• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.49-52
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• 2008

Parkinson's disease is characterized by motor disturbances and dopaminergic neurodegeneration. parkin and PINK1, two most critical Parkinson's disease-associated genes, have been intensively studied to address the underlying molecular pathogenesis of the disease, but our understanding still remains unclear. Through generation and characterization of Drosophila mutants for PINK1, we show that PINK1 is required for mitochondrial integrity and function in both indirect flight muscles and dopaminergic neurons. Surprisingly, we find that PINK1 mutants share striking phenotypic similarities with parkin mutants. Indeed, transgenic expression of parkin dramatically ameliorates all PINK1 loss-of-function phenotypes, but not vice versa, implicating that Parkin acts downstream of PINK1 in maintaining mitochondrial integrity and function in both muscles and dopaminergic neurons. With the establishment of the PINK1-Parkin pathway, we are trying to further investigate the detailed molecular relationship between PINK1 and Parkin using both mammalian dopaminergic neuronal cells for biochemical analysis and Drosophila model animal for genetic analysis. We believe that elucidating the molecular function of Parkinson's disease-associated genes will be of big help for the ultimate understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of this disease and also for the development of effective drugs for Parkinson's disease.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.10
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• pp.494-499
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• 2022

PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) is a serine/threonine kinase that phosphorylates several substrates and exerts neuroprotective effects against stress-induced apoptotic cell death. Mutations in PINK1 have been linked to autosomal recessive forms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Mitophagy is a type of autophagy that selectively promotes mitochondrial turnover and prevents the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria to maintain cellular homeostasis. Toll-interacting protein (Tollip) was initially identified as a negative regulator of IL-1β receptor signaling, suppressing inflammatory TLR signaling cascades. Recently, Tollip has been reported to play a role in autophagy and is implicated in neurodegeneration. In this study, we determined whether Tollip was functionally linked to PINK1-mediated mitophagy. Our results demonstrated that Tollip promoted the mitochondrial processing of PINK1 and altered the localization of PINK1, predominantly to the cytosol. This action was attributed to increased binding of PINK1 to mitochondrial processing peptidase β (MPPβ) and the subsequent increase in MPPβ-mediated mitochondrial PINK1 cleavage. Furthermore, Tollip suppressed mitophagy following carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. These findings suggest that Tollip inhibits mitophagy via the PINK1/parkin pathway upon mitochondrial damage, leading to the blockade of PINK1-mediated neuroprotection.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.295-299
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• 2007

These experiments were carried out to examine efficacy of soil solarization for control of pink root disease by means of mulching with transparent polyethylene sheets in the hot season. The effects of soil solarization on incidence of pink-root disease caused by Pyrenochaeta terrestris and on onion growth and on populations of soil fungi were investigated. Solarization was dramatically effective in reducing pink root incidence in onion seedling and harvested onion bulb. A 30-day and 40-day solarization treatment significantly improved seedling survival and increased yield of 'Changnyeong-deago' onion while decreasing incidence of pink root. Populations of soil fungi from fields planted to onion were assayed on selective media. Solarization treatment was effective in reducing populations of P. terrestris, Pythium spp., and Rhizoctonia sp. in soil. Increase of yield of onion bulbs was associated with control of soil-borne pathogenic fungi. Soil solarization had beneficial effects on yield, bulb diameter, or incidence of pink root.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.195-199
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• 2003

Pink root of onion occurred in the fields of the Onion Experimental Station and in the main onion cultivation area in Korea in 1998 and 1999, respectively. The casual fungus of pink root was isolated only from apricot agar. Formation of pycnidia and pycnidiospores of the fungus was highest in alternating cycles of 12 hours near ultraviolet light and 12 hours in dark condition. Its morphological characteristics and pigment formation on water agar were identical with that of Pyrenochaeta terrestris. The optimum temperature for the growth of the fungus and disease development was $25-28^{\circ}C$. When onion seeds were inoculated with the spore suspension, incubated in test-tube and sown in potted soil, disease symptoms developed in onion roots 7 and 30 days after inoculation.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.9
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• pp.2645-2648
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• 2014

In this paper ultrafine copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) were prepared from copper salt via chemical reduction method with sodium citrate dispersant and polyvinylalcol (PVA) capping polymer. The colloidal CuNPs were characterized by using UV-Visible spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) techniques. Our obtained results indicated that the CuNPs were produced ranging from 2 to 4 nm in diameter. The colloidal solution at 7 ppm of CuNPs exhibited a powerful antifungal activity against Corticium salmonicolor (C. Salmonicolor). Fungal killing assays showed colloid solutions containing 10 ppm of CuNPs killed entirely the cultured fungus. A highly killing activity against the fungus was also performed when the CuNPs were sprayed on pink disease-infected rubber trees. These positive results may offer a great potential to produce CuNPs-based eco-fungicide for pink disease.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.104-109
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• 2007

