• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.629-636
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• 2009

Mechanical stimulation is known to play a vital role on the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to pre-osteoblasts. In this research, we developed a tensile cell stimulator, composed of a DC motor-driven actuator and LVDT sensor for measuring linear displacement, to study the effects of tensile stress on osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. First, we demonstrated the reliability of this device by showing the uniform strain field in the silicon substrate. Secondly, we investigated the effects of tensile stretching on osteogenic differentiation. We imposed a pre-set cyclic strain at a fixed frequency on cell monolayer cultured on a flexible silicon substrate while varying its amplitude and duration. 60 min of resting period was allowed between 30 min of cyclic stretching and this cycle is repeated up to 7 days. Under the combined stimulation with osteogenic media and mechanical stretching, the osteogenic markers such as alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osterix, and osteopontin began to get expressed as early as 4 days of stimulation, which is much shorter than what is typically required for osteogenic media induced differentiation. Moreover, different markers were induced at different magnitudes of the applied strains. Lastly, for the case of ALP, we observed the antagonistic effects of osteogenic media when combined with mechanical stretching.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.331-340
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• 1995

Interstrain polymorphisms of isoenzyme profiles and mitochondrial (Mt) DNA fingerprints were observed among seven strains of Acnnthnmoeba isolated from different sources and morphologically assigned to A. polvphngn. Mt DNA ringerprints by eight restriction endonucleases (Bgl II, Sca I, Cla I, EcoR I, Xbo I, Kpn I, Sal I, and Sst I) revealed considerable interstrain polymorphisms . Isoenzyme profiles revealed considerable interstrain polymorphisms for acid phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, and glucose-6- phosphate dehydrogenase while those for glucose phosphate isomerase , leucine aminopeptidase , and malate dehydrogenase showed similarity Despite of the interstrain polymorphisms, the isoengyme profiles and Mt DNA fingerprints of the strain Ap were found to be identical with those of the strain .tones . Mt DNA fingerprinting was found to be highly applicable for the strain identification, characterization, and differentiation. Key words: Acanthnmoebn polyphcga, interstrain polymorphism, isoenzyme profiles , Mt DNA fingerprints, strain differentiation, strain identification.

• ALGAE
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2009

The filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. Strain PCC 7120 produces a developmental patten of single hete- rocysts separated by approximately 10 vegetative cells. Heterocysts differentiate from vegetative cells and are spe- cialized for nitrogen fixation. The patS gene, which encodes a small peptide that inhibits heterocyst differentiation, is expressed in proheterocysts and plays a critical role in establishing the heterocyst pattem. Another key regulator of heterocyst development is the hetR gene. hetR mutants fail to produce heterocysts and extra copies of hetR on a plas- mid cause a multiple contiguous heterocyst phenotype. To elucidate the relationship between these two counter act- ing factors in the genetic regulatory pathway during heterocyst differentiation, the expression patterns of a patS-gfp and a hetR-gfp fusion were examined in a patS deletion and a hetR deletion strain. The results, in combination with the result from a hetR and patS double deletion strain, suggest patS and hetR are mutually antagonistic and the bal- ance between these two factors in tow different cell types (heterocysts and vegetative cells) may be critical during the decision making process on their cell fates.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.160-168
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• 2000

A-factor I a microbial hormone that can positively control cell differentiation leading to spore formation and secondary metabolite formation in Streptomyces griseus. to identify a protease that is deeply involved in the morphological and physiological differentiation of Streptomyces, the proteases produced by Streptomyces griseus IFO 13350 and its A-factor deficient mutant strain, Streptomyces griseus HH1, as well as Streptomyces griseus HH1 transformed with the afsA gene were sturdied. In general Streptomyces griseus showed a higher degree of cell growth and protease activity in proportion to its ability to produce a higher amount of A-factor. In particular, the specific activity of the trypsin of Streptomyces griseus IFO 13350 was greatly enhanced more than twice compared with that of Streptomyces griseus HH1 in the later stage of growth. The specific activity of the metalloprotease of Streptomyces griseus HH1 was greatly enhanced more than twice compared with that of Streptomyces griseus IFO 13350, and this observation was reversed in the presence of thiostreptione, However, Streptomyces griseus HH1 transformed with the afsA gene showed a significantly decreased level of trypsin and metalloprotease activity compared with that of the HH1 strain. There was no significant difference between Streptomyces griseus IFO 13350 and HH1 strain in their chymotrypsin and thiol protease activity, yet the level of leu-amionpeptidase activity was 2 times higher in Streptomyces griseus HH1 than in strain IFO 13350 . Streptomyces griseus HH1 harboring afsA showed a similar level of enzyme activity , however, all the three protease activities sharply increased and the thiol protease activity was critically increased at the end of the fermentation. When a serine protease inhibitor, pefabloc SC, and metalloprotease inhibitor, EDTA, were applied to strain IFO 13350 to examine the in vivo effects of the protease inhibitors on the morpholofical differentiation, the formation of aerial meycelium and spores was delayed by two or three days.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.693-701
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• 1997

In 1992, Prevotella intermedia was shown to be comprised of another spoecies now known as Prevotella nigrescens. Strain ATCC 33563 is now designated the type strain of P. nigrescens while strain ATCC 25611 is remains the type strain of P. intermedia. The purpose of this study was to find the differences in protein profiles of P. intermedia and P. nigrescens, using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, which can be used for differentiation of those two species. A partial amino acid sequence of the 18.6 kDa protein band, which was specific in P. nigrescens, was also determined. The cellular proteins were extracted from the cell pellets of pure cultures of P. intermedia. and P. nigrescens by either sonication or being shaken continuously for 20 min at $21^{\circ}C$ with 1 % SDS or being boiled for 3 min with 1 % SDS. SDS-PAGE was performed according to the method of laemmli using either 12% (w/v) gels or 18% (w/v) gels. Results were as follows ; 1. The similar electrophoretic protein profiles were shown by 3 cellular protein extraction methods for each strain. (Fig. 1 and 2) 2. the 18.6 kDa band which was specific only in P. nigrescens could be used for the differentiation of P. intermedia. and P. nigrescens. (Fig. 1 and 2, Table 1) 3. A total of 4 different tryptic fragments from the 18.6 kDa protein were sequenced. the resulting amino acid sequences were fragment 1.GNPVNIGGEW, 2.FNVVR, 3.NYLT-VAPY, and 4.GGDNVTTYQVLPEIGYN. By comparison to the sequences of known proteins in the Swiss-Prot database and PIR database. 90 % matching between fragment 1 and serine hydroxymethyl transferase(P24060) in the Swiss-Prot, and 90% matching between fragment 1 and glycine hydroxymethyl transferase(S15203) in the PIR were shown, but the identity and function of the 18.6 kDa protein remains unknown.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2000.04b
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• pp.177-186
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• 2000

An improved multi-level（IML) optimization algorithm using automatic differentiation (AD) for multi-objective optimum design of framed structures is proposed in this paper. In order to optimize the steel frames under seismic load, two main objective functions need to be considered for minimizing the structural weight and maximizing the strain energy. For the efficiency of the proposed algorithm, multi-level optimization techniques using decomposition method that separately utilizes both system-level and element-level optimizations and an artificial constraint deletion technique are incorporated in the algorithm. And also to save the numerical efforts, an efficient reanalysis technique through approximated structural responses such as moments, frequencies, and strain energy with respect to intermediate variables is proposed in the paper. Sensitivity analysis of dynamic structural response is executed by AD that is a powerful technique for computing complex or implicit derivatives accurately and efficiently with minimal human effort. The efficiency and robustness of the IML algorithm, compared with a plain multi-level (PML) algorithm, is successfully demonstrated in the numerical examples.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.141.1-141
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• 2003

Forty six isolates of bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) collected from azuki bean, mungbean, kidney bean, cowpea, broad bean and peanut were classified into three groups based on biological, serological, cytopathological, and molecular characteristics. Group I induced vein-banding symptoms in cowpea which was similar to those produced by the BCMV-cowpea strain. Group II caused mosaic symptoms in azuki bean but not in peanut and tobacco. Since this character was different from that of previously described BCMV strain, group II may not belong to BCMV GroupIII induced vein-clearing symptoms in azuki bean, kidney bean and peanut, which are typical symptoms for BCMV-peanut stripe virus strain. Virus inclusion patterns of BCMV groups were similar to those of Potyvirus subdivision III with the scroll, pinwheel and long laminated inclusions. However, the inclusions of laminated aggregates were never observed in mungbean isolates. Multiple alignment as well as cluster dendrograms of 3'noncoding region (3'-NCR) and a part of coat protein gene (CP) suggested that group I belongs to the BCMV-cowpea strain, group II to the BCMV-azuki bean strain, and group III to the BCMV-peanut stripe virus strain. Since molecular phylogenesis of BCMV based on nucleotides of 3'-NCR and coat protein differed from the grouping based on virulence differentiation, and BCMV groups are more closely related to each other with the same host origin, other characteristics of those strains are under investigation.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.173-182
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• 1982

From FGSC 159 strain of Aspergillus nidulans, temperature sensitive mutants that are defective in growth and differentiation have been isolated by N-methyl-N'-nitroN-nitrosoguanidine (NTG) treatment. The optimum concentration of NTG and incubation time to get the highest mutation frequency was $100{\mu}g$ per ml and 1 hour, respectively. The survival frequency was 1%. Among the isolated mutants, five strains that were affected in early steps of differentiation were selected for further studies and named smK, smY, smB, smF, and smZ. The execution point of each mutant was determined and the growing pattern of each mutant at the restrictive temperature was observed under the microscope. Growth of mutant was arrested near at the execution point. From genetic analysis, each temperature-sensitive mutants was thought to have a single recessive gene. The genes of smK, smY, smB, smF, and smZ are linked to the chromosome VII, IV, VIII, I, and VI, respectively. It can be concluded that the genes controlling the differentiation are widely dispersed in the genome. From the results of mutant, smK, it is considered that a single gene can affect a function (functions) which act(s) at two different steps during differentiation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.50-50
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• 2003

We have identified and analysed a putative response regulator two-component gene (CaSKN7) from Candida albicans and its encoding protein (CaSkn7). CaSKN7 has an open reading frame of 1677bp. CaSKN7 encodes a 559 amino acid protein (CaSkn7) with an estimated molecular mass of 61.1 kDa. CaSKN7 is a homologue of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae SKN7 that is the regulator involved in the oxidative stress response. To study the role of CaSKN7, we constructed a CAI4-derived mutant strain carrying a homozygous deletion of the CaSKN7 gene. In the caskn7 disruptant cells, the formation of germ tube require shorter time than that in the congenic wild-type strain but the growth of mycelium delayed in liquid media. In contrast, the caskn7 disruptant cells attenuate the differentiation in solid media and the virulence in mouse model system. Expression level of hypha-specific and virulence genes - HYR1, ECE1, HWP1, and ALS1 - in the caskn7 disruptant cells increased as compared with that in the congenic wild-type strain in 10％ serum YPD. Skn7 in 5. cerevisiae was found to bind the HSE element from the SSA promoter, Also, CaSkn7 contains heat shock factor DNA-binding domain and the promoters of these genes have HSE-like sties. Therefore these results show that CaSKN7 regulate the differentiation and virulence of C. albicans.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.39
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• pp.7.1-7.9
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• 2017

Background: This study was to investigate the effect of biomechanical stimulation on osteoblast differentiation of human periosteal-derived stem cell using the newly developed bioreactor. Methods: Human periosteal-derived stem cells were harvested from the mandible during the extraction of an impacted third molar. Using the new bioreactor, 4% cyclic equibiaxial tension force (0.5 Hz) was applied for 2 and 8 h on the stem cells and cultured for 3, 7, and 14 days on the osteogenic medium. Biochemical changes of the osteoblasts after the biomechanical stimulation were investigated. No treatment group was referred to as control group. Results: Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and ALP messenger RNA (mRNA) expression level were higher in the strain group than those in the control group. The osteocalcin and osteonectin mRNA expressions were higher in the strain group compared to those in the control group on days 7 and 14. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA expression was higher in the strain group in comparison to that in the control group. Concentration of alizarin red S corresponding to calcium content was higher in the strain group than in the control group. Conclusions: The study suggests that cyclic tension force could influence the osteoblast differentiation of periosteal-derived stem cells under optimal stimulation condition and the force could be applicable for tissue engineering.