• BMB Reports
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• 제49권6호
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• pp.311-318
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• 2016

Innate immune responses are primary, relatively limited, and specific responses to numerous pathogens and toxic molecules. Protein expression involved in these innate responses must be tightly regulated at both transcriptional level and post-transcriptional level to avoid the development of excessive inflammation that can be potentially harmful to the host. MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs (∼22 nucleotides [nts]) that participate in the regulation of numerous physiological responses by targeting specific messenger RNAs to suppress their translation. Recent work has shown that several negative regulators of transcription including microRNAs play important roles in inhibiting the exacerbation of inflammatory responses and in the maintenance of immunological homeostasis. This emerging research area will provide new insights on how microRNAs regulate innate immune signaling. It might show that dysregulation of microRNA synthesis is associated with the pathogenesis of inflammatory and infectious diseases. In this review, we focused on miR-146 and miR-125 and described the roles these miRNAs in modulating innate immune signaling. These microRNAs can control inflammatory responses and the outcomes of pathogenic infections.

• BMB Reports
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• 제48권5호
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• pp.243-248
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• 2015

Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are the most common cause of familial Parkinson's disease (PD). As such, functions and dysfunctions of LRRK2 in PD have been the subject of extensive investigation. In addition to PD, increasing evidence is suggesting that LRRK2 is associated with a wide range of diseases. Genome-wide association studies have implicated LRRK2 in Crohn's disease (CD) and leprosy, and the carriers with pathogenic mutations of LRRK2 show increased risk to develop particular types of cancer. LRRK2 mutations are rarely found in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but LRRK2 might play a part in tauopathies. The association of LRRK2 with the pathogenesis of apparently unrelated diseases remains enigmatic, but it might be related to the yet unknown diverse functions of LRRK2. Here, we reviewed current knowledge on the link between LRRK2 and several diseases, including PD, AD, CD, leprosy, and cancer, and discussed the possibility of targeting LRRK2 in such diseases. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(5): 243-248]

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.164-167
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• 2013

Osteoclasts are originated from hemopoietic progenitors of the monocyte/macrophage lineage and resorb mineralized tissues. Elevated osteoclast numbers and activity result in bone disease such as osteoporosis, Paget's disease, and tumor osteolysis. In order to identify the genes that are involved in osteoclast differentiation, microarray was performed after treated with RANKL for 12 h and 24 h in osteoclast precursors. The genes that changed by RANKL treatment were grouped by biological process or molecular function. Among them, the number of genes involved in signal transduction and nucleic acid binding was 6065 and 3066, respectively. When analyzed the number of genes changed more than 1.5 fold in the cells treated with RANKL for 12 h or 24 h compared to when RANKL was not treated, 83 and 62 genes were up-regulated; 56 and 62 genes were downregulated, respectively. To verify the microarray results, real-time RT-PCR for Cxcl1 and Slfn1genes that have not been reported yet related to osteoclast differentiation, as well as Ccl2 gene associated with osteoclast differentiation were carried out. Both experiments showed a similar result of more than 1.5 fold induction of these genes by RANKL treatment. These results suggest the possibility that Cxcl1 and Slfn1 may associate with osteoclastogenesis and provide that microarray is a useful tool to analyze the profile of genes changed during osteoclast differentiation by RANKL. Moreover, this gene profile contributes to understand the regulatory mechanisms involved in osteoclast differentiation and the pathogenesis, thus developing therapeutics of bone diseases such as osteoporosis.

• BMB Reports
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• 제50권11호
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• pp.578-583
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• 2017

Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) is a coinhibitory molecule and plays a pivotal role in immune regulation. Here, we demonstrate a role for PD-1 in pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Wild-type (WT) mice had severe wasting disease during experimentally induced colitis, while mice deficient for PD-1 ($PD-1^{-/-}$) did not develop colon inflammation. Interestingly, $PD-1^{-/-}$ mice cohoused with WT mice became susceptible to colitis, suggesting that resistance of $PD-1^{-/-}$ mice to colitis is dependent on their gut microbiota. 16S rRNA gene-pyrosequencing analysis showed that $PD-1^{-/-}$ mice had altered composition of gut microbiota with significant reduction in Rikenellaceae family. These altered colon bacteria of $PD-1^{-/-}$ mice induced less amount of inflammatory mediators from colon epithelial cells, including interleukin (IL)-6, and inflammatory chemokines. Taken together, our study indicates that PD-1 expression is involved in the resistance to experimental colitis through altered bacterial communities of colon.

• 통합자연과학논문집
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.40-47
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• 2015

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that has recently emerged as a promising target in drug discovery. It is involved in multiple cellular processes and associated with the pathogenesis of several diseases. A three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) analysis was performed on a series of GSK-3 inhibitors to understand the structural basis for inhibitory activity. Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) method was used to derive 3D-QSAR models. A reliable CoMFA model was developed using ligand-based alignment scheme. The model produced statistically acceptable results with a cross-validated correlation coefficient ($q^2$) of 0.594 and a non-cross-validated correlation coefficient ($r^2$) of 0.943. Robustness of the model was checked by bootstrapping and progressive scrambling analysis. This study could assist in the design of novel compounds with enhanced GSK-3 inhibitory activity.

• BMB Reports
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• 제48권12호
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• pp.647-654
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• 2015

Energy homeostasis in our body system is maintained by balancing the intake and expenditure of energy. Excessive accumulation of fat by disrupting the balance system causes overweight and obesity, which are increasingly becoming global health concerns. Understanding the pathogenesis of obesity focused on studying the genes related to familial types of obesity. Recently, a rare human genetic disorder, ciliopathy, links the role for genes regulating structure and function of a cellular organelle, the primary cilium, to metabolic disorder, obesity and type II diabetes. Primary cilia are microtubule based hair-like membranous structures, lacking motility and functions such as sensing the environmental cues, and transducing extracellular signals within the cells. Interestingly, the subclass of ciliopathies, such as Bardet-Biedle and Alström syndrome, manifest obesity and type II diabetes in human and mouse model systems. Moreover, studies on genetic mouse model system indicate that more ciliary genes affect energy homeostasis through multiple regulatory steps such as central and peripheral actions of leptin and insulin. In this review, we discuss the latest findings in primary cilia and metabolic disorders, and propose the possible interaction between primary cilia and the leptin and insulin signal pathways which might enhance our understanding of the unambiguous link of a cell's antenna to obesity and type II diabetes.

• BMB Reports
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• 제49권11호
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• pp.590-597
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• 2016

Parasitic diseases remain an unarguable public health problem worldwide. Liver fluke Clonorchis sinensis is a high risk pathogenic parasitic helminth which is endemic predominantly in Asian countries, including Korea, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the far eastern parts of Russia, and is still actively transmitted. According to the earlier $8^{th}$ National Survey on the Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infections in 2012, C. sinensis was revealed as the parasite with highest prevalence of 1.86% in general population among all parasite species surveyed in Korea. This fluke is now classified under one of the definite Group 1 human biological agents (carcinogens) by International Agency of Research on Cancer (IARC) along with two other parasites, Opisthorchis viverrini and Schistosoma haematobium. C. sinensis infestation is mainly linked to liver and biliary disorders, especially cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). For the purposes of this mini-review, we will only focus on C. sinensis and review pathogenesis and carcinogenesis of clonorchiasis, disease condition by C. sinensis infestation, and association between C. sinensis infestation and CCA. In this presentation, we briefly consider the current scientific status for progression of CCA by heavy C. sinensis infestation from the food-borne trematode and development of CCA.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.180-184
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• 2005

IL-17 is a major proinflammatory cytokine secreted by activated T-lymphocytes that accumulates in the inflamed joints of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Additional IL-17-related molecules and their receptors have been discovered and may also contribute to RA pathogenesis. We examined the expression of the prototypic IL-17 (IL-17A) and its homologs, IL-17B-F, by RT-PCR analyses of synovial fluid mononuclear cells (SFMCs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from RA patients. We also tested for induction of the IL-17 receptor homologs upon stimulation of the fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) of RA patients with IL-17. The patients' SFMCs expressed IL-17C, E and F in addition to IL-17A. As in the case of IL-17, IL-15 appears to be the major inducer of these homologs in RA SFMCs. We detected transcripts of IL-17R, as well as those of IL-17RB, C and D, in the FLSs of RA patients. Whereas IL-17R expression increased upon in vitro stimulation with IL-17, expression of IL-17RB, C and D was unchanged. However the possibility of cross-interaction between other IL-17 homologs and receptor isoforms remains to be investigated. Our data suggest that these additional homologs should also be considered as targets for immune modulation in the treatment of RA joint inflammation.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제42권4호
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• pp.350-355
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• 2015

Clubroot disease is one of the most wide-spread and devastating diseases in the cultivation of Chinese cabbage. To develop a protein marker for resistance to clubroot disease in Chinese cabbage, a comparative proteome analysis was performed between a sensitive line, 94SK, and a resistant line, CR Shinki DH. Three proteins of two fold or higher accumulation that are specific to each line were found 3 days after innoculation of the Plasmodiphora brassicae. They are glutamine synthetase, malate dehydrogenase/oxidoreductase and fructose-bisphosphate aldolase in the 94SK and actin, phosphoglycerate kinase, and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase in the CR Shinki line. From the comparison of the synthesized proteins in the 94SK and the CR Shinki, CR Shinki was found to produce more ATP-binding protein for the ABC transporter while 94SK showed a higher level of pathogenesis-related protein 1 production. All of these proteomic variations may lead to the development of molecular markers to accelerate the breeding process.

• BMB Reports
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.180-182
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• 1996

One of the essential functions of virus surface proteins is the recognition of specific receptors on target cell membranes, and cellular receptors play an important role in viral pathogenesis. But the earliest steps of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, such as hepatocyte receptor interaction with the virus, are poorly understood. Previous work has suggested an important role of the preS1 region of HBV envelope protein in mediating viral binding to hepatocytes. Although hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection appears to be initiated by specific binding of virions to cell membrane structures via one or potentially several viral surface proteins, data showing the identification or isolation of the HBV receptor (s) are not yet available. The receptor-like proteins on the plasma membrane surface of HepG2 cells that bind to PreS1 were separated and identified using affinity chromatography, and the amino-terminal amino acid sequences of the receptor-like proteins were determined.