• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.16 no.9
• /
• pp.1369-1376
• /
• 2006

Self-organized nanogels were prepared from pullulan/biotin conjugates (PU/Bio) for the development of an effective anticancer drug delivery system. The degree of biotin substitution was 11, 19, and 24 biotin groups per 100 anhydroglucose units of pullulan. The physicochemical properties of the nanogels (PU/Bio1, 2 and 3) in aqueous media were characterized by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The mean diameter of all the samples was less than 300 nm with a unimodal size distribution. The critical aggregation concentrations (CACs) of the nanoparticles in distilled water were $2.8{\times}10^{-2},\;1.6{\times}10^{-2}$, and $0.7{\times}10^{-2}mg/ml$ for the PU/Bio1, 2, and 3, respectively. The aggregation behavior of the nanogels indicated that biotin can perform as a hydrophobic moiety. To observe the specific interaction with a hepatic carcinoma cell line (HepG2), the conjugates were labeled with rhodamine B isothiocyanate (RITC) and their intensities measured using a fluorescence microplate reader. The HepG2 cells treated with the fluorescence-labeled PU/Bio nanoparticles were strongly luminated compared with the control (pullulan). Confocal laser microscopy also confirmed internalization of the PU/Bio nanogels into the cancer cells. Such results demonstrated that the biotin in the conjugate acted as both a hydrophobic moiety for self-assembly and a tumor-targeting moiety for specific interaction with tumor cells. Consequently, PU/Bio nanogels would appear to be a useful drug carrier for the treatment of liver cancer.

• KIEE International Transactions on Electrophysics and Applications
• /
• v.11C no.3
• /
• pp.85-90
• /
• 2001

The determination of DNA hybridization reaction can apply the molecular biology research, clinic diagnostics, bioengineering, environment monitoring, food science and other application area. So, the improvement of DNA detection system is very important for the determination of this hybridization reaction. In this study, we report the characterization of the probe and target oligonucleotide hybridization reaction using the evanescent field microscopy. First, we have fabricated DNA chip microarray. The particles which were immobilized oligonucleotides were arranged by the random fluidic self-assembly on the pattern chips, using hydrophobic interaction. Second, we have detected DNA hybridization reaction using evanescent field microscopy. The 5'-biotinylated probe oligonucleotides were immobilized on the surface of DNA chip microarray and the hybridization reaction with the Rhodamine conjugated target oligonucleotide was excited fluorescence generated on the evanescent field microscopy. In the foundation of this result, we could be employed as the basis of a probe olidonucleotide, capable of detecting the target oligonucleotide and monitoring it in a large analyte concentration range and various mismatching condition.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.12
• /
• pp.7339-7344
• /
• 2013

To analyze the effects of a new unknown peptide DEF on the growth of tumor cells, a fused polypeptide TAT-DV1-DEF was designed and synthesized. The lung adenocarcinoma cell line GLC-82 treated with TAT-DV1-DEF was analyzed with a cell counting kit 8, and the location of polypeptides in cells was observed under laser confocal microscopy. The efficiency of polypeptide transfection and changes in nuclear morphology were analyzed by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy, respectively. Finally, the mechanism of tumor cell growth inhibition was evaluated by Western blotting. We found that TAT-DV1-DEF could significantly inhibit the growth of the lung adenocarcinoma cell line GLC-82, but not the normal human embryonic kidney cell line HEK-293. Polypeptides were found to be mostly localized in the cytoplasm and some mitochondria. The efficiency of polypeptide transfection in the two cell types was approximately 99%. Apoptotic nuclei were observed under fluorescence microscopy upon treatment with polypeptides and DAPI staining. Western blot analyses indicated that the polypeptide inhibition of tumor cell growth was apoptosis dependent. In the present study, we demonstrated that fused polypeptides could induce apoptosis of the lung adenocarcinoma cell line GLC-82, indicating that the new unknown peptide DEF has antitumor effects.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.11
• /
• pp.6273-6280
• /
• 2013

