• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2015

Purpose: Soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) is a truncated extracellular form of the membrane transferrin receptor produced by proteolysis. Concentrations of serum sTfR are related to iron status and erythropoiesis in the body. We investigated whether serum sTfR levels can aid in diagnosis and treatment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in children. Methods: Ninety-eight patients with IDA were enrolled and were classified according to age at diagnosis. Group 1 comprised 78 children, aged 6-59 months, and group 2 comprised 20 adolescents, aged 12-16 years. Results: In group 1, patients' serum sTfR levels correlated negatively with mean corpuscular volume; hemoglobin (Hb), ferritin, and serum iron levels; and transferrin saturation and positively with total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and red cell distribution width. In group 2, patients' serum sTfR levels did not correlate with ferritin levels and TIBC, but had a significant relationship with other iron indices. Hb and serum sTfR levels had a significant inverse relationship in both groups; however, in group 1, there was no correlation between Hb and serum ferritin levels. In 30 patients of group 1, serum sTfR levels were significantly decreased with an increase in Hb levels after iron supplementation for 1 month. Conclusion: Serum sTfR levels significantly correlated with other diagnostic iron parameters of IDA and inversely correlated with an increase in Hb levels following iron supplementation. Therefore, serum sTfR levels can be a useful marker for the diagnosis and treatment of IDA in children.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.722-729
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• 2005

With the aim to improve the specificity and to reduce the cytotoxicity of polyethylenimine (PEI), we have synthesized the conjugates of the branched PEI (25 kDa) with transferrin. The trans-ferrin-PEI (TP) conjugates with five compositions were synthesized using periodate oxidation method and confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. The free amine contents of TP conjugates, which were able to condense and deliver DNA, increased as the amount of PEI increased. TP/DNA polyplexes were characterized by measuring gel elec-trophoresis, ethidium bromide fluorescence quenching, particle size and zeta potential of complexes. Complete complexation of the polyplexes was observed above the N/P ratio of 5 in TP/DNA, and above 3 in PEI/DNA, respectively. The zeta potential of the complexes decreased as the amount of transferrin in TP conjugates increased. Transfection efficiency of TP conjugates was evaluated in HeLa cell and Jurkat cell systems. Among the five compositions of TP conjugates, TP-2 system mediated a higher $\beta$-galactosidase gene expression than PEI system in Jurkat cell which was known to express elevated numbers of transferrin receptors. From the results of the cell viability based on MTT assay, TP conjugates showed lower cytotoxicity com-pared with the PEI system. We expect that the TP conjugate can be used efficiently as a non-viral gene delivery vector.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.163-175
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• 1989

Transferrin (Tf) has been known to exert profound effect on the myoblast differentiation in uirto. Therefore, the changes in the amount and affinity of the Tf receptor would accompany the myoblast differentiation. To investigate this possibility, we exarnined the afteration pattern in the level of the Tf receptor during the myoblast fusion. The level of Tf receptor was assayed by measuring the bound 125 I-Tf onto the surface of cultured myoblasts, and it was known that the level of Tf receptor reached the maximum at about 12 hr before the initi ation of the myoblast fusion and decreased as the differentiation proceeded, and that the affinity of Tf receptor to Tf was also decreased. In addition, various inhibitiors of the myoblast fusion also influenced the level of the Tf receptor. Accroding to these results, it is postulated that the level of Tf receptor is highly regulated during the myoblast differentiation.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.101-104
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• 2003

A cDNA clone for the olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) transferrin receptor (fTfR) was isolated from a leukocytes cDNA library. The fTfR gene consisted of 2,319 bp encoding 773 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence alignment of the fTfR showed that their size and hydrophobic profile are similar. In addition, the Tyr-Thr-Arg-Phe (YTRF) motif that is the recognition signal for high-efficiency endocytosis, is conserved very well. This motif is important for functional properties of TfR. The deduced amino acid sequence had $42.4-42.9\%$ identities with the previously reported TfRs of vertebrates. The fTfR was expressed in the blood, kidney, spleen, and liver of healthy olive flounder by the Northern blot hybridization.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.144-148
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• 1992

Insulin and transfenin (Tf) were found to be essential for suwival and differentiation of brain neuroblasts obtained from chick embryo. This requirement, however, is Changed from insulin to Tf upon neuronal development of the embryo, and this phenomenon is due to the changes in the levels of corresponding receptors. Using cultured neuroblasts, the level of Tf receptor is also found to increase Lvhile that of insulin receptor falls dramatically during the course of the cell differentiation. These results suggest that the development-specific changes in the levels of insulin and Tf receptors in embryo can be reproduced in the culture system during the differentiation period. Because the culture system used was a defined medium and contained no other macromolecules than insulin and Tf, it appears possible that insulin and Tf may act as signalling molecules in the control of neuronal development.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.963-969
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• 2005

Many reports have stated that some of the pathogenic bacteria can obtain iron from ferroproteins, such as cytochrome C, ferritin, hemin, hemoglobin, and myoglobin. These reports prompted us to determine if an opportunistic pathogenic fungus, Candida albicans, can utilize ferroproteins to circumvent the iron-regulatory effect of transferrin. The following assays were carried out to measure in vitro growth stimulation by the ferroproteins: as an initial step, C. albicans was cultured in iron-free (pretreated with apotransferrin for 24h) culture medium. Once Candida albicans yeast cell growth reached stasis from iron starvation, individual ferroproteins were added to the culture media. Results showed that hemin, hemoglobin, and myoglobin supported a partial growth recovery. Additional studies with haptoglobin, a serum protein that interacts with the globin moiety of certain ferroproteins, established that C. albicans could obtain iron from the haptoglobin-ferroprotein complexes. These data indicate that the heme part of the ferroproteins is the source of iron. This implies that heme oxygenase, CaHMX1 might be involved in bringing about dissociation of heme-containing protein for iron-acquisition. In addition, anticandidal activity of transferrin takes place not only by the process of iron regulation, but also by direct interaction with the yeast cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.72-77
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• 2017

Inorganic iron is essential for various metabolic processes, including RNA synthesis, electron transport, and oxygen detoxification in microorganisms. Many bacterial pathogens compete for iron acquisition in diverse environmental condition such as host. Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344 also requires inorganic iron as a cofactor for growth. When a M9 minimal liquid medium was supplemented with ethylenediamine di-o-hydroxyphenylactic acid (EDDA) which acts as an iron-chelating agent, growth of Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344 in the supplemented medium was completely arrested by deficient of useful iron under iron-depleted condition. However, a number of siderophores, which are small, high-affinity iron chelating compounds secreted by microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, were produced for utilization of restricted iron under iron-depleted condition. A M9 minimal liquid medium complemented with human transferrin (hTf)-iron complex turned completely off production of siderophores, but growth of Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344 maintained level similar to compare one complemented with iron (III) chloride (FeCl3). This means that human transferrin (hTf)-bound iron can utilize via directly interaction with Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344 without productions of siderophores. Through construction and analysis of negative mutant for utilization of human transferrin (hTf)-bound iron, we confirm that the bacterium can directly use human transferrin (hTf)-bound iron without extracellularly intermediated carriers such as siderophores.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.192-192
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• 1998

The blood - brain barrier (BBB) expresses high concentrations of transferrin receptor, and it was revealed that anti-transferrin receptor mouse monoclonal antibody (OX26) undergoes transcytosis through the BBB. This property allows the OX26 to serve as a brain drug delivery vector. In an attempt to produce broadly useful targeting agents, genetic engineering and expression techniques have been used to produce antibody-avidin (AV) fusion protein (OX26 IgG3C$\_$H/3-AV). In the present study we estimated the BBB permeability and stability of genetically engineered vector.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.126.1-126.1
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• 2007

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• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.40-48
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• 1989

Guppy fry were treated for the first 40 days of life with 0, 20, 40, 60 & 100$\mu\textrm{g}$ of estradiol per gram of food in order to change the sex of normal males to functional females(genetic male). The present investigation deals with the effects of steroid hormones, such as $\beta$-estradiol and testosterone, on the sex differentiation in guppy and tilapia. The results obtained were summarized as follows. 1. In B (20$\mu\textrm{g}$/g diet) group 17$\beta$-estradiol-treated, 67.8% of male offsprings were produced. 2. In D (60$\mu\textrm{g}$/g diet) group 17$\beta$-treated, 67% of female offsprings were produced. 3. B, D groups of genetic male brooders had significantly different effects (P<0.01) upon sex ratios of their progeny. 4. This strongly indicates that sex direction has been achieved and that the male is the heterogametic sex. 5. The group that produced the highest percentage of male offspring(male percentage of observed number to expected number was 91%) contained only full-sibling male brooders to the sex-reversed female brooders. 6. After 7 months following treatment, the sex-reversed males had ovarian portion in the anterior region and a testicular portion in the posterior region of the same intersexual gonad, respectively. 7. At 7 months after treatment, the ovareis revealed a complete arrest of the ovarian formation, and appearances of spermatogenetic cell cysts among surviving auxocytes. 8. In most of sex-reversed fish, anterior portion of test is was devoid of sperm ducts including the seminal vesicle and vas deferens. 9. The male transferrin showed two strong bands, while the female transferrin showed a single weak band. 10. One of the two bands of male transferrin showed the same mobility with band of female transferrin.