• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.475-486
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• 2005

Fungal secondary metabolites constitute a wide variety of compounds which either playa vital role in agricultural, pharmaceutical and industrial contexts, or have devastating effects on agriculture, animal and human affairs by virtue of their toxigenicity. Owing to their beneficial and deleterious characteristics, these complex compounds and the genes responsible for their synthesis have been the subjects of extensive investigation by microbiologists and pharmacologists. A majority of the fungal secondary metabolic genes are classified as type I polyketide synthases (PKS) which are often clustered with other secondary metabolism related genes. In this review we discuss on the significance of our recent discovery of chalcone synthase (CHS) genes belonging to the type III PKS superfamily in an industrially important fungus, Aspergillus oryzae. CHS genes are known to playa vital role in the biosynthesis of flavonoids in plants. A comparative genome analyses revealed the unique character of A. oryzae with four CHS-like genes (csyA, csyB, csyC and csyD) amongst other Aspergilli (Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus fumigatus) which contained none of the CHS-like genes. Some other fungi such as Neurospora crassa, Fusarium graminearum, Magnaporthe grisea, Podospora anserina and Phanerochaete chrysosporium also contained putative type III PKSs, with a phylogenic distinction from bacteria and plants. The enzymatically active nature of these newly discovered homologues is expected owing to the conservation in the catalytic residues across the different species of plants and fungi, and also by the fact that a majority of these genes (csyA, csyB and csyD) were expressed in A. oryzae. While this finding brings filamentous fungi closer to plants and bacteria which until recently were the only ones considered to possess the type III PKSs, the presence of putative genes encoding other principal enzymes involved in the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis (viz., phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, cinnamic acid hydroxylase and p-coumarate CoA ligase) in the A. oryzae genome undoubtedly prove the extent of its metabolic diversity. Since many of these genes have not been identified earlier, knowledge on their corresponding products or activities remain undeciphered. In future, it is anticipated that these enzymes may be reasonable targets for metabolic engineering in fungi to produce agriculturally and nutritionally important metabolites.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.147-152
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• 2009

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a simple phospholipid-derived mediator implicated in diverse biological actions, acts through the specific G-protein coupled receptors, LPA receptor (LPAR) $1{\sim}5$. Our previous study showed that LPAR3 is expressed in the uterine endometrium in a cell type- and stage-specific manner and LPA via LPAR3 increases PTGS2 expression in the uterine endometrium during the period of implantation. Although LPAR3 is considered to be predominant LPA receptor in the uterine endometrium, other LPA receptors might playa role to mediate LPA functions in the uterine endometrium during pregnancy. Among LPARs, we investigated expression of LPAR1 during the estrous cycle and pregnancy in this study. Uterine endometrial tissue samples were collected from day (D) 12 and D15 of the estrous cycle and from D12, D15, D30, D60, D90 and D114 of pregnancy. Northern blot analysis determined that LPAR1 mRNA was constitutively expressed in the uterine endometrial tissues during the estrous cycle and pregnancy of all stages. Analysis by immunoblotting revealed that LPAR1 proteins were present in the porcine uterine endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy. Immunohistochemical experiments demonstrated that LP AR1 protein was localized to endometrial epithelium and stromal cell, specifically to nuclei of these cell types. Results in this study show that LPAR1 is constitutively expressed in the uterine endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy. These results suggest that LPA via LPAR1 may playa role in the uterine endometrial function throughout pregnancy in pigs.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 2008

This studied area is divided into the mountains and the valleys. The former is nearly consisted of the badland, the latter is consisted of alluvial plains in the valley, fluvial terrace at the side of the river, alluvial fans between mountains and river terrace. There are many tors, mushroom rocks, sugarloaves, weathering pits, castle coppies, columnar rocks, pinnacles, balanced rocks carved on tuff by means of erosion in the Chiricahua Nat'l Monument. Willcox Playa is alkalic crust where was lake in pleistocene epoch at the time wetter than present. Alkalic crust was made of Ca, Na, K etc. There are sand dunes around here where was lake side in the past. We found many kinds of fossils at the 2,000ft thick horizons of valley alluvium. Pediment and alluvium bordered at the base of Mt. Dragoon wavily. Exfoliation and spalling and sheeting resulted in boulders around here. Tucson is alluvial plain filled in thick 7,0000ft valley. Volcano, fault, erosion, alluvium were and are processing in this area.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.759-769
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• 2002

Mutated forms of ras are found in many human tumors and the rate of incidence is significantly higher in colon and pancreatic cancers. The protein product from the ras oncogene is a small G-protein, $p21^{ras}{\;}(Ras)$ that is known to playa key role in the signal transduction cascade and cell differentiation and proliferation. Mutated Ras is unable to regulate itself and remains constantly activated, leading to uncontrolled cell growth. The function of Ras in signal transduction requires its location near the growth factor receptor at the cell membrane. However, Ras does not have a transmembrane domain. Ras requires farnesylation to increase its hydrophobicity and subsequent plasma membrane association for its transforming activity. This key post-translational modification is catalyzed by the enzyme Ras farnesyltransferase (FTase), which transfers a farnesyl group from farnesylpyrophosphate to the C-terminal cysteine of the Ras protein. The requirement has focused attention on FTase as a target for therapeutic intervention. Selective inhibition of FTase will prevent Ras protein from association with the plasma membrane, leading to a disruption of oncogenic Ras function.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.54-63
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• 2004

