• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.277-282
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• 2004

Amendments of a recirculating nutrient solution with potassium silicate were evaluated as a means to control Phytophthora capsici infections on pepper plant(Capsicum annuum L.). Supplying the solutions with 100 or 200 ppm of silicate significantly reduced motility, root decay, and yield losses attributed to infection of P. capsici. Treating inoculated plants with potassium silicate increased root dry weights and number of fruit, especially high-grade fruit. Results were slightly superior to non-inoculated controls. The two varieties, PBC 137 and PBC 602, responded similarly to the treatments. No significant differences were observed between the 100- and 200 ppm silicate treatments. Results were better when greenhouse conditions favored the spread of P. capsici. Silicon alone did not increase pepper yield, suggesting that it acts as a disease suppression agent rather than as a fertilizer, The phenomena by which silicon confers protection against P. capsici infection and disease development are not fully understood, but our results indicate that mechanisms other than a mechanical barrier to fungal penetration are involved.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.32.1-32.15
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• 2022

Malaria is a life-threatening disease, and Africa is still one of the most affected endemic regions despite years of policy to limit infection and transmission rates. Further, studies into the variable efficacy of the vaccine are needed to provide a better understanding of protective immunity. Thus, the current study is designed to delineate the effect of each dose of vaccine on the transcriptional profiles of subjects to determine its efficacy and understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the protection this vaccine provides. Here, we used gene expression profiles of pre and post-vaccination patients after various doses of RTS,S based on samples collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus datasets. Subsequently, differential gene expression analysis using edgeR revealed the significantly (false discovery rate < 0.005) 158 downregulated and 61 upregulated genes between control vs. controlled human malaria infection samples. Further, enrichment analysis of significant genes delineated the involvement of CCL8, CXCL10, CXCL11, XCR1, CSF3, IFNB1, IFNE, IL12B, IL22, IL6, IL27, etc., genes which found to be upregulated after earlier doses but downregulated after the 3rd dose in cytokine-chemokine pathways. Notably, we identified 13 cytokine genes whose expression significantly varied during three doses. Eventually, these findings give insight into the dual role of cytokine responses in malaria pathogenesis. The variations in their expression patterns after various doses of vaccination are linked to the protection as it decreases the severe inflammatory effects in malaria patients. This study will be helpful in designing a better vaccine against malaria and understanding the functions of cytokine response as well.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.190-196
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• 2016

In this study, the Brucella abortus ohr gene coding for an organic hydroperoxide resistance protein (Ohr) was cloned into a maltose fusion protein expression system (pMAL), inserted into Escherichia coli, and purified, and its immunogenicity was evaluated by western blot analysis using Brucella-positive mouse sera. The purified recombinant Ohr (rOhr) was treated with adjuvant and injected intraperitoneally into BALB/c mice. A protective immune response analysis revealed that rOhr induced a significant increase in both the IgG1 and IgG2a titers, and IgG2a reached a higher level than IgG1 after the second and third immunizations. Additionally, immunization with rOhr induced high production of IFN-γ as well as proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF, MCP-1, IL-12p70, and IL-6, but a lesser amount of IL-10, suggesting that rOhr predominantly elicited a cell-mediated immune response. In addition, immunization with rOhr caused a significantly higher degree of protection against a virulent B. abortus infection compared with a positive control group consisting of mice immunized with maltose-binding protein. These findings showed that B. abortus rOhr was able to induce both humoral and cell-mediated immunity in mice, which suggested that this recombinant protein could be a potential vaccine candidate for animal brucellosis.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.335-349
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• 2002

