• Title/Summary/Keyword: Protein and energy metabolism

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Ginsenoside compound K protects against cerebral ischemia/ reperfusion injury via Mul1/Mfn2-mediated mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergy

  • Qingxia Huang;Jing Li;Jinjin Chen;Zepeng Zhang;Peng Xu;Hongyu Qi;Zhaoqiang Chen;Jiaqi Liu;Jing Lu;Mengqi Shi;Yibin Zhang;Ying Ma;Daqing Zhao;Xiangyan Li
    • Journal of Ginseng Research
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    • v.47 no.3
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    • pp.408-419
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    • 2023
  • Background: Ginsenoside compound K (CK), the main active metabolite in Panax ginseng, has shown good safety and bioavailability in clinical trials and exerts neuroprotective effects in cerebral ischemic stroke. However, its potential role in the prevention of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of ginsenoside CK against cerebral I/R injury. Methods: We used a combination of in vitro and in vivo models, including oxygen and glucose deprivation/reperfusion induced PC12 cell model and middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion induced rat model, to mimic I/R injury. Intracellular oxygen consumption and extracellular acidification rate were analyzed by Seahorse multifunctional energy metabolism system; ATP production was detected by luciferase method. The number and size of mitochondria were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and MitoTracker probe combined with confocal laser microscopy. The potential mechanisms of ginsenoside CK on mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergy were evaluated by RNA interference, pharmacological antagonism combined with co-immunoprecipitation analysis and phenotypic analysis. Results: Ginsenoside CK pretreatment could attenuate mitochondrial translocation of DRP1, mitophagy, mitochondrial apoptosis, and neuronal bioenergy imbalance against cerebral I/R injury in both in vitro and in vivo models. Our data also confirmed that ginsenoside CK administration could reduce the binding affinity of Mul1 and Mfn2 to inhibit the ubiquitination and degradation of Mfn2, thereby elevating the protein level of Mfn2 in cerebral I/R injury. Conclusion: These data provide evidence that ginsenoside CK may be a promising therapeutic agent against cerebral I/R injury via Mul1/Mfn2 mediated mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergy.

Polymorphisms of TAS1R3 and GNAT3 Genes Are Associated with Patients with Taste Disorder (미각장애와 TAS1R3 및 GNAT3 유전자의 다형성과의 연관성)

  • Bae, Jae-Woong;Kim, Un-Kyung;Kwon, Tae-Jun;Choi, Su-Jin;Ye, Mi-Kyung
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.21 no.3
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    • pp.412-416
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    • 2011
  • Taste sensation plays a crucial role in selecting and ingesting foods with different qualities which convey information about their nutrient content and/or safety. Sweetness is one of the five modalities in humans and serves as an energy resource for metabolism. There are reports on allelic polymorphisms which influence perception of sweetness in mice and humans. Since the influence of genetic factors on taste disorder has not been studied, we investigated the association of genetic polymorphisms in TAS1R3 and guanine nucleotide binding protein, alpha transducing 3 (GNAT3) genes and taste disorder. A total of 150 individuals composed of 50 patients with taste disorder and 100 healthy controls were recruited for the study and PCR-mediated directing sequencing method was used to genotype for two different single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) - rs307355 (T>C) and rs35744813 (T>C) in the TAS1R3 gene, and rs7792845 (T>C) and rs1524600 (C>T) in the the GNAT3 gene. The allele and genotype frequencies of rs307355 and rs35744813 in the TAS1R3 gene showed a significant association between patients with taste disorder (p=0.022 and p=0.013 in both of SNPs, respectively). In addition, the frequency of T-T haplotype in the TAS1R3 gene was higher in taste disorder cases than in the controls (OR, 1.93: 95%. CI, 1.09-3.39, p=0.022). In the GNAT3, the genotype frequency of rs7792845 in the patients was also different from the controls (p=0.048), but allele frequency was not significantly associated in either group. Our result provides the frequencies of SNPs and haplotypes of the TAS1R3 and GNAT3 genes for the fundamental information of nutrigenetics in perception of the taste of sweetness in the Korean population. Also, the study suggests that the allelic polymorphisms of TAS1R3 and GNAT3 genes may be useful as a molecular marker for evaluating patients with taste disorder. Further studies with large samples are required to clarify our observation.

Ultrastructural Differentiation of the Vacuole in Mesophyll Tissues of Orostachys (바위솔속 엽육조직 세포 내 액포의 미세구조 분화 양상)

  • Kim, In-Sun
    • Applied Microscopy
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    • v.39 no.4
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    • pp.333-340
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    • 2009
  • In the present study, ultrastructural features of the mesophyll tissue have been investigated in Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM)-performing succulent Orostachys. A large central vacuole and numerous small vacuoles in the peripheral cytoplasm were characterized at the subcellular level in both developing and mature mesophyll cells. The most notable feature was the invagination of vacuolar membranes into the secondary vacuoles or multivesicular bodies. In many cases, tens of single, membrane-bound secondary vacuoles of various sizes were found to be formed within the central vacuole. multivesicular bodies containing numerous small vesicles were also distributed in the cytoplasm but were better developed within the central vacuole. Occasionally, electron-dense prevacuolar compartments, directly attached to structures appearing to be small vacuoles, were also detected in the cytoplasm. One or more huge central vacuoles were frequently observed in cells undergoing differentiation and maturation. Consistent with the known occurrence of morphologically distinct vacuoles within different tissues, two types of vacuoles, one representing lytic vacuoles and the other, most likely protein storage vacuoles, were noted frequently within Orostachys mesophyll. The two types coexisted in mature vegetative cells but did not merge during the study. Nevertheless, the coexistence of two distinct vacuole types in maturing cells implies the presence of more than one mechanism for vacuolar solute sorting in these species. The vacuolar membrane is known to be unique among the intracellular compartments for having different channels and/or pumps to maintain its function. In CAM plants, the vacuole is a very important organelle that regulates malic acid diurnal fluctuation to a large extent. The membrane invagination seen in Orostachys mesophyll likely plays a significant role in survival under the physiological drought conditions in which these Orostachys occur; by increasing to such a large vacuolar volume, the mesophyll cells are able to retain enormous amounts of acid when needed. Furthermore, the mesophyll cells are able to attain their large sizes with less energy expenditure in order to regulate the large degree of diurnal fluctuation of organic acid that occurs within the vacuoles of Orostachys.

Potassium Physiology of Upland Crops (밭 작물(作物)의 가리(加里) 생리(生理))

  • Park, Hoon
    • Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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    • v.10 no.3
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    • pp.103-134
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    • 1977
  • The physiological and biochemical role of potassium for upland crops according to recent research reports and the nutritional status of potassium in Korea were reviewed. Since physical and chemical characteristics of potassium ion are different from those of sodium, potassium can not completely be replaced by sodium and replacement must be limited to minimum possible functional area. Specific roles of potassium seem to keep fine structure of biological membranes such as thylacoid membrane of chloroplast in the most efficient form and to be allosteric effector and conformation controller of various enzymes principally in carbohydrate and protein metabolism. Potassium is essential to improve the efficiency of phoro- and oxidative- phosphorylation and involve deeply in all energy required metabolisms especially synthesis of organic matter and their translocation. Potassium has many important, physiological functions such as maintenance of osmotic pressure and optimum hydration of cell colloids, consequently uptake and translocation of water resulting in higher water use efficiency and of better subcellular environment for various physiological and biochemical activities. Potassium affects uptake and translocation of mineral nutrients and quality of products. potassium itself in products may become a quality criteria due to potassium essentiality for human beings. Potassium uptake is greatly decreased by low temperature and controlled by unknown feed back mechanism of potassium in plants. Thus the luxury absorption should be reconsidered. Total potassium content of upland soil in Korea is about 3% but the exchangeable one is about 0.3 me/100g soil. All upland crops require much potassium probably due to freezing and cold weather and also due to wet damage and drought caused by uneven rainfall pattern. In barley, potassium should be high at just before freezing and just after thawing and move into grain from heading for higher yield. Use efficiency of potassium was 27% for barley and 58% in old uplands, 46% in newly opened hilly lands for soybean. Soybean plant showed potassium deficiency symptom in various fields especially in newly opened hilly lands. Potassium criteria for normal growth appear 2% $K_2O$ and 1.0 K/(Ca+Mg) (content ratio) at flower bud initiation stage for soybean. Potassium requirement in plant was high in carrot, egg plant, chinese cabbage, red pepper, raddish and tomato. Potassium content in leaves was significantly correlated with yield in chinese cabbage. Sweet potato. greatly absorbed potassium subsequently affected potassium nutrition of the following crop. In the case of potassium deficiency, root showed the greatest difference in potassium content from that of normal indicating that deficiency damages root first. Potatoes and corn showed much higher potassium content in comparison with calcium and magnesium. Forage crops from ranges showed relatively high potassium content which was significantly and positively correlated with nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium content. Percentage of orchards (apple, pear, peach, grape, and orange) insufficient in potassium ranged from 16 to 25. The leaves and soils from the good apple and pear orchards showed higher potassium content than those from the poor ones. Critical ratio of $K_2O/(CaO+MgO)$ in mulberry leaves to escape from winter death of branch tip was 0.95. In the multiple croping system, exchangeable potassium in soils after one crop was affected by the previous crops and potassium uptake seemed to be related with soil organic matter providing soil moisture and aeration. Thus, the long term and quantitative investigation of various forms of potassium including total one are needed in relation to soil, weather and croping system. Potassium uptake and efficiency may be increased by topdressing, deep placement, slow-releasing or granular fertilizer application with the consideration of rainfall pattern. In all researches for nutritional explanation including potassium of crop yield reasonable and practicable nutritional indices will most easily be obtained through multifactor analysis.