Goniothalamin, a natural compound extracted from Goniothalamus sp. belonging to the Annonacae family, possesses anticancer properties towards several tumor cell lines. This study focused on apoptosis induction by goniothalamin (GTN) in the Hela cervical cancer cell line. Cell growth inhibition was measured by MTT assay and the $IC_{50}$ value of goniothalamin was $3.2{\pm}0.72{\mu}g/ml$. Morphological changes and biochemical processes associated with apoptosis were evident on phase contrast microscopy and fluorescence microscopy. DNA fragmentation, DNA damage, caspase-9 activation and a large increase in the sub-G1 and S cell cycle phases confirmed the occurrence of apoptosis in a time-dependent manner. It could be concluded that goniothalamin show a promising cytotoxicity effect against cervical cancer cells (Hela) and the cell death mode induced by goniothalamin was apoptosis.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
• /
• v.18 no.5
• /
• pp.551-557
• /
• 2014

In this study, we demonstrated multimodal nonlinear optical (NLO) microscopy integrated simultaneously with two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF), second-harmonic generation (SHG), and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) in order to obtain targeted cellular and label-free images in an immunofluorescence assay of the atherosclerotic aorta from apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. The multimodal NLO microscope used two laser systems: picosecond (ps) and femtosecond (fs) pulsed lasers. A pair of ps-pulsed lights served for CARS (817 nm and 1064 nm) and SHG (817 nm) images; light from the fs-pulsed laser with the center wavelength of 720 nm was incident into the sample to obtain autofluorescence and targeted molecular TPEF images for high efficiency of fluorescence intensity without cross-talk. For multicolor-targeted TPEF imaging, we stained smooth-muscle cells and macrophages with fluorescent dyes (Alexa Fluor 350 and Alexa Fluor 594) for an immunofluorescence assay. Each depth-sectioned image consisted of $512{\times}512$ pixels with a field of view of $250{\times}250{\mu}m^2$, a lateral resolution of $0.4{\mu}m$, and an axial resolution of $1.3{\mu}m$. We obtained composite multicolor images with conventional label-free NLO images and targeted TPEF images in atherosclerotic-plaque samples. Multicolor 3-D imaging of atherosclerotic-plaque structural and functional composition will be helpful for understanding the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.113-120
• /
• 2008

Laser light microscopy enables observation of various simultaneously occurring events in living cells. This capability is important for monitoring the spatiotemporal patterns of the molecular interactions underlying such events. Two-photon excited fluorescence microscopy (two-photon microscopy), a technology based on multiphoton excitation, is one of the most promising candidates for such imaging. The advantages of two-photon microscopy have spurred wider adoption of the method, especially in neurological studies. Multicolor excitation capability, one advantage of two-photon microscopy, has enabled the quantification of spatiotemporal patterns of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ and single episodes of fusion pore openings during exocytosis. In pancreatic acinar cells, we have successfully demonstrated the existence of "sequential compound exocytosis" for the first time, a process which has subsequently been identified in a wide variety of secretory cells including exocrine, endocrine and blood cells. Our newly developed method, the two-photon extracellular polar-tracer imaging-based quantification (TEPIQ) method, can be used for determining fusion pores and the diameters of vesicles smaller than the diffraction-limited resolution. Furthermore, two-photon microscopy has the demonstrated capability of obtaining cross-sectional images from deep layers within nearly intact tissue samples over long observation times with excellent spatial resolution. Recently, we have successfully observed a neuron located deeper than 0.9 mm from the brain cortex surface in an anesthetized mouse. This microscopy also enables the monitoring of long-term changes in neural or glial cells in a living mouse. This minireview describes both the current and anticipated capabilities of two-photon microscopy, based on a discussion of previous publications and recently obtained data.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.49 no.4
• /
• pp.273-278
• /
• 2009

Neurofascin, one of the members of L1CAM, has been known to have some important roles during the development of nerve fibers. In order to investigate the role of neurofascin associated with the formation of Schmidt-Lantermann incisure in the sciatic nerve, the localization of neurofascin was studied with electron microscopy, immuno-fluorescence and immuno-electron microscopy. In the electron microscopy, the first formation of Schmidt-Lantermann incisure was checked at postnatal day 6 and the complete form of incisures traversing the whole myelin sheath began to be observed at postnatal day 8. In the immunofluorescence, neurofascin immunoreactive Schmidt-Lantermann incisures were first checked at postnatal day 6 and dramatically increased with aging by postnatal day 56. In the immunoelectron microscopy, neurofascin immunoreactive gold particles at the incisure forming sites were first observed at postnatal day 6 and the number of gold particles was increased as the animal was getting old by postnatal day 56. According to the present study, neurofascin is likely to have some relationships with Schmidt-Lantermann incisure formation.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.56 no.6
• /
• pp.826-831
• /
• 2018

This study presents fabrication of bi-compartmental particles labeled by multiple fluorescence. To compartmentalize fluorescent expression at the particle, two fluorescent dyes with less overlap of the excitation and emission spectra are selected. To ensure the fluorescence stability, the fluorescent dyes contain acrylate functional groups in the molecules so that they can be cross-linked together with monomers constituting the particle. Strong fluorescent expression and compartmentalization were observed at the particle fabricated using the selected fluorescent dyes through confocal microscopy. Furthermore, long-term fluorescence stability was verified by measuring fluorescent expression and intensity for 4 weeks. We anticipate that the bi-compartmental particles labeled by multiple fluorescence can be widely used for multi-target drug delivery system, analysis of 3 dimensional Brownian motion, and investigation of 3 dimensional complex self-assembled morphologies.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.59 no.2
• /
• pp.136-141
• /
• 2015

We have discovered that quercetin, once coated on the CdSe and CdSe-CdS quantum dots (QDs), becoming highly water soluble. In the present work, we have successfully synthesized CdSe/CdS/N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine(NAC)/Quercetin nano-composites in the aqueous solution. The products were characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, fluorescence spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) tests indicated that our nano-composite products are highly stable with homogeneous particle size and great monodispersity. Quercetin coated nano-composite CdSe/CdS/NAC/Quercetin showed different fluorescence behavior from that of CdSe/CdS/NAC. Most amazingly, the synthesized CdSe/CdS/NAC/Quercetin nano-composite exhibits strong antibacterial activity. The combination of the strong fluorescence and its antibacterial activity makes the quercetin modified quantum dots as a potential candidate for cancer targeted therapy and other cancer treatments.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.161-165
• /
• 2006

Dichlorodihydrofluorescein ($DCFH_2$) is a widely used probe for intracellular $H_2O_2$. However, $H_2O_2$ can oxidize $DCFH_2$ only in the presence of a catalyst, whose identity in cells has not been clearly defined. We compared the peroxidase activity of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), cytochrome c, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), $Cu^{2+}$, and $Fe^{3+}$ under various conditions to identify an intracellular catalyst. Enormous increase by bicarbonate in the rate of $DCFH_2$ oxidation distinguished CuZnSOD from cytochrome c and HRP. Cyanide inhibited the reaction catalyzed by CuZnSOD but accelerated that by $Cu^{2+}$ and $Fe^{3+}$. Oxidation of $DCFH_2$ by $H_2O_2$ in the presence of a cell lysate was also enhanced by bicarbonate and inhibited by cyanide. Confocal microscopy of $H_2O_2$-treated cells showed enhanced DCF fluorescence in the presence of bicarbonate and attenuated fluorescence for the cells pre-incubated with KCN. Moreover, DCF fluorescence was intensified in CuZnSOD-transfected HaCaT and RAW 264.7 cells. We propose that CuZnSOD is a potential intracellular catalyst for the $H_2O_2$-dependent oxidation of $DCFH_2$.