• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.195-198
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• 2006

Lethal toxin is a critical virulence factor of anthrax. It is composed two protein: protective antigen (PA) and lethal factor (LF). PA binds to specific cell surface receptors and, forms a membrane channel that mediates entry of LF into the cell. LF is a zinc-dependent metalloprotease, which cleaves MKKs [MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) kinases] at peptide bonds very close to their N-termini. In this study, we suggest application of cell-based assays in the early phase of drug discovery, with a particular focus on the use of yeast cells. We constructed MEK1 expression system in yeast to determine LF activity and approached cell-based assay system to screen inhibitors, in which the results covering the construction of LF-substrate in yeast expression vector, expression, and LF-mediated proteolysis of substrate were described. These results could provided the basic steps in design of cell-based assay system with the high efficiency, rapidly and easy way to screening of inhibitors.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1192-1199
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• 2019

The intention of this study was to confirm the possible use of an ethanol extracts of Nelumbinis Rhizomatis Nodus (NRN) as a cosmetic material. To this end, we extracted NRN with 70% ethanol and performed biological activity evaluation of whitening efficacy and wrinkle reduction. We performed cellular tyrosinase inhibition and melanin contents assay to check the whitening activity of NRN and carried out a toxicity evaluation of NRN via an MTT assay and the amounts of associated proteins that affect melanin production in a melanoma cell line (B16F10). And collagenase inhibitory assay was performed for the evaluation of anti-wrinkle of samples. In addition, a toxicity evaluation using an MTT assay and matrix metalloprotease (MMP-1) and procollagen synthesis inhibition by NRN were evaluated in a fibroblast cell line (CCD-986sk). Western blot results for the whitening activity evaluation revealed that the levels of two proteins related to melanin production, tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1) and tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2), were decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, collagenase inhibition activity at a concentration of $500{\mu}g/ml$ NRN by measuring epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) was increased by more than 80% compared to the control group. Meanwhile, procollagen synthesis was reduced by 68.8% in the UVB-induced CCD- 986sk cells group whereas collagen synthesis recovered by 80.2% with $25{\mu}g/ml$ NRN. The MMP-1 expression rate showed 20.2% reduction at $25{\mu}g/ml$. The results of the experiments verified the whitening and wrinkle suppression effects of NRN and confirmed that it could be used as a safe natural cosmetic material in the future.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.9 s.89
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• pp.1224-1231
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• 2007

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF-II have structure like insulin. In contrast to insulin, however, the bioavaility of IGFs is modulated by the IGF-binding protein (IGFBPs). Each of IGFBPs was different with molecular masses, biological characteristics, and immunological properties.. Human fibroblasts secrete IGFBPs that can modify IGF-I action. In diabetes mellitus, the most study of IGF systems have been investigated in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and streptozotocin-in-duced animals in vivo. Recently, a little research regarding the IGFs system has been proposed in por-tion of cell in vitro. In this study, effects of low or high glucose condition on IGFBP-5 in GM10 was investigated. By western blotting analysis, IGFBP-5 level decreased in cells cultured at high glucose, but IGFBP-5 level of mRNA didn't change. IGFBP-5 protease that cleaves IGFBP-5 in conditioned me-dium had was inhibited by EDTA and heparin, like serine protease and metalloprotease. Furthermore, the protease activity was increased in high glucose cultivated condition. In results of gelatin zymog-raphy, molecular weight of proteolytic metalloenzymes was indentified 69-kDa and protease activity was increased in time-dependent manner. Although the mechanism has yet to be determined, IGFBP-5 proteolysis in GM10 cells cultured with high glucose may increase effects of IGFs to decrease the glu-cose level through dissociation of IGFs from IGFBPs. Therefore, we suggest that IGF- I and IGFBPs could be potential models in study of pathophysiology such as diabetes mellitus.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.275-280
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• 2005

Anthrax is an infectious disease caused by the gram-positive bacterium, Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax toxin is a tripartite toxin comprising of protective antigen (PA), lethal factor (LF) and edema factor (EF). PA is the receptor-binding component, which facilitates the entry of LF or EF onto the cytosol. LF is a zinc-dependent metalloprotease, which is a critical virulence factor in cytotoxicity of infected animals. Therefore, it is of interest to develop its potent inhibitors for the neutralization of anthrax toxin. The first step to identify the inhibitors is the development of a rapid, sensitive, and simple assay method with a high-throughput ability. Much efforts have been concentrated on the preparation of powerful assays and on the screening of inhibitors using these system. In the present study, we have tried to construct anthrax lethal factor in yeast expression system to prepare cell-based high-throughput assay system. Here, we have shown the results covering the construction of a new vector system, subcloning of LF gene, and the expression of target gene. Our results are first trial to express LF gene in eukaryote and provide the basic steps in design of cell-based assay system.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1239-1245
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to research the biological activity of ethanol extract from Smilax china L. which is a vine shrub belonging to the lily family. For antiwrinkle effects, elastase inhibition effect of ethanol and water extracts from S. china L. showed 41.1% and 16.3% at $1,000{\mu}g/ml$ concentration. The collagenase inhibition effect of ethanol and water extracts from S. china L. showed more than 96.6% and 60.0% at $1,000{\mu}g/ml$ concentration. As a result of having fibroblast measured cell viability on fibroblast cell of ethanol extract from S. china L., it showed 71.7% with cell viability at $100{\mu}g/ml$ concentration. At $50{\mu}g/ml$ concentration, the procollagen biosynthesis effect of ethanol extract from S. china L. was 139.86%. At the same concentration, the matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-1 inhibition effect of the ethanol extract was 74.9%. According to the results of Western blot of ethanol extract from S. china L., the expression of the MMP-1 protein was decreased by 35% at $50{\mu}g/ml$ concentration. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of ethanol extract from S. china L. showed that the expression of MMP-1 mRNA was decreased by 45% at $50{\mu}g/ml$ concentration. The findings suggest that 70% ethanol extract from S. china L. (SC) has great potential as a cosmeceutical ingredient with antiwrinkle effects.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.272-279
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• 2017

