• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.847-854
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• 2016

Cordycepin, a derivative of the nucleoside adenosine, is one of the active components extracted from fungi of genus Cordyceps, and has been shown to have many pharmacological activities. In this study, we investigated the effects of cordycepin on proliferation and apoptosis of human gastric cancer AGS cells, and its possible mechanism of action. Treatment of cordycepin resulted in significant decrease in cell viability of AGS cells in a concentration-dependent manner. A concentration-dependent apoptotic cell death was also measured by agarose gel electrophoresis and flow cytometery analysis. Molecular mechanistic studies of apoptosis unraveled cordycepin treatment resulted in an enhanced expression of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, death receptor 5 and Fas ligand. Furthermore, up-regulation of pro-apoptotic Bax, and down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression were also observed in cordycepin-treated AGS cells. These were followed by activation of caspases (caspase-9, -8 and -3), subsequently leading to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Taken together, these findings indicate that cordycepin induces apoptosis in AGS cells through regulation of multiple apoptotic pathways, including death receptor and mitochondria. Although further mechanical studies are needed, our results revealed that cordycepin can be regarded as a new effective and chemopreventive compound for human gastric cancer treatment.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.312-316
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• 2000

Crude xylooligosaccharides(XO) were separated with a cellulose membrane (10,000 molecular weight cut-off). Flux variation was measured at transmembrane pressures of 5, 10, 20 and 30 psi, while flow rates were maintained at 100, 200, 300 and 400 ml/min and temperatures at 10, 20, 23-25 and $30^{\circ}C$. Optimal conditions were found at the transmembrane pressure of 20 psi, the flow rate of 300 ml/min and the temperature of $23-25^{\circ}C$, where the flux was decreasing with time by 62% after 200 min. Total sugar, total solid and ash contents were rather independent of ultrafiltration but protein was removed up to 55% from crude XO. Especially, the use of ultrafiltration was very effective for decolorization (84%) of crude XO. These results suggest that ultrafiltration is a useful method for the primary purification of XO.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.132-138
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• 1998

To improve functional properties and enhance application of FPC in food industry, modified salmon FPC with enzyme treatment was produced and its general properties were investigated. Salmon FPC has over $84\%$ of protein and less than $0.18\%$ of lipid. Solubilities of FPC extracted with IPA and ethanol were very poor as less than $3\%$ in every pH range. In case of enzyme : substrate ratio of 1 : 100, degree of hydrolysis significantly increased until 4 hours and then slightly increased. No considerable differences were observed in general components of hydrolysates. Results of SDS-PAGE showed one unique band in each case and their molecular weight was less than 6,500. The flow properties of hydrolysates showed newtonian flow. Whiteness of hydrolysates were higher than that of salmon FPC as $5\~7$. There was no significant differences in the amount of peptide, but that of free amino acid slightly increased from 0.17 to 0.21 mg/ml.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.361-370
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• 2016

An area comprising Juwangsan National Park and its adjacent mountains (southeastern Korean Peninsula) is a good model system for testing the effects of physical barriers to gene flows in plant populations. We predicted that plant species consisting of isolated populations are genetically more differentiated than those that are rather continuously distributed. Most populations of Sedum polytrichoides occur in four isolated valleys, and we assessed the genetic variability and structures using twelve allozyme loci in ten populations. We also compared the present results to earlier findings pertaining to the two co-occurring herbs Hylotelephium ussuriense (${\equiv}$ Sedum ussuriense) (growing only in the four isolated valleys) and S. kamtschaticum (rather continuously distributed). We found moderate levels of within-population genetic variation in S. polytrichoides ($H_{e}=0.112$). Estimates of among-population divergence in S. polytrichoides were also moderate ($F_{ST}=0.250$) and, as expected, very similar to that of H. ussuriense (0.261) but considerably higher than the variation in S. kamtschaticum (0.165). An analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that S. polytrichoides and H. ussuriense had higher percentages of among-valley variation (19% each) than S. kamtschaticum (4%). Most of this variation, as also indicated by the STRUCTURE program, was due to differences in genetic profiles between the two central valleys. We concluded that the genetic differences observed between species (S. kamtschaticum vs. S. polytrichoides and H. ussuriense) are mainly due to differences in their distribution within the study area.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.957-966
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• 2021

Objective: Ovarian follicular development, which dependent on the proliferation and differentiation of granulosa cells (GCs), is a complex biological process in which miRNA plays an important role. Our previous study showed that miR-458b-5p is associated with ovarian follicular development in chicken. The detailed function and molecular mechanism of miR-458b-5p in GCs is unclear. Methods: The luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the targeting relationship between miR-458b-5p and catenin beta-1 (CTNNB1), which is an important transcriptional regulatory factor of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. The cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, flow cytometry with propidium iodide (PI) and annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labeling were applied to explore the effect of miR-458b-5p on proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis of chicken GCs. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels. Results: We demonstrated that the expression of miR-458b-5p and CTNNB1 showed the opposite relationship in GCs and theca cells of hierarchical follicles. The luciferase reporter assay confirmed that CTNNB1 is the direct target of miR-458b-5p. Using CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry with PI and Annexin V-FITC labeling, we observed that transfection with the miR-458b-5p mimics significantly reduced proliferation and has no effects on apoptosis of chicken GCs. In addition, miR-458b-5p decreased the mRNA and protein expression of CD44 molecule and matrix metallopeptidase 7, which are the downstream effectors of CTNNB1 in Wnt/β-Catenin pathway and play functional roles in cell proliferation. Conclusion: Taken together, the data indicate that miR-458b-5p regulates ovarian GCs proliferation through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by targeting CTNNB1, suggesting that miR-458b-5p and its target gene CTNNB1 may potentially play a role in chicken ovarian follicular development.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.475-483
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• 2019

