• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.211-216
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• 2008

TREK (TWIK-RElated $K^+$ channels) and TRAAK (TWIK-Related Arachidonic acid Activated $K^+$ channels) were expressed in COS-7 cells, and the channel activities were recorded from inside-out membrane patches using holding potential of - 40 mV in symmetrical 150 mM $K^+$ solution. Intracellular application of an oxidizing agent, 5,5'-dithio-bis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB), markedly decreased the activity of the TREK2, and the activity was partially reversed by the reducing agent, dithiothreitol (DTT). In order to examine the possibility that the target sites for the oxidizing agents might be located in the C-terminus of TREK2, two chimeras were constructed: TREK2 (1-383)/TASK3C and TREK2 (1-353)/TASK3C. The channel activity in the TREK2 (1-383)/TASK3C chimera was still inhibited by DTNB, but not in the TREK2 (1-353)/TASK3C chimera. These results indicate that TREK2 is inhibited by oxidation, and that the target site for oxidation is located between the amino acid residues 353 and 383 in the C-terminus of the TREK2 protein.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.110-110
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• 2017

Stomata are the main gateways for water and air transport between leaves and the environment. Inward-rectifying potassium channels regulate photo-induced stomatal opening. Rice contains three inward rectifying shaker-like potassium channel proteins, OsKAT1, OsKAT2 and OsKAT3. Among these, only OsKAT2 is specifically expressed in guard cells. Here, we investigated the functions of OsKAT2 in stomatal regulation using three dominant negative mutant proteins, OsKAT2(T235R), OsKAT2(T285A) and OsKAT2(T285D), which are altered in amino acids in the channel pore and at a phosphorylation site. Yeast complementation and patch clamp assays showed that all three mutant proteins lost channel activity. However, among plants overexpressing these mutant proteins, only plants overexpressing OsKAT2(T235R) showed significantly less water loss than the control. Moreover, overexpression of this mutant protein led to delayed photo-induced stomatal opening and increased drought tolerance. Our results indicate that OsKAT2 is an inward-rectifying shaker-like potassium channel that mainly functions in stomatal opening. Interestingly, overexpression of OsKAT2(T235R) did not cause serious defects in growth or yield in rice, suggesting that OsKAT2 is a potential target for engineering plants with improved drought tolerance without yield penalty.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2018

$K^+$ channels are key components of the primary and secondary basolateral $Cl^-$ pump systems, which are important for secretion from the salivary glands. Paroxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) for psychiatric disorders that can induce QT prolongation, which may lead to torsades de pointes. We studied the effects of paroxetine on a human $K^+$ channel, human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG), expressed in Xenopus oocytes and on action potential in guinea pig ventricular myocytes. The hERG encodes the pore-forming subunits of the rapidly-activating delayed rectifier $K^+$ channel ($I_{Kr}$) in the heart. Mutations in hERG reduce $I_{Kr}$ and cause type 2 long QT syndrome (LQT2), a disorder that predisposes individuals to life-threatening arrhythmias. Paroxetine induced concentration-dependent decreases in the current amplitude at the end of the voltage steps and hERG tail currents. The inhibition was concentration-dependent and time-dependent, but voltage-independent during each voltage pulse. In guinea pig ventricular myocytes held at $36^{\circ}C$, treatment with $0.4{\mu}M$ paroxetine for 5 min decreased the action potential duration at 90% of repolarization ($APD_{90}$) by 4.3%. Our results suggest that paroxetine is a blocker of the hERG channels, providing a molecular mechanism for the arrhythmogenic side effects of clinical administration of paroxetine.

