• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.1086-1093
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• 2018

Honokiol, a bioactive compound isolated from the cone and bark of Magnolia officinalis, has been shown to have various activities including inhibition of the growth of Candida albicans. We investigated the roles of the Hsp90-calcineurin pathway in the antifungal activity of honokiol. The pharmacologic tool was employed to evaluate the effects of Hsp90 and calcineurin in the antifungal activity of honokiol. We also evaluated the protective effects of the calcineurin inhibitor cyclosporin A (CsA) on honokiol-induced mitochondrial dysfunction by the fluorescence staining method. The Hsp90 inhibitor potentiated the antifungal activity of honokiol. A C. albicans strain with the calcineurin gene deleted displayed enhanced sensitivity to honokiol. However, co-treatment with calcineurin inhibitor CsA attenuated the cytotoxic activity of honokiol due to the protective effect on mitochondria. Our results provide insight into the action mechanism of honokiol.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.262-266
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• 1996

Undifferentiated callus were induced from the young leaves of Taxus cuspidata by treatment with various combinations of plant growth hormones. The effects of light and culturing temperature on production of baccatin III, the precursor of taxol, were studied. The contents of baccatin III in the cultured callus were analysed by HPLC. The illumination of fluorescence and administration of isoleucine, one of the possible substrates in biosynthesis of terpenoids, to the culturing media increased the production of baccetin III.

• Proceedings of The Korean Society of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Conference
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• 2017.11a
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• pp.86-87
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• 2017

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.1169-1173
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• 2015

Background: Paris polyphylla (Chinese name: Chonglou) had been traditionally used for a long time and shown anti-cancer action. Based on the previous study that paris polyphylla steroidal saponins (PPSS) induced cytotoxic effect in human lung cancer A549 cells, this study was designed to further illustrate the mechanisms underlying. Materials and Methods: The mechanisms involved in PPSS-induced A549 cell death were investigated by phase contrast microscopy and fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and western blot analysis, respectively. Results: PPSS decreased the proportion of viable A549 cells, and exposure of A549 cells to PPSS led to both apoptosis and autophagy. Apoptosis was due to activations of caspase-8, caspase-3, as well as cleavage of PARP, and autophagy was confirmed by up-regulation of Beclin 1 and the conversion from LC3 I to LC3 II. Conclusions: PPSS was able to induce lung cancer A549 cell apoptosis and autophagy in vitro, the results underlining the possibility that PPSS would be a potential candidate for intervention against lung cancer.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.3223-3226
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• 2013

Spherical phospholipid-bilayers, vesicles, were prepared using the layer-by-layer double emulsion technique, which allows the bilayer to be formed asymmetrically. On the outer layer of the vesicles, the phospholipase D (PLD) reacted to convert phosphatidylcholine (PC) to phosphatidic acid (PA). The reaction induced the curvature change of the vesicles, which eventually led to rupture. The response time from the time of PLD injection to the time of rupture was measured against different vesicle curvatures and the outer layer phase, using the fluorescence intensity change of a pH-sensitive dye encapsulated within the vesicles. The effect of the vesicle curvature on the response was observed to be more significantly dramatic at the solid phase, compared to the liquid phase. Furthermore, in the solid phase, the response time was faster for 80 and 155 nm vesicles and, slower for 605 nm vesicles than similarly sized vesicles in the liquid phase vesicles. This difference in the response time was thought to result from the configuration determined by the phase difference and the PLD behavior.

• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.112-117
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• 1995

Succinic semialdehyde reductase was inactivated by o-phthalaldehyde. The inactivation followed pseudo-first order kinetics, and the second-order rate constant for the inactivation process was 28 $M^{-1}s^{-1}$ at pH 7.4 and $25^{\circ}C$. The absorption spectrum ($\lambda_{max}$ 337 nm) and fluorescence excitation ($\lambda_{max}$ 340 nm) and fluorescence emission spectra ($\lambda_{max}$ 409 nm) were consistent with the formation of an isoindole derivative in the catalytic site between a cysteine and a lysine residue approximately about 3 $\AA$ apart. The substrate, succinic semialdehyde, did not protect enzymatic activity against inactivation, whereas the coenzyme NADPH protected against o-phthaladehyde induced inactivation of the enzyme. About 1 isoindole group per mol of the enzyme was formed following complete loss of enzymatic activity. These results suggest that the amino acid residues of the enzyme participating in a reaction with o-phthalaldehyde are cysteinyl and lysyl residues at or near the NADPH binding site.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.553-556
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• 2004