Special chemical warfare agents are lethal gases that attack the human respiratory system. One of such gases are blood agents that react with the irons present in the electron transfer system of the human body. This reaction stops internal respiration and eventually causes death. The molecular sizes of these agents are smaller than the pores of an activated carbon, making chemical adsorption the only alternative method for removing them. In this study, we carried out a Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation by passing a blood agent: cyanogen chloride gas through an SG-1 gas mask canister developed by SG Safety Corporation. The adsorption bed consisted of a Silver-Zinc-Molybdenum-Triethylenediamine activated carbon impregnated with copper, silver, zinc and molybdenum ions. The kinetic analysis of the chemical adsorption was performed in accordance with the test procedure for the gas mask canister and was validated by the kinetic data obtained from experimental results. We predicted the dynamic behaviors of the main variables such as the pressure drop inside the canister and the amount of gas adsorbed by chemisorption. By using a granular packed bed instead of the Ergun equation that is used to model porous materials in Computational Fluid Dynamics, applicable results of the activated carbon were obtained. Dynamic simulations and flow analyses of the chemical adsorption with varying gas flow rates were also executed.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.698-702
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• 1998

Propentofylline (PPF, 3-methyl-1-(5-oxohexyl)-7-propylxanthine) has been reported to be effective for the treatment of both vascular dementia and dementia of the Alzheimer type. The pharmacological effects of PPF may be exerted via the stimulation of nerve growth factor, increased cerebral blood flow, and inhibition of adenosine uptake. The objectives of this experiment are to determine the kinetic behavior of PPF, to identify, and to quantify its metabolite in human. Blood samples were obtained from human volunteers following oral administration of 200mg of PPF tablets. For the identification and quantification of the metabolite, 3-methyl-1-(5-hydroxyhexyl)-7-propylxanthine (PPFOH), PPFOH was synthesized and identified by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) and $^1H$-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The molecular weight of synthesized metabolite is 308 dalton. The PPF and PPFOH in plasma were extracted with diethyl ether and identified by electron impact GC/MS. The plasma concentrations of PPF and PPFOH were determined by gas chromatography/nitrogen phosphorus detector in plasma and their pharmacokinetic parameters were determined. The mean half-life of PPF was 0.74 hr. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of PPF and PPFOH were 508 and 460ng.hr/ml, respectively. $C_{max}$ of PPF was about 828.4ng/ml and the peak concentration was achieved at about 2.2 hr ($T_{max}$). These results indicate that PPF is rapidly disappeared from blood due to extensive metabolism into PPFOH.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.323-328
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• 2007

SOX (Sry-related HMG box) family proteins, which have an evolutionarily conserved DNA binding domain, have crucial roles in cell differentiation. However, their target genes remain enigmatic. Some members of the SOX family may have roles in regulation of cell proliferation. We established stable NT2/D1 cell lines overexpressing SOX15 (SOX15-NT2/D1), and a modified 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay showed that the SOX15-NT2/D1 cells exhibited significantly slower growth than the controls. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that an increased fraction of the SOX15-NT2/D1 cells were in G1-G0. In addition, a microarray analysis identified 26 genes that were up-regulated in the SOX15-NT2/D1 cells, but none that were down-regulated genes. Among the up-regulated genes, IGFBP5, S100A4, ID2, FABP5, MTSS1, PDCD4 have been shown to be related to cell proliferation and/or the cell cycle.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.27-31
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• 2008

The optimization of submerged culture conditions for mycelial growth and exopolysaccharide (EPS) production in an edible mushroom Tremella fuciformis were studied in shake flasks and bioreactors. The temperature of $28^{\circ}C$ and pH 8 in the beginning of fermentation in agitated flasks was the most efficient condition to obtain maximum mycelial biomass and EPS. The optimal medium constituents were as follows (g l-1): glucose 20, tryptone 2, $KH_2PO_4$ 0.46, $K_2HPO_4$ 1 and $MgSO_4H_2O$ 0.5. The fungus was cultivated under various agitation and aeration conditions in a 5L stirred-tank bioreactor. The maximum cell mass and EPS production were obtained at a relatively high agitation speed of 200 rpm and at an aeration rate of 2 vvm. The flow behavior of the fermentation broth was Newtonian and the maximum apparent viscosity (35 cP) was observed at a highly aerated condition (2 vvm). The EPS productivity in an airlift reactor was higher than that in the stirred-tank reactor. The EPS was protein-bound polysaccharides consisted of mainly mannose, xylose, and fructose. The molecular weights of EPS were determined to be $1.3{\sim}1.5{\times}10^6$.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.324-329
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• 2015

CopA3 is a homodimeric ${\alpha}$-helical peptide derived from coprisin which is a defensin-like antimicrobial peptide that was identified from the dung beetle, Copris tripartitus. CopA3 has been reported to have anticancer activity against leukemia cancer cells. In the present study, we investigated the anticancer activity of CopA3 in human gastric cancer cells. CopA3 reduced cell viability and it was cytotoxic to gastric cancer cells in the MTS and LDH release assay, respectively. CopA3 was shown to induce necrotic cell death of the gastric cancer cells by flow cytometric analysis and acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining. CopA3-induced cell death was mediated by specific interactions with phosphatidylserine, a membrane component of cancer cells. Taken together, these data indicated that CopA3 mainly caused necrosis of gastric cancer cells, probably through interactions with phosphatidylserine, which suggests the potential utility of CopA3 as a cancer therapeutic. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(6): 324-329]