• Carbon letters
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.161-166
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• 2012

Carbon materials were synthesized by pyrolysis from fibers of Corn-straw (Zea mays), Rice-straw (Oryza sativa), Jute-straw (Corchorus capsularis) Bamboo (Bombax bambusa), Bagass (Saccharum officinarum), Cotton (Bombax malabaricum), and Coconut (Cocos nucifera); these materials were characterized by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectra. All carbon materials are micro sized with large pores or channel like morphology. The unique complex spongy, porous and channel like structure of Carbon shows a lot of similarity with the original anatomy of the plant fibers used as precursor. Waxy contents like tyloses and pits present on fiber tracheids that were seen in the inherent anatomy disappear after pyrolysis and only the carbon skeleton remained; XRD analysis shows that carbon shows the development of a (002) plane, with the exception of carbon obtained from bamboo, which shows a very crystalline character. Raman studies of all carbon materials showed the presence of G- and D-bands of almost equal intensities, suggesting the presence of graphitic carbon as well as a disordered graphitic structure. Carbon materials possessing lesser density, larger surface area, more graphitic with less of an $sp^3$ carbon contribution, and having pore sizes around $10{\mu}m$ favor hydrogen adsorption. Carbon materials synthesized from bagass meet these requirements most effectively, followed by cotton fiber, which was more effective than the carbon synthesized from the other plant fibers.

• Clean Technology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.249-257
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• 2022

The adsorption equilibria of nitrogen on a region of nanoporous carbonaceous adsorbent with local molecular orientation (LMO) were calculated by grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation at 77.16 K. Regions of LMO of identical size were arranged on a regular lattice with uniform spacing. Microporosity was predominately introduced to the model by removing successive out-of-plane domains from the regions of LMO and tilting pores were generated by tilting the basic structure units. This pore structure is a more realistic model than slit-shaped pores for studying adsorption in nanoporous carbon adsorbents. Their porosities, surface areas, and pore size distributions according to constrained nonlinear optimization were also reported. The adsorption in slit shaped pores was also reported for reference. In the slit shaped pores, a clear hysteresis loop was observed in pores of greater than 5 times the nitrogen molecule size, and in capillary condensation and reverse condensation, evaporation occurred immediately at one pressure. In the LMO pore model, three series of local condensations at the basal slip plane, armchair slip plane and interconnected channel were observed during adsorption at pore sizes greater than about 6 times the nitrogen molecular size. In the hysteresis loop, on the other hand, evaporation occurred at one or two pressures during desorption.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2005

Hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) causes oxidative stress and is considered as an inducer of cell death in various tissues. Two-pore domain $K^+$ ($K_{2p}$) channels may mediate $K^+$ efflux during apoptotic volume decreases (AVD) in zygotes and in mouse embryos. In the present study, we sought to elucidate linkage between $K_{2p}$ channels and cell death by $H_2O_2$. Thus $K_{2p}$ channels (TASK-1, TASK-3, TREK-1, TREK-2) were stably transfected in HEK-293 cells, and cytotoxicity assay was preformed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). Cell survival rates were calculated using the cytotoxicity assay data and dose-response curve was fitted to the $H_2O_2$ concentration. Ionic currents were recorded in cell-attached mode. The bath solution was the normal Ringer solution and the pipette solution was high $K^+$ solution. In HEK-293 cells expressing TREK-1, TREK-2, TASK-3, $H_2O_2$ induced cell death did not change in comparison to non-transfected HEK-293. In HEK-293 cells expressing TASK-1, however, dose-response curve was significantly shifted to the left. It means that $H_2O_2$ induced cell death was increased. In cell attached-mode recording, application of $H_2O_2$ (300μM) increased activity of all $K_{2p}$ channels. However, a low concentration of $H_2O_2$ ($50{\mu}M$) increased only TASK-1 channel activity. These results indicate that TASK-1 might participate in $K^+$ efflux by $H_2O_2$ at low concentration, thereby inducing AVD.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.71-80
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• 2018