Pink root disease of onion, a known worldwide constraint upon onion production, significantly reduces crop levels in the main Korea cultivation area. In order to examine the effect of flooding on incidence of pink root disease caused by Pyrenochaeta terrestris and on onion growth and on populations of soil fungi, field experiments were conducted during two seasons, 2003/04 and 2004/05 at Onion Research Institute. Populations of soil fungi from fields were assayed on selective media. Flooding treatment was effective in reducing populations of P. terrestris, Pythium spp., and Rhizoctonia sp. in soil; fungal populations in soils flooded for 90 days were reduced to 1/2 to 1/3 of those in non-flooded soils. In nursery bed, protective activities of soils flooded for over 60 days were 93.5 to 99.2% and their pink root incidences were less than 5%, which were 1/11 to 1/18 of that in control. Increased yield of onion bulbs was associated with control of soil borne pathogenic fungi by flooding treatments. As flooding period was prolonged, bulb grade showed the tendency to increase. Soil flooding for over 60 days resulted in effective disease control, facilitated accurate planning of plant population in the field, extension of the growing-season and consequently higher yields of better quality.

• Mycobiology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.224-226
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• 2001

Inflorescence of Allium thunbergii was found to be severely infected with Fusarium sp. The flower was covered with the fungus and eventually failed to form seeds. The causal fungus was identified as F. proliferatum(Matsushima) Nirenberg based on the cultural and morphological characteristics. Pathogenicity of the fungus was proved by artificial inoculation onto the healthy plants. This is the first record of this disease from Korea.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.232-341
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• 2011

Pink snow mold, caused by Microdochium nivale, is a major disease on cool season turfgrasses in golf courses in northern Unites States. The relative susceptibility of 17 commercial cultivars of three bentgrass species (creeping, colonial and velvet bentgrass) to Microdochium nivale and the aggressiveness of M. nivale eight isolates obtained from infected turfgrasses on golf courses in Wisconsin were evaluated under controlled conditions. For the field trial, susceptibility of 2 year-old 12 commercial bentgrass cultivars was evaluated after inoculating three M. nivale isolates in the fields. There were significant differences in disease severities among the three bentgrass species, particularly between tetraploids (creeping and colonial) and diploid (velvet) species, and among cultivars within each species, indicating that there are varying levels of susceptibility in species and cultivars to M. nivale. Host resistance by days of cold hardening was confirmed, by detecting the resistance by 30 days of cold hardening treatments. In field trial, susceptibility of 12 bentgrass cultivars was highly correlated to the results obtained from growth chamber experiments. The positive correlation of the susceptibility between growth chamber experiments and field trials demonstrates that the growth chamber method is a useful technique for saving time, space and labor to evaluate efficiently pink snow mold susceptibility of bentgrass cultivars. This study could be applied to evaluating susceptibility of bentgrass to pink snow mold and also predicting a prospective evaluation of bentgrass cultivars to pink snow mold in fields in a breeding program.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.396-398
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• 2012

Pink mold rot of tomato occurred very severly on tomato farm in Paju, Gyounggi Province, Korea, in July 2005. The infected fruits were dropped and abandoned and the symptoms were similar to calcium deficient tomatoes. But symptom was a slight water-soaked area on or near the blossom end of the fruit and firm greyish-brown lesions were most found at the blossom-end of affected fruits. lesions caused by the pink mold fungus possess a water soaked margin and rise to characteristic orange-pink spores. Also when the diseased tomato was cut, the inside of tomatoes showed completely rotted with pink mold. The causal fungus was identified as Trichothecium roseum based on mycological characteristics. This is the first report of T. roseum infecting greenhouse tomatoes in Korea.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.448-457
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• 2023

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common form of dementia, and impaired mitophagy is a hallmark of AD. Mitophagy is mitochondrial-specific autophagy. Ginsenosides from Ginseng involve in autophagy in cancer. Ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1 hereafter), a single compound of Ginseng, has neuroprotective effects on AD. However, few studies have reported whether Rg1 can ameliorate AD pathology by regulating mitophagy. Methods: Human SH-SY5Y cell and a 5XFAD mouse model were used to investigate the effects of Rg1. Rg1 (1µM) was added to β-amyloid oligomer (AβO)-induced or APPswe-overexpressed cell models for 24 hours. 5XFAD mouse models were intraperitoneally injected with Rg1 (10 mg/kg/d) for 30 days. Expression levels of mitophagy-related markers were analyzed by western blot and immunofluorescent staining. Cognitive function was assessed by Morris water maze. Mitophagic events were observed using transmission electron microscopy, western blot, and immunofluorescent staining from mouse hippocampus. The activation of the PINK1/Parkin pathway was examined using an immunoprecipitation assay. Results: Rg1 could restore mitophagy and ameliorate memory deficits in the AD cellular and/or mouse model through the PINK1-Parkin pathway. Moreover, Rg1 might induce microglial phagocytosis to reduce β-amyloid (Aβ) deposits in the hippocampus of AD mice. Conclusion: Our studies demonstrate the neuroprotective mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 in AD models. Rg1 induces PINK-Parkin mediated mitophagy and ameliorates memory deficits in 5XFAD mouse models.