• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2024

Background: Skeletal muscle denervation leads to motor neuron degeneration, which in turn reduces muscle fiber volumes. Recent studies have revealed that apoptosis plays a role in regulating denervation-associated pathologic muscle wasting. Korean red ginseng (KRG) has various biological activities and is currently widely consumed as a medicinal product worldwide. Among them, ginseng has protective effects against muscle atrophy in in vivo and in vitro. However, the effects of KRG on denervation-induced muscle damage have not been fully elucidated. Methods: We induced skeletal muscle atrophy in mice by dissecting the sciatic nerves, administered KRG, and then analyzed the muscles. KRG was administered to the mice once daily for 3 weeks at 100 and 400 mg/kg/day doses after operation. Results: KRG treatment significantly increased skeletal muscle weight and tibialis anterior (TA) muscle fiber volume in injured areas and reduced histological alterations in TA muscle. In addition, KRG treatment reduced denervation-induced apoptotic changes in TA muscle. KRG attenuated p53/Bax/cytochrome c/Caspase 3 signaling induced by nerve injury in a dose-dependent manner. Also, KRG decreases protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway, reducing restorative myogenesis. Conclusion: Thus, KRG has potential protective role against denervation-induced muscle atrophy. The effect of KRG treatment was accompanied by reduced levels of mitochondria-associated apoptosis.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.274-285
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• 2007

The subfamily Chrominae of damselfishes (Teleostei: Pomacentridae) includes the genus Chromis and Dascyllus. They are found throughout the tropical oceans and form a major component of coral reef communities. There are 5 species of the Chrominae currently recognized in Korea. This study was conducted to infer phylogenetic position of two Korean Chromis species and one Dascyllus species within general category of their each genus in worldwide level. This study also includes one species of Japanese Dascyllus. In the phylogenetic analysis, the Japanese D. aruanus grouped with D. aruanus previously reported from French Polynesia. Korean Chromis fumea grouped with Australian C. nitida and the p-distance value between the two species is relatively very low (0.047). Korean C. notatus grouped together with C. flavomaculata (New Caledonia). In the sequence analysis of some Korean and Japanese damselfishes, there was no sequence variation between D. melanurus (Jeju, Korea) and D. melanurus (Indo-Pacific), but the sequences of the two populations were different in only one nucleotide sites from that of D. melanurus in Indonesian Archipelago. The sequences of Dascyllus aruanus (Japan) were different in two nucleotide sites from it in French Polynesia. There were high difference between the sequences of two Korean species, Chromis fumea and Korean C. notatus. The variations among mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences indicate that the gene sequence could be used as DNA barcode for identification of local populations of D. aruaus and D. melanurus as well as species level.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1063-1069
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• 2020

Two crucian carp species (Carassius auratus and C. cuvieri) inhabit Lake Yedang in South Korea, and C. auratus is known to be native to Korea. Classification of these two freshwater fish species is often confused because of their morphological similarity. To distinguish the two species, we conducted phylogenetic and population genetic analyses of C. auratus and C. cuvieri based on their mitochondrial DNA sequences of the cytochrome b gene (CYTB). We also compared our partial CYTB sequence (<1,056 bp) with 10 Chinese, nine Japanese, and two Russian crucian carp fishes. The results of our phylogenetic analysis showed that C. auratus and C. cuvieri were clearly divided into two phylogroups. The nucleotide diversity (π) of C. auratus from Korea, China, and Japan showed a range of 0.146%~0.421%, while the range of π of C. cuvieri from Korea and Japan was lower than those of C. auratus (0.0%~0.054%). Moreover, the comparison of CYTB divergence among crucian carp fishes in China, Japan, and Korea indicated that Korean Carassius fishes were distantly related to those from China and Japan, with two exceptions: the pairwise Fst value between Korean C. auratus and northern Chinese C. auratus was not significantly different. In addition, no significant genetic divergence between Korean and Japanese C. cuvieri was detected. We conclude that, despite the morphological similarities, C. auratus and C. cuvieri should be considered as separate freshwater fish resources in conservation efforts for genetic diversity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.606-621
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• 2024

This study evaluated the hepatoprotective effect of fermented Protaetia brevitarsis larvae (FPB) in ethanol-induced liver injury mice. As a result of amino acids in FPB, 18 types of amino acids including essential amino acids were identified. In the results of in vitro tests, FPB increased alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activities. In addition, FPB treatment increased cell viability on ethanol- and H₂O₂-induced HepG2 cells. FPB ameliorated serum biomarkers related to hepatoxicity including glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamine pyruvic transaminase, total bilirubin, and lactate dehydrogenase and lipid metabolism including triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Also, FPB controlled ethanol metabolism enzymes by regulating the protein expression levels of ADH, ALDH, and cytochrome P450 2E1 in liver tissue. FPB protected hepatic oxidative stress by improving malondialdehyde content, reduced glutathione, and superoxide dismutase levels. In addition, FPB reversed mitochondrial dysfunction by regulating reactive oxygen species production, mitochondrial membrane potential, and ATP levels. FPB protected ethanol-induced apoptosis, fatty liver, and hepatic inflammation through p-AMP-activated protein kinase and TLR-4/NF-κB signaling pathways. Furthermore, FPB prevented hepatic fibrosis by decreasing TGF-β1/Smad pathway. In summary, these results suggest that FPB might be a potential prophylactic agent for the treatment of alcoholic liver disease via preventing liver injury such as fatty liver, hepatic inflammation due to chronic ethanol-induced oxidative stress.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 2014

In this study, the detection method was developed using molecular biological technique to distinguish authenticity of animal raw materials. The genes for distinction of species about animals targeted at Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), Cytochrome b (Cytb), and 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) genes in mitochondrial DNA. The species-specific primers were designed by that Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) product size was around 200 bp for applying to processed products. The target 24 raw materials were 2 species of domestic animals, 6 species of poultry, 2 species of freshwater fishes, 13 species of marine fishes and 1 species of crustaceans. The results of PCR for Rabbit, Fox, Pheasant, Domestic Pigeon, Rufous Turtle Dove, Quail, Tree Sparrow, Barn Swallow, Catfish, Mandarin Fish, Flying Fish, Mallotus villosus, Pacific Herring, Sand Lance, Japanese Anchovy, Small Yellow Croaker, Halibut, Jacopever, Skate Ray, Ray, File Fish, Sea Bass, Sea Urchin, and Lobster raw materials were confirmed 113 bp ~ 218 bp, respectively. Also, non-specific PCR products were not detected in compare species by species-specific primers. The method using primers developed in this study may be applied to distinguish an authenticity of food materials included animal raw materials for various processed products.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.355-360
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• 2013

Precise, rapid and simple methods for species identification in animals are among the most important techniques in the livestock industry and research fields including meat classification. In this study, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based molecular identification using inter species polymorphisms were examined by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b (CYTB) gene sequences among four mammalian livestock animals (cattle, horse, goat and pig). The results from PCR-RFLP analysis using the AluI restriction enzyme were also provided for the species-specific band patterns among CYTB gene sequences in these four species. The AluI-digestion for CYTB genes provided interesting migration patterns differentially displayed according to each species. Cattle and horse had one AluI-recognition site at different nucleotide positions and their AluI-digested fragments showed different band patterns on the gels. Pig had two AluI-recognition sites within the amplified CYTB sequences and produced three bands on the gels. Goat had no AluI-recognition site and was located at the same position as the uncut PCR product. The results showed the species-specific band patterns on a single gel among the four livestock animal species by AluI-RFLP. In addition, the results from blind tests for the meat samples collected from providers without any records showed the identical information on the species recorded by observing their phenotypes before slaughter. The application of this PCR-RFLP method can be useful and provide rapid, simple, and clear information regarding species identification for various tissue samples originating from tested livestock species.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.45-56
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• 2021

A male, presumed to be an intergeneric hybrid between Tanakia lanceolata and Rhodeus pseudosericeus, was collected in the Boryeong Daecheoncheon Stream flowing into the Yellow Sea in the Republic of Korea. Morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses were performed to discriminate the definite origin of the estimated natural hybrid. As a result of the morphological analysis, the color of the dorsal and anal fin rays edges of the natural hybrid individual, the upper and lower body colors followed the morphological characteristics of T. lanceolata, and that blue longitudinal stripe in the center of the caudal peduncle, the incomplete lateral line, and the barbels absent followed the morphological characteristics of R. pseudosericeus. In addition, as a result of the cytochrome b (cytb) gene analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), the natural hybrid showed a nucleotide sequence similarity of 99.82 to 100% with T. lanceolata, and the maternal species was identified as T. lanceolata. As a result of the recombination activating gene 1 (rag1) gene analysis of nuclear DNA (nDNA), the natural hybrid showed double peaks pattern reflecting both the single nucleotide polymorphism sites (38 bp) between T. lanceolata and R. pseudosericeus, and the paternal species was identified as R. pseudosericeus. Therefore, a natural hybrid estimated male of Acheilognathinae analyzed in this study was found to be an intergeneric hybrid between a female T. lanceolata and a male R. pseudosericeus.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.104-114
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• 2024

Licochalcone C (LCC; PubChem CID:9840805), a chalcone compound originating from the root of Glycyrrhiza inflata, has shown anticancer activity against skin cancer, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and oral squamous cell carcinoma. However, the therapeutic potential of LCC in treating colorectal cancer (CRC) and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Chemotherapy for CRC is challenging because of the development of drug resistance. In this study, we examined the antiproliferative activity of LCC in human colorectal carcinoma HCT116 cells, oxaliplatin (Ox) sensitive and Ox-resistant HCT116 cells (HCT116-OxR). LCC significantly and selectively inhibited the growth of HCT116 and HCT116-OxR cells. An in vitro kinase assay showed that LCC inhibited the kinase activities of EGFR and AKT. Molecular docking simulations using AutoDock Vina indicated that LCC could be in ATP-binding pockets. Decreased phosphorylation of EGFR and AKT was observed in the LCC-treated cells. In addition, LCC induced cell cycle arrest by modulating the expression of cell cycle regulators p21, p27, cyclin B1, and cdc2. LCC treatment induced ROS generation in CRC cells, and the ROS induction was accompanied by the phosphorylation of JNK and p38 kinases. Moreover, LCC dysregulated mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and the disruption of MMP resulted in the release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm and activation of caspases to execute apoptosis. Overall, LCC showed anticancer activity against both Ox-sensitive and Ox-resistant CRC cells by targeting EGFR and AKT, inducing ROS generation and disrupting MMP. Thus, LCC may be potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of Ox-resistant CRC cells.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.39.1-39.15
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• 2023

DNA barcoding without assessing reliability and validity causes taxonomic errors of species identification, which is responsible for disruptions of their conservation and aquaculture industry. Although DNA barcoding facilitates molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of species, its availability in clariid catfish lineage remains uncertain. In this study, DNA barcoding was developed and validated for clariid catfish. 2,970 barcode sequences from mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cytb) genes and D-loop sequences were analyzed for 37 clariid catfish species. The highest intraspecific nearest neighbor distances were 85.47%, 98.03%, and 89.10% for COI, Cytb, and D-loop sequences, respectively. This suggests that the Cytb gene is the most appropriate for identifying clariid catfish and can serve as a standard region for DNA barcoding. A positive barcoding gap between interspecific and intraspecific sequence divergence was observed in the Cytb dataset but not in the COI and D-loop datasets. Intraspecific variation was typically less than 4.4%, whereas interspecific variation was generally more than 66.9%. However, a species complex was detected in walking catfish and significant intraspecific sequence divergence was observed in North African catfish. These findings suggest the need to focus on developing a DNA barcoding system for classifying clariid catfish properly and to validate its efficacy for a wider range of clariid catfish. With an enriched database of multiple sequences from a target species and its genus, species identification can be more accurate and biodiversity assessment of the species can be facilitated.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.3 s.76
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• pp.546-554
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• 2006

To understand antitumor activity of Zanthoxylum schinfolium, which has been used as an aromatic and medicinal plant in Korea, the cytotoxic effect of various organic solvent extracts of its leaves on human tumor cells were investigated. Among these extracts such as methanol extract (SL-13), methylene chloride extract (SL-14), ethyl acetate extract (SL-15), n-butanol extract (SL-16), and residual fraction (SL-17), SL-14 appeared to contain the most cytotoxic activity against leukemia and breast cancer cells tested. The methylene chloride extra.1 (SL-14) possessed an apoptogenic activity causing apoptotic DNA fragmentation of human acute leukemia Jurkat T cells via mitochondrial cytochrome c release into cytoplasm, subsequent activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3, and cleavage of PARP, which could be negatively regulated by antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xL. The GC-MS analysis of SL-14 revealed that the twenty-two ingredients of SL-14 were 9,19-cyclolanost-24-en-3-ol (15.1%), 2-a-methyl-17, b-hop-21-ene (15.1%), 15-methyl-2,3-dihydro-1H benzazepin (11.95%), phytol (10.38%), lupeol (9.92%), 12-methylbenzofuran (8.23%), hexadecanoic acid (5.96%), cis,cis,cis-9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid-methyl-ester (5.49%), 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid-methylester (3.59%), 15-methyl-4-(1-methylethylidene)-2-(4-nitrophenyl) (3.36%), hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (1.93%), vitamine E (1.88%), beta-amyrin (0.96%), and auraptene (0.89%). These results demonstrate that the cytotoxicity of the methylene chloride extract of the leaves of Z. schinifolium toward Jurkat T cells is mainly attributable to apoptosis mediated by mitochondria-dependent caspase cascade regulated by Bcl-xL, and provide an insight into the mechanism underlying antitumor activity of the edible plant Z. schinifolium.