Spatial and temporal aspects of toxic dinoflagellate Cochlodinium.p blooms and consequences of physical features in complex coastal ecosystems, off the southern Korean coast, have been investigated using data obtained from SeaWiFS and AVHRR as well as in-situ observations. Hydrographic parameters measured using CTD sensors were used to elucidate physical factors affecting the spatial distribution and abundance of Cochlodinium.p blooms. The results show spatial and temporal variations of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and sea surface temperature (SST) and reveal significant information about Cochlodinium.p blooms and process underlying their evolution. Satellitederived Chl-a estimates appear to be potential in explicating the evolution, movement and distribution of Cochlodinium.p blooms in the enclosed bays of the South Sea. The existence of thromohaline waters offshore provide favorable conditions for the rapid growth and subsequent southward initiation of Cochlodinium.p blooms that are influenced to flow on the offshore branch (OB) during September. It was observed that there was a significant variation in the sun-induced chlorophyll-a fluorescence signal in the remote sensing fluorescence spectra and its high-intensity was recognized during the period of exponential growth and physical transport. Satellite-derived Chl-a concentration during September 1999 ranged between $3­60mg/m^3$ inside the Jin-hae and adjacent Bays and $1-6mg/m^3$ in offshore waters, with varying Cochlodinium.p abundances 1500 to 26000 cells $ml^{-1}.$ The closely spaced CTD surveys and satellite-derived SST give a complete overview on the initiation of Cochlodinium.p blooms in hydrodynamically active regions of the offshore southern East Sea by the influence of Tsushima Warm Current (TWC).

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.2785-2791
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• 2015

The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of autophagy related gene Beclin1 at different levels of expression on the sensitivity of cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3/DDP) to different chemotherapeutics. In pSUPER-Beclin1 transfected cells, real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis showed that expression was significantly inhibited. Flow cytometry revealed that the mean fluorescence intensity (MDC), reflecting autophagy, and cells in the G0/G1 phase were markedly reduced. When compared with the blank control group, inhibition of Beclin1 expression in SKOV3/DDP cells not only increased the rate of apoptosis following treatment with chemotherapeutics, but also increased the sensitivity. These findings suggest that Beclin1 expression plays an important role in chemotherapeutic agent-induced death of SKOV3/DDP cells. Inhibition of autophagy related gene Beclin1 expression in SKOV3/DDP cells may increase the rate of apoptosis and elevate the sensitivity to chemotherapeutics.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.38-45
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• 2014

This study was performed to investigate the physiological responses of Oplopanax elatus by water condition. Drought stress was induced by withholding water for 26 days. The results show that $P_{N\;max}$, SPAD, gs, E and Ci were significantly decreased with decreasing of soil moisture contents. However, AQY and WUE were decreased slightly only at 26 day. This implies that photosynthetic rate is reduced due to an inability to regulate water and $CO_2$ exchange through the stomatal. According to JIP analysis, ${\Phi}_{PO}$, ${\Psi}_O$, ${\Phi}_{EO}$ and $PI_{ABS}$ were dramatically decreased at 21 day and 26 day, which reflects the relative reduction state of the photosystem II. On the other hand, the relative activities per reaction center such as ABS/RC, TRo/RC were significantly increased at 26 day. Particularly, Dio/RC and DIo/CS increased substantially under drought stress, indicating that excessive energy was consumed by heat dissipation. These results of chlorophyll a fluorescence show that the sensitivity changes photosystem II activity. Thus, according to the results, O. elatus was exhibited a strong reduction of photosynthetic activity to approximately 10% soil moisture contents, and JIP parameters could be useful indicator to monitor the physiological states of O. elatus under drought stress.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.13-23
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• 1984

The fluorescence intensity rations (F2.F1) of excimer (F2) to monomer (F1) of pyrene were measured as a function of the concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). It was found that there were not gross changes in size and shape of sphere-shape micelles in the first micelle concentration, while at concentrations above the second critical micelle concentration (CMC) the micelles grew in size with increasing concentration. Fluorescence intensities of 8-anilinonaphthalene 1-sulfonate (ANS) were also monitored as a micellar probe with varying concentrations of SDS. Results suggested that a phase transition from sphere-shaped micelles to hemicapped rod-like micelles occurred at the second CMC (17). A general formula for the axial ratio of ellip-soil-shaped micelle in the first micelle concentration was suggested. According to this general formula, the axial ratio of SDS, sodium lauryl ether sulfate and sodium laurate were 1:1, 5:2, and 5:3, respectively. The electrolyte-induced phase transition from spherical to hemicapped rod-like micelles occurred and the size of hemicapped rod-like micelles grew with increasing electrolyte concentrations. The maximum concentrations of solubilzed benzene in sphere-shaped micelles and hemicapped rod-like micelles were measured by differential spectrohpotometry. The hemicapped rod-like micelles in the presence of electrolytes grew in size with increasing amount of benzene solubilized.