• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.129-130
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• 2015

Autophagy is a tightly regulated lysosome-mediated catabolic process in eukaryotes that maintains cellular homeostasis. A distinguishable feature of autophagy is the formation of double- membrane structures, autophagosome, which envelopes the intracellular cargoes and finally degrades them by fusion with lysosomes. So far, many structures of Atg proteins working on the autophagosome formation have been reported, however those involved in autophagosome maturation, a fusion with lysosome, are relatively unknown. One of the molecules in autophagosome maturation, TECPR1, has been identified and recently, structural studies on both ATG5-TECPR1 and ATG5-ATG16L1 complexes revealed that TECPR1 and ATG16L1 share the same binding site on ATG5. These results, in combination with supporting biochemical and cellular biological data, provide an insight into a model for swapping ATG5 partners for autophagosome maturation.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.265-268
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• 2003

Retinoic acid (RA) can transform the Golgi apparatus (GA) into a diffuse vacuolar aggregate and increase the toxicity of some immunotoxins that enter into cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis. An ultramorphological study of the RA-induced GA disruption was performed on F2000 fibroblasts. Cultures were treated with 0.11 to $30\;{\mu}M$ RA for 7 - 180 min. The endocytosis of Limax flavus agglutinin-peroxidase conjugate (LFA), and the interactions between a phorbol ester (PMA) and RA concerning GA disruption, were examined. Exposure to $0.33\;{\mu}M$ RA for 20 min transformed the GA into vacuolar aggregate. These vacuoles were not involved in endocytosis since they remained unstained after endocytosis of LFA. However, the lysosomes were involved in endocytosis, as they were strongly stained. Therefore, a RA-induced shift towards lysosomal routing of the entered LFA was presumed. Exposure to PMA made cells resistant to the Golgi-disturbing effects of RA, indicating that protein kinase C plays an important role in this process.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.2167-2175
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• 2015

Autophagy is a self-digestion process, wrapping cytoplasmic proteins or organelles to form vesicles for degradation in lysosomes. The process plays an important role in the maintenance of intracellular homostasis. Here we overview articles on autophagy and cancer/tumors in Pubmed and found 327 articles. Autophagy exists in many tumors and is involved in cell malignant transformation and tumor cell growth. In early phases of tumorigenesis, autophagy clears the abnormally folded proteins and dysfunctional organelles such as mitochondria. Autophagy can also inhibit cell stress responses and prevent genetic damage. When a tumor develops, autophagy helps tumor cells survive nutritional deficiencies and hypoxic conditions. Studies of autophagy in the occurrence and progression of tumors should provide new therapeutic strategies for tumors.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2018

Autophagy is an evolutionally conserved cytoplasmic degradation system in which varieties of materials are sequestered by a double membrane structure, autophagosome, and delivered to the lysosomes for the degradation. Due to the wide varieties of targets, autophagic activity is essential for cellular homeostasis. Recent genetic evidence indicates that autophagy has a crucial role in the regulation of animal lifespan. Basal level of autophagic activity is elevated in many longevity paradigms and the activity is required for lifespan extension. In most cases, genes involved in autophagy and lysosomal function are induced by several transcription factors including HLH-30/TFEB, PHA-4/FOXA and MML-1/Mondo in long-lived animals. Pharmacological treatments have been shown to extend lifespan through activation of autophagy, indicating autophagy could be a potential and promising target to modulate animal lifespan. Here we summarize recent progress regarding the role of autophagy in lifespan regulation.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.309-320
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• 1997

The spermatogenesis of korean leech, Whitmania edentula was observed, using both light and electron microscopes. The spermatogonium and maturing spermatozoon are connected with long cytoplasmic process to the cytophore, which supplys nutrition to the germ cells and supports synchronous maturity. The truck of korean leech is divided into three regions; a long ladder-shaped acrosome and head, long middle piece and long tail. Long head region twists to the dextral helix, and nuclei are surrounded with microtubules (manchette).The nebenkern formed with long mitochondrion exists in the middle pieces, and a long tail of Whitmania edentula ($9\times2+1$ axoneme) differs from the $9\times2+2$ axoneme of Rhynchobdellae. The late cytophore is mostly formed with crystalloid matter and a number of lysosomes, and matured spermatozooms are engulfed into the late cytophore.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.102-107
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• 2005

