• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.315-320
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• 2004

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of Orostachys japonicus A. Berger (OJB) on the immune system. Administration of OJB (500 mg/kg) enhanced viability of splenocytes and thymocytes in BALB/c mice, and also OJB increased of splenic T lymphocytes, significantly, increased CD4 positive $T_H$ cells and CD8 positive Tc cells. OJB markedly, enhanced the production of ${\gamma}-interferon$ in mice serum. OJB accelerated the apoptosis of L1210 and U937 leukemia cells and increased the expression of apoptosis-related ICE, c-myc, p53 gene. These results suggest that OJB have an immuno-regulatory and anti-cancer activity.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.6-12
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• 2006

Background: The Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis is an important regulator for the body's stress response. As a primary stress responsive system, HPA-axis secretes various neurotransmitters, hormones, and cytokines, which regulates the immune system. Natural killer (NK) cell which is plays an important role in the innate immune response, is specially decreased their numbers and loose cytolytic activity in response to stress. However, the effect of HPA-axis secreted proteins on NK cell activity has not been defined. Herein, we studied the effect of adrenal secreted adiponectin on NK cell cytotoxicity. Adiponectin which is well-known metabolic control protein, plays important roles in various diseases, including hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory disorders, and cancer. Methods: Signal sequence trap was used to find stress novel secretory protein from HP A-axis. Selected adiponectin was treated mouse mature primary NK cells and then examined the effect of adiponectin to NK cell cytotoxicity and cytokine expression level. Results: We found that adiponectin which is secreted from adrenal gland, suppress IL-2 induced NK cell cytotoxicity. And also investigated cytolytic cytokines are suppressed by adiponectin. Conclusion: These data suggest that adiponectin inhibites NK cell cytotoxicity via suppression of cytotoxicity related target gene.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.309-319
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• 2019

Phytochemicals which exist in various plants and fungi are non-nutritive compounds that exert numerous beneficial bioactive actions for animals. In recent years following the restriction of antibiotics, phytochemicals have been regarded as a primal selection when dealing with the challenges during the producing process in the poultry industry. The selected fast-growing broiler breed was more fragile when confronting the stressors in their growing environments. The disruption of oxidative balance that impairs the production performance in birds may somehow be linked to the immune system since oxidative stress and inflammatory damage are multi-stage processes. This review firstly discusses the individual influence of oxidative stress and inflammation on the poultry industry. Next, studies related to the application of phytochemicals or botanical compounds with the significance of their antioxidant and immunomodulatory abilities are reviewed. Furthermore, we bring up nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) and nuclear factor kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$) for they are respectively the key transcription factors involved in oxidative stress and inflammation for elucidating the underlying signal transduction pathways. Finally, by the discussion about several reports using phytochemicals to regulate these transcription factors leading to the improvement of oxidative status, heme oxygenase-1 gene is found crucial for Nrf2-mediated $NF-{\kappa}B$ inhibition.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.226-232
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• 2021

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is an emerging phlebovirus of the Phenuiviridae family that has been circulating in the following Asian countries: Vietnam, Myanmar, Taiwan, China, Japan, and South Korea. Despite the increasing infection rates and relatively high mortality rate, there is limited information available regarding SFTSV pathogenesis. In addition, there are currently no vaccines or effective antiviral treatments available. Previous reports have shown that SFTSV suppresses the host immune response and its nonstructural proteins (NSs) function as an antagonist of type I interferon (IFN), whose induction is an essential part of the host defense system against viral infections. Given that SFTSV NSs suppress the innate immune response by inhibiting type I IFN, we investigated the mechanism utilized by SFTSV NSs to evade IFNmediated response. Our co-immunoprecipitation data suggest the interactions between NSs and retinoic acid inducible gene-I (RIG-I) or TANK binding kinase 1 (TBK1). Furthermore, confocal analysis indicates the ability of NSs to sequester RIG-I and related downstream molecules in the cytoplasmic structures called inclusion bodies (IBs). NSs are also capable of inhibiting TBK1-interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) interaction, and therefore prevent the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of IRF3 for the induction of type I IFN. The ability of SFTSV NSs to interact with and sequester TBK1 and IRF3 in IBs demonstrate an effective yet unique method utilized by SFTSV to evade and suppress host immunity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.1109-1118
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• 2024

