• 대한약학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한약학회 2003년도 Proceedings of the Convention of the Pharmaceutical Society of Korea Vol.2-1
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• pp.100-101
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• 2003

Cell-cell and cell-matrix interaction is clearly required for metazoans not only to hold their cells together but also to conduct more sophisticated biological processes. Each cell has adhesion molecules on its cell membrane to link extracellular matrix and adjacent cells to the intracellular cytoskeleton, and also to transduce signals. In complex metazoans, information is transmitted from one cell to another by mechanisms such as direct intercellular communication, soluble signal molecules among distant cells, and local cellular environments formed by highly specialized extracellular matrix. (omitted)

• Journal of Species Research
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• 제6권spc호
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• pp.164-171
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• 2017

A research project entitled "Discovery of Korean Indigenous Species" was launched in 2006, and has been carried on as a continuous project until now. The main purpose of this project is to find undiscovered species on the Korean peninsula and ultimately register these species in the "National List of Species of Korea". In this paper, we present 79 unrecorded species of the Korean metazoans. All species were obtained from the final reports of "Discovery of Korean Indigenous Species" which were performed during the first five years of the project, 2006 to 2010.

• BMB Reports
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• 제48권6호
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• pp.301-302
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• 2015

Hypoxia is associated with many pathological conditions as well as the normal physiology of metazoans. We identified a lactate-dependent signaling pathway in hypoxia, mediated by the oxygen- and lactate-regulated protein NDRG family member 3 (NDRG3). Oxygen negatively regulates NDRG3 expression at the protein level via the PHD2/VHL system, whereas lactate, produced in excess under prolonged hypoxia, blocks its proteasomal degradation by binding to NDRG3. We also found that the stabilized NDRG3 protein promotes angiogenesis and cell growth under hypoxia by activating the Raf-ERK pathway. Inhibiting cellular lactate production abolishes NDRG3-mediated hypoxia responses. The NDRG3-Raf-ERK axis therefore provides the genetic basis for lactate-induced hypoxia signaling, which can be exploited for the development of therapies targeting hypoxia-induced diseases in addition to advancing our understanding of the normal physiology of hypoxia responses. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(6): 301-302]

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.167-179
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• 2005

The cells of metazoans respond to DNA damage by either arresting their cell cycle in order to repair the DNA, or by undergoing apoptosis. This response is highly conserved across species, and many of the genes involved in this DNA damage response have been shown to be inactivated in human cancers. This suggests the importance of DNA damage response with regard to the prevention of cancer. The DNA damage checkpoint responses vary greatly depending on the developmental context, cell type, gene expression profile, and the degree and nature of the DNA lesions. More valuable information can be obtained from studies utilizing whole organisms in which the molecular basis of development has been well established, such as Drosophila. Since the discovery of the Drosophila p53 orthologue, various aspects of DNA damage responses have been studied in Drosophila. In this review, I will summarize the current knowledge on the DNA damage checkpoint response in Drosophila. With the ease of genetic, cellular, and cytological approaches, Drosophila will become an increasingly valuable model organism for the study of mechanisms inherent to cancer formation associated with defects in the DNA damage pathway.

• 암석학회지
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.291-305
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• 2015

미생물에 의해 만들어진 퇴적암인 미생물암은 약 35억 년 전 지구 상에 최초로 등장한 이후 오늘날에도 다양한 환경에서 형성되고 있다. 미생물암은 미생물이 쇄설성 퇴적물을 고정하거나 탄산염을 침전시켜 생성되며, 그 결과 미생물암의 미세구조와 중간구조가 형성된다. 미생물암은 그 중간구조를 바탕으로 크게 스트로마톨라이트, 쓰롬볼라이트, 덴드롤라이트, 레이올라이트 등 네 가지로 분류한다. 지질 기록에서 미생물암의 분포 양상은 주로 해수 중 탄산칼슘 농도와 후생동물의 영향을 받았다. 선캄브리아 시대에 오랫동안 널리 분포하였던 스트로마톨라이트는 대기 중 이산화탄소 농도가 감소하면서 점차 줄어들었고, 이를 대신하여 신원생대부터 석회화된 미생물로 이루어진 쓰롬볼라이트가 번성하기 시작하였다. 이후 현생누대에 접어들며 다양한 후생동물이 등장함에 따라 미생물암이 퇴적기록에서 차지하는 비중은 매우 감소하였으며, 대멸종 직후 등 특정 시기에만 짧게 번성하였다. 한반도에서는 지금까지 신원생대 상원계, 전기 고생대 조선누층군, 백악기 경상누층군 등에서 미생물암이 보고된 바 있으며, 이들은 시대와 퇴적 환경에 따라 서로 다른 형태로 발달한다. 앞으로 한반도의 미생물암에 대한 추가 연구를 통해 미생물이 지질기록 및 퇴적환경에 미친 영향뿐만 아니라 미생물과 다른 생물들 사이의 상호작용을 이해할 수 있을 것이다.

• BMB Reports
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• 제49권7호
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• pp.355-356
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• 2016

The THO/TREX complex consists of several conserved subunits and is required for mRNA export. In metazoans, THO/TREX binds a subset of mRNAs during RNA splicing, and facilitates their nuclear export. How THO/TREX selects RNA targets is, however, incompletely understood. In our recent study, we reported that THO is loaded onto Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) precursor transcripts independent of splicing, and facilitates convergent transcription in Drosophila ovary. The precursors are later processed into mature piRNAs, small noncoding RNAs that silence transposable elements (TEs). We observed that piRNAs originating from dual-strand clusters, where precursors are transcribed from both strands, were specifically affected by THO mutation. Analysis of THO-bound RNAs showed enrichment of dual-strand cluster transcripts. Interestingly, THO loading onto piRNA precursors was dependent on Cutoff (Cuff), which comprises the Rhino-Deadlock-Cutoff (RDC) complex that is recruited to dual-strand clusters by recognizing H3K9me3 and licenses convergent transcription from he cluster. We also found that THO mutation affected transcription from dual-strand clusters. Therefore, we concluded that THO/TREX is recruited to dual-strand piRNA clusters, independent of splicing events, via multi-protein interactions with chromatin structure. Then, it facilitates transcription likely by suppressing premature termination to ensure adequate expression of piRNA precursors.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.220-227
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• 2007

The development of suitable genetic markers would be useful for defining species and delineating the species boundaries of morphologically indistinguishable sponges. In this study, genetic variation in the sequences of nuclear rDNA and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and 3 (CO1 and CO3) regions were compared in morphologically indistinguishable Korean Halichondriidae sponges in order to determine the most suitable species-specific molecular marker region. The maximal congeneric nucleotide divergences of Halichondriidae sponges in CO1 and CO3 are similar to those found among anthozoan cnidarians, but they are 2- to 8-fold lower than those found among genera of other triploblastic metazoans. Ribosomal internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS: ITS1 + ITS2) showed higher congeneric variation (17.28% in ITS1 and 10.29% in ITS2) than those of CO1 and CO3. Use of the guidelines for species thresholds suggested in the recent literature indicates that the mtDNA regions are not appropriate for use as species-specific DNA markers for the Halichondriidae sponges, whereas the rDNA ITS regions are suitable because ITS exhibits a low level of intraspecific variation and a relatively high level of interspecific variation. In addition, to test the reliability of the ITS regions for identifying Halichondriidae sponges by PCR, a species-specific multiplex PCR primer set was developed.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제7권3호
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• pp.173-186
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• 2003

The transition metal cadmium is a serious occupational and environmental toxin. To inhibit cadmium-induced damage, cells respond by increasing the expression of genes that encode stress-responsive proteins. The metal-regulatory transcription factor 1 (MTF-1) is a key regulator of heavy-metal induced transcription of metallothionein-I and II and other genes in mammals and other metazoans. Transcriptional activation of genes by MTF-1 is mediated through binding to metal-responsive elements in the target gene promoters. Phosphorylation of MTF-1 plays a critical role in the cadmium-inducible transcriptional activation of metallothionein and other responses. Studies using inhibitors indicate that multiple kinases and signal transduction cascades, including those mediated by protein kinase C, tyrosine kinase and casein kinase II, are essential for cadmium-mediated transcriptional activation. In addition, calcium signaling is also involved in regulating metal-activated transcription. In several species, cadmium induces heat shock genes. Recently much progress has been made in elucidating the cellular machinery that regulates this metal-inducible gene expression. This review summarizes these recent advances in understanding the role of some known cadmium-responsive genes and the molecular mechanisms that activate metal-responsive transcription factor, MTF-1.

• BMB Reports
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• 제52권1호
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• pp.86-108
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• 2019

In multi-cellular organisms, the control of gene expression is key not only for development, but also for adult cellular homeostasis, and gene expression has been observed to be deregulated with aging. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge on the transcriptional alterations that have been described to occur with age in metazoans. First, we discuss age-related transcriptional changes in protein-coding genes, the expected functional impact of such changes, and how known pro-longevity interventions impact these changes. Second, we discuss the changes and impact of emerging aspects of transcription in aging, including age-related changes in splicing, lncRNAs and circRNAs. Third, we discuss the changes and potential impact of transcription of transposable elements with aging. Fourth, we highlight small ncRNAs and their potential impact on the regulation of aging phenotypes. Understanding the aging transcriptome will be key to identify important regulatory targets, and ultimately slow-down or reverse aging and extend healthy lifespan in humans.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.375-383
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• 2014

Fungi tolerate exposure to various abiotic stresses, including cytotoxic compounds and fungicides, via their ATP-driven efflux pumps belonging to ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. To clarify the molecular basis of interaction between the fungus and various abiotic stresses including fungicides, we constructed a cDNA library from germinated conidia of Colletotrichum acutatum, a major anthracnose pathogen of pepper (Capsicum annum L.). Over 1,000 cDNA clones were sequenced, of which single clone exhibited significant nucleotide sequence homology to ABC transporter genes. We isolated three fosmid clones containing the C. acutatum ABC1 (CaABC1) gene in full-length from genomic DNA library screening. The CaABC1 gene consists of 4,059 bp transcript, predicting a 1,353-aa protein. The gene contains the typical ABC signature and Walker A and B motifs. The 5'-flanking region contains a CAAT motif, a TATA box, and a Kozak region. Phylogenetic and structural analysis suggested that the CaABC1 is a typical ABC transporter gene highly conserved in various fungal species, as well as in Chromista, Metazoans, and Viridiplantae. We also found that CaABC1 was up-regulated during conidiation and a minimal medium condition. Moreover, CaABC1 was induced in iprobenfos, kresoxim-methyl, thiophanate-methyl, and hygromycin B. These results demonstrate that CaABC1 is necessary for conidiation, abiotic stress, and various fungicide resistances. These results will provide the basis for further study on the function of ABC transporter genes in C. acutatum.