• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.7
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• pp.543-549
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• 2016

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to be involved in many neurodegenerative diseases. The present study focused on the role of hsa-miR-144-3p in one of the neuro-degenerative diseases, Parkinson's disease (PD). Our study showed a remarkable down-regulation of miR-144-3p expression in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated SH-SY5Y cells. MiR-144-3p was then overexpressed and silenced in human SH-SY5Y cells by miRNA-mimics and miRNA-inhibitor transfections, respectively. Furthermore, ${\beta}$-amyloid precursor protein (APP) was identified as a target gene of miR-144-3p via a luciferase reporter assay. We found that miR-144-3p overexpression significantly inhibited the protein expression of APP. Since mitochondrial dysfunction has been shown to be one of the major pathological events in PD, we also focused on the role of miR-144-3p and APP in regulating mitochondrial functions. Our study demonstrated that up-regulation of miR-144-3p increased expression of the key genes involved in maintaining mitochondrial function, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ coactivator-$1{\alpha}$(PGC-$1{\alpha}$), nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1) and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM). Moreover, there was also a significant increase in cellular ATP, cell viability and the relative copy number of mtDNA in the presence of miR-144-3p overexpression. In contrast, miR-144-3p silencing showed opposite effects. We also found that APP overexpression significantly decreased ATP level, cell viability, the relative copy number of mtDNA and the expression of these three genes, which reversed the effects of miR-144-3p overexpression. Taken together, these results show that miR-144-3p plays an important role in maintaining mitochondrial function, and its target gene APP is also involved in this process.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.475-480
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• 2009

The transcription of soybean (Glycine max) calmodulin isoform-4 (GmCaM-4) is dramatically induced within 0.5 h of exposure to pathogen or NaCl. Core cis-acting elements that regulate the expression of the GmCaM-4 gene in response to pathogen and salt stress were previously identified, between -1,207 and -1,128 bp, and between -858 and -728 bp, in the GmCaM-4 promoter. Here, we characterized the properties of the DNA-binding complexes that form at the two core cis-acting elements of the GmCaM-4 promoter in pathogen-treated nuclear extracts. We generated GUS reporter constructs harboring various deletions of approximately 1.3-kb GmCaM-4 promoter, and analyzed GUS expression in tobacco plants transformed with these constructs. The GUS expression analysis suggested that the two previously identified core regions are involved in inducing GmCaM-4 expression in the heterologous system. Finally, a transient expression assay of Arabidopsis protoplasts showed that the GmCaM-4 promoter produced greater levels of GUS activity than did the CaMV35S promoter after pathogen or NaCl treatments, suggesting that the GmCaM-4 promoter may be useful in the production of conditional gene expression systems.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.66-71
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• 2016

Delphinidin is a blue-red pigment and one of the major anthocyanins in plants. It plays an important role in anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic and anti-cancer properties. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of delphinidin on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene expression, an important factor involved in angiogenesis and tumor progression in human prostate cancer. Delphinidin decreased levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced VEGF mRNA expression in PC-3M cells. The expression of the EGF-induced hypoxia inducible factor-$1{\alpha}$ (HIF-$1{\alpha}$) and signaling transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) proteins, which are the major transcription factors for VEGF, were inhibited by delphinidin. In addition, delphinidin decreases HRE-promoter reporter gene activity, suggesting that delphinidin can suppress the transcription of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ under EGF induction, leading to a decrease in the expression of VEGF. Delphinidin specifically suppressed the phosphorylation of Akt, p70S6K, and 4EBP1, but not the phosphorylation of EGFR. Therefore, our results suggest that delphinidin may inhibit human prostate cancer progression and angiogenesis by inhibiting HIF-$1{\alpha}$, STAT3 and VEGF gene expression.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.278-285
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• 2008

An efficient transformation method for soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] using meristematic tissues of germinating seeds has been established. The embryonic axes were excised from germinating seeds of Korean soybean cultivar, Iksannamulkong and 0.5-2 cm long segment containing meristematic tissues were prepared by cutting hypocotyl region. The explants were inoculated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 harboring a binary vector with the bar gene as a selectable marker gene and a ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ (GUSINT) reporter gene, and then co-cultured for 7 days on co-cultivation medium (CCM). The meristematic tissues were cultured on shoot induction medium (SIMP6) supplemented with 0.4 mg/l $N_6-benzylaminopurine$ (BAP) and 0.1 mg/l indolebutyric acid (IBA) in the presence of 6 mg/l L-phosphinotricin (PPT) for 2 weeks and the surviving explants were transferred to shoot elongation medium (SEMP6). Transformation was confirmed by Southern blot analysis and the transformation efficiencies ranged from 1.48 to 2.07%. The new modified transformation method was successfully implemented for obtaining several transgenic lines with SMV-CP gene. It is expected that this method could efficiently be used for the transformation of recalcitrant soybean cultivars.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.252-260
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• 2009

Rice is the most important cereal crop not only in supplying the basic staple food for more than half of the world's population but also as a model plant for functional genomic studies of monocotyledons. Although rice transformation method using A. tumefaciens has already been widely used to generate transgenic plants, the transformation rate is still low in most Korean elite cultivars. We made several modifications of the standard protocol especially in the co-cultivation step to improve the efficiency of the rice transformation. The co-culture medium was modified by the addition of three antioxidant compounds (10.5 mg/L L-cysteine, 1 mM sodium thiosulfate, 1 mM dithiothreitol) and of Agrobacterium growth-inhibiting agent (5 mg/L silver nitrate). Co-cultivation temperature ($23.5^{\circ}C$ for 1 day, $26.5^{\circ}C$ for 6 days) and duration (7 days) were also changed. The plasmid of pMJC-GB-GUS carrying the GUS reporter gene and the bar gene as the selectable marker was used to evaluate the efficiency of the transformation. After co-cultivation, a high level of GUS gene expression was observed in calli treated with the modified method. It is likely that those newly added compounds helped to minimize the damage due to oxidative bursts during plant cell-Agrobacterium interaction and to prevent necrosis of rice cells. And the transformation rate under the modified method was also remarkably increased approximately 8-fold in Heungnambyeo and 2-fold in Ilmibyeo as compared to the corresponding standard method. Furthermore, we could produce the transgenic plants stably from Ilpumbyeo which is a high-quality rice but its transformation rate is extremely low. Transformation and the copy number of transgenes were confirmed by PCR, bar strip and Southern blot analysis. The improved method would attribute reducing the effort and the time required to produce a large number of transgenic rice plants.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2020

The skin is colonized by a large number of microorganisms with a stable composition of species. However, disease states of skin such as acne vulgaris, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis have specific microbiome compositions that are different from those of healthy skin. The target modulation of the skin microbiome can be a potential treatment for these skin diseases. Quorum sensing (QS), a bacterial cell-cell communication system, can control the survival of bacteria and increase cell density. Also, QS affects the pathogenicity of bacteria such as biofilm formation and protease production. In this study, we confirmed anti-QS activity of Amorepacific patented ingredients, which are Lactobacillus ferment lysate (using Lactobacillus plantarum APsulloc 331261, KCCM 11179P) through bio-reporter bacterial strain Chromobacterium violaceum. The purple pigment production of C. violaceum controlled by QS was reduced 27.3% by adding 10 ㎍/mL of Lactobacillus ferment lysate (freeze dried). In addition, the Lactobacillus ferment lysate increased growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis 12% and decreased growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa 38.5% and its biofilm formation 17.7% at a concentration of 10 ㎍/mL compared to the untreated control group. Moreover, S. epidermidis was co-cultured with the representative dermatological bacterium Staphylococcus aureus in the same genus, the growth of S. epidermidis was increased 134 % and the growth of S. aureus was decreased 13%. These results suggest that fermented lysate using Lactobacillus plantarum APsulloc 331261 may be useful as a cosmetic ingredient that can control the balance of skin microbiome.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.736-742
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• 2008

To evaluate changes in functional characteristics of traditional Doenjang during aging, Doenjang was prepared using an extract of Phellinus linteus (Phellinus extract). Control Doenjang was aged without the extract. The protease activity of Doenjang prepared with Phellinus extract was 3.15 units/mL. Tyrosinase and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activities were 45.78% and 55.18% of control, respectively, in the treated sample. When Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium TA100 was used as a reporter strain, antimutagenic activities against the mutagens MNNG and NPD were 90.42% and 82.57% of control values in the treated sample. When S. enterica serovar Typhimurium TA98 was used, antimutagenic activities were 60.28% and 50.33% of control, respectively. Hydrogen-donating activity was 86.65% in the treated sample, which was higher than that of the control (61.69%). Daidzin (an isoflavon glucoside) levels in Doenjang prepared with Phellinus extract were higher, by 35.49 mg/kg, than the control, whereas genistin was not detected in either group. Daidzin and genistin aglycone levels were 263.01 mg/kg and 262.60 mg/kg in the control and test groups, respectively.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.801-810
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• 2021

Objective: microRNAs (miRNAs) can play a role in a variety of physiological and pathological processes, and their role is achieved by regulating the expression of target genes. Our previous high-throughput sequencing found that ssc-miR-185 plays an important regulatory role in piglet diarrhea, but its specific target genes and functions in intestinal porcine epithelial cell (IPEC-J2) are still unclear. We intended to verify the target relationship between porcine miR-185 and cell division cycle 42 (CDC42) gene in IPEC-J2 and to explore the effect of miR-185 on the proliferation of IPEC-J2 cells. Methods: The TargetScan, miRDB, and miRanda software were used to predict the target genes of porcine miR-185, and CDC42 was selected as a candidate target gene. The CDC42-3' UTR-wild type (WT) and CDC42-3'UTR-mutant type (MUT) segments were successfully cloned into pmirGLO luciferase vector, and the luciferase activity was detected after co-transfection with miR-185 mimics and pmirGLO-CDC42-3'UTR. The expression level of CDC42 was analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. The proliferation of IPEC-J2 was detected using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays. Results: Double enzyme digestion and sequencing confirmed that CDC42-3'UTR-WT and CDC42-3'UTR-MUT were successfully cloned into pmirGLO luciferase reporter vector, and the luciferase activity was significantly reduced after co-transfection with miR-185 mimics and CDC42-3'UTR-WT. Further we found that the mRNA and protein expression level of CDC42 were down-regulated after transfection with miR-185 mimics, while the opposite trend was observed after transfection with miR-185 inhibitor (p<0.01). In addition, the CCK-8, MTT, and EdU results demonstrated that miR-185 promotes IPEC-J2 cells proliferation by targeting CDC42. Conclusion: These findings indicate that porcine miR-185 can directly target CDC42 and promote the proliferation of IPEC-J2 cells. However, the detailed regulatory mechanism of miR-185/CDC42 axis in piglets' resistance to diarrhea is yet to be elucidated in further investigation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.423-432
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• 2019

Along with an increase in marine activities every year, the frequency of marine accidents is on the rise. Accordingly, various research activities and policies for marine safety are being implemented. Despite these efforts, the number of accidents are increasing every year, bringing their effectiveness into question. Preliminary studies relying on annual statistical reports provide precautionary measures for items that stand out significantly, through the comparison of statistical provision items. Since the 2000s, large-scale marine accidents have repeatedly occurred, and case studies have examined the "accident response." Likewise, annual statistics or accident cases are used as core data in policy formulation for domestic maritime safety. However, they are just a summary of post-accident results. In this study, limitations of current marine research and policy are evaluated through a literature review of case studies and analyses of marine accidents. In addition, the ontology of the marine accident information classification system will be revised to improve the current limited usage of the information through an attribute analysis of boating accident status reports and text mining. These aspects consist of the reporter, the report method, the rescue organization, corrective measures, vulnerability of response, payloads, cause of oil spill, damage pattern, and the result of an accident response. These can be used consistently in the future as classified standard terms to collect and utilize information more efficiently. Moreover, the research proposes a data collection and quality assurance method for the practical use of ontology. A clear understanding of the problems presently faced in marine safety will allow "suf icient quality information" to be leveraged for the purpose of conducting various researches and realizing effective policies.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.433-440
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• 2019

Offshore working environments such as ships, offshore oil and gas plants, and offshore wind turbines are isolated and directly exposed to rough seas, which pose high risks of safety accidents. Therefore, all workers in offshore plants should be able to cope with emergency situations and must be qualified according to relevant laws and regulations such as the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Convention) and Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organization (OPITO) standards. In particular, marine workers should be able to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in isolated locations or enclosed and confined spaces such as those in life-boats, life-rafts, rescue-boats, etc. Because the floor material is made of rubber, it may be difficult to perform chest compressions in life-rafts used to escape from emergency situations in ships or offshore plants. Chest compressions performed on life-rafts may reduce the accuracy of CPR and increase fatigue for those providing aid. To measure the accuracy and fatigue of those performing CPR in life-rafts, 15 experimenters with more than five years of experience as first aid instructors were exposed to different CPR environments in a marine safety training center equipped with an artificial wave generator. The results showed that the accuracy of CPR in the classroom was 99.6 %, but that in various life-raft environments was only 84 %. T-verification of the two sites confirmed the reduced accuracy of CPR performed on life-rafts. CPR on life-rafts should be performed in groups of two and with the use of automated chest compression devices.