Probiotics, specifically Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, have garnered attention for their potential health benefits. This study focuses on evaluating the probiotic properties of candidate probiotics L. rhamnosus IDCC 3201 (3201) using the Caenorhabditis elegans surrogate animal model, a well-established in vivo system for studying host-bacteria interactions. The adhesive ability to the host's gastrointestinal tract is a crucial criterion for selecting potential probiotic bacteria. Our findings demonstrated that 3201 exhibits significantly higher adhesive capabilities compared with Escherichia coli OP50 (OP50), a standard laboratory food source for C. elegans and is comparable with the widely recognized probiotic L. rhamnosus GG (LGG). In lifespan assay, 3201 significantly increased the longevity of C. elegans compared with OP50. In addition, preconditioning with 3201 enhanced C. elegans immune response against four different foodborne pathogenic bacteria. To uncover the molecular basis of these effects, transcriptome analysis elucidated that 3201 modulates specific gene expression related to the innate immune response in C. elegans. C-type lectin-related genes and lysozyme-related genes, crucial components of the immune system, showed significant upregulation after feeding 3201 compared with OP50. These results suggested that preconditioning with 3201 may enhance the immune response against pathogens. Metabolome analysis revealed increased levels of fumaric acid and succinic acid, metabolites of the citric acid cycle, in C. elegans fed with 3201 compared with OP50. Furthermore, there was an increase in the levels of lactic acid, a well-known antimicrobial compound. This rise in lactic acid levels may have contributed to the robust defense mechanisms against pathogens. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the probiotic properties of the candidate probiotic L. rhamnosus IDCC 3201 by using multi-omics analysis.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.142-148
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• 2005

The immune response-related genes have been suggested to be the most favorable genes for positive selection during evolution. Comparing the entire DNA sequence of chimpanzee chromosome 22 (PTR22) with human chromosome 21 (HSA21), we have identified 15 orthologs having indel in their coding sequences. Among them, interferon-${\alpha}$ receptor-1 gene (IFNAR1), an immuneresponse-related gene, is subjected to comparative genomic analysis. Chimpanzee IFNAR1 showed the same genomic structure as human IFNAR1 (11 exons and 10 introns) except the 3 bp insertion in exon 4. The sequence alignment of IFNAR1 coding sequence indicated that 'ISPP' amino acid sequence motif is highly conserved in chimpanzee and other animals including mouse and chicken. However, the human IFNAR1 shows that one proline residue is missing in the sequence motif. The homology modeling of the IFNAR1 structures suggests that the proline deletion in human IFNAR1 leads to the formation of the following ${\alpha}$-helix, whereas two sequential prolines in chimpanzee IFNAR1 inhibit it. As a result, human IFNAR1 may adopt a characteristic structure distinct from chimpanzee IFNAR1. This human specific trait could contribute to specific immune response in the most optimized manner for humans. Further molecular biological studies on the IFNAR1 will help us to gain insights into the molecular implication of species-specific host-pathogen interaction in primate evolution.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.1412-1419
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• 2020

Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are a leading cause of gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide. However, the paucity of appropriate cell culture models for HuNoV replication has prevented developing effective anti-HuNoV therapies. In this study, first, the replication of the virus at various temperatures in different cells was compared, which showed that lowering the culture temperature from 37℃ significantly increased virus replication in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. Second, the expression levels of autophagy-, immune-, and apoptosis-related genes at 30℃ and 37℃ were compared to explore factors affecting HuNoV replication. HuNoV cultured at 37℃ showed significantly increased autophagy-related genes (ATG5 and ATG7) and immune-related genes (IFNA, IFNB, ISG15, and NFKB) compared to mock. However, the virus cultured at 30℃ showed significantly decreased expression of autophagy-related genes (ATG5 and ATG7), but not significantly different major immune-related genes (IFNA, ISG15, and NFKB) compared to mock. Importantly, expression of the transcription factor FOXO1, which controls autophagy- and immune-related gene expression, was significantly lower at 30℃. Moreover, FOXO1 inhibition in temperature-optimized MDCK cells enhanced HuNoV replication, highlighting FOXO1 inhibition as an approach for successful virus replication. In the temperature-optimized cells, various HuNoV genotypes were successfully replicated, with GI.8 showing the highest replication levels followed by GII.1, GII.3, and GII.4. Furthermore, ultrastructural analysis of the infected cells revealed functional HuNoV replication at low temperature, with increased cellular apoptosis and decreased autophagic vacuoles. In conclusion, temperature-optimized MDCK cells can be used as a convenient culture model for HuNoV replication by inhibiting FOXO1 and providing adaptability to different genotypes.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.23-27
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• 2005

The major garlic component, Allicin [diallylthiosulfinate, or (R, S)-diallyldissulfid-S-oxide] is known for its medicinal effects, such as antihypertensive activity, microbicidal activity, and antitumor activity. Allicin and diallyldisulfide, which is a converted form of allicin, inhibited the cholesterol level in hepatocytes, in vivo and in vitro. The metabolism of allicin reportedly occurs in the microsomes of hepatocytes, predominantly with the contribution of cytochrome P-450. However, little is known about how allicin affects the genes involved in the activity of hepatocytes in vivo. In the present study, we used the short-term intravenous injection of allicin to examine the in vivo genetic profile of hepatocytes. Allicin up-regulate ten genes in the hepatocytes. For example, the interferon regulator 1 (IRF-I), the wingless-related MMTV (mouse mammary tumor virus) integration site 4 (wnt-4), and the fatty acid binding protein 1. However, allicin down-regulated three genes: namely, glutathione S-transferase mu6, a-2-HS glycoprotein, and the corticosteroid binding globulin of hepatocytes. The up-regulated wnt-4, IRF-1, and mannose binding lectin genes can enhance the growth factors, cytokines, transcription activators and repressors that are involved in the immune defense mechanism. These primary data, which were generated with the aid of the Atlas Plastic Mouse 5 K Microarray, help to explain the mechanism which enables allicin to act as a therapeutic agent, to enhance immunity, and to prevent cancer. The data suggest that these benefits of allicin are partly caused by the up-regulated or down-regulated gene profiles of hepatocytes. To evaluate the genetic profile in more detail, we need to use a more extensive mouse genome array.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.223-228
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• 2008

A novel beetle antimicrobial protein from stimulated Copris tripartitus and the corresponding gene were isolated in parallel through differential display-PCR and expression in Escherichia coli. To find cDNA clones responsible for bacteria resistance, the suppression subtractive hybridization and GeneFishing differentially expressed genes system were employed in the dung beetle, Copris tripartitus immunized with lipopolysaccaride. One cDNA clone from eight subtracted clones was selected through dot blot analysis and confirmed by northern blot analysis. The 516-bp, selected cDNA clone was determined by 5' and 3' rapid amplication of cDNA ends and cloned into the GST fusion expression vector pGEX-4T-1 for expression of the protein. The expressed protein was predicted 14.7 kDa and inhibited the growth of gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These results implied that the expressed protein is related to immune defense mechanism against microorganism.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.461-465
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• 2008

IL-18 production may enhance immune system defense against KG-1 cells ; NB4 cells, which are associated with good prognosis, do not produce IL-18. In this study, we treated KG-1 cells with IL-18 and used microarray technology to assess subsequent effects on gene expression. In UniGene-array of 7488 human genes, expression of 57 genes, including stress related genes, increased at least 2-fold, whereas expression of 48 genes decreased at least 2-fold. Following exogenous exposure of KG-1 cells to IL-18, expression of CRYGC, $NF{\kappa}BIA$ and NACA gene were monitored. The latter is a transcriptional coactivator potentiating c-Jun-mediated transcription.$NF{\kappa}BIA$ is an inhibitor of $NF{\kappa}B$, and affects growth regulation, apoptosis and hypoxic stress. Studies, such as this one, are beginning to clarify the differences between cells associated with good and bad cancer prognoses, which may ultimately assist in medical treatment for acute myeloid leukemia.