The immune response against Salmonella gallinarum infection was investigated in immunosuppresed chickens. Newly hatched chickens were treated with cyclophosphamide at the first and second day after birth and were challenged intraperitoneally with S gallinarum ($1{\times}10^7CFU/m{\ell}$) on day 6. Group 1, Immunosuppresed and Challenged group, was treated with cyclophaiphamide and challenged with S gallinarum; group 2, Immunosuppressed group, was only treated with cyclophsphamide; group 3, Challenged group, was only challenged with S gallinarum; group 4, Control group. In each group, the localization of lymphocytes of the lymphoid organs and intestine was immunohistochemically compared using a variety of monoclonal antiboies ($CD4^+$, $CD8^+$, and B lymphocyte). Also, S gallinarum were assessed by Maccallum-Goodpasture stain and immunohistochemical analysis in the paraffin-embedded intestinal tissues. In S gallinarum challenged chickens, $CD4^+$ and $CD8^+$ lymphocytes of the intestinal organs such as duodenum, jejunum, ileum and colon were increased. However, in cyclophophamide treated chickens, $CD4^+$ and $CD8^+$ lymphocytes and especially B lymphocytes of the lymphoid organs such as thymus, spleen, and bursa of Fabricius were dramatically decreased. These results suggest that cyclophsophamide is an immunosuppressive agent that especially causes depletion of B lymphocytes, suppress humoral immunity and eventually suppresses avian immune responses. Its protection against S gallinarum infection is mainly dependent on both cell-mediated mechanism and the humoral immune response.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.3.1-3.8
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• 2024

Canine distemper virus (CDV), canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2), canine parvovirus (CPV), and canine parainfluenza virus 5 (CPIV-5) are the major viral pathogens in dogs. Despite the availability of vaccines for dogs against these 4 viral pathogens, investigations of antibodies against these pathogens have rarely been reported in South Korea. In this study, we investigated the recent incidence of viral diseases in dogs and conducted sero-surveillance for CDV, CAV-2, CPV, and CPIV-5 in Korean dogs. The most frequently diagnosed canine viral disease in Korean dog samples from 2000 to 2022 was CPV infection, which accounted for 48.7% (464/953) of the cases. A total of 400 dog serum samples collected between 2019 and 2022 were screened for the presence of virus-neutralizing antibodies against CDV, CAV-2, CPV, and CPIV-5. The overall seropositivity rates for CDV, CAV-2, CPV, and CPIV-5 were 83.8%, 77.8%, 99.3%, and 82.0%, respectively. The protection rate against CPV was the highest (98.3%) and that against CAV-2 was the lowest (44.8%) in dog sera. Male and female dogs showed no significant differences in seropositivity rates. CDV and CPIV-5 seropositivity increased with age in dogs, and the highest incidence and seropositivity rates of CPV indicated that Korean dogs have been continuously exposed to wild CPV, and that CPV is a pathogen that urgently requires attention among canine viral diseases.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.131-144
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• 1999

Coccidiosis, an intestinal infection caused by intracellular protozoan parasites belonging to several different species of Eimeria seriously impairs the growth and feed utilization of livestock and poultry. Due to complex life cycle of organism and intricate host immune responses to Elmeria, coccidia vaccine development has been difficult. Understanding of basic imunobiology of pertinent host-parasite interactions is necessary for the development of novel control strategy. Although chickens infected with Eimeria spp. produce parasite-specific antibodies in both the circulation and mucosal secretions, antibody mediated responses play a minor role in protection gainst coccidiosis. Rather, increasing evidence show that cell-mediated immunity plays a major role in resistance to coccidiosis. T-lymphocytes appear to respond to coccidiosis both through cytokine production and a direct cytotoxic attack on infected cells. The exact mechanisms by which T-cells eliminate the parasites, however, remain to be investigated. Since it is crucial to understand the intestinal immune system in order to develop an immunological control strategy against any intestinal immune system in order to develop an immunological control strategy against any intestinal diseases, this presentation will summarize our current understanding of the avian intestinal immune system and mucosal immune responses to Eimeria, to provide a conceptual overview of the complex molecular and cellular events involved in intestinal immune responses to enteric pathogens.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.121-126
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• 2015

Here we report a new chemical inhibitor against HIV-1 with a novel structure and mode of action. The inhibitor, designated as A1836, inhibited HIV-1 replication and virus production with a 50% inhibitory concentration ($IC_{50}$) of $2.0{\mu}M$ in an MT-4 cell-based and cytopathic protection antiviral assay, while its 50% cytotoxic concentration ($CC_{50}$) was much higher than $50{\mu}M$. Examination of the effect of A1836 on in vitro HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) and integrase showed that neither were molecular targets of A1836. The characterization and re-infection assay of the HIV-1 virions generated in the presence of A1836 showed that the synthesis of early RT products in the cells infected with the virions was inhibited dose-dependently, due in part to abnormal protein formation within the virions, thus resulting in an impaired infectivity. These results suggest that A1836 might be a novel candidate for the development of a new type of HIV-1 inhibitor.

• Proceedings of the SCSK Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.85-96
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• 2003

Normal human skin, constantly challenged by environmental micro-organisms, has an innate ability to fight invading microbes through antimicrobial peptides. These peptides, described in both plant and animal kingdoms are able to inactivate a broad spectrum of micro-organisms. Mammalian defensins constitute one of the most common antimicrobial peptide family. Among the three human beta-defensins hBD1, hBD2 and hBD3 produced in epithelia, only hBD2 and hBD3 are inducible and additionally have been described as expressed by differentiated keratinocytes at site of inflammation and infection. The aims of these studies were to define a cell culture model in which the basal production of hBD could be detected and up-regulated in order to enhance skin auto-protection against micro-organisms. A specific Polymerase Chain Reaction method have been developed for hBD2 and hBD3 mRNA detection in non-differentiated monolayer keratinocytes cell culture. We have been able to demonstrate that in vitro, hBD2 and hBD3 expression in normal human keratinocytes could be detected and enhanced by TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma, in hypercalcic culture conditions. This research opened the possibility of the development of cosmetic active compounds, able to induce the expression of skin natural antibiotic peptides responsible about microflora ecology of the skin.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.10-15
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• 1989

This studies were carried out to selected high pathogenic nuclear polyhedrosis viruses(NPVs) against Pseudaletia(=Leucania) separata for the introduction of microbiol control of the insect NPV in Korea. Among 21 NPVs, Sesamia inferens and 4 P. separata NPV strains were highly pathogenic against P. separata when fed orchard grass leaves smeared virus suspension on the 2nd instar larvae. Three NPV strains (LsNPV-F, LsNPV-G, LsNPV-Y) were more susceptible to the younger instar than the older instar P. separata larvae when fed artificial diet mixed with the virus to the insect.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.128-138
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• 2000

In continuation of the previous work (Fathalla, 1992) on the synthesis of some heterocycles containing uracil moiety, we report herein the incorporation of uracil moiety into cyan-opyridine thione, thiosemecarbazone, semicarbazone, cyanopyridine, ami nocyano pyridine, isoxazoline, pyrazoline, pyrimidine, triazolo pyrimidine, pyran, selena and thiazole derivatives which might modify their biological activities. The biological studies revealed that the chemical compound III f showed high molluscicdal activity than other compounds. The profile of the nucleoprotein extracted from chemically (compound IIIc, e, f and g) treated or UV-irradiated B.alexandrina snails did not show appreciable differences when compared to non-treated (native) snails by using SDS-PAGE, where no obvious qualitative or quantitative differences were observed. Immunization of experimental animals with the nucleoprotein extracted from native, chemically (compound III f ＆ g) treated or physically treated B.alexandrina snails induced significant protection against challenge with normal S.mansoni cercariae, as compared to the non-immunized challenged control. As well as , a decrease in the number of granuloma formation and the size range of granuloma was also observed in immunized animals. It is concluded that, compounds III f and g have a potent molluscicidal activity. They also induced chemical modification comparable to that induced by physical treatment in the snail's nucleoprotein, which could possibly be used in immunization against S. mansoni infection.