EP was obtained through 20% ethanol extraction of Pueraria lobata root, and the fermented form of EP, FEP, was prepared from the EP after incubating with Lactobacillus rhamnosus vitaP1. There was no significant toxicity by EP and FEP up to $1000{\mu}g/ml$ in NIH-3T3, HaCaT, and B16F10 cells. In addition to antioxidant potentials of EP and FEP determined by DPPH and ABST assays, we confirmed increase of procollagen type I and elastin synthesis by supplementation of the EP and FEP at the concentration of $50{\mu}g/ml$ using ELISA kits. The protein expression levels of matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-1, -3, and -9, those are involved in the degradation of collagen or other skin matrix proteins, were remarkably suppressed while their inhibitory protein metallopeptidase inhibitor 1 (TIMP-1) was greatly up-regulated by supplementation of the EP and FEP at a concentration of $50{\mu}g/ml$. Taken together, both EP and FEP supplementation could be involved in the suppression of the skin wrinkle formation through inhibiting degradation of collagen and stimulating the synthesis of collagen and elastin. The results showed that the anti-wrinkle potential of the EP and FEP will be a promising candidate for developing cosmeceutical compounds or products.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.55-63
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• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of this study was verification of the restoration ability effect of Danggwisusan extract(DG) in wound induced Rat. Methods : It needed to make a scar(around $2{\times}2cm^2$) on the top of the fascia in the back of the rats and then the rats were divided into 4groups(n=6). Control was not treated at all, where as DG was orally medicated DG, Terra was percutaneously applied Terramycin, and DG + Terra was both orally medicated DG and percutaneously applied Terramycin per day for three weeks. Results : 93% or higher cell viability was observed in all tested groups from 1, 10, $100{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ in RAW 264.7cells. The DG decreased NO and cytokine production activity dose dependently. The production of IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$ were decreased by 46%, 46% and 40% in DG treated $100{\mu}g/m{\ell}$. The size of wound was significantly decreasing in DG, Terra, DG + Terra. WBC was significantly reduced in DG and DG + Terra. Monocyte was significantly reduced in DG, Terra and DG + Terra. Neutrophil was also reduced in DG, DG + Terra but not meaningless. The mRNA expression of MMP-1 was significantly reduced in Terra, MMP-2 was significantly reduced in DG, Terra, DG + Terra, and MMP-9 was significantly reduced in DG + Terra. Conclusions : According to the results, we thought that DG showed anti-inflammatory activities on the RAW 264.7cells in mouse macrophage and in adult rat wound. Moreover, the progress of recovery was found visually, heamatologically, genetically and histopathologically. In conclusion, it could be thought that DG has effect on the treating of wound.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.33-46
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• 2005

연구목적: ADAMs은 metalloprotease/disintegrin domain을 가진 transmemebrane glycoprotein으로써 지금까지 30개 이상의 ADAM 및 10개 이상의 ADAMTS가 알려져 있다. 이들의 기능은 포유동물의 수정 시 sperm-egg binding과 fusion, myoblast fusion, integrin과의 결합 등에 직접 관여하거나, TNF-alpha 등의 생체신호전달물질이 세포로부터 분비될 때에 이들의 구조를 변화시켜 활성화시키는 효소작용, 그리고 dendritic cell differentiation 등에 관여하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 그러나 자궁내막 조직에서의 유전자 및 단백질 발현 여부에 관해서는 거의 보고되어 있지 않고 있다. 본 연구에서는 착상 전후 시기의 생쥐 자궁조직에서 ADAM-8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 17 그리고 ADAMTS-1의 유전자가 발현하는 지를 알아보았다. 연구 재료 및 방법: 본 연구에서는 생쥐의 자궁조직을 대상으로 ADAM-8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 17 그리고 ADAMTS-1을 선정하여, 초기 임신 기간에서의 유전자 발현 여부를 조사하였고 이 결과를 바탕으로 자궁조직에서의 이들 유전자들의 생리적인 기능을 규명하고자 하였다. 결 과: 임신한 생쥐 자궁조직에서의 ADAM-8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 17 그리고 ADAMTS-1의 유전자 및 단백질의 발현 양상을 RT-PCR 방법을 이용하여 알아본 결과, 조사된 ADAM 종류와 임신 날짜별로 다르게 나타났다. ADAM-8의 유전자 전사체는 임신 1일째 매우 강하게 발현되었으나 임신 3일째로 진행되면서 감소하다가 이후 다시 임신 5일째가 되면서 증가하는 양상을 보였다. ADAM-9, 10, 17 그리고 ADAMTS-1의 경우는 임신 1일째에서 5일째까지 유전자의 발현 양상이 크게 변하지 않았고 ADAM-12와 ADAM-15의 유전자 전사체는 임신 1일에서 5일로 진행되면서 현저하게 증가되는 양상을 보였다. 이후 임신 6일에서 8일에서는 생쥐 배아가 착상된 부위와 비 착상부위로 나누어 유전자의 발현 양상을 관찰한 결과, 조사된 ADAM 모두 비착상 부위보다 착상부위에서 유전자 전사체의 발현이 크게 증가되는 것으로 나타났다. 결 론: 이상의 결과로 미루어 ADAM 유전자는 임신초기 착상과정과 임신 단계에 따른 자궁의 조직 재구성에 중요한 역할을 할 것으로 생각된다.