• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.519-527
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• 2010

Paclitaxel is known as a potent inhibitor of microtubule depolymerization. It leads to mitotic arrest and cell death by stabilizing the spindle in various cell types. Here, we investigated the effects of paclitaxel on the proliferation and cell death of rabbit articular chondrocytes. Paclitaxel inhibited proliferation in a dose- and time- dependent manner, determined by MTT assay in rabbit articular chondrocytes. We also established paclitaxel-induced G2/M arrest by fluorescent activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis. Paclitaxel increased expression of cyclin B, p53 and p21, while reducing expression of cdc2 and cdc25C in chondrocytes, as detected by Western blot analysis. Interestingly, paclitaxel showed the mitotic catastrophe that leads to abnormal nucleus division and cell death without DNA fragmentation through activation of caspase. Cell death by mitotic catastrophe in cells treated with paclitaxel was suppressed by inhibiting G1/S arrest with 2 mM thymidine. These results demonstrate that paclitaxel induces cell death via mitotic catastrophe without activation of casepase in rabbit articular chondrocytes.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Pathology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.127-138
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• 1998

Transmissible venereal tumor(TVT) is a naturally occurring contagious neoplasm which can be transmitted by mechanical contact during mating in dogs and transplanted as intact viable cells to dogs and other members of canine family such as coyotes, jackals, wolves, and foxes. The incidence of this tumors tends to increase in Korean native Jindo dogs. This is probably due to the high density and unrestrained management system. With time, TVT reaches the maximum size and then tends to regress spontaneously unless individuals are immunologically compromised. It consists of different types of cells depending on the stage. In this study, 10 tumors were selected from Jindo dogs. These were histologically calssified into three stages; progressive, steady-state, and regressive. Mitotic figures were counted, and their histological appearance at each stage is compared with their DNA ploidy. Histologically, 5 tumor cases were calssed as the progressors, 3 cases as the steady-state tumors, and 2 cases as regressors. Progressors were composed of round cells with large nuclei containing conspicuous nucleoli and frequent mitotic figures. A few spindle-shaped cells and inflammatory cells including mainly lymphocytes, a few neutrophils and macrophages were also seen. In the steady-state tumors, there was an increased number of spindle shaped cells and mitotic figures were rare. Six tumors were diploid and four were aneuploid with the variation coefficient of 7.02. Two of five progressive tumors were aneuploid. Two of three steady-state tumors were aneuploid while both tumors at the regressive stage were diploid. Progressive and steady-state tumors had a much larger S/G2M fraction and a higher mitotic index than regressive tumors. Two tumors which persisted for more than one year were aneuploid. These results suggest that the progressive and steady-state tumors had more active cell division than the regressive neoplasms.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.73-79
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• 2010

We investigated the microtubule dynamics, including the inheritance of donor centrosomes and the mitotic spindle assembly occurring during the first mitosis of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos in pigs. SCNT embryos were fixed 15 min and 1 h after fusion in order to assess the inheritance pattern of the donor centrosome. The distribution and dynamic of the centrosome and microtubule during the first mitotic phase of SCNT embryos were also evaluated. The frequency of embryos evidencing $\gamma$-tubulin spots (centrosome) was 93.2% in the SCNT embryos 15 min after fusion. In the majority of the SCNT embryos (61.5%), however, no centrosome was observed 1 h after fusion. The frequency of the embryos with no or abnormal mitotic spindles 20 h after fusion was 19.6%. The $\gamma$-tubulin spots were detected near the nuclei of somatic cells regardless of cell cycle phase, whereas $\gamma$-tubulin spots in the SCNT embryos were observed only during the inter-anaphase transition. These results showed that the donor centrosome is inherited into the SCNT embryos, but failed to assemble the normal mitotic spindles during first mitotic phase in some SCNT embryos.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.24 no.1 s.76
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• pp.1-7
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• 1996

Premitotic, mitotic and postmitotic nuclei in the dikaryotic somatic hyphae of Pleurotus ostreatus, the oyster mushroom fungus were ultrastucturally examined using chemical fixation and freeze-substitution process, and the behaviors of astral microtubules associated with these nuclei were closely analyzed. Electron microscopic examinations revealed that astral microtubules are significantly abundant when the nuclei are in the stage of migration and at the stage of migration, the separation of spindle pole body occurs. Such an abundancy of astral microtubules in premitotic migrating nuclei is well contrasted with mitotic and postmitotic nuclei with much fewer astral microtubules and it should be noted that neither of these latter classes of nuclei exhibits the separation of the spindle pole body. It is remarkable that the postmitotic nuclei that are believed to migrate actively are associated with the astral microtubules that are less in numbers and length. During all the stages of nuclear division, astral microtubules are invariably radiating from the spindle pole bodies and nucleolus remains within the nuclear envelope of dividing nuclei throughout the division. The functions of astral microtubules developed during the nuclear division as well as the nuclear migration and separation of the spindle pole body were closely examined.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.261-270
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• 1992

Many herbicides that are applied at the soil before weed emergence inhibit plant growth soon after weed germination occurs. Plant growth has been known as an irreversible increase in size as a result of the processes of cell divison and cell enlargement. Herbicides can influence primary growth in which most new plant tissues emerges from meristmatic region by affecting either or both of these processes. Herbicides which have sites of action during interphase($G_1$, S, $G_2$) of cell cycle and cause a subsequent reduction in the observed frequency of mitotic figures can be classified as an inhibitor of mitotic entry. Those herbicides that affect the mitotic sequence(mitosis) by influencing the development of the spindle apparatus or by influencing new cell plate formation should be classified as causing disruption of the mitotic sequence. Sulfonylureas, imidazolinones, chloroacetamides and some others inhibit plant growth by inhibiting the entry of cell into mitosis. The carbamate herbicides asulam, carbetamide, chlorpropham and propham etc. reported to disrupt the mitotic sequence, especially affecting on spindle function, and the dinitroaniline herbicides trifluralin, nitralin, pendimethalin, dinitramine and oryzalin etc. reported to disrupt the mitotic sequence, particularly causing disappearence of microtubles from treated cells due to inhibition of polymerization process. An inhibition of cell enlargement can be made by membrane demage, metabolic changes within cells, or changes in processes necessary for cell yielding. Several herbicides such as diallate, triallate, alachlor, metolachlor and EPTC etc. reported to inhibit cell enlargement, while 2, 4-D has been known to disrupt cell enlargement. One potential danger inherent in the use of soil acting herbicides is that build-up of residues could occur from year to year. In practice, the sort of build-up that would be disastrous is unikely to occur for substances applied at the correct soil concentration. Crop injury caused by soil applied herbicides can be minimized by (1) following the guidance of safe use of herbicides, particularly correct dose at correct time in right crop, (2) by use of safeners which protect crops against injury without protecting any weed ; interactions between herbicides and safeners(antagonists) at target sites do occur probably from the following mechanisms (1) competition for binding site, (2) circumvention of the target site, and (3) compensation of target site, and another mechanism of safener action can be explained by enhancement of glutathione and glutathione related enzyme activity as shown in the protection of rice from pretilachlor injury by safener fenclorim, (3) development of herbicide resistant crops ; development of herbicide-resistant weed biotypes can be explained by either gene pool theory or selection theory which are two most accepted explanations, and on this basis it is likely to develop herbicide-resistant crops of commercial use. Carry-over problems do occur following repeated use of the same herbicide in an extended period of monocropping, and by errors in initial application which lead to accidental and irregular overdosing, and by climatic influence on rates of loss. These problems are usually related to the marked sensitivity of the particular crops to the specific herbicide residues, e.g. wheat/pronamide, barley/napropamid, sugarbeet/ chlorsulfuron, quinclorac/tomato. Relatively-short-residual product, succeeding culture of insensitive crop to specific herbicide, and greater reliance on postemergence herbicide treatments should be alternatives for farmer practices to prevent these problems.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.7
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• pp.413-418
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• 2015

DEPDC1 is a recently identified novel tumor-related gene that is upregulated in several types of cancer and contributes to tumorigenesis. In this study, we have investigated the expression pattern and functional implications of DEPDC1 during cell cycle progression. Expression studies using synchronized cells demonstrated that DEPDC1 is highly expressed in the mitotic phase of the cell cycle. Immunofluorescence assays showed that DEPDC1 is predominantly localized in the nucleus during interphase and is redistributed into the whole cell upon nuclear membrane breakdown in metaphase. Subsequently, siRNA-mediated knockdown of DEPDC1 caused a significant mitotic arrest. Moreover, knockdown of DEPDC1 resulted in remarkable mitotic defects such as abnormal multiple nuclei and multipolar spindle structures accompanied by the upregulation of the A20 gene as well as several cell cycle-related genes such as CCNB1 and CCNB2. Taken together, our current observations strongly suggest that this novel cancerous gene, DEPDC1, plays a pivotal role in the regulation of proper mitotic progression. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(7): 413-418]

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.375-381
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• 1995

Two intraocular tumors were identified in low and medium dosed groups of a carcinogenicity study using 200 males and 200 females Sprague-Dawley rats in Screening & Toxicology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology. The tumors were grossly observed as white or yellow, unilateral nodules. They were approximately $1-2{\times}3-5mm$ in size. The tumors located in the region of iris and/or ciliary body invaded peripheral cornea. The microscopic features were usually composed of spindle cells arranged in parallel, forming gently curving bundles or whorls. The spindle cells had poorly defined cell boundaries, scant to moderate cytoplasm, fusiform nuclei and indistinct nucleoli. Mitotic figures were rare and areas of necrosis were present. The spindle cells had positive immunoreactivity for S-100 protein and vimentin but negative for desmin, collagen and HMB-45 antibody. In special histochemical studies, the spindle cells react with Gomori's stain for argyrophih fibers, Prussian blue stain for iron but negative with Masson-Fontana's stain for melanin granules. Ultrastructurally, cytoplasmic premelanosomes were not observed in the tumor cells due to the poor preservation of tumor masses. Based on the results, the tumors were diagnosed as amelanotic melanoma.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.105-116
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• 2003

In Vitro fertilization of U. unicinctus eggs observed by immunofluorescence and electron microscopes revealed an overview of the meiotic pattern of the tide animals. The eggs have been fertilized early at germinal vesicle stage, followed by germinal vesicle break down (GVBD), but pre-mitotic aster like structure could not be resolved by the methods employed in this work. The meiotic features, such as rotation-shift movement of spindle fibers, behavior of spermatozoonmonaster in the egg cytoplasm and active spindle fiber of the 1st polar body, have been observed. The antitubulin-FITC fluorescence show the 2nd meiotic apparatus appeared firstly parallel to the tangential line of the oolemma, proceeding the meiosis, its bipolarity is rotated and shifted towards the oolemma. The polar bodysite of the oolemma was not amorphous, but active in a sense of anti-tubulin-FITC reactions during the extrusions of the polar bodies. The immunofluorescence reactions of the spermatozoon centriole appeared at a later stage of the 2nd meiosis. During the time periods, the fertilized spermatozoon resided in the egg cytoplasm. Activating the centrioles, spermatozoon approaches towards the chromosomal materials of the 2nd oocyte. This suggests that spermatozoon centrioles initiate and play a roll to fuse male and female pronuclei.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.158-163
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• 1990

Ancient (degenerated) schwannomas are benign tumors that display pronounced degenerative changes including cyst formation, calcification, hemorrhage, and hyalinization. The tumors are usually infiltrated by large numbers of inflammatory cells such as neutrophils, lymphocytes, siderophages, and histiocytes. They are located in deep locations such as the retroperitoneum and must be differentiated from malignant soft tissue tumors because spindle cells with nuclear atypia may be present. In the fine needle aspiration biopsy. The cytologic findings of two cases of ancient schwannoma occurring in posterior mediastinum and retroperitoneum, respectively, are described. Computerized tomographic findings of both cases showed changes of cystic degeneration or necrosis. A case occurred in retroperitoneum revealed features of destruction of vertebral body to suggest a malignant soft tussue tumor radiologically. The cytologic findings of aspiration biopsy of both tumors revealed that the tumor cells were spindle in shape with elongated nuclei. Some of tumor cells were arranged in a palisading fashion. Cell structures that resemble the Verocay bodies were observed. Some of the tumor cells showed pleomorphic bizarre nuclei, but no mitotic activity or chromatin clumping was seen. Inflammatory cells, siderophages and histiocytes were scattered in fibrillar material. These cytologic findings are important in the diagnosis of ancient schwannoma and in the differentiation of this tumor from the malignant spindle cell tumor.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.316-319
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• 2016

A 12-year-old thoroughbred mare with four days history of anorexia and high fever was submitted to the Equine Hospital. She failed to conceive in the following the breeding season in spring. In rectal palpation, mass could be palpable surrounding ovary. Because of the poor prognosis, full necropsy for mare was decided. The mass is located between right large and small colon, cranial to ovary using ultrasonography. Grossly, the mass was about $5{\times}3.5{\times}4cm$ in size, and the cut surface of mass showed brownish yellow in color with red-to orange granular areas Histopathologically, neoplastic cells were mixed with well differentiated spindle shape cells arranged in interlacing, interwoven pattern and poorly differentiated spindle cells. Neoplastic cells had abundant pink cytoplasm and bland and cigar-shaped nuclei with low mitotic figures. Many arteriole-like blood vessels with thick muscular wall were present throughout the mass. Masson's trichrome staining revealed muscle origin tumors in this case. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic spindle cells showed positive reactions for smooth muscle actin and desmin. In our best knowledge, this is the first report of uterine angioleiomyoma in mare in Korea.