclusions: Iso, a natural single compound isolated from total flavones, has antiproliferative activity against lung cancer in vitro and in vivo. Its mechanisms of action may involve apoptosis of cells induced by down-regulation of oncogenes and up-regulation of apoptotic genes.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.585-597
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• 2008

The aim of this study was to find an analytic solution to the problem of determining the optimal capacity (lot-size) of a batch-storage network to meet demand for a finished product in a system undergoing random failures of operating time and/or batch material. The superstructure of the plant considered here consists of a network of serially and/or parallel interlinked batch processes and storage units. The production processes transform a set of feedstock materials into another set of products with constant conversion factors. The final product demand flow is susceptible to short-term random variations in the cycle time and batch size as well as long-term variations in the average trend. Some of the production processes have random variations in product quantity. The spoiled materials are treated through regeneration or waste disposal processes. All other processes have random variations only in the cycle time. The objective function of the optimization is minimizing the total cost, which is composed of setup and inventory holding costs as well as the capital costs of constructing processes and storage units. A novel production and inventory analysis, the PSW (Periodic Square Wave) model, provides a judicious graphical method to find the upper and lower bounds of random flows. The advantage of this model is that it provides a set of simple analytic solutions while also maintaining a realistic description of the random material flows between processes and storage units; as a consequence of these analytic solutions, the computation burden is significantly reduced.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.127-135
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• 2013

In this study, both pressure drop and microbe-population-distribution were observed while running a novel biofilter system with improved design in which the biofilter system is composed of two, upper and lower biofilters with both equal feed-rates of up-flow and down-flow, respectively. Then they were compared with the pressure drop and microbe-population-distribution observed in a conventional biofilter of the same effective volume with unidirectional flow. The pressure drop-value of biofilter system with improved design turned out to be less at the incipient stage of run or steady-state long term operation by more than 40~80% of that of the conventional biofilter. The microbe-population-distribution was observed to be lower and higher at higher and lower column of biofilter, respectively, for both the conventional biofilter and the biofilter system with improved design. The microbe-media of waste-tire crumb showed much greater CFU counts than GAC. In the biofilter system with improved design, the $bottom{\rightarrow}up$ feeding of waste air showed greater microbe-population growth than the $top{\rightarrow}down$ feeding for both the microbe-media of waste-tire crumb and GAC. However, it was more prominent for the former than the latter. Comparing the microbe-population-distributions of both of the conventional biofilter and the biofilter system with improved design, the microbe-population of latter was distributed ca. 15 and 2.5 times more evenly for GAC and the media of waste-tire crumb, respectively, than that of former.