• BMB Reports
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• v.54 no.10
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• pp.516-521
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• 2021

Although arginase primarily participates in the last reaction of the urea cycle, we have previously demonstrated that arginase II is an important cytosolic calcium regulator through spermine production in a p32-dependent manner. Here, we demonstrated that rhaponticin (RPT) is a novel medicinal-plant arginase inhibitor and investigated its mechanism of action on Ca²⁺-dependent endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation. RPT was uncompetitively inhibited for both arginases I and II prepared from mouse liver and kidney. It also inhibited arginase activity in both aorta and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Using both microscope and FACS analyses, RPT treatments induced increases in cytosolic Ca²⁺ levels using Fluo-4 AM as a calcium indicator. Increased cytosolic Ca²⁺ elicited the phosphorylations of both CaMKII and eNOS Ser1177 in a time-dependent manner. RPT incubations also increased intracellular L-arginine (L-Arg) levels and activated the CaMKII/AMPK/Akt/eNOS signaling cascade in HUVECs. Treatment of L-Arg and ABH, arginase inhibitor, increased intracellular Ca²⁺ concentrations and activated CaMKII-dependent eNOS activation in ECs of WT mice, but, the effects were not observed in ECs of inositol triphosphate receptor type 1 knockout (IP3R1^-/-) mice. In the aortic endothelium of WT mice, RPT also augmented nitric oxide (NO) production and attenuated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. In a vascular tension assay using RPT-treated aortic tissue, cumulative vasorelaxant responses to acetylcholine (Ach) were enhanced, and phenylephrine (PE)-dependent vasoconstrictive responses were retarded, although sodium nitroprusside and KCl responses were not different. In this study, we present a novel mechanism for RPT, as an arginase inhibitor, to increase cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration in a L-Arg-dependent manner and enhance endothelial function through eNOS activation.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.811-823
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• 2021

Objective: Eggshell color is an important indicator of egg quality for consumers, especially for brown eggs. Various factors related to laying hens and their environment affect brown eggshell coloration. However, there have been no studies investigating hepatic functions of laying hens with variable intensity of brown eggshell color. Therefore, this study was aimed to identify potential factors affecting brown eggshell coloration in aged laying hens at the hepatic transcriptomic level. Methods: Five hundred 92-wk-old Hy-line Brown laying hens were screened to select laying hens with different intensity of brown eggshell color based on eggshell color fans. Based on eggshell color scores, hens with dark brown eggshells (DBE; eggshell color fan score = 14.8) and hens with light brown eggshells (LBE; eggshell color fan score = 9.7) were finally selected for the liver sampling. We performed RNA-seq analysis using the liver samples through the paired-end sequencing libraries. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) profiling was carried out to identify their biological meaning by bioinformatics. Results: A total of 290 DEGs were identified with 196 being up-regulated and 94 being down-regulated in DBE groups as compared to LBE groups. The Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that these DEGs belong to several biological pathways including herpes simplex infection (toll-like receptor 3 [TLR3], cyclin-dependent kinase 1, etc.) and influenza A (TLR3, radical S-adenosyl methionine domain containing 2, myxovirus [influenza virus] resistance 1, etc.). Genes related to stress response (ceremide kinase like) and nutrient metabolism (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxy-kinase 1, methylmalonic aciduria [cobalamin deficiency] cblB type, glycine receptor alpha 2, solute carrier family 7 member 11, etc.) were also identified to be differentially expressed. Conclusion: The current results provide new insights regarding hepatic molecular functions related to different intensity of brown eggshell color in aged laying hens. These insights will contribute to future studies aiming to optimize brown eggshell coloration in aged laying hens.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.247-250
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• 2019

Wheat is one of the most important grains. Its consumption is increasing globally. Many countries are making efforts to increase the extent of wheat harvest. It is known that plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) have beneficial effects on various plants. Two PGPRs including Paenibacillus pabuli strain P7S (PP7S) and Pseudomonas nitroreducens strain IHB (PnIHB) were employed to investigate effects of PGPRs on early growth of three wheat cultivars (Koso, Seakumkang, and Jokyung). While PP7S had adverse effects on Seakumkang and Jokyung, PP7S had positive effects on Koso except root length compared to control group having no treatment of PP7S. However, all treatments with PnIHB had adverse effects on germination rate, root/shoot lengths, vigor index, and dry root/shoot weights of all three wheat cultivars. These positive effects with PP7S on Koso might be related to the earlier emergence of wheat seed above soil which is known to be an indicator of increased yield. Results of the present study suggest that if proper PGPR strains are selected, they could have positive effects on early growth rate of a wheat cultivar.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.286-294
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• 2023

Biological and molecular characterization of a Korean isolate of Orthotospovirus chrysanthinecrocaulis (formerly known as chrysanthemum stem necrosis virus, CSNV) isolated from Chrysanthemum morifolium was determined using host range and sequence analysis in this study. Twenty-three species of indicator plants inoculated mechanically CSNV-Kr was investigated for determination of host range. CSNV-Kr induced various local and systemic symptoms in the inoculated plant species. CSNV-Kr could not infect three plant species and induced symptomless in systemic leaves in Nicotiana tabacum cultivars, though the plant samples reacted positively with the antiserum to CSNV by double-antibody sandwich-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The complete genome sequence of CSNV-Kr was determined. The L RNA of CSNV-Kr consists of 8,959 nucleotides (nt) and encodes a putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. The M RNA of CSNV-Kr consists of 4,835 nt and encodes the movement protein (NSm) and the glycoprotein precursor (Gn/Gc protein). The S RNA of CNSV-Kr consists of 2,836 nt and encodes NSs protein and N protein. The Gn/Gc and N sequence of CSNV-Kr were compared with those of previously published CSNV isolates originating from different countries at nucleotide and amino acid levels. The Gn/GC sequence of CSNV-Kr shared 98.8-99.5% identity with CSNV isolated from other countries and the N sequence of CSNV-Kr shared 98.8-99.6% identity. No particular region of variability could be found in either grouping of viruses. All of the CSNV isolates did not show any relationship according to geographical origins and isolation hosts, suggesting no distinct segregation of the CSNV isolates.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.350-356
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• 2016

The biggest factor in the success of breeding animals is selection of foods, which is determined by quality and quantity of habitats(Newton, 2003), in the case of This high biomass wetlands as an indicator of ecosystem function about Common Kestrel's choice of hunting area is expected to be an important clue of quality and quantity of habitats. For this study, it is divided into four types(Glasslands, Paddy fields, Dry fields, Rparian land) about Common Kestrel's hunting area in Yugu-eup, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do, Recorded the behavior of Common Kestrel for three years during the breeding season from March to June(2014~2016). Result of investigation, hunting area showed a high hunting behavior in riversides and flight-hunting was frequently investigated from may to June. In addition flight-hunting's main food acquisition is mammal(the vole), while perching behavior's main food acquisition is insect according to the fact flight-hunting were mainly done in riversides, perching behavior were highly investigated than flight-hunting at glasslands and paddy fields and dry field. Hunting spot's coverage rate of plants covering the ground showed differences depending on hunting areas, but height of plants were not significant. Height of the plant according to hunting methods of flight-hunting to catch mammal(vole) was analyzed to prefer lower height than perching behavior Based on these results riversides are considered as a very important environmental factors for Common Kestrel's prey selection in breeding session.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.289-301
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• 2012

A biological assessment of water quality was made at 9 sites of the Joyang-river and inflow streams located in Jeongseon-gun Gangwon-do, from June 2008 to September 2010. The investigation consisted of physico-chemical factors, biomass, and standing crops of epilithic diatoms. In addition, the community structure of epilithic diatoms was analyzed, and the water quality was assessed using DAIpo and TDI. The pH varied from 7.4~10.2 which is attributed to the Joyang-river area consisting of limestone. A total of 117 taxonomic groups of epilithic diatoms, including: 2 orders, 6 families, 23 genera, 95 species, 15 varieties, 2 forms, and 5 unidentified species, were found in the Joyang-river. 11 taxa, including Achnanthes laterostrata and Cymbella delicatula which live in neutral to alkali pH, were found. An indicator species of alkali waters, Cymbella delicatula, was routinely observed to have a relative frequency of over 10% in I3 and I4. In the result of the biological assessment using DAIpo, the Joyang-river was rated class A, with an average of 77.03 and inflow streams were rated class B with an average of 65.84. As for the results of TDI analysis, the Joyangriver was rated class A~B, and inflow streams were rated class A~D. Accordingly, the water quality of the Joyang-river was determined to be superior to that of inflow streams. Although the main stream showed low water quality at sites J2 and J3, correlating with a reduction in the quality of inflow stream, I1 in September 2009.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.415-418
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• 2008

The application of sludge wastes into agricultural fields has been increasing annually in Korea. In particular, sewage sludge application has been widely accepted in decades. Sewage sludge application aid in the recycling of essential nutrients and act as a source of organic matter improving the structure and water-holding properties of the soil. The efficient use of sludge wastes, however, requires an individual assessment of waste products. This study assessed the biological characteristics of organic waste-treated lysimeter soils and develop its indicator to assess the soil health of organic waste-treated lysimeter soils. Several analytical techniques more recently developed such as restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA), and community level substrate utilization (CLSU) fingerprints allow for detailed analyses of soil microbial communities. PLFA and RFLP was, therefore, used in the study to characterize the microbial communities in soil without the need to isolate individual fungi and bacteria. PLFA, RFLP and CLSU have been utilized to assess microbial characteristics of the lysimeter soils with four different sludge wastes for eight consecutive years. Each of these methods was analyzed for a different aspect of soil microbial characteristics. The study would disclose those methods yielded highly reproductive results for each soil and allow distinguishing the soils based on the structures of specific geneand PLFA-pools more than CLSU fingerprints. PLFA methods, especially, revealed the same relative similarities of the treated soils based on cluster analysis of the biological characteristics. Pig manure compost-treated soil, however, was only the same relative resemblance among the three methods. These results indicated that PLFA easily assessed the biological soil characterization.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.24-33
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• 2016

Background: Previous numerous studies on watershed scale demonstrated that the constructions of upper dams may influence the below dams due to modifications of flow regime and nutrient inputs. Little is known about how the dam constructions influence the downstream lakes or reservoirs in the regional scale. This study demonstrates how the construction of upper dam (i.e., Yongdam Dam) influences nutrient regime, trophic relations, and empirical models in Daechung Reservoir (DR). Yongdam Dam was constructed at the upstream region of DR in year 2000. Results: The analysis of hydrological variables showed that inflow and discharge in the DR were largely reduced after the year 2000. The construction of upper dam construction also resulted in increases of water temperature, pH and conductivity (as an indicator of ionic content) in the DR. Empirical models of TP-CHL and N:P ratio-CHL suggested that stronger responses of CHL to the phosphorus were evident after the upper dam construction, indicating that algal production at a unit phosphorus increased after the upper dam construction. Mann-Kendall tests on the relations of N:P ratios to TN showed weak or no relations ($t_{au}=-0.143$, z = -0.371, p = 0.7105) before the dam construction, while the relation of N:P ratios to TP showed strong in the periods of before- ($t_{au}=-0714$, z = -2.351, p = 0.0187) and after the construction ($t_{au}=-0.868$, z = -4.270, p = 0.0000). This outcome indicates that TP is key determinant on N:P ratios in the reservoir. Scatter Plots on Trophic State Index Deviations (TSIDs) of "TSI(SD) - TSI(CHL)" against "TSI(TP) - TSI(CHL)" showed that the dominance of clay turbidity or light limitation was evident before the upper dam construction [TSI(TP) - TSI(CHL) > 0 and TSI(SD) - TSI(CHL) > 0] and phosphorus limitation became stronger after the dam construction [(TSI(TP) - TSI(CHL) < 0 and TSI(SD) - TSI(CHL) > 0]. Conclusions: Overall, our analysis suggests that the upper dam construction modified the response of trophic components (phytoplankton) to the nutrients or nutrient ratios through the alteration of flow regime, resulting in modifications of ecological functions and trophic relations in the low trophic levels.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2006

This study examined the possibility of using dark-striped field mice as a biological indicator for the environmental radio-surveillance. For this study, dark-striped field mice were caught from five areas of Kyonggi, Kyongsang, Chungchong and Cholla provinces. The external morphological characteristics and isoenzymic types of dark-striped field mice were studied after they were captured. Among the external morphological characteristics, the dark-brown coat, dark back stripe, head-to-tail length, tail length, and ear length matched the taxonomical characteristics of dark-striped field mice. The analyses on L-lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, and malate dehydrogenese revealed that one species of dark-striped field mice, called Apodemus agrarius, was inhabitated throughout a wide range of Korea. On the other hand, the frequency of micronuclei in peripheral polychromatic erythrocytes to survived mice after irradiation also analyzed. The LD50/30 of A. cgrarius and ICR mice were approximately 5 Gy and 7.9Gy, respectively. The results of the study reveal that wild A. asrarius have a high potential as a biological monitoring system to determine the impact of radiation in areas such as those within the vicinity of nuclear power plants.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.285-291
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• 2005

Effects of the aqueous or 50% ethanolic extracts prepared by various extraction procedures on macrophage activation were determined by using the mouse macrophage cell line RAW264.7 cells as a indicator cell. The results demonstrated that the fractions prepared by aqueous extraction for 2 h and by microwave extraction with 50% ethanol at 60 W for 3 min had the greatest inducing abilities for NO production, and that the greatest ROS scavenging abilities were found in the fractions prepared by hot water extraction for 2 h or 3 h, by microwave extraction with 50% ethanol at 60 W for 3 min and by 0.5% HCl extraction, respectively. Phagocytotic activities against Candida albicans were found to be highest for the 50% ethanolic extracts prepared by microwave extraction for 3 min at 60 W, 80 W and 12 W, respectively. Especially, we found that a extract prepared by microwave extraction with 50% ethanol at 60 W for 3 min enables to induce effectively overall functional activation of macrophage, such as NO production, ROS scavenging and phagocytosis of C. albicans, respectively. These results demonstrated that a 50% ethanolic extraction using microwave at 60 W for 3 min would be useful for enrichment of macrophage-activating components contained in Hericium erinaceus, implying participation of protein-bound polysaccharides as a active factor.