• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.489-495
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• 2000

The 185 ribosomal RNA gene (185 rDNA) of the marine alga Porphyra sp. 723 (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction and its sequence was analysed. The Porphyra species was a summer strain collected on rocks in upper intertidal zone at Ikidae, Pusan on 23rd July 1999. The fronds were $1{\~}5 cm$ long, monostromatic, and orbicular or ovate shaped, They had spinulate processes at margin of the frond, Comparison of this 185 rDNA sequence with the other Forphyra species indicates that Porphyra sp. 723 has the same 185 rDNA sequence derived from Porphyra suborbiculata (NCBI access number; AB 013180) except one base pair substitution in 2327 base pairs.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.687-692
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• 2010

The mass cultivation of Ecklonia cava Kjellman was studied as a potential biomass source for the extract industry in Korea. Experiments were conducted to investigate the optimal conditions for artificial seed production and mass cultivation of this species. Maximum growth and young thalli development in the nursery culture area occurred at 2 m depth, whereas maximum growth of thalli in the main culture area occurred at 1 m depth. Production of E. cava was between 2.6 and 3.6 kg wet wt. $m^{-1}$ after depth control and removal of fouling organism, etc. The relationship between optimal water depth for culture and underwater irradiance during the E. cava cultivation was calculated as: y = -0.718x + 8.042 ($r^2$=0.976). The growth rates achieved in this trial indicate that E. cava cultures could produce and supply sufficient biomass.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.194-198
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• 2004

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the pathogenesis of many human degenerative diseases such as cancer, aging, arteriosclerosis, and rheumatism. Much attention has been focused on the development of safe and effective antioxidants. To discover sources of antioxidative activity in marine algae, extracts from 17 kinds of seaweed were screened for their inhibitory effect on total ROS generation in kidney homogenate using 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA). ROS inhibition was seen in three species: UIva pertusa, Symphyocladia latiuscula, and Ecklonia stolonifera. At a final concentration of 25 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL, U. pertusa inhibited 85.65$\pm$20.28％ of total ROS generation, S. latiscula caused 50.63$\pm$0.09％ inhibitory, and the Ecklonia species was 44.30$\pm$7.33％ inhibition. E. stolonifera OKAMURA (Lam-inariaceae), which belongs to the brown algae, has been further investigated because it is commonly used as a foodstuff in Korea. Five compounds, phloroglucinol (1), eckstolonol (2), eckol (3), phlorofucofuroeckol A (4), and dieckol (5), isolated from the ethyl acetate soluble fraction of the methanolic extrclct of E. stolonifera inhibited total ROS generation.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.250-254
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• 1998

Harmful micro algae isolated from Korean coastal waters, were tested with FITC-conjugated lectins and observed by epifluorescent microscopy to distinguish each other. Strain-specific sugar composition at the cell surface was suggested by the affinity of lectins to different microalgae. The micro algae Cochlodinium polykrikoides (CP-1) and Gymnodinium $A_3\;(GA_{3-1}\;1)$, are morphologically similar, but exhibited different binding activity with the lectins ECA, HPA and WGA. In Peridiniales, the micro alga Alexandrium tamarense (AT) bound HPA and WGA, but Scrippsiella trochoidea (ST-1) did not bind those lectins. Three species of Prorocentrum also exhibited different binding specificity with HPA, PHA and SBA. A non­toxic Korean isolate of Heterosigma akashiwo (HA-2) bound ConA, PEA and UEA. These results suggest that lectins are useful in discriminating morphologically similar species, as well as different species or strains within the same genus.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.149-164
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• 1985

Intertidal algal community of Muchangpo in western coast of Korea was investigated qualitatively and quantitatively. Seasonal changes of algal occurrence, dominant species in cover, vertical zonation pattern and biomass were analysed. A total of sixty-four species of marine algae, one blue-green alga, three green algae, nineteen brown algae and forty-one red algae, were identified. The dominant species in cover were Sargassum thunbergii, Gelidium divaricatum and Pelvetia siliquosa throughout the year. Gloiopeltis furcata was abundant at upper and middle littoral zones and Corallina pilulifera at lower littoral zone. Classification by unweighted pair-group average method and ordination by reciprocal averaging based on the cover data indicated that, on the whole, the intertidal algal vegetation showed different patterns along tidal levels. Seasonal fluctuations of mean biomass were 57.2~92.8 g-dry/$m^2$, and the highest in summer and the lowest in spring season. Seasonal change of community structure was also discussed.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.361-365
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• 2005

In this study, we chronicle the establishment of a novel transformation system for the unicellular marine green alga, Dunaliella salina. We introduced the CaMV35S promoter-GUS construct into D. salina with a PDS1000/He micro-particle bombardment system. Forty eight h after transformation, via histochemical staining, we observed the transient expression of GUS in D. salina cells which had been bombarded under rupture-disc pressures of 450 psi and 900 psi. We observed no GUS activity in either the negative or the blank controls. Our findings indicated that the micro-particle bombardment method constituted a feasible approach to the genetic transformation of D. salina. We also conducted tests of the cells' sensitivity to seven antibiotics and one herbicide, and our results suggested that 20 ${\mu}g$/ ml of Basta could inhibit cell growth completely. The bar gene, which encodes for phosphinothricin acetyltransferase and confers herbicide tolerance, was introduced into the cells via the above established method. The results of PCR and PCR-Southern blot analyses indicated that the gene was successfully integrated into the genome of the transformants.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.516-521
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• 2003

Optimal conditions of protoplast isolation from the seaweed Prophyra pseudolinearis have been described. The P. pseudolinearis is one of indigenous and dominant Porphyra species in the East Sea region. Protoplasts have been released by enzymatic treatment of 2% agarase and 2% hemicellulase in 25mM MES buffer, pH 6.0 containing 0.5 M sorbitol. The protoplasts could be fused with neutral red-stained protoplasts of P. okamurae by the addition of polyethylene glycol 8000 solution.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.11-20
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• 2019

Ecklonia cava, an edible marine brown alga (Laminariaceae), is a rich source of bioactive compounds such as fucoidan and phlorotannins. Ecklonia cava extract (ECE) was prepared using 70% ethanol extraction and ECE contained 67% and 10.6% of total phlorotannins and dieckol, respectively. ECE treatment significantly inhibited receptor activator of nuclear $factor-{\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation of RAW 264.7 cells and pit formation in bone resorption assay (p <0.05). Moreover, it suppressed RANKL-induced $NF-{\kappa}B$ and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling in a dose dependent manner. Downregulated osteoclast-specific gene (tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase, cathepsin K, and matrix metalloproteinase-9) expression and osteoclast proliferative transcriptional factors (nuclear factor of activated T cells-1 and c-fos) confirmed ECE-mediated suppression of osteoclastogenesis. ECE treatment ($100{\mu}g/ml$) increased heme oxygenase-1 expression by 2.5-fold and decreased intercellular reactive oxygen species production during osteoclastogenesis. The effective inhibition of RANKL-stimulated osteoclast differentiation and oxidative stress by ECE suggest that ECE has therapeutic potential in alleviating osteoclast-associated disorders.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.29-39
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• 2020

In this study, we investigated the inhibitory potential of an ethanol extract of Carpomitra costata (EECC) (Stackhouse) Batters, a brown alga, against neuroinflammatory responses in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV2 microglia. Our results showed that EECC significantly suppressed the LPS-induced secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators, including nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E₂, with no significant cytotoxic effects. EECC also inhibited the LPS-induced expression of their regulatory enzymes, such as inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. In addition, EECC downregulated the LPS-induced expression and production of the proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β. In the mechanistic assessment of the antineuroinflammatory effects, EECC was found to inhibit the nuclear translocation and DNA binding of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) by disrupting the degradation of the κB-α inhibitor in the cytoplasm. Moreover, EECC effectively suppressed the enhanced expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and myeloid differentiation factor 88, as well as the binding of LPS to TLR4 in LPS-treated BV2 cells. Furthermore, EECC markedly reduced the LPS-induced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), demonstrating a strong antioxidative effect. Collectively, these results suggest that EECC repressed LPS-mediated inflammatory action in the BV2 microglia through the inactivation of NF-κB signaling by antagonizing TLR4 and/or preventing ROS accumulation. While further studies are needed to fully understand the anti-inflammatory effects associated with the antioxidant activity of EECC, the current findings suggest that EECC has a potential advantage in inhibiting the onset and treatment of neuroinflammatory diseases.

• ALGAE
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.241-246
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• 2015

This research was conducted to develop effective and safe marine-derived antiviral compounds against norovirus. The ethyl acetate (EtOAc)-extract from Eisenia bicyclis exhibited strong antiviral activity against murine norovirus (MNV) as a norovirus surrogate. Among the phlorotannins from E. bicyclis, dieckol (DE) and phlorofucofuroeckol-A (PFF) were known to possess the strongest antibacterial activity. In this study, DE and PFF were evaluated for antiviral activity against MNV. DE and PFF exhibited strong anti-MNV activity with 50% effective concentration ($EC_{50}$) of $0.9{\mu}M$. However, PFF exhibited more effective antiviral activity against MNV with higher selective index (668.87) than that of DE (550.60), due to its lower cell toxicity against RAW 264.7. This is the first report on the anti-MNV activity of phlorotannins from seaweed. The results obtained in this study suggest that the phlorotannins could be used as a potential source of natural antiviral agents.