• 식물병연구
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.98-107
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• 2022

The incidence of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) and biological and molecular characterization of the Palestinian isolates of ToBRFV are described in this study. Symptomatic leaf samples obtained from Solanum lycopersicum L. (tomatoes) and Nicotiana tabacum L. (cultivated tobacco) plants were tested for tobamoviruses infection by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Tomato leaf samples collected from Tulkarm and Qalqilia are infected with ToBRFV-PAL with an infection rate of 76% and 72.5%, respectively. Leaf samples collected from Jenin and Nablus were found to be mixed infected with ToBRFV-PAL and Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) (100%). Sequence analysis of the ToBRFV-PAL genome showed that the net average nucleotide divergence between ToBRFV/F48-PAL strain and the Israeli and Turkish strains was 0.0026398±0.0006638 (±standard error of mean), while it was 0.0033066±0.0007433 between ToBRFV/F42-PAL and these two isolates. In the phylogenetic tree constructed with the complete genomic sequence, all the ToBRFV isolates were clustered together and formed a sister branch with the TMV. The sequenced Palestinian isolates of ToBRFV-PAL shared the highest nucleotide identity with the Israeli ToBRFV isolate suggesting that the virus was introduced to Palestine from Israel. The findings of this study enhance our understanding of the biological and molecular characteristics of ToBRFV which would help in the management of the disease.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제31권3호
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• pp.264-275
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• 2023

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by tremors, bradykinesia, and rigidity. PD is caused by loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the midbrain substantia nigra (SN) and therefore, replenishment of DA neurons via stem cell-based therapy is a potential treatment option. Astrocytes are the most abundant non-neuronal cells in the central nervous system and are promising candidates for reprogramming into neuronal cells because they share a common origin with neurons. The ability of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) to proliferate and differentiate may overcome the limitations of the reduced viability and function of transplanted cells after cell replacement therapy. Achaete-scute complex homolog-like 1 (Ascl1) is a well-known neuronal-specific factor that induces various cell types such as human and mouse astrocytes and fibroblasts to differentiate into neurons. Nurr1 is involved in the differentiation and maintenance of DA neurons, and decreased Nurr1 expression is known to be a major risk factor for PD. Previous studies have shown that direct conversion of astrocytes into DA neurons and NPCs can be induced by overexpression of Ascl1 and Nurr1 and additional transcription factors genes such as superoxide dismutase 1 and SRY-box 2. Here, we demonstrate that astrocytes isolated from the ventral midbrain, the origin of SN DA neurons, can be effectively converted into DA neurons and NPCs with enhanced viability. In addition, when these NPCs are inducted to differentiate, they exhibit key characteristics of DA neurons. Thus, direct conversion of midbrain astrocytes is a possible cell therapy strategy to treat neurodegenerative diseases.

• 정보처리학회논문지:소프트웨어 및 데이터공학
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• 제12권8호
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• pp.365-370
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• 2023

사람은 노화과정에 따라 발화의 호흡, 조음, 높낮이, 주파수, 언어 표현 능력 등이 변화한다. 본 논문에서는 이러한 변화로부터 발생하는 음향적, 언어적 특징을 기반으로 발화 데이터를 성인과 노인 두 그룹으로 분류하는 성능을 비교하고자 한다. 음향적 특징으로는 발화 음성의 주파수 (frequency), 진폭(amplitude), 스펙트럼(spectrum)과 관련된 특징을 사용하였으며, 언어적 특징으로는 자연어처리 분야에서 우수한 성능을 보이고 있는 한국어 대용량 코퍼스 사전학습 모델인 KoBERT를 통해 발화 전사문의 맥락 정보를 담은 은닉상태 벡터 표현을 추출하여 사용하였다. 본 논문에서는 음향적 특징과 언어적 특징을 기반으로 학습된 각 모델의 분류 성능을 확인하였다. 또한, 다운샘플링을 통해 클래스 불균형 문제를 해소한 뒤 성인과 노인 두 클래스에 대한 각 모델의 F1 점수를 확인하였다. 실험 결과로, 음향적 특징을 사용하였을 때보다 언어적 특징을 사용하였을 때 성인과 노인 분류에서 더 높은 성능을 보이는 것으로 나타났으며, 클래스 비율이 동일하더라도 노인에 대한 분류 성능보다 성인에 대한 분류 성능이 높음을 확인하였다.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제65권2호
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• pp.311-323
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• 2023

Beef consumers valued meat quality traits such as texture, tenderness, juiciness, flavor, and meat color that determining consumers' purchasing decision. Most research on meat quality has focused on marbling, a key characteristic related to meat eating quality. However, other important traits such as meat texture, tenderness, and color have not much studied in cattle. Among these traits, meat tenderness and texture of cattle are among the most important factors affecting quality evaluation of consumers. Collagen is the main component of connective tissues.It greatly affects meat tenderness. The objective of this study was to determine significant variants and candidate genes associated with collagen contents trait (total collagen) through genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Phenotypic and genomic data from 135 Hanwoo were used. The BLUPF90 family program and GRAMMAR method for GWAS were applied in this study. A total of 73 potential single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) showed significant associations with collagen content. They were located in or near 108 candidate genes. TMEM135 and ME3 genes were identified to have the most significant SNPs associated with collagen contents trait. Data indicated that these genes were related to collagen. Biological processes and pathways for the prediction of biological functions of candidate genes were confirmed. We found that candidate genes were involved in positive regulation of CREB transcription factor activity and actin cytoskeleton related to tenderness and texture of beef. Three genes (CRTC3, MYO1C and MYLK4) belonging to these biological functions were related to tenderness. These results provide a basis for improving genomic characteristics of Hanwoo for the production of tender beef. Furthermore, they could be used they could be used as an index to select desired traits for consumers.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제65권3호
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• pp.664-678
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• 2023

To improve culture efficiency of Hanwoo myosatellite cells, these cells were cultured at different temperatures. Hanwoo myosatellite cells were compared with C2C12 cells to observe proliferation and differentiation at culture temperatures of 37℃ and 39℃ and determine the possibility of using them as cultured meat. Immunofluorescence staining using Pax7 and Hoechst, both cells cultured at 37℃ proliferated better than cultured at 39℃ (p < 0.05). When differentiated cells were stained with myosin and Hoechst, there was no significant difference in myotube thickness and Fusion index (p > 0.05). In Western blotting analysis, Hanwoo myosatellite cells were no significant difference in the expression of myosin between cells differentiated at the two temperatures (p > 0.05). C2C12 cells were no significant difference in the expression of myosin between cells differentiated at the two temperatures (p > 0.05). In reverse transcription and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis, Hanwoo myosatellite cells cultured at 39℃ had significantly (p < 0.05) higher expression levels of MyHC, MYF6, and MB than those cultured at 37℃. C2C12 cells cultured at 39℃ showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher expression levels of MYOG and MB than those cultured at 37℃. To increase culture efficiency of Hanwoo myosatellite cells, proliferating at 37℃ and differentiating at 39℃ are appropriate. Since results of temperature differences of Hanwoo myosatellite cells were similar to those of C2C12 cells, they could be used as a reference for producing cultured meat using Hanwoo satellite cells.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제46권4호
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• pp.209-218
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• 2023

In induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), pluripotency is induced artificially by introducing the transcription factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc. When a transgene is introduced using a viral vector, the transgene may be integrated into the host genome and cause a mutation and cancer. No integration occurs when an episomal vector is used, but this method has a limitation in that remnants of the virus or vector remain in the cell, which limits the use of such iPSCs in therapeutic applications. Chemical reprogramming, which relies on treatment with small-molecule compounds to induce pluripotency, can overcome this problem. In this method, reprogramming is induced according to the gene expression pattern of extra-embryonic endoderm (XEN) cells, which are used as an intermediate stage in pluripotency induction. Therefore, iPSCs can be induced only from established XEN cells. We induced XEN cells using small molecules that modulate a signaling pathway and affect epigenetic modifications, and devised a culture method which can produce homogeneous XEN cells. At least 4 passages were required to establish morphologically homogeneous chemically induced XEN (CiXEN) cells, whose properties were similar to those of XEN cells, as revealed through cellular and molecular characterization. Chemically iPSCs derived from CiXEN cells showed characteristics similar to those of mouse embryonic stem cells. Our results show that the homogeneity of CiXEN cells is critical for the efficient induction of pluripotency by chemicals.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.53.1-53.12
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• 2023

Background: Mammalian orthoreovirus type 3 (MRV3), which is responsible for gastroenteritis in many mammalian species including pigs, has been isolated from piglets with severe diarrhea. However, the use of pig-derived cells as an infection model for swine-MRV3 has rarely been studied. Objectives: This study aims to establish porcine intestinal organoids (PIOs) and examine their susceptibility as an in vitro model for intestinal MRV3 infection. Methods: PIOs were isolated and established from the jejunum of a miniature pig. Established PIOs were characterized using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunofluorescence assays (IFAs) to confirm the expression of small intestine-specific genes and proteins, such as Lgr5, LYZI, Mucin-2, ChgA, and Villin. The monolayered PIOs and three-dimensional (3D) PIOs, obtained through their distribution to expose the apical surface, were infected with MRV3 for 2 h, washed with Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline, and observed. Viral infection was confirmed using PCR and IFA. We performed quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR to assess changes in viral copy numbers and gene expressions linked to intestinal epithelial genes and antiviral activity. Results: The established PIOs have molecular characteristics of intestinal organoids. Infected PIOs showed delayed proliferation with disruption of structures. In addition, infection with MRV3 altered the gene expression linked to intestinal epithelial cells and antiviral activity, and these effects were observed in both 2D and 3D models. Furthermore, viral copy numbers in the supernatant of both models increased in a time-dependent manner. Conclusions: We suggest that PIOs can be an in vitro model to study the infection mechanism of MRV3 in detail, facilitating pharmaceutical development.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.13-22
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• 2007

The stem cell research is emerging as a cutting edge topic for a new treatment for many chronic diseases. Recently, dental stem cell would be possible for regeneration of tooth itself as well as periodontal tissue. However, the study of the cell characterization is scarce. Therefore, we performed the genetic profiling and the characterization of mouse fetus/neonate derived dental tissue and cell to find the identification during dental development. We separated dental arch from mandibles of 14.5 d fetal mice and neonate 0 d under the stereoscope, and isolated dental cells primarily from the tissues. Then, we examined morphology and the gene expression profiles of the primary cells and dental tissues from fetus/neonate and adult with RT-PCR. Primary dental cells showed heterogeneous but the majority was shown as fibroblast-like morphology. The change of population doubling time levels (PDLs) showed that the primary dental cells have growth potential and could be expanded under our culture conditions without reduction of growth rate. Immunocytochemical and flow cytometric analyses were performed to characterize the primary dental cell populations from both of fetus (E14.5) and neonate. Alpha smooth muscle actin (${\alpha}-SMA$), vimentin, and von Willebrand factor showed strong expression, but desmin positive cells were not detected in the primary dental cells. Most of the markers were not uniformly expressed, but found in subsets of cells, indicating that the primary dental cell population is heterogeneous, and characteristics of the populations were changed during culture period. And mesenchymal stem cell markers were highly expressed. Gene expression profile showed Wnt family and its related signaling molecules, growth factors, transcription factors and tooth specific molecules were expressed both fetal and neonatal tissue. The tooth specific genes (enamelin, amelogenin, and DSPP) only expressed in neonate and adult stage. These expression patterns appeared same as primary fetal and neonatal cells. In this study we isolated primary cells from whole mandible of fetal and neonatal mice. And we investigated the characteristics of the primary cells and the profile of gene expressions, which are involved in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions during tooth development. Taken together, the primary dental cells in early passages or fetal and neonatal mandibles could be useful stem cell resources.

• Mycobiology
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• 제40권2호
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• pp.117-123
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• 2012

Nuruk contributes to the unique characteristics of Korean alcoholic beverages. In this study, the effects of nuruk extracts (NE) on anti-oxidant characters, melanogenesis, and anti-photoaging activity were investigated. NEs were obtained from the 70% ethanol extracts of six types of nuruk, which have been used in brewing of fermented alcohol beverages in Korea. First, various antioxidant characteristics were identified in terms of 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiozoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) expression, and inhibition of xanthine oxidase activity. NE#4 exhibited potent ABTS radical scavenging activity ($IC_{50}$ = 19.51 ${\mu}g$/mL). Compared with NE#4, relatively lower levels of activity were observed for NE#3 and NE#6, with $IC_{50}$ values of 90.99 and 76.88 ${\mu}g$/mL, respectively. According to results of western blot analysis for determination of SOD expression in $H_2O_2$-treated HepG2 cells, NE#5 and NE#6 induced a dramatic increase in the expression ratio of SOD, compared to the group treated with $H_2O_2$ only. Activity of xanthine oxidase, which converts xanthine into uric acid, generating superoxide ions, was inhibited by NE#4 and NE#6 in a dose-dependent manner. NE#4 induced significant inhibition of mushroom tyrosinase activity. A reduction in cellular melanin contents of 80% was observed in B16F1 melanocytes treated with NE#5 and NE#6; these effects were similar to those of arbutin at 100 ${\mu}M$. In addition, gelatin zymography and reverse transcription-PCR analysis were performed for assessment of anti-photoaging activity of Nuruk. Treatment with NE#6 resulted in dramatically inhibited activities of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2/-9, suppressed expression of MMP-1, and increased expression of type-1 procollagen. Results of gelatin zymography for NE#4 and NE#5 were similar, to a slightly lesser degree. These results suggest the potential of NE#4 and NE#6 as natural ingredients for use in functional foods and cosmetics.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.1-10
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• 2009

최근에 양수에 존재하는 세포들은 다양한 세포분화의 능력을 가지고 있으며 세포 치료와 조직공학의 세포원으로서의 가능성이 높다는 연구 결과가 많이 보고되고 있다. 그러나 양수 내에 어떤 종류의 세포가 정상적으로 존재하는 지에 대해서는 제한적으로 알려져 있다. 본 연구에서는 사람의 양수 내에 호흡기세포를 분리 배양하는 것을 목표로 하였다. 임신 17주에서 20주 사이의 산모 10명에서 각각 5 mL의 양수를 획득하여 small airway growth medium (SAGM) 배양액에서 계대 배양을 시행하였으며 type II alveolar cells이 존재하는 지에 대하여 면역형광염색 및 RT-PCR을 시행하였다. 배양된 세포는 광학현미경 상 상피세포와 유사한 다면체의 모양이었으며 계대 배양 시에 변화 없이 동일한 형체를 보였다. 배양된 세포는 면역형광염색 상 type II alveolar cell의 특이표지자인 surfactant protein C (SPC) 및 TTF-1 protein에 대해서는 양성이었으나 CD 31 및 vimentin에 대해서는 음성이었으며, RT-PCR 상 SPC mRNA 가 발현되었다. 이상의 결과로 사람의 양수를 특이 배양액에 배양하면 호흡기세포를 분리, 확인할 수 있음을 알았으며 이러한 결과가 향후 양수세포의 추가적인 연구에 활용될 수 있다고 생각된다.