• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.1-5
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• 2008

Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) is an important extracellular signaling molecule which is involved in a variety of physiological responses in many different tissues and cell types, by acting at P2 receptors, either ionotropic (P2X) or G protein-coupled metabotropic receptors (P2Y). P2X receptors have seven isoforms designated as $P2X_{1^-}P2X_7$. In this study, we investigated the electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of rat $P2X_{1^-}P2X_4$ currents by using whole-cell patch clamp technique in a heterologous expression system. When ATP-induced currents were analyzed in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells following transient transfection of rat $P2X_{1^-}P2X_4$, the currents showed different pharmacological and electrophysiological properties. ATP evoked inward currents with fast activation and fast desensitization in $P2X_{^1-}$ or $P2X_{3^-}$ expressing HEK293 cells, but in $P2X_{2^-}$ or $P2X_{4^-}$ expressing HEK293 cells, ATP evoked inward currents with slow activation and slow desensitization. While PPADS and suramin inhibited $P2X_2$ or $P2X_3$ receptor-mediated currents, they had little effects on $P2X_4$ receptor-mediated currents. Ivermectin potentiated and prolonged $P2X_4$ receptor-mediated currents, but did not affect $P2X_2$ or $P2X_3$ receptor-mediated currents. We suggest that distinct pharmacological and electrophysiological properties among P2X receptor subtypes would be a useful tool to determine expression patterns of P2X receptors in the nervous system including trigeminal sensory neurons and microglia.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.195-209
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• 2009

Objectives : Transient inflammation has been demonstrated to alter visceral sensory function in animal models and acute mucosal inflammation may precede the manifestation of visceral hyperalgesia. Thus in this study we compared effects of herbal acupuncture of Nidus Vespae (NV) applied to the different acupoints in the acute colitis induced by trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid (TNBS) intracolonic injection in rats. Methods : In Male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 250 ~ 400 g, TNBS (5 mg/kg) was infused intrarectally through a silicon rubber catheter into the anus under isoflurane anaesthesia. Under general anesthesia, acupoints of LI4 (Hapkok), SI25 (Cheonchu), ST36 (Joksamni), BL25 (Daejangsu) were intramuscularly injected by NV. Expressions of cFos protein in the periaqueductal gray (PAG), locus coeruleus (LC), nucleus of solitary tract (Sol), and the 6th lumbar spinal cord (L6 s.c.) were observed at 24 hrs after TNBS induced colitis by immunohistochemistry. Results : The expression of c-Fos protein in L6 s.c., Sol, LC and PAG increased 24 hrs after TNBS injection into colorectum as compared to normal group. NV herbal acupuncture also inhibited the expression of c-Fos protein in Sol but not L6 s.c., LC, and PAG. NV to ST36 inhibited significantly the c-Fos expression in Sol and PAG. NV to ST25 inhibited the c-Fos protein expression all over the observation area. NV to BL25 showed the inhibitory effects in the areas except LC. Whether or not a role of endogenous opioids, intrathecal injection of naltrexone (30 ug / 30 ul) was applied before the 2nd herbal acupuncture treatment 24 hrs after TNBS-induced colitis in rat. Naltrexone reversed the inhibition of c-Fos protein expression in the spinal cord and brainstem under different conditions such as type of herbal acupuncture compound and choice of acupoint. Conclusions : In summary, these data show that herbal acupuncture of NV inhibits signal pathways such as spinal cord and brain stem ascending hypersensitivity of colorectum after TNBS induced colitis. This effect may be mediated by acupoints through the endogenous opioid system involving the pain modulation.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.475-480
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• 2009

The transcription of soybean (Glycine max) calmodulin isoform-4 (GmCaM-4) is dramatically induced within 0.5 h of exposure to pathogen or NaCl. Core cis-acting elements that regulate the expression of the GmCaM-4 gene in response to pathogen and salt stress were previously identified, between -1,207 and -1,128 bp, and between -858 and -728 bp, in the GmCaM-4 promoter. Here, we characterized the properties of the DNA-binding complexes that form at the two core cis-acting elements of the GmCaM-4 promoter in pathogen-treated nuclear extracts. We generated GUS reporter constructs harboring various deletions of approximately 1.3-kb GmCaM-4 promoter, and analyzed GUS expression in tobacco plants transformed with these constructs. The GUS expression analysis suggested that the two previously identified core regions are involved in inducing GmCaM-4 expression in the heterologous system. Finally, a transient expression assay of Arabidopsis protoplasts showed that the GmCaM-4 promoter produced greater levels of GUS activity than did the CaMV35S promoter after pathogen or NaCl treatments, suggesting that the GmCaM-4 promoter may be useful in the production of conditional gene expression systems.

• 한국응용약물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국응용약물학회 1994년도 춘계학술대회 and 제3회 신약개발 연구발표회
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• pp.178-178
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• 1994

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is a DNA virus with a 3.2kb partially double-stranded genome. The life cycle of the virus involves a reverse transcription of the greater than genome length 3.5kb mRNA. This pegenomic RNA contains all the genetic information encoded by the virus and functions as an intermediate in viral replication. Tumor suppressor p53 has previously been shown to interact with the X-gene product of the HBV, which led us to hypothesize that p53 may act as a negative regulator of HBV replication and the role of the X-gene product is to overcome the p53-mediated restriction. As a first step to prove the above hypothesis, we tested whether p53 represses the propagation of HBV in in vitro replication system. By transient cotransfection of the plasmid containing a complete copy of the HBV genome and/or the plasmid encoding p53, we found that the replication of HBV is specifically blocked by wild-type p53. The levels of HBV DNA, HBs Ag and HBc/e Ag secreted in cell culture media were dramatically reduced upon coexpresion of wild-type p53 but not by the coexpression of the mutants of p53 (G154V and R273L). Furthermore, levels of RNAs originated from HBV genome were repressed more than 10 fold by the cotransfection of the p53 encoding plasmid. These results clearly states that p53 is a nesative regulator of the HBV replication. Next, to addresss the mechanism by which p53 represses the HBV replication, we performed the transient transfection experiments employing the pregenomic/core promoter-CAT(Chloramphenicol Acetyl Transferase) construct as a reporter. Cotransfection of wild-type p53 but not the mutant p53 expression plasmids repressed the CAT activity more than 8 fold. Integrating the above results, we propose that p53 represses the replication of HBV specifically by the down-regulation of the pregenomic/core promoter, which results in the reduced DNA synthesis of HBV. Currently, the mechanism by which HBV overcomes the observed p53-mediated restriction of replication is tinder investigation.

• 한국응용약물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국응용약물학회 2003년도 Annual Meeting of KSAP : International Symposium on Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences on Obesity
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• pp.89-89
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• 2003

Exposure of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) causes a variety of biological and toxicology effects, most of which are mediated by aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The ligand-bound AhR as a heterodimer with AhR nuclear translocator (ARNT) binds to its specific DNA recognition site, the dioxin-responsive element (DRE), and it results in increased transcription of CYP1A1 gene. Retinoic acid (RA) regulates the transcription of various genes for several essential functions through binding to two classes of nuclear receptors, the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and retinoid X receptor (RXR). Constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) also regulates the transcription of gene. In this study, we have