• BMB Reports
• /
• 제52권6호
• /
• pp.360-372
• /
• 2019

Macrophages play an essential role not only in mediating the first line of defense but also in maintaining tissue homeostasis. In response to extrinsic factors derived from a given tissue, macrophages activate different functional programs to produce polarized macrophage populations responsible for inducing inflammation against microbes, removing cellular debris, and tissue repair. However, accumulating evidence has revealed that macrophage polarization is pivotal in the pathophysiology of metabolic syndromes and cancer, as well as in infectious and autoimmune diseases. Recent advances in transcriptomic and metabolomic studies have highlighted the link between metabolic rewiring of macrophages and their functional plasticity. These findings imply that metabolic adaption to their surrounding microenvironment instructs activation of macrophages with functionally distinct phenotypes, which in turn probably leads to the pathogenesis of a wide spectrum of diseases. In this review, we have introduced emerging concepts in immunometabolism with focus on the impact on functional activation of macrophages. Furthermore, we have discussed the implication of macrophage plasticity on the pathogenesis of metabolic syndromes and cancer, and how the disease microenvironment manipulates macrophage metabolism with regard to the pathophysiology.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제17권7호
• /
• pp.1059-1070
• /
• 2007

Prion diseases, often called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are infectious diseases that accompany neurological dysfunctions in many mammalian hosts. Prion diseases include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, "mad cow disease") in cattle, scrapie in sheep, and chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer and elks. The cause of these fatal diseases is a proteinaceous pathogen termed prion that lacks functional nucleic acids. As demonstrated in the BSE outbreak and its transmission to humans, the onset of disease is not limited to a certain species but can be transmissible from one host species to another. Such a striking nature of prions has generated huge concerns in public health and attracted serious attention in the scientific communities. To date, the potential transmission of prions to humans via foodborne infection and iatrogenic routes has not been alleviated. Rather, the possible transmission of human to human or cervids to human aggravates the terrifying situation across the globe. In this review, basic features about prion diseases including clinical and pathological characteristics, etiology, and transmission of diseases are described. Based on recently accumulated evidences, the molecular and biochemical aspects of prions, with an emphasis on the molecular interactions involved in prion conversion that is critical during prion replication and pathogenesis, are also addressed.

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제53권1호
• /
• pp.10-19
• /
• 2020

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease characterized by the accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. The AD pathophysiology entails chronic inflammation involving innate immune cells including microglia, astrocytes, and other peripheral blood cells. Inflammatory mediators such as cytokines and complements are also linked to AD pathogenesis. Despite increasing evidence supporting the association between abnormal inflammation and AD, no well-established inflammatory biomarkers are currently available for AD. Since many reports have shown that abnormal inflammation precedes the outbreak of the disease, non-invasive and readily available peripheral inflammatory biomarkers should be considered as possible biomarkers for early diagnosis of AD. In this minireview, we introduce the peripheral biomarker candidates related to abnormal inflammation in AD and discuss their possible molecular mechanisms. Furthermore, we also summarize the current state of inflammatory biomarker research in clinical practice and molecular diagnostics. We believe this review will provide new insights into biomarker candidates for the early diagnosis of AD with systemic relevance to inflammation during AD pathogenesis.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
• /
• 제2권1호
• /
• pp.60-66
• /
• 2006

Methylmercury (MeHg), one of the heavy metal compounds, can cause severe damage to the central nervous system in humans. Many reports have shown that MeHg is poisonous to human body through contaminated foods and has released into the environment. Despite many studies on the pathogenesis of MeHg-induced central neuropathy, no useful mechanism of toxicity has been established so far. This study, using of suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) method, was peformed to identify differentially expressed genes by MeHg in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell line. We prepared to total RNA from SH-SY5Y cells treated with solvent (DMSO) and $6.25\;{\mu}M\;(IC_{50})$ MeHg and performed forward and reverse SSH. Differentially expressed cDNA clones were screened by dot blot, sequenced and confirmed that individual clones indeed represent differentially expressed genes with real time RT-PCR. These sequences were identified by BLAST homology search to known genes or expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Analysis of these sequences may provide an insight into the biological effects of MeHg in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease and a possibility to develop more efficient and exact monitoring system of heavy metals as ubiquitous environmental pollutants.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• 제43권2호
• /
• pp.145-152
• /
• 2020

RUNX1 plays an important role in the regulation of normal hematopoiesis. RUNX1 mutations are frequently found and have been intensively studied in hematological malignancies. Germline mutations in RUNX1 cause familial platelet disorder with predisposition to acute myeloid leukemia (FPD/AML). Somatic mutations of RUNX1 are observed in various types of hematological malignancies, such as AML, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN), chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), and congenital bone marrow failure (CBMF). Here, we systematically review the clinical and molecular characteristics of RUNX1 mutations, the mechanisms of pathogenesis caused by RUNX1 mutations, and potential therapeutic strategies to target RUNX1-mutated cases of hematological malignancies.

• Genes and Genomics
• /
• 제40권12호
• /
• pp.1339-1349
• /
• 2018

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a non-progressive neurological disease, of which susceptibility is linked to genetic and environmental risk factors. More and more studies have shown that CP might be caused by multiple genetic factors, similar to other neurodevelopmental disorders. Due to the high genetic heterogeneity of CP, we focused on investigating related molecular pathways. Ten children with CP were collected for whole-exome sequencing by next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. Customized processes were used to identify potential pathogenic pathways and variants. Three pathways (axon guidance, transmission across chemical synapses, protein-protein interactions at synapses) with twenty-three genes were identified to be highly correlated with CP. This study showed that the three pathways associated with CP might be the molecular mechanism of pathogenesis. These findings could provide useful clues for developing pathway-based pharmacotherapies. Further studies are required to confirm potential roles for these pathways in the pathogenesis of CP.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• 제27권4호
• /
• pp.342-348
• /
• 2019

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) can be defined as an ectopic ossification in the tissues of spinal ligament showing a hyperostotic condition. OPLL is developed mostly in the cervical spine and clinical presentations of OPLL are majorly myelopathy and/or radiculopathy, with serious neurological pathology resulting in paralysis of extremities and disturbances of motility lowering the quality of life. OPLL is known to be an idiopathic and multifactorial disease, which genetic factors and non-genetic factors including diet, obesity, physical strain on the posterior longitudinal ligament, age, and diabetes mellitus, are involved into the pathogenesis. Up to now, surgical management by decompressing the spinal cord is regarded as standard treatment for OPLL, although there might be the risk of development of reprogression of ossification. The molecular pathogenesis and efficient therapeutic strategy, especially pharmacotherapy and/or preventive intervention, of OPLL has not been clearly elucidated and suggested. Therefore, in this review, we tried to give an overview to the present research results on OPLL, in order to shed light on the potential pharmacotherapy based on molecular pathophysiologic aspect of OPLL, especially on the genetic/genomic factors involved into the etiology of OPLL.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제32권12호
• /
• pp.1506-1514
• /
• 2022

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is an allergen-specific T-cell-mediated inflammatory response, albeit with unclear pathogenesis. Exosomes are nanoscale extracellular vesicles secreted by several cell types and widely distributed in various biological fluids. Exosomes affect the occurrence and development of ACD through immunoregulation among other ways. Nevertheless, the role of exosomes in ACD warrants further clarification. This review examines the progress of research into exosomes and their involvement in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of ACD and provides ideas for exploring new diagnostic and treatment methods for this disease.

• 한국식물병리학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국식물병리학회 2003년도 정기총회 및 추계학술발표회
• /
• pp.84.2-85
• /
• 2003

Magnaporthee grisea causes the devastating blast disease of rice. Entensive research has been conducted on infection mechanisms, particularly on appressorium formation and penetration, of this fungus during the last decade. However, the role(s) of cell-wall-degrading enzymes (CWDEs) on pathogenesis is not clearly demonstrated at molecular level. Many CWDES in plant pathogenic fungi including M. grisea are redundant; that is, there are multiple genes encoding enzymes with a similar or overlapping spectrum of activities. It is laborious to isolate all of the genes encoding related enzymes and to construct mutants lacking all 9f them. Thus, we considered alternative strategies to address the role of CWDEs in pathogenesis. Since expression of CWDE genes Is repressed by a simple sugar, as the first step, we cloned a Snfl (sucrose non-fermenting) gene (MgSnf1) from M. grisea. The predicted amino acid sequence showed a high identity with other Snf1 genes from various fungi. To elucidate molecular function of MgSnf1, a transformant lacking MgSnf1 was created by targeted gene replacement. En glucose, sucrose, and xylan the MgSnf1 mutant grew normally but in pectin and complex media, it grew slower than wild type. Expression of various CWDEs in MgSnf1 mutant was investigated and found that expression of some CWDEs is repressed. However, no significant difference was observed in conidial germination, appressorium formation, and pathogenicity in MgSnf1 mutant. However, MgSnf1 functionally complemented a yeast MgSnf1 mutant. These results suggest that MgSnf1 is involved in regulation of CWDEs and MgSnf1 is dispensable in pathogenicity of M. grisea.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
• /
• 제38권1호
• /
• pp.13-18
• /
• 2010

Past decade systemic mycoses caused by opportunistic human fungal pathogens, including Candida, Aspergillus, and Cryptococcus, have been a growing problem for both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. Particularly, Cryptococcus neoformans has recently emerged as a major fungal pathogen, which can cause fungal pneumonia and meningitis that are lethal if not timely medicated. However, treatment for cryptococcosis has been difficult due to a lack of proper anti-cryptococcal drugs with fungicidal activity and less toxicity. In this review we introduced novel therapeutic methods for treating cryptococcosis by exploring pathogenomic signa1ing networks of C. neoformans with genome-wide transcriptome approaches as well as diverse molecular/genetic tools.