Ecomuseum has changed for general museums with a strong historical connotation, and more identity museums, which reminds one of their purposes of providing evidence, conserving and remembering. Small museums playa very important social role and have a level of importance which should do something to improve cultural policy. The "ecomuseum" phenomenon, in other words this spontaneous birth of numerous museums in local communities, this desire to retrace one's history and fix it in one's mind, has only one precedent in Italy. This precedent involved the opening of numerous museums dedicated to the "Risorgimento" and "Patriotic History", which, in the closing decades of the 19th century, were founded on political input all over the country, in big towns and little villages alike. Searching amidst the exhibits for the memory of a national identity and they are proof that local communities are filled with an unstoppable need to know about their roots and to reassess their own identities.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2004.08c
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• pp.801-803
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• 2004

The current drive in an MOSFET is limited by the intrinsic channel resistance. All the other parasitic elements in a device structure playa significant role and degrade the device performance. These other resistances need to be less than $10{\%}-20{\%}$ of the channel resistance. To achieve the requirements, we should investigate the methodology of separation and quantification of those resistances. In this paper, we developed the extraction method of resistances using calibrated TCAD simulation. The resistance of the extension region is also partially determined by the formation of a surface accumulation region that forms under the gate in the tail region of the extension profile. This resistance is strongly affected by the abruptness of the extension profile because the steeper the profile is, the shorter this accumulation region will be.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.06e
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• pp.317-322
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• 2001

This study depicts an experimental work of the impulsive wave discharged from the open end of several kinds of right-angle bend pipes, which are attached to the open end of a simple shock tube. The weak normal shock wave with its magnitude of Mach number from 1.03 to 1.20 is employed to obtain the impulsive wave propagating outside the open end of the bend pipes. The experimental data of the magnitude of the impulsive wave and its propagation directivity are analyzed to characterize the impulsive waves discharged from the right-angle bend pipes and compared with those from a straight pipe. The results obtained show that a right-angle miter bend considerably reduces the magnitude of the impulsive wave and its directivity toward to the pipe axis, compared with the straight pipe. It is believed that the right angle miter bend pipe can playa role of passive control against the impulsive wave.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.472-476
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• 2002

Contact hypersensitivity (CHS) serves as a good model of cell-mediated reaction. Epidermal langerhans cell (LC) are thought to playa crucial role in the regulation of immune reaction of the skin, which elicit the CHS response by presenting Antigen to trafficking Ag-specific T cells within the skin. However, contact hypersensitivity is regarded as a negative side of immunities, caused by increased damaging immune response. Therefore, the study of effector molecule causing immune suppression is thought to be meaningful in the skin immune response. For this aim, this study investigated the influence of pedunculagin on cytokine, IL-$\beta$ expression from langerhans cell (LC). In vitro and in vivo, pedunculagin up-regulated the expression of IL-1$\beta$ mRNA. After PMA stimulation in vitro and DNFB sensitization in vivo, the expression of IL-1$\beta$ mRNA was down-regulated. This results suggested that pedunculagin could be immuno-modulator in skin immune system by modulating IL-1$\beta$ expression.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.105-109
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• 2005

Background: Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent APCs (antigen-presenting cells) and playa critical role in immune responses. Galectin-3 is a biological lectin with a beta-galactoside binding affinity. Recently, proteomic analysis revealed the presence of galectin-3 in the exosome of mature DCs. However, the expression and function of galectin-3 in DCs remains unclear yet. Methods: We used bone marrow-derived DCs of mouse and showed the expression of galectin-3 in DCs by using flow cytometry analysis and Western blot analysis. Results: Galectin-3 was determined as single band of 35 kDa in Western blot analysis. Flow cytometry analysis showed the major growth factor for DCs, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and maturing agents, anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) consistently increased the intracellular expression of galectin-3 in DCs compared to medium alone. In addition, DCs treated with maturing agents did marginally express galectin-3 on their surface. Conclusion: This study suggests that galectin-3 in DCs may be regulated by critical factors for DC function.

• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.182-187
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• 1997

The NADPH oxidase of phagocytes catalyzes the reduction of oxygen to $O_2^-$ at the expense of NADPH. The enzyme is dormant in resting neutrophils and becomes activated on stimulation. During activation, $p47^{phox}\;(\underline{ph}agocyte\;\underline{ox}idase\;factor)$, a cytosolic oxidase subunit, becomes extensively phosphorylated at a number of serines located between S303-S379. Oxidase activation can also be achieved by the addition of phosphorylated recombinant $p47^{phox}$ by protein kinase C in the cell-free system in the presence of $GTP{\gamma}S$. The cell-free activation is inhibited by wortmannin and LY294002. specific inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3kinase (PI 3-kinasel) These results indicate that PI 3-kinase may playa pivotal role in the activation of NADPH oxidase.