• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.209-215
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• 2023

Maintaining internal homeostasis and regulating innate behaviors are essential for animal survival. In various animal species, a highly conserved neuroendocrine system integrates sensory inputs and regulates physiological responses to environmental and internal changes. Diuretic hormones 44 and 31, which are homologs of mammalian corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), respectively, control body fluid secretion in Drosophila. These neuropeptides and their receptors have multiple physiological roles, including the regulation of body-fluid secretion, sleep:wake cycle, internal nutrient-sensing, and CO₂-dependent response. This review discusses the physiological and behavioral roles of DH44 and DH31 signaling pathways, consisting of neuroendocrine cells that secrete DH44 or DH31 peptides and their receptor-expressing organs. Further research is needed to understand the regulatory mechanisms of the behavioral processes mediated by these neuroendocrine systems.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.14-15
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.14-15
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• 2005

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.271-274
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• 2000

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.66-66
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• 2002

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.29-33
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• 2015

The brain maintains homeostasis and normal microenvironment through dynamic interactions of neurons and neuroglial cells to perform the proper information processing and normal cognitive functions. Recent post-mortem investigations and animal model studies demonstrated that the various brain areas such as cerebral cortex, hippocampus and amygdala have abnormalities in neuroglial numbers and functions in subjects with mental illnesses including schizophrenia, dementia and mood disorders like major depression and bipolar disorder. These findings highlight the putative role and involvement of neuroglial cells in mental disorders. Herein I discuss the physiological roles of neuroglial cells such as astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia in maintaining normal brain functions and their abnormalities in relation to mental disorders. Finally, all these findings could serve as a useful starting point for potential therapeutic concept and drug development to cure unnatural behaviors and abnormal cognitive functions observed in mental disorders.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.8
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• pp.686-693
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• 2020

Autophagy is an intracellular degradation system that breaks down damaged organelles or damaged proteins using intracellular lysosomes. Recent studies have also revealed that various forms of selective autophagy play specific physiological roles under different cellular conditions. Lipid droplets, which are mainly found in adipocytes and hepatocytes, are dynamic organelles that store triglycerides and are critical to health. Lipophagy is a type of selective autophagy that targets lipid droplets and is an essential mechanism for maintaining homeostasis of lipid droplets. However, while processes that regulate lipid droplets such as lipolysis and lipogenesis are relatively well known, the major factors that control lipophagy remain largely unknown. This review introduces the underlying mechanism by which lipophagy is induced and regulated, and the current findings on the major roles of lipophagy in physiological and pathological status. These studies will provide basic insights into the function of lipophagy and may be useful for the development of new therapies for lipophagy dysfunction-related diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.33-37
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• 2003

Oxidative damage to mitochondria is a critical mechanism in necrotic or apoptotic cell death induced by many kinds of toxic chemicals. Thioredoxin (Trx) family proteins are known to play protective roles in organisms under oxidative stress through redox reaction by using reducing equivalents of cysteines at a conserved active site, Cys-X-X-Cys. Whereas biological and physiological properties of Trx1 are well characterized, significance of mitochondrial thioredoxin (Trx2) is not well known. Therefore, we addressed physiological role of Trx2 in PC12 cells under oxidative stress. In PC12 cells, transiently overexpressed Trx2 significantly reduced cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide, whereas mutant Trx2, having serine residues instead of two cysteine residues at the active site did not. In addition, stably expressed Trx2 protected PC12 cells from serum deprivation. These results suggest that Trx2 may play defensive roles in PC12 cells by reducing oxidative stress to mitochondria.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.281-285
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• 2016

Almost all of eukaryotic mRNAs are subjected to polyadenylation during mRNA processing. Recent discoveries showed that many of these mRNAs contain more than one polyadenylation sites in their 3' untranslated regions (UTR) and that alternative polyadenylation (APA) is prevalent among these genes. Many biological processes such as differentiation, proliferation, and tumorigenesis have been correlated to global APA events in the 3' UTR of mRNAs, suggesting that these APA events are tightly regulated and may play important physiological roles. In this review, recent discoveries in the physiological roles of APA events, as well as the known and proposed mechanisms are summarized. Perspective for future directions is also discussed.

• BMB Reports
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• v.57 no.9
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• pp.400-416
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• 2024

Matricellular proteins are integral non-structural components of the extracellular matrix. They serve as essential modulators of immunometabolism and tissue homeostasis, playing critical roles in physiological and pathological conditions. These extracellular matrix proteins including thrombospondins, osteopontin, tenascins, the secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) family, the Cyr61, CTGF, NOV (CCN) family, and fibulins have multi-faceted functions in regulating immune cell functions, metabolic pathways, and tissue homeostasis. They are involved in immune-metabolic regulation and influence processes such as insulin signaling, adipogenesis, lipid metabolism, and immune cell function, playing significant roles in metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes. Furthermore, their modulation of tissue homeostasis processes including cellular adhesion, differentiation, migration, repair, and regeneration is instrumental for maintaining tissue integrity and function. The importance of these proteins in maintaining physiological equilibrium is underscored by the fact that alterations in their expression or function often coincide with disease manifestation. This review contributes to our growing understanding of these proteins, their mechanisms, and their potential therapeutic applications.