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The embryological studies on the interspecific hybrid of ginseng plant (Panax ginseng x P. Quiuquefolium) with special references to the seed abortion (인삼의 종간잡종 Panax ginseng x P Quinquefoilium의 발생학적 연구 특히 결실불능의 원인에 관하여)

  • Jong-Kyu Hwang
    • KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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    • v.5 no.1
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    • pp.69-86
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    • 1969
  • On the growing of the interspecific hybrid ginseng plant, the phenomena of hybrid vigoures are observed in the root, stem, and leaf, but it can not produce seeds favorably since the ovary is abortive in most cases in interspecific hybrid plants. The present investigation was undertaken in an attempt to elucidate the embryological dses of the seed failure in the interspecific hybrid of ginseng (Panax Ginseng ${\times}$ P. Quinque folium). And the results obtained may be summarized as follows. 1). The vegetative growth of the interspecific hybrid ginseng plant is normal or rather vigorous, but the generative growth is extremely obstructed. 2). Even though the generative growth is interrupted the normal development of ovary tissue of flower can be shown until the stage prior to meiosis. 3). The division of the male gameto-genetic cell and the female gameto-genetic cell are exceedingly irregular and some of them are constricted prior to meiosis. 4). At meiosis in the microspore mother cell of the interspecific hybrid, abnormal division is observed in that the univalent chromosome and chromosome bridge occure. And in most cases, metaphasic configuration is principally presented as 23 II+2I, though rarely 22II+4I is also found. 5). Through the process of microspore and pollen formation of F1, the various developmental phases occur even in an anther loclus. 6). Macro, micro and empty pollen grains occur and the functional pollen is very rare. 7). After the megaspore mother cell stage, the rate of ovule development is, on the whole, delayed but the ovary wall enlargement is nearly normal. 8). Degenerating phenomena of ovules occur from the megaspore mother cell stage to 8-nucleate embryo sac stage, and their beginning time of constricting shape is variously different. 9). The megaspore arrangement in the parent is principally of the linear type, though rarely the intermediate type is also observed, whereas various types, viz, linear, intermediate, Tshape, and I shape can be observed in hybrid. 10). After meiosis, three or five megaspore are some times counted. 11). Charazal end megaspore is generally functional in the parents, whereas, in F1, very rarely one of the center megaspores (the second of the third megaspore) grows as an embryo sac mother cell. 12). In accordance with the extent of irregularity or abnormality in meiosis, division of embryo sac nuclei and embryo sac formation cause more nucellus tissue to remain within th, embryo sac. 13). Even if one reached the stage of embryo sac formation, the embryo sac nuclei are always precarious and they can not be disposed to theil proper, respective position. 14). Within the embryo sac, which is lacking the endospermcell, the 4-celled proembryo, linear arrangement, is observed. 15). Through the above respects, the cause of sterile or seed failure of interspecific hybrid would be presumably as follows, By interspecific crossing gene reassortments takes place and the gene system influences the metabolism by the interference of certain enzyme as media. In the F1 plant, the quantity and quality of chemicals produced by the enzyme system and reaction system are entirely different from the case of the parents. Generally, in order to grow, form, and develop naw parts it is necessary to change the materials and energy with reasonable balance, whereas in the F1 plant the metabolic process becomes abnormal or irregular because of the breakdown of the balancing. Thus the changing of the gene-reaction system causes the alteration of the environmental condition of the gameto-genetic cells in the anther and ovule; the produced chemicals cause changes of oxidatio-reduction potential, PH value, protein denaturation and the polarity, etc. Then, the abnormal tissue growing in the ovule and emdryo sac, inhibition of normal development and storage of some chemicals, especially inhibitor, finally lead to sterility or seed failure. Inconclusion, we may presume that the first cause of sterile or seed abortion in interspecific hybrids is the gene reassortment, and the second is the irregularity of the metabolic system, storage of chemicals, especially inhibitor, the growth of abnormal tissue and the change of the polarity etc, and they finally lead to sexual defect, sterility and seed failure.

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