In patients with epilepsy, depression is a common comorbidity but difficult to be treated because many antidepressants cause pro-convulsive effects. Thus, it is important to identify the risk of seizures associated with antidepressants. To determine whether paroxetine, a very potent selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), interacts with ion channels that modulate neuronal excitability, we examined the effects of paroxetine on Kv3.1 potassium channels, which contribute to high-frequency firing of interneurons, using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Kv3.1 channels were cloned from rat neurons and expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Paroxetine reversibly reduced the amplitude of Kv3.1 current, with an $IC_{50}$ value of $9.43{\mu}M$ and a Hill coefficient of 1.43, and also accelerated the decay of Kv3.1 current. The paroxetine-induced inhibition of Kv3.1 channels was voltage-dependent even when the channels were fully open. The binding ($k_{+1}$) and unbinding ($k_{-1}$) rate constants for the paroxetine effect were $4.5{\mu}M^{-1}s^{-1}$ and $35.8s^{-1}$, respectively, yielding a calculated $K_D$ value of $7.9{\mu}M$. The analyses of Kv3.1 tail current indicated that paroxetine did not affect ion selectivity and slowed its deactivation time course, resulting in a tail crossover phenomenon. Paroxetine inhibited Kv3.1 channels in a use-dependent manner. Taken together, these results suggest that paroxetine blocks the open state of Kv3.1 channels. Given the role of Kv3.1 in fast spiking of interneurons, our data imply that the blockade of Kv3.1 by paroxetine might elevate epileptic activity of neural networks by interfering with repetitive firing of inhibitory neurons.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.379-385
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• 2016

TWIK-related $K^+$ channel-2 (TREK-2) and TWIK-related spinal cord $K^+$ (TRESK) channel are members of two-pore domain $K^+$ channel family. They are well expressed and help to set the resting membrane potential in sensory neurons. Modulation of TREK-2 and TRESK channels are involved in the pathogenesis of pain, and specific activators of TREK-2 and TRESK may be beneficial for the treatment of pain symptoms. However, the effect of commonly used analgesics on TREK-2 and TRESK channels are not known. Here, we investigated the effect of analgesics on TREK-2 and TRESK channels. The effects of analgesics were examined in HEK cells transfected with TREK-2 or TRESK. Amitriptyline, citalopram, escitalopram, and fluoxetine significantly inhibited TREK-2 and TRESK currents in HEK cells (p<0.05, n=10). Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, nabumetone, and bupropion inhibited TRESK, but had no effect on TREK-2. These results show that all analgesics tested in this study inhibit TRESK activity. Further study is needed to identify the mechanisms by which the analgesics modulate TREK-2 and TRESK differently.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.25-35
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• 2008

Typhoon Ewiniar and Bilis followed by heavy rainfall in July 2006 triggered massive slope failures and debris flows along the Osaek valley within Seoraksan National Park. Since national road 44 is constructed along the fault-line, the susceptibility of hazard in the area is very high. Debris flows in Osaekcheon are mobilized from landslides near the ridgelines and peaks when heavy rainfall elevates pore pressure and adds weight to the hillslopes, causing failure. Stream flows falling onto the existing colluvium or channel-margin deposits also trigger debris flows. Steep slopes constructed along the road and thin regolith in the slope is the main reason for the landslide in the upper stream. In middle reaches of stream, under-fit drainage utilities and narrow bridges cause the overflow, this then triggers debris flow. Overflowing and erosion in the channel margin deposits is main reasons for the debris flow. The intensities and frequencies of heavy rainfall are certain to increase, so early warning and management system for the landslide-related hazard is urgently needed.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.229-233
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• 2005

Novel process was tried to obtain micro-porous ceramic body containing continuous pore channel. $MgAl_2O_4/MgO$ eutectic fibers and rods have been grown successfully by the micro-pulling-down method, and the microstructures and optical characterizations of grown crystals were performed. $MgAl_2O_4/MgO$ eutectic fibers of $0.3{\sim}1mm$ in diameter and about 500 mm in length, and the rods having 5 mm in diameter with approximately 60 mm in length have been grown with the $6{\sim}120mm/hr$ of growth speed. The eutectic fibers showed homogeneous microstructure in which MgO fiber aligned to the growth direction in the $MgAl_2O_4$ (spinel) matrix. The grown crystals looked semitransparency under naked eyes. Optical and orientational characterizations were performed. The second phase of MgO (periclase) was easily removed by selective etching with hydrochloric acid, and then porous bodies were obtained.