In this study, the ameliorating effect of soybean embryos on the impact of alcohol consumption was investigated on rat hepatocytes and in reducing total serum cholesterol levels and total serum lipid levels. Liver histology and two clinically important enzyme markers, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), of rats administered with both alcohol and soybean embryo were compared with a control group. The treatment regimen of soybean embryo significantly reduced the serum ALT and AST levels of the subjects, demonstrating the hepato-protective effects of soybean embryo. Electron microscopy indicated that the administration of soybean embryo preserved the important hepatocyte structures and prevented the presence of lipid droplets and secondary lysosomes. Furthermore, total cholesterol and total lipid levels were significantly reduced. These results indicate that treatment with soybean embryo can positively mediate the effects of alcohol on hepatocytes and general liver functions.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.411-420
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• 1996

A zinc-specific method (selenium method) has been employed to identify the zinc-containing cells in the cerebellum of the rats. When rats were allowed to survive 24 hours after the sodium selenite administration, zinc selenide reaction products formed in zinc-containing cellular boutons are retrogradely transported to the somata of those boutons. And the zinc selenide products accumulated in somata of the cells can be rendered visible by silver amplification of developer. Zinc-containing cells identified by the method were Bergmann glial and granule cells. Labeled zinc-containing cells were absent in molecular layer and white matter of the cerebellum. In ultrastructural level, the zinc selenide products were located in lysosomes of somata of the zinc-containing cells.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.8
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• pp.686-693
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• 2020

Autophagy is an intracellular degradation system that breaks down damaged organelles or damaged proteins using intracellular lysosomes. Recent studies have also revealed that various forms of selective autophagy play specific physiological roles under different cellular conditions. Lipid droplets, which are mainly found in adipocytes and hepatocytes, are dynamic organelles that store triglycerides and are critical to health. Lipophagy is a type of selective autophagy that targets lipid droplets and is an essential mechanism for maintaining homeostasis of lipid droplets. However, while processes that regulate lipid droplets such as lipolysis and lipogenesis are relatively well known, the major factors that control lipophagy remain largely unknown. This review introduces the underlying mechanism by which lipophagy is induced and regulated, and the current findings on the major roles of lipophagy in physiological and pathological status. These studies will provide basic insights into the function of lipophagy and may be useful for the development of new therapies for lipophagy dysfunction-related diseases.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.577-590
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• 1998

Puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) nephropathy was induced in a group of Sprague-Dawley rat by a single dose of intraperitoneal Injection to study an ultrastructural change of glomerulus. The experimental rats developed proteinuria three days after PAN injection. Electron microscopic studies of glomeruli showed the loss of epithelial foot processes, formation of cytoplasmic vacuoles, microvillous formation and increased numbers of lysosomes in the cytoplasm of podocytes. It is strongly suggested that proteinuria in PAN nephrosis may be primarily due to a glomerular epithelial lesion, leading to focal disarray of anionic sites or focal defects in the epithelial covering of the basement membrane. The loss of anionic sites in the basement membrane nay be caused by the foot process fusion and the epithelial detachment from the basement membrane.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.170-174
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• 2007

Granular cell tumor is a rare tumor of the soft tissue and this is characterized by proliferation of large cells with granular appearing eosinophilic cytoplasm. We report the imprint cytologic features of a case of granular cell tumor in the left calf of a 52-year-old woman. Microscopic examination showed moderate cellularity. The tumor cells were arranged both as single cells and in clusters. The cells were large polygonal-shaped and they had small round nuclei with finely granular chromatin and occasionally conspicuous nucleoli. The cytoplasm was abundant eosinophilic and granular. Naked nuclei and spindle-shaped tumor cells were occasionally noted. No mitosis and necrosis were present. The background showed cytoplasmic granular materials. The tumor cells showed positivity for S-100 protein. Ultrastructurally, abundant lysosomes were present in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells.