• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.503-514
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• 2017

Nicotinamide (NAM) plays essential roles in physiology through facilitating $NAD^+$ redox homeostasis. Importantly, at high doses, it protects cells under oxidative stresses, and has shown therapeutic effectiveness in a variety of disease conditions. In our previous studies, NAM lowered reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and extended cellular life span in primary human cells. In the treated cells, levels of $NAD^+/NADH$ and SIRT1 activity increased, while mitochondrial content decreased through autophagy activation. The remaining mitochondria were marked with low superoxide levels and high membrane potentials (${\Delta}_{{\Psi}m}$); we posited that the treatment of NAM induced an activation of mitophagy that is selective for depolarized mitochondria, which produce high levels of ROS. However, evidence for the selective mitophagy that is mediated by SIRT1 has never been provided. This study sought to explain the mechanisms by which NAM lowers ROS levels and increases ${\Delta}_{{\Psi}m}$. Our results showed that NAM and SIRT1 activation exert quite different effects on mitochondrial physiology. Furthermore, the changes in ROS and ${\Delta}_{{\Psi}m}$ were not found to be mediated through autophagy or SIRT activation. Rather, NAM suppressed superoxide generation via a direct reduction of electron transport, and increased ${\Delta}_{{\Psi}m}$ via suppression of mitochondrial permeability transition pore formation. Our results dissected the effects of cellular $NAD^+$ redox modulation, and emphasized the importance of the $NAD^+/NADH$ ratio in the mitochondria as well as the cytosol in maintaining mitochondrial quality.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.31-40
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• 1973

Azotobacter vinelandii cell extracts and its variety of purified fractions with regard to their ability to form the redox state of the Shethna Flavoprotein (free radical form FPH.) were studied. A fluorescent flavoprotein (protein I) and a brown protein (protein II) were the most active proteins which were isolated in purified form. The free radical formation activity was substantially decreased during the purification and was completely lost upon storage in a week under nitrogen in a frozenstate. The presence of free flavin (FMN) with NADH enhanced the rate of free radical formation. The reaction of FMN and NADH was found to be catalysed by various cell fractions. A possible role of FMN as a substrate for free radical shethna flavoprotein was investigated. Slower reaction rate of $FMNH_2+Flavoprotein\;(FP){\to}FPH+FMN$ than $FMN+NADH{\to}FMNH_2$, accumulation of $FMNH_2$ ocurred which subsquently caused FPH.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.521-529
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• 2019

Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus is a species of the widespread geminiviruses. The infection of Nicotiana benthamiana by Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus (TYLCCNV) causes a reduction in photosynthetic activity, which is part of the viral symptoms. ${\beta}C1$ is a viral factor encoded by the betasatellite DNA ($DNA{\beta}$) accompanying TYLCCNV. It is a major viral pathogenicity factor of TYLCCNV. To elucidate the effect of ${\beta}C1$ on plants' photosynthesis, we measured the relative chlorophyll (Chl) content and Chl fluorescence in TY-LCCNV-infected and ${\beta}C1$ transgenic N. benthamiana plants. The results showed that Chl content is reduced in TYLCCNV A-infected, TYLCCNV A plus $DNA{\beta}$ (TYLCCNV A + ${\beta}$)-infected and ${\beta}C1$ transgenic plants. Further, changes in Chl fluorescence parameters, such as electron transport rate, $F_v/F_m$, NPQ, and qP, revealed that photosynthetic efficiency is compromised in the aforementioned N. benthamiana plants. The presense of ${\beta}C1$ aggravated the decrease of Chl content and photosynthetic efficiency during viral infection. Additionally, the real-time quantitative PCR analysis of oxygen evolving complex genes in photosystem II, such as PsbO, PsbP, PsbQ, and PsbR, showed a significant reduction of the relative expression of these genes at the late stage of TYLCCNV A + ${\beta}$ infection and at the vegetative stage of ${\beta}C1$ transgenic N. benthamiana plants. In summary, this study revealed the pathogenicity of TYLCCNV in photosynthesis and disclosed the effect of ${\beta}C1$ in exacerbating the damage in photosynthesis efficiency by TYLCCNV infection.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.69 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2024

High soil salinity is the most severe threat to global rice production as it causes a significant decline in rice yield. Here, we investigated the effects of various plant extracts on rice plant stress associated with high salinity. Additionally, we examined various physiological and biochemical parameters such as growth, photosynthetic activity, chlorophyll content, and lipid peroxidation - in rice plants after treatment with selected plant extracts under salt stress conditions. Of the 11 extracts tested, four - soybean leaf, soybean stem, moringa (Moringa oleifera), and Undaria pinnatifida extracts - were found to effectively reduce salt stress. A reduction of only 3-23% in shoot fresh weight was observed in rice plants under salt stress that were treated with these extracts, compared to the 43% reduction observed in plants that were exposed to stress but not given plant extract treatments (control plants). The effectiveness varied with the concentration of the plant extracts. Water content was higher in rice plants treated with the extracts than in the control plants after 6 d of salt stress, but not after 4 d of salt stress. Although photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm), electron transport rate (ETR), and the content of pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoid) varied based on the types and levels of stress and the extracts that the rice plants were treated with, generally, photosynthetic efficiency and pigment content were higher in the treated rice compared to control plants. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide radicals, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and malondialdehyde (MDA), increased as the duration of stress increased. ROS and MDA levels were lower in the treated rice than in the control plants. Proline and soluble sugar accumulation also increased with the duration of the stress period. However, proline and soluble sugar accumulation were lower in the treated rice than in the control plants. Generally, the values of all the parameters investigated in this study were similar, regardless of the plant extract used to treat the rice plants. Thus, the extracts found to be effective can be used to alleviate the adverse effects of stress on rice crops associated with high-salinity soils.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.45-54
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• 2016

To evaluate the applicability of cellular energy allocation (CEA) in the bivalves as a biomarker for the assessment of environmental contamination, the energy contents and energy consumption in several tissues of the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum were analyzed. The contents of lipid, glucose, protein and electron transport system (ETS) activity in the foot, siphons, gills, and body of R. philippinarum exposed to crude oil-spiked sediments were measured at 1, 2, 4, 7, 10 days after exposure. The reserved energy (energy available, EA) in the lipid, glucose and protein decreased as contamination level and exposure time increased. In contrast, the ETS activity (energy consumed, EC) showed the reverse tendency. The order of available energy contents were foot > siphons > gill > body. Significant differences in both EA and EC were found only at the highest contamination level (58.3 mg TPAHs/kg DW). EA decreased significantly in the foot and gill at 1 day, in the body at 2 and 7 days after exposure. EC increased significantly in the body at 4 days after exposure. CEA showed higher sensitivity to the contamination than EA or EC. Especially, CEA in the foot and body decreased significantly at lower ranges of contamination level (as low as 6.5 mg TPAHs/kg DW) during 1 to 7 days after exposure. The CEA is more useful than EA or EC alone for the assessment of sediment contamination at lower level that acute toxicity could not be detected. CEA analyses in the body of R. philippinarum after 4 days' exposure to contaminated sediments seem to be the most sensitive and reliable.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.513-523
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• 2017

We evaluated the viability of phytoplankton along the salinity gradient in the flood and ebb tides of spring tide of February and the ebb tide of neap tide of March 2017 in the Seomjin River Estuary. Additional laboratory experiments were also conducted to determine the reason of the pH changes along the salinity gradient using the field natural sample in February. In field, saltwater was well mixed at downstream vertically and the salinity gradient was horizontally appeared toward upstream of freshwater zone. There were strong negative correlations between salinity and nutrient (nitrate + nitrite R=0.99, p<0.001, and silicate R=0.98, p<0.001), implying that those two nutrients of freshwater origin were gradually diluted with mixing the saltwater. On the other hands, relatively high phosphate concentration was kept in the stations of saltwater over 15 psu, indicating that it was caused by resuspended sediments of Gwangyang Bay and downstream by tidal water mixing.Among phytoplankton community structure in winter, Eucampia zodiacus have occupied to be c.a. 70 % in the most stations. Based on the field survey results for survivability of phytoplankton by phytoPAM instrument, there was positive correlations between salinity and chlorophyll a (R=0.82, p<0.001) and, salinity and active chlorophyll a (R=0.80, p<0.001), implying that the dominant marine diatom species may have significantly damaged in low salinity conditions of upstream. Also, maximum mortality rate of phytoplankton caused by low salinity shock was appered to be 75% in the upstream station. In particular, the pH in spring tides of February had tended to increase with high phytoplankton accmulated stations, suggesting that it was related with absorption of $CO_2$ by the photosynthesis of dominant diatom. In laboratory experiments, phytoplankton mass-mortality caused by low salinity shock was also occurred, which is confirmed with reducing the photosynthetic electron transport activity. Following the phytoplankton mass-mortality, bacteria abundance was significantly increased in 24 hours. As a result, the mass-proliferating bacteria can produce the $CO_2$ in the process of biodegradation of diatoms, which can lead to pH decrease. Therefore, marine phytoplankton species was greatly damaged in freshwater mixing area, depending on along the salinity gradient that was considered to be an important role in elevating and reducing of pH in Seomjin River Estuary.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.1159-1163
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• 2009

It has been postulated that endoplasmic (ER) stress is involved in the development of several diseases. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms have not been fully understood. Therefore, we characterized a genetic network of genes induced by ER stress using cDNA microarray and gene set expression coherence analysis (GSECA), and identified gene function as well as several transcription regulators associated with ER stress. We analyzed time-dependent gene expression profiles in thapsigargin-treated Sk-Hep1 using an oligonucleotide expression chip, and then selected functional gene sets with significantly high expression coherence which was processed into functional clusters according to the expression similarities. The functions related to sugar binding, lysosome, ribosomal protein, ER lumen, and ER to golgi transport increased, whereas the functions with mRNA processing, DNA replication, DNA repair, cell cycle, electron transport chain and helicase activity decreased. Furthermore, functional clusters were investigated for the enrichment of regulatory motifs using GSECA, and several transcriptional regulators associated with regulation of ER-induced gene expression were found.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.171-180
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• 1998

In the present study, the vacuolar apparatus were investigated in the hepatocytes of rats treated with DA by transmission electron microscopy of conventional and cytochemical thin sections. In the rats after 20 min of dehydrocholic acid treatment, the cis Golgj cisterns were sacculated in line. The saccule occasionally occured by elongation and attenuated neck. The lysosomes also showed protrudent saccule. The vesicles were observed near the cis Golgi cisterns, lysosome and bile canaliculi. Some of the vesicles appeared to be fused to bile canaliculi. The cis Golgi cisterns usually faced toward the bile canaliculi both in normal and experimental groups. The cis Golgi cisterns, protrudent saccule and vesicles were almost devoid of visible contents. The osmium deposits were heavy on the protrudent saccule as well as on the cis Golgi cisterns or on the vesicles isolated near by, but they were light or not observed on the vesicles in the immediate vicinity of bile canaliculi. The acid phosphatase activities appeared on the lysosome and vesicles located near by, but did not appear on the vesicles as approaching closer to the bile canaliculi. The evidence suggests that the vesicles are derived from the cis Gogi cistern and lysosomes and fuse to bile canaliculi for exocytosis, and that the activity in the vesicles is diminished as approaching closer to the bile canaliculi.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.601-608
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• 2020

In this work, Ag₃PO₄/In₂S₃ nanocomposites with low loading of In₂S₃ (5-15 wt %) are fabricated by two step chemical precipitation approach. The microstructure, composition and improved photoelectrochemical properties of the as-prepared composites are studied by X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photocurrent density, EIS and amperometric i-t curve analysis. It is found that most of In₂S₃ nanoparticles are deposited on the surfaces of Ag₃PO₄. The as-prepared Ag₃PO₄/In₂S₃ composite (10 wt%) is selected and investigated by SEM and TEM, which exhibits special morphology consisting of lager size substrate (Ag₃PO₄), particles and some nanosheets (In₂S₃). The introduction of In₂S₃ is effective at improving the charge separation and transfer efficiency of Ag₃PO₄/In₂S₃, resulting in an enhancement of photoelectric behavior. The origin of the enhanced photoelectrochemical activity of the In₂S₃-modified Ag₃PO₄ may be due to the improved charge separation, photocurrent stability and oriented electrons transport pathways in environment and energy applications.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 1997

Tolerance mechanism to simazine (6-chloro-N,N'-diethyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) in Coix lacryma-jobi was investigated with respect to herbicide detoxification via glutathione conjugation. Simazine was initially absorbed by seedlings of C. lacryma-jobi and corn, but after 12 hours of treatment, no significant difference in simazine absorption was found in both species. Simazine absorbed was rapidly metabolized to glutathione-simazine conjugate. One to six hours after treatment, metabolism was approximately 2-fold faster in C. lacryma-jobi than in corn. Glutathione content was found 1.5- and 2.3-fold higher in coleoptile and root of C. lacryma-jobi, respectively, compared with corn. In both species, the highest concentration of glutathione was found in coleoptile tissue. Glutathione S-transferase that exhibits activity with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene was not significantly different between two species. However, glutathione S-transferase activity with simazine was approximately 2-fold greater in C. lacryma-jobi than in corn. The glutathione S-transferase activity was 20 to 30% greater in shoot of either species than in root. Fast protein liquid chromatography-anion exchange column was used to separate glutathione S-transferase isozymes in coleoptiles of C. lacryma-jobi and corn. A peak of glutathione S-transferase activity with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and two peaks of glutathione S-transferase activity with simazine from C. lacryma-jobi were coeluted with those from corn, but showed greater activity than in the case of corn. Another glutathione S-transferase isozyme that exhibits activity with simazine was detected in the elution of C. lacryma-jobi extract, but not in corn. Electron transport in chloroplast thylakoids isolated from leaves of both species was equally sensitive to simazine applied at 1 to 100 nM. These results indicate that the simazine tolerance in C. lacryma-jobi is due to its capacity to detoxify the herbicide via glutathione conjugation, which is positively correlated with the level of glutathione content and glutathione S-transferase activity.