• BMB Reports
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• 제42권9호
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• pp.568-573
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• 2009

Fatty acid oxidation (FAO) defects cause abnormal lipid accumulation in various tissues, which provides an opportunity to uncover novel genes that are involved in lipid metabolism. During a gene expression study in the riboflavin deficient induced FAO disorder in the chicken, we discovered the dramatic increase in mRNA levels of an uncharacterized gene, ANKRD9. No functions have been ascribed to ANKRD9 and its orthologs, although their sequences are well conserved among vertebrates. To provide insight into the function of ANKRD9, the expression of ANKRD9 mRNA in lipidperturbed paradigms was examined. The hepatic mRNA level of ANKRD9 was repressed by thyroid hormone ($T_3$) and fasting, elevated by re-feeding upon fasting. However, ANKRD9 mRNA level is reduced in response to apoptosis. Transient transfection assay with green fluorescent protein tagged- ANKRD9 showed that this protein is localized within the cytoplasm. These findings point to the possibility that ANKRD9 is involved in intracellular lipid accumulation.

• BMB Reports
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.128-137
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• 2003

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), zinc dependent proteolytic enzymes, cleave extracellular matrix (ECM: collagen, laminin, firbronectin, etc) as well as non-matrix substrates (growth factors, cell surface receptors, etc). The deregulation of MMPs is involved in many diseases, such as tumor metastasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and periodontal disease. Metastasis is the major cause of death among cancer patients. In this review, we will focus on the roles of MMPs in tumor metastasis. The process of metastasis involves a cascade of linked, sequential steps that involve multiple host-tumor interactions. Specifically, MMPs are involved in many steps of tumor metastasis. These include tumor invasion, migration, host immune escape, extravasation, angiogenesis, and tumor growth. Therefore, without MMPs, the tumor cell cannot perform successful metastasis. The activities of MMPs are tightly regulated at the gene transcription levels, zymogen activation by proteolysis, and inhibition of active forms by endogenous inhibitors, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP), and RECK. The detailed regulations of MMPs are described in this review.

• 생물정신의학
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.37-40
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• 2016

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a major public health problem. It is estimated that about 30% of patients with major depressive disorder do not show substantial clinical improvement to somatic or psychosocial treatment. Most of studies for TRD have focused on the subjects already known as TRD. Patients with unipolar depressive episodes that do not respond satisfactorily to numerous sequential treatment regimens were included in the TRD studies. Such post hoc experimental design can be regarded only as consequences of having TRD, rather than as causal risk factors for it. Although informative, data derived from such studies often do not allow a distinction to be made between cause and effect. So, we should shift paradigm toward examining the risk for developing TRD in untreated depressed patients. To deal with this problem, untreated depressed patients should be enrolled in the study to identify biological markers for treatment resistance. The peripheral or central biological markers should be explored before starting treatment. Subsequent systematic administration of treatments with appropriate monitoring in the subjects can determine the risk for developing treatment resistance in untreated individuals. Such information could give a cue to improve the initial diagnosis and provide more effective treatment for TRD.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제27권5호
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• pp.878-895
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• 2017

Phosphorylation, a critical mechanism in biological systems, is estimated to be indispensable for about 30% of key biological activities, such as cell cycle progression, migration, and division. It is synergistically balanced by kinases and phosphatases, and any deviation from this balance leads to disease conditions. Pathway or biological activity-based abnormalities in phosphorylation and the type of involved phosphatase influence the outcome, and cause diverse diseases ranging from diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and numerous cancers. Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) are of prime importance in the process of dephosphorylation and catalyze several biological functions. Abnormal PTP activities are reported to result in several human diseases. Consequently, there is an increased demand for potential PTP inhibitory small molecules. Several strategies in structure-based drug designing techniques for potential inhibitory small molecules of PTPs have been explored along with traditional drug designing methods in order to overcome the hurdles in PTP inhibitor discovery. In this review, we discuss druggable PTPs and structure-based virtual screening efforts for successful PTP inhibitor design.

• 한국환경농학회지
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.118-124
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• 2011

BACKGROUND: Development of water recycle technologies is important for human health and sustainable agriculture. However, few studies have been conducted to examine the purification methods or the water quality of reclaimed wastewater in Korea. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, the different wastewaters including reclaimed wastewater and waste nutrient solution (NS) were evaluated. The changes of water quality in reclaimed wastewater and NS were determined using ultraviolet (UV) treatment and sand filtration with charcoal. Our results showed that one of the most critical limitations of reusing wastewater was the presence of harmful pathogens that possibly cause human health risks. CONCLUSION(s): This study suggests that the application of UV treatment or combined with sand filtration on reclaimed wastewater and waste NS effectively removes the total coliform bacteria below the harmful or acceptable level. For future studies, a long-term field monitoring after applying reclaimed wastewater or NS is needed.

• 생태와환경
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• 제43권1호
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• pp.24-34
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• 2010

This study was carried out to analyze some influences on ecological health conditions, threaten by various stressors such as physical, chemical and biological parameters. We collected samples in 2008 from three zones of upstream, midstream and downstream, Gap Stream. We applied multi-metric fish assessment index (MFAI), based on biotic integrity model to the three zones along with habitat evaluations based on Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI). We also examined fish fauna and compositions, and analyzed relations with MFAI values, QHEI values, and various guild types. Chemical parameters such as oragnic matter (BOD, COD), nutrients (TP, $NH_3$-N), coli-form number (as MPN), and suspended solids (SS) were analyzed to identify the relationship among multiple stressor effects. Using the sentinel species of Zacco platypus, the population structures and condition factors were analyzed along with DNA damages related with genotoxicant effects by comet assay. This study using all these parameters showed that stream condition was degraded along the longitudinal gradient from upstream to downstream, and the downstream, especially, was impacted by nutrient enrichment and toxicant exposure from the point source, wastewater treatment plant. Overall results indicated that our approaches applying various parameters may be used as a cause-effect technique in the stream health assessments and also used as a pre-warning tool for diagnosis of ecological degradation.

• 한국물환경학회지
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.188-192
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• 2007

The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) test is widely used to determine the pollution strength of water, to evaluate the performance of wastewater treatment plants and to judge compliance with discharge permits. However, nitrification is a cause of significant errors in measuring BOD, particularly when a large population of nitrifying organisms is existing in water such as effluents from biological treatment plants. In order to investigate the amount of nitrogenous oxygen demand (NOD), BOD with and without inhibitor was measured as samples in the biological treatment plants. About 81% of effluent BOD from the biological treatment plant used in this experiment was comprised of NOD. In the case of influents, the NOD accounted for about 9% of BOD. The inhibited 5-day BOD (Carbonaceous BOD) test must be considered in evaluating the performance of wastewater treatment plant and judging compliance with discharge permit limitations.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제29권5호
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• pp.713-720
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• 2019

Acanthamoeba castellanii belonging to the T4 genotype may cause a fatal brain infection known as granulomatous amoebic encephalitis, and the vision-threatening eye infection Acanthamoeba keratitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antiamoebic effects of three clinically available antidiabetic drugs, Glimepiride, Vildagliptin and Repaglinide, against A. castellanii belonging to the T4 genotype. Furthermore, we attempted to conjugate these drugs with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to enhance their antiamoebic effects. Amoebicidal, encystation, excystation, and host cell cytotoxicity assays were performed to unravel any antiacanthamoebic effects. Vildagliptin conjugated silver nanoparticles (Vgt-AgNPs) characterized by spectroscopic techniques and atomic force microscopy were synthesized. All three drugs showed antiamoebic effects against A. castellanii and significantly blocked the encystation. These drugs also showed significant cysticidal effects and reduced host cell cytotoxicity caused by A. castellanii. Moreover, Vildagliptin-coated silver nanoparticles were successfully synthesized and are shown to enhance its antiacanthamoebic potency at significantly reduced concentration. The repurposed application of the tested antidiabetic drugs and their nanoparticles against free-living amoeba such as Acanthamoeba castellanii described here is a novel outcome that holds tremendous potential for future applications against devastating infection.

• 한국환경성돌연변이발암원학회지
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.72-76
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• 2001

Essential hypertension is a heterogeneously multifactorial disease in which blood pressure is harmfully high without overt cause. Both genetic and environmental factors have been implicated in its etiology. In view of the regulatory role of this peptide in the carbohydrate metabolism and renin-angiotensin system, amylin gene has been proposed to a candidate gene for essential hypertension. Therefore, we scanned the amylin gene for mutations in 133 Korean normotensives and 61 essential hypertensives by single-strand conformational polymorphism, and found a single heterozygous S20G missense mutation. However, no significant difference was observed between normotensives and essential hypertensives in the distribution of allele and genotype frequencies of this mutation at the amylin gene (P>0.05). This finding suggests that S20G missense mutation of the amylin gene are unlikely to contribute to the etiology of essential hypertension in the Korean population.

• 한국재난정보학회 논문집
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.3-26
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• 2005

In recent years, there is growing concern about the potential use of biological agents in war or acts of terrorism accompanied an increased realization that rapid preparedness and response are needed to prevent or treat the human damage that can be caused by these agents. The threat is indeed serious, and the potential for devastating numbers of casualties is high. The use of agents as weapons, even on a small scale, has the potential for huge social and economic disruption and massive diversion of regional and national resources to combat the threat, to treat primary disease, and to clean up environmental contamination. Biological weapons are one of weapons of mass destruction (or mass casualty weapons, to be precise. since they do not damage non-living entities) that are based on bacteria, viruses, rickettsia, fungi or toxins produced by these organisms. Biological weapons are known to be easy and cheap to produce and can be used to selectively target humans, animals, or plants. Theses agents can cause large numbers of casualties with minimal logistical requirements (in wide area). The spread of disease cannot be controlled until there is awareness of the signs of infection followed by identification of agents; and if the organism is easily spread from person to person, as in the case of smallpox, the number of casualties could run into the tens of thousands. Biological weapons could be used covertly, there can be a lot of different deployment scenarios. A lot of different agents could be used in biological weapons. And, there are a lot of different techniques to manufacture biological weapons. Terrorist acts that make use of Biological Agents differ in a number of ways from those involving chemicals. The distinction between terrorist and military use of Biological Weapon is increasingly problematic. The stealthy qualities of biological weapons further complicate the distinction between terrorism and war. In reality, all biological attacks are likely to require an integrated response involving both military and civilian communities. The basic considerations when public health agencies establish national defence plan against bioterrorism must be 1) arraying various laws and regulations to meet the realistic needs, 2)education for public health personnels and support of concerned academic society, 3)information collection and cooperative project with other countries, 4)Detection and surveillance(Early detection is essential for ensuring a prompt response to biological or chemical attack, including the provision of prophylactic medicines, chemical antidotes, or vaccines) and 5) Response(A comprehensive public health response to a biological or chemical terrorist event involves epidemiologic investigation, medical treatment and prophylaxis for affacted persons, and the initiation of disease prevention or environmental decontamination measures). The purpose of this paper is providing basic material of preparedness and response for biological terrorism in modern society.