• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.75-83
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• 1998

아프리키 왕달팽이(Achatina fulica) 외투막(mantle edge) 내 근육 속의 신경근연접에 관한 미세구조 연구결과는 다음과 같았다. 신경근연접종말의 형태는 방추형이거나 불규칙형이었으며, 연접막과 근형질막상이 연접간극(synaptic cleft)의 넓이는 30mm 정도로 나타났다. 연접강속에는 전자밀도가 높은 둥근 과립(직경 100mm)과 중등도는 과립(직경 70mm)그리고 전자밀도가 낮은 소포(직경70mm)등 3종류가 관찰되었으며, 연접종말의 외측에는 0.2 - 0.4$\mu\textrm{m}$ 정도크기의 전자밀도가 높은 둥근 과립들이 존재하였다. 전자밀도가 중등도인 둥근 과립 중 일부는 연접막 밖으로 배출(exocytosis) 되었으며, 근형질막과 연접막이 합체되는 현상도 관찰되었다. 근형질(sarcoplasm)내에서 수축성단백질인 액틴과 미오신섬유의 배열은 불규칙하였으며, 세포질성 치밀체(cytoplasmic dense body)도 관찰되었다.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.98.2-99
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• 2003

Introduction: We previously reported that a new glycosaminoglycan, acharan sulfate (AS) from the African giant snail Achatina fulica showed anticoagulation activity in vitro, but it was much less than that of heparin. In the present study, the anticoagulant activity of AS was investigated in vivo. Methods: AS and heparin were administered to rats in various concentrations and anticoagulant activities were measured. Both were also compared in thrombin-induced Results: Intravenous administration of acharan sulfate prolonged the coltting time (APTT) in mice and rats in a dose-dependent manner. (omitted)

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1999

An immunohisochemical study on the cerebral ganglion of the African giant snail, Achatina fulica. was conducted by applying the AB/AY staining and the avidin-bovine-peroxidase complex staining methods. The followings are the results obtained throughout the study. The cerebral ganglion of Achatina fulica is an ellipsoidal body of 2 x 1 mm in size, which is connected by the cerebral commissure of 1 mm in diameter. The cross-section through the cerebral ganglion, shaped like a butterfly, is divided into the medio-dorsal parts, the latero-dorsal parts, the caudo-dorsal parts, and the lateral lobes. In the medio-dorsal and latero-dorsal parts, the LG cells and the DG cells are found mixed, although the LG cells are dominant. In lateral lobe, however, the Y cells are quite dominant, while the LG cells and the DG cells are seldom found. The LG cells are 20-70 $\mu\textrm{m}$ in sizes and circular or ellipsoidal in shapes. They are stained light green with the AB/AY. 1 - 3 nucleoli are found in karyolymph, where granular chromantins are evenly distributed. In cytoplasm, it is found that the secretory granules are evenly developed.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.307.2-308
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• 2002

Acharan sulfate. a new glycosaminoglycan(GAG) isolated from the giant African snail Achatina fulica. was shown to have antitumor activity in vivo. To elucidate the mechanisms for the antitumor activity. we examined its impact on professional antigen presenting cells such as macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs). Acharan sulfate stimulated cytokine production (TNF-a and IL -1b). nitric oxide release. and morphological changes in a dose dependent manner on a macrophage cell Line Raw 264.7 cells. The differentiation-inducing activity of acharan sulfate was examined on immature DCs. Immature DCs were generated from mouse bone marrow (BM) cells by culturing with GM-CSF and IL-4, and then stimulated with acharan sulfate. The resultant DCs were then examined for funcional and phenotypic properties. It was found that acharan sulfate could induce functional maturation of immature DCs as determined by increased allogenic mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) and IL-12 production. Phenotypic. analysis for the expression of class II MHC molecules and major co-stimulatory molecules such as B7-1, B7-2 and CD40 also confirmed that acharan sulfate could induce maturation of immature DCs. These results suggest that that the antitumor activity of acharan sulfate is at least in part due to activation adn induction of differentiation of professinal antigen presenting cells. (omitted)

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.101-108
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• 2001

Five kinds of neurosecretory cells (type-A, B, C, D and E) and neuropiles surrounding them were observed in the visceral ganglion and the right parietal ganglion of the African giant snail, Achatina fulica, by transmission electron microscopy. Type-A cells (diameter, $35{\mu}m$) are the most popular cells in the cortex of the two ganglions, which are of triangular or irregular forms. In their cytoplasm, there are found large granules of 1 fm in diameters and small round granules of about $0.1{\mu}m$ in diameters. Small granules are classified into the ones of high electron density and the others of middle electron density. Type-B cells (diameter, $19\times12{\mu}m$) are evenly distributed over various portions of cortex and medulla of the two ganglions. They are similar to type-A cells in shapes. The cytoplasm of type-B cells is crowded with high electron dense granules of about $0.1{\mu}m$. Round granules of about $0.7{\mu}m$ in diameters are also found but rarely. Type-C cells are the smallest cells whose sizes are about $8\times6{\mu}m$. Each of them contains a large nucleus of about $6\times5{\mu}m$. Its cytoplasm is full of electron dense granules of about $0.23{\mu}m$, each of which is artually an assembly of tiny granules of about $0.03{\mu}m$. Type-D cells are middle-size cells of about $28\times20{\mu}m$, which take ellipsoidal or irregular forms. They are found in the cortex more than in the medulla. Their cytoplasm looks dark due to the high electron density and, in it, two kinds of round granules whose sizes are $1.6{\mu}m$fm and $0.6{\mu}m$, respectively, are observed. Type-E cells are large cells of about $100\times50{\mu}m$, which are rarely found in the upper and middle portions of the two ganglions. The nucleus of the cell, which is very large $(70\times30{\mu}m)$ for the cytoplasm, contains electron dense round granules of diverse sizes (diameters, $1\sim0.2{\mu}m$). The surface of the cell protrudes filopodia of various forms and phagocytizes decrepit cells. Neuropiles are surrounding the neurosecretory cells. In nerve fibers, synaptic vesicles are observed, which are classified into six classes according to their electron densities , sizes and shapes.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.303-313
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• 1999

In this paper, five kinds of neurosecretory cells-light green (LG) cell, dark green (DG) cell, caudo-dorsal (CD) cell, blue green (BG) cell, and yellow (Y) cell- and neuropils in the cerebral ganglion of the African giant snail, Achatina fulica, were observed with an electron microscope. The following results were obtained. The LG cells are circular or ovoid in shape, and about $60{\mu}m$ in size. The nucleus and cytoplasm of the LG cell look light due to their electron-low density. Large granular chromatins are evenly developed in the karyolymph, where round nucleoli are also found. In the cytoplasm, electron -high dense round granules of $0.4{\mu}m$ in average size are crowded. The DG cells are ovoid in shape, and $50\sim20{\mu}m$ in size. These relatively electron-high dense cells were rarely found. In their cytoplasm, cell organelles such as rough endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria are found together with electron -high dense round granules of $0.2{\mu}m$ in average size. The CD cells are ellipsoidal cells densely distributed in caudo-dorsal parts of the cerebral ganglion. They have large nuclei compared with the cytoplasm. The developed granular heterochromatins are observed in the karyolymph, and lots of small round granules of $0.12{\mu}m$ in average size in the cytoplasm. The 3G cells, rarely found around endoneurium of the cerebral ganglion, take the shapes of long ellipses. They look dark due to their electron -high density. In the cytoplasm, small round granules of $0.1{\mu}m$ in average size are found. The Y cells are the smallest among the neurosecretory cells($9\times6.6{\mu}m$ in size). They are found mostly between the medio-dorsal parts and the caudo-dorsal parts of the cerebral ganglion. In the cytoplasm, tiny round granules of $0.08{\mu}m$ in average size form a group. The neuropils are found in the middle of the cerebral ganglion. In the axon ending, round granules with electron -high density ($0.07\sim0.03{\mu}m$ in diameter) and lucent vesicles ($0.03{\mu}m$ in diameter) are found in large quantities. They are excreted in the state of exocytosome formed by the invagination of the limiting membrane of the axon ending.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.499-507
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• 2012

Previous work has characterized myomodulin A (MMA, PMSMLRLamide) and myomodulin E (MME, GLQMLRLamide) purified from the central nervous systems of the sea hare, $Aplysia$ $Kurodai$, using the anterior byssus retractor muscle (ABRM) of the mussel, $Mytilus$ $edulis$. The amino acid sequences of MMA and MME were the same as those of the myomodulin family peptide found in other mollusks. In this study, we synthesized MME, its derivatives, and other neuropeptides to investigate the relationship between the structure and biological activity of MME. The primary structures of MME's derivatives, Des[$Gly^1$]-MME, Des[$Gly^1,Leu^2$]-MME, and Des[$Gly^1,Leu^2,Gln^3$]-MME, were LQMLRLamide, QMLRLamide, and MLRLamide, respectively. MMA and synthetic peptides were tested on ABRM in $M.$ $edulis$ as well as muscle preparations in $Achatina$ $fulica$. MME displayed an inhibitory effect on phasic contraction of the ABRM at $1{\times}10^{-9}$ M or higher. MME also had a relaxing effect on the catch-tension of AMRM at $1{\times}10^{-8}$ M. Both MMA and its analogs stimulated a contractile response on the crop and relaxed the catch-relaxing response on the penial retractor muscle of $A.$ $fulica$. These results suggest that MME and its analogs have modulatory effects on various muscles of mollusks. This study has also laid the groundwork for future neural and circuit modulation studies during animal behavioral changes.