• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.52-65
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: Epithelial-Mesenchymal transition (EMT) is one of the origins of myofibroblasts in renal interstitial fibrosis. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) alleviating EMT has been proved, but the concrete mechanism is unclear. To explore the mechanism, serum-free MSCs conditioned medium (SF-MSCs-CM) was used to treat rat renal tubular epithelial cells (NRK-52E) fibrosis induced by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) which ameliorated EMT. Methods and Results: Galectin-3 knockdown (Gal-3 KD) and overexpression (Gal-3 OE) lentiviral vectors were established and transfected into NRK-52E. NRK-52E fibrosis model was induced by TGF-β1 and treated with the SF-MSCs-CM for 24 h after modelling. Fibrosis and autophagy related indexes were detected by western blot and immunocytochemistry. In model group, the expressions of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), fibronectin (FN), Galectin-3, Snail, Kim-1, and the ratios of P-Akt/Akt, P-GSK3β/GSK3β, P-PI3K/PI3K, P-mTOR/mTOR, TIMP1/MMP9, and LC3B-II/I were obviously increased, and E-Cadherin (E-cad) and P62 decreased significantly compared with control group. SF-MSCs-CM showed an opposite trend after treatment compared with model group. Whether in Gal-3 KD or Gal-3 OE NRK-52E cells, SF-MSCs-CM also showed similar trends. However, the effects of anti-fibrosis and enhanced autophagy in Gal-3 KD cells were more obvious than those in Gal-3 OE cells. Conclusions: SF-MSCs-CM probably alleviated the EMT via inhibiting Galectin-3/Akt/GSK3β/Snail pathway. Meanwhile, Gal-3 KD possibly enhanced autophagy via inhibiting Galectin-3/Akt/mTOR pathway, which synergistically ameliorated renal fibrosis. Targeting galectin-3 may be a potential target for the treatment of renal fibrosis.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 1998

To construct transformed Bm5 cells, Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV)IE1 gene, an immediate early viral gene was firstly used in this study. AcNPV IE1 gene, which shares on 95.3% uncleotide sequence homology with Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) IE1 gene, was isolated and cloned into pBluescript. Neomycin gene from pKO-neo was inserted under the control of the IE1 promoter to yield pAcIE1-neo. The plasmid pAcIE1-neo was transfected into Bm5 or Sf9 cells, and neomycin-resistant cells were selected in TC100 medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 1 mg/$m\ell$ G418 for two weeks. Individual clones were picked and each was amplified for further characterization. The genomic DNA from neomycin-resistnt cells was isolated and characterized by PCR using AcNPV IE1 gene-specific primers and by Southern blot analysis using neomycin gene probe. We concluded that AcNPV IE1 gene was functional in B. moridrived Bm5 cells as well as Spodaptera frugiperda-derived Sf9 cells to produce stably-transformed insect cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2004

Rotavirus virus-like particle (VLP) composed of VP2, VP6, and VP7 was expressed in the Baculovirus Expression Vector System (BEVS). Sf9 cell, a host of the baculovirus, was cultured from a 0.5-1 spinner flask to the 50-1 bioreactor system. Sf9 cell was maintained at cell density between 3.0E＋05 and 3.0E＋06 cells/ml and grew up to 1.12E＋07 cells/ml in the bioreactor. Growth kinetics was compared under different culture systems and showed similar growth kinetics with 20.1-25.2 h of doubling time. Early exponentially growing cell culture was infected with three recombinant baculoviruses expressing VP2, VP6, and VP7 protein at 1.0, 2.0, and 0.2 moi, respectively. The expression of rotavirus proteins was confirmed by Western blot analysis and its three-layered virus-like structure was observed under an electron microscope. Rotavirus VLP was semipurified and immunized in ICR mice intramuscularly. Rotavirus-specific serum antibody was detected from 2 weeks after the immunization and lasted at least 21 weeks of the post-immunization, indicating its possible use as a vaccine candidate.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.451-454
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• 2020

Sericulture is a main insect industry in Sangju (Kyungpook, Korea). This study reports an occurrence of a viral disease in the sericulture farms in 2020. More than 20% silkworm larvae (Bombyx mori) suffered diarrhea and melted tissues with pathogenic lethality at 4th or 5th instars. PCR diagnosis showed a positive response against B. mori nucleopolyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) infection. Tissue extract of the infected larvae was applied to healthy larvae by a leaf-dipping method and exhibited the same viral symptoms. The viral extract was used to be overlaid on Sf9 cells. The infected Sf9 cells showed polyhedra in the cytoplasm. These results indicate that the silkworm larvae reared in the sericulture farms in Sangju were infected with BmNPV.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.72-77
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• 1997

The baculovirus gp64 glycoprotein is a major component of the envelope protein of budded virus (BV). It has been shown that the gp64 glycoprotein plays an essential role in the infection process, especialy fusion between virus envelope and cellular endosomic membrane. Recently we reported optimal conditions required for gp64-mediated membrane fusion in pGP64 DNA transfected Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells (H. J. Kim and J. M. Yang, Jour, Microbiology, 34.7-14). In order to investigate the role of hydrophobicity within the fusion domain of the gp64 glycoprotein for membrane fusion, 13 mutants which have substitution mutation within hydrophobic region I were constructed by PCR-derived site-derected mutagenesis. Each mutated gp64 glycoproteins was transiently expressed by transfecting plasmid DNA into Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells. Oligomerization of the transisently expressed gp64 glycoproteins was a nalysed by running them on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under non-reducing condition followed by immunoblotting. All of the mutant gp64 glycoproteins expect cysteine-228 were able to form trimers. These results suggest that hydrophobic region I of the gp64 may not be responsible for the oligomerization of the gp64 glycoprotein.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1719-1727
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• 2014

In the present study, whispovirus immediate early 1 promoter (ie-1) was used to initiate surface expression of the hemagglutinin (HA) protein of Egyptian H5N1 avian influenza virus (AIV) by using the baculovirus expression vector system. The HA gene and whispovirus ie-1 promoter sequence were synthesized as a fused expression cassette (ie1-HA) and successfully cloned into the pFastBac-1 transfer vector. The recombinant vector was transformed into DH10Bac competent cells, and the recombinant bacmid was generated via site-specific transposition. The recombinant bacmid was used for transfection of Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf-9) insect cells to construct the recombinant baculovirus and to induce expression of the HA protein of H5N1 AIV. The recombinant glycoprotein expressed in Sf-9 cells showed hemadsorption activity. Hemagglutination activity was also detected in both extra- and intracellular recombinant HAs. Both the HA and hemadsorption activities were inhibited by reference polyclonal anti-H5 sera. Significant expression of the recombinant protein was observed on the surface of infected insect cells by using immunofluorescence. SDS-PAGE analysis of the expressed protein revealed the presence of a visually distinguishable band of ~63 kDa in size, which was absent in the non-infected cell control. Western blot analysis confirmed that the distinct 63 kDa band corresponded to the recombinant HA glycoprotein of H5N1 AIV. This study reports the successful expression of the HA protein of H5N1 AIV. The expressed protein was displayed on the plasma membrane of infected insect cells under the control of whispovirus ie-1 promoter by using the baculovirus expression vector system.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.181-186
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• 1998

In order to obtain high-level production of recombinant human thrombopoietin (rhTPO) in insect cell line, HTI-TN-5B1-4 (TN5), conditions for optimal rhTPO expression such as multiplicity of infection (MOI), the cell density at infection, harvesting time and type of culture method as well as growth media were determined. When TN5 cells were cultured as anchorage-dependent state in 60-mm dish, cell density $2\times^6$ cells,MOI of 10 and Garvesting the culture media at 72 hr post-infection wrere the cinditions for highest rh TPO production. High production of rhTPO was also achieved by using EXPRESS FIVE serum free media rather than SF900II serum free media-1. Anchorage-dependent TN5 cells were adapted as a suspension culture when they were grown in the presence of heparin. TN5 cells were successfully cultured at 0.2 L scale in suspension culture without having aggregation. When TN5 cells were cultured as suspension state, cell density of $0.6\times10^6$ cells/mL, MOI of 1 and harvesting the culture media at 72 hr post-infection, gave the highest yield of rhTPO.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.37-45
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• 2009

Insect cell cultures have become important tools in the production of biological substances for use in a variety of research, human and veterinary medicine, and pest control applications. These applications often require the introduction of foreign DNA into the cells and have generally used methods originally developed for use with human and other mammalian cell cultures. While these methods can be successfully employed, they are often less efficient with insect cells and frequently involve complex procedures or require specialized equipment. Even when they do work, they may require substantial modification because of differences in the culture medium or growth patterns of insect cells. In this study, We have optimized transfection conditions of Sf9 cell line using insect expression vector pIZT/V5-His which expresses green fluorescent protein effectively. Human stem cell factor (hSCF) is a glycoprotein that plays a key role in hematopoiesis acting both as a positive and negative regulator, often in synergy with other cytokines. It also plays a key role in mast cell development, gametogenesis, and melanogenesis. It can exist in membrane-bound form and in proteolytically released soluble form. As determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay performed, hSCF level in supernatant averaged 995ng/ml. The human hSCF was partially purified by immunoaffinity chromatography and analyzed with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. The results show that the hSCF has N-linked carbohydrate and corresponds to the soluble form, at or about 223 amino acids in length. The findings suggest functional importance for soluble hSCF in cells.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.267-275
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• 2016

Chlorine dioxide has an insecticidal activity via its production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Its cytotoxic activity has been regarded as a main cause of the insecticidal activity. This study tested a hypothesis that cytotoxicity of chlorine dioxide is resulted from its induction of apoptosis against target cells using ROS. Injection of chlorine dioxide significantly reduced total hemocyte counts of Plodia interpunctella larvae and subsequently killed the larvae. To analyze the cytotoxicity with respect to apoptosis, terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase nick end translation (TUNEL) assay was performed. An insect cell line (Sf9) cells were exposed to different concentrations of chlorine dioxide. TUNEL assay showed that chlorine dioxide induced significant apoptosis of Sf9 cells in a dose-dependent manner. When different concentrations of chlorine dioxide were injected to larvae of P. interpunctella, it showed a dose-dependent induction of apoptosis against hemocytes. However, addition of vitamin E significantly suppressed the apoptosis induction and insecticidal activity of chlorine dioxide in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that cytotoxicity of chlorine dioxide is resulted from its induction of apoptosis against insect cells using ROS.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.281-286
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• 1998

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core proteins from two different isolates (HCV-1 and HCV-RH) were expressed in Spotioptera Jrugiperda (Sf9) insect cells. The RH core consisted of two major species of proteins (21 kDa and 19 kDa). On the other hand, the HCV-1 core was approximately 16 kDa in a SDS-PAGE gel. Both core proteins were phosphorylated in vivo on serine residues. Furthermore, the RH core but not HCV-1 core formed dimers, indicating that the protein conformation of the core in these two isolates is dfferent from one another. Immunofluorescence studies showed that the RH core was present in the cytoplasm, whereas the HCV-1 core was localized predominantly to the nucleus in recombinant baculovirus-infected insect cells. Since the major difference between the two isolates is the codon 9 of the core protein, a single amino acid substitution appears to play a major role in the protein conformation and these properties may reflect the different biological functions of core proteins in HCV-infected cells.