• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.427-432
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• 1999

For the development of a multifunctional biocontrol agent, the siderophore-producing strain GL7 was isolated from a rhizosphere on chrome azurol S agar. The GL7 was identified as a strain of Pseudomonas fluorescents on the basis of their reactions to standard physicochemcial tests from Bergey's manual, API diagnostic test, and fatty acid analysis. P. fluorescents GL7 considerably inhibited spore germination and hyphal growth of phytopathogenic fungus Funsarium solani in a dual culture. In pot trials of bean with P. fluorescens GL7, the disease incidence was significantly reduced down to 5% from 70% of incidence in the untreated control. P. fluorescens GL7 also enhanced plant growth to nearly 1.5 times than that of the untreated control, promoting elongation and development of the roots. These results suggest that the plant growth-promoting P. fluorescens GL7 can play an important role in the biological control of soil-borne plant disease in a rhizosphere.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.112-124
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• 2002

2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) has been reported to exert detrimental toxicities on various organ systems including reproductive, cardiovascular, nervous, or dermal system. Immunomodulatory effects of TCDD is thymic atrophy, downregulation of cytotoxic T or B lymphocyte differentiation and activation, which were demonstrated using experimental animals, whereas immunotoxicity in human has not been investigated well. This study was proceeded to evaluate general immunologic spectrum of the Korean Vietnam War veterans exposed to TCDD during their operation, and compare with that of the non-exposed control subjects with similar age. Regarding composition and quantity, immune cells in peripheral blood collected from the TCDD-exposed was not much different from those of the control except decreased red blood cell, hemoglobin and hematocrit level. Furthermore, plasma IgG2, G3, and G4 isotype distribution was similar between two groups, but IgG1 level was significantly lowered in the TCDD-exposed, indicating a TCDD-mediated functional alteration of B cells. Significantly enhanced level of IgE in plasma, a hallmark of dermal or respiratory allergic response, was also observed in the TCDD-exposed compared with that of the control. Elevated generation of IL-4 and IL-10 was resulted from in vitro stimulation of T cells with PMA plus ionomycin or PHA, respectively, from the TCDD-exposed in comparison to those of the control, suggesting a skewed type-2 response. In addition, the level of IFN${\gamma}$, a multifunctional cytokine for T cell-mediated immunity, was lowered in the TCDD-exposed with upregulation of tumor necrosis factor $\alpha$. The present study suggests that TCDD exposure disturbs immunohomeostasis in humans observed as an aberrant plasma IgE and IgG1 levels and dysregulation of T cell activities.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.43-56
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• 2001

Colostrum contains various kinds of cytokines including TGF-${\beta}$ which is known to be multifunctional in immune response and act as an anti-inflammatory agent. First, we measured the amount of TGF-${\beta}$ in bovine and human colostrum. Expression pattern of TGF-${\beta}$ isotypes was dramatically different between human and bovine colostrial samples. Bovine colostrum collected on day 1 post-delivery retained $41.79{\pm}16.96ng/ml$ of TGF-${\beta}$ 1 and $108.4{\pm}78.65ng/ml$ of TGF-${\beta}$ 2 while in human, $284{\pm}124.75ng/ml$ of TGF-${\beta}$ 1 and $29.75{\pm}6.73ng/ml$ of TGF-${\beta}$ 2. Thus, TGF-${\beta}$ is the predominant TGF-${\beta}$ isotype in bovine colostrum and vice versa in human colostrum. Both TGF-${\beta}$ isotypes diminished significantly in human and bovine colostrum with time. Next, biological activity of colostrial samples was examined in vitro. Both human and bovine colostrum increased IgA synthesis by LPS-activated mouse spleen B cells, which is a typical effect of TGF-${\beta}$ on the mouse B cell differentiation. Futhermore, we found that anti-proliferative activity in MV1LU cells by colostrum samples disappeared by addition of anti-TGF-${\beta}$ 1 and anti-TGF-${\beta}$ 2 antibody. In conclusion, there are substantial amounts of biologically active TGF-${\beta}$ 1 and TGF-${\beta}$ 2 in bovine and human colostrum. The results that the colostrum can increase IgA expression has important implications since IgA is the major Ig class produced in the gastrointestinal tract. We have previously shown that the stimulatory effect of Bifidobacteria bifidum on spllen B cells was quite similar to that of LPS which is a well-known polyclonal activator for murine B cells. In the present study, we further asked whether B. bifidum regulate the synthesis of IgA by mucosal lymphoid cells present in Peyers patches (PP) and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN). B. bifidum alone, but not C. perfringens, significantly induced overall IgA and IgM synthesis by both MLN and PP cells. This observation indicates that B. bifidum possesses a modulatory effect on the mucosal antibody production in vivo. We, therefore, investigated the mucosal antibody prodduction following peroral administration of B. bifidum to mice. Ingested B. bifidum significantly increased the numbers of Ig (IgM, IgG, and IgA) secreting cells in the culture of both MLN and spleen cells, indicating that peroally introduced B. bifidum enhances mucosal and systemic antibody response. Importantly, however, B. bifidum itself does not induce the own specific antibody responses, implying that B. bifidum do not incite any unwanted immune reaction. Subsequently, it was found that excapsulation of B. bifidum further augments the total IgA production by increasing the number of IgA-secreting cells in the culture of both MLN and spleen cells. Finally, we found that the immuno-stimulating activity of B. bifidum is due to its cell wall components but not due to any actively secreting component(s) from bacteria. Thus our data reveal that peroral administration of B. bifidum can enhance intestinal IgA production and that encapsulation of B. bifidum further reinforces the IgA production.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.297-302
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• 2016

Loss of pancreatic β-cells by oxidative stress or cytokines is associated with diabetes mellitus (DM). DJ-1 is known to as a multifunctional protein, which plays an important role in cell survival. We prepared cell permeable wild type (WT) and mutant type (M26I) Tat-DJ-1 proteins to investigate the effects of DJ-1 against combined cytokines (IL-1β, IFN-γ and TNF-α)-induced RINm5F cell death. Both Tat-DJ-1 proteins were transduced into RINm5F cells. WT Tat-DJ-1 proteins significantly protected against cell death from cytokines by reducing intracellular toxicities. Also, WT Tat-DJ-1 proteins markedly regulated cytokines-induced pro- and anti-apoptosis proteins. However, M26I Tat-DJ-1 protein showed relatively low protective effects, as compared to WT Tat-DJ-1 protein. Our experiments demonstrated that WT Tat-DJ-1 protein protects against cytokine-induced RINm5F cell death by suppressing intracellular toxicities and regulating apoptosisrelated protein expression. Thus, WT Tat-DJ-1 protein could potentially serve as a therapeutic agent for DM and cytokine related diseases.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.389-398
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• 2000

Transparent, abrasion resistant coatings with 4~13 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ thickness were prepared by spin-coating on polycarbonates with organic/inorganic hybrid solutions, followed by UV curing and heat treatment at 12$0^{\circ}C$ for 12 hours. The coating solutions were composed of inorganic phase and organic phase in 0:100, 20:80, 30:70, 50:50, 80:20 wt% ratios, respectively, mixed with photoinitiator, senaitizer and surfactant. The inorganic phase was formed by sol-gel reaction of TEOS and silane coupling agent MPTMS in 1 : 2 or 2 : 1 molar ratios, the organic phase consisted of difunctional urethane acrylate oligomeric resin, multifunctional acrylate TMPTA and HDDA in 4 : 3 : 3 wt% ratio. The coating systems were investigated by FT-IR, $^{29}$ Si-NMR spectra. In addition, TGA/DSC for thermal analysis and SEM, AFM observation for coated surface were examined. Gererally, the homogeneity of phases, the surface smoothness of coating and abrasion resistance were improved with the higher content of inorganic component. Namely, coating system with below 10 $\AA$ surface roughness and T$_{g}$ of 15$0^{\circ}C$ showed only 10% decrease in light transmittance after abrasion test, whereas uncoated polycarbonate substrate exhibited 46% decrease..

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.122-129
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• 1998

It were reported that antifungal mechanism of Enterobacter cloacae is a volatile ammonia that produced by the strain in soil, and the production of ammonia is related to the bacterial urease activity. A powerful bacterium SH14 against soil-borne pathogen Fusarium solani, which cause root rot of many important crops, was selected from a ginseng pathogen suppressive soil. The strain SH14 was identified as Bacillus subtilis by cultural, biochemical, morphological method, and $API^{circledR}$ test. From several in vitro tests, the antifungal substance that is produced from B. subtilis SH14 was revealed as heat-stable and low-molecular weight antibiotic substance. In order to construct the multifunctional biocontrol agent, the urease gene of Bacillus pasteurii which can produce pathogenes-suppressive ammonia transferred into antifungal bacterium. First, a partial BamH I digestion fragment of plasmid pBU11 containing the alkalophilic B. pasteurii l1859 urease gene was inserted into the BamH I site of pEB203 and expressed in Escherichia coli JM109. The recombinant plasmid was designated as pGU366. The plasmid pGU366 containing urease gene was introduced into the B. subtilis SH14 with PEG-induced protoplast transformation (PIP) method. The urease gene was very stably expressed in the transformant of B. subtilis SH14. Also, the optimal conditions for transformation were established and the highest transformation frequency was obtained by treatment of lysozyme for 90 min, and then addition of 1.5 ${mu}g$/ml DNA and 40% PEG4000. From the in vitro antifungal test against F. solani, antifungal activity of B. subtilis SH14(pGu366) containing urease gene was much higher than that of the host strain. Genetical development of B. subtilis SH14 by transfer of urease gene can be responsible for enhanced biocontrol efficacy with its antibiotic action.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.408-419
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• 2023

Background: Ginsenoside compound K (CK), the main active metabolite in Panax ginseng, has shown good safety and bioavailability in clinical trials and exerts neuroprotective effects in cerebral ischemic stroke. However, its potential role in the prevention of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of ginsenoside CK against cerebral I/R injury. Methods: We used a combination of in vitro and in vivo models, including oxygen and glucose deprivation/reperfusion induced PC12 cell model and middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion induced rat model, to mimic I/R injury. Intracellular oxygen consumption and extracellular acidification rate were analyzed by Seahorse multifunctional energy metabolism system; ATP production was detected by luciferase method. The number and size of mitochondria were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and MitoTracker probe combined with confocal laser microscopy. The potential mechanisms of ginsenoside CK on mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergy were evaluated by RNA interference, pharmacological antagonism combined with co-immunoprecipitation analysis and phenotypic analysis. Results: Ginsenoside CK pretreatment could attenuate mitochondrial translocation of DRP1, mitophagy, mitochondrial apoptosis, and neuronal bioenergy imbalance against cerebral I/R injury in both in vitro and in vivo models. Our data also confirmed that ginsenoside CK administration could reduce the binding affinity of Mul1 and Mfn2 to inhibit the ubiquitination and degradation of Mfn2, thereby elevating the protein level of Mfn2 in cerebral I/R injury. Conclusion: These data provide evidence that ginsenoside CK may be a promising therapeutic agent against cerebral I/R injury via Mul1/Mfn2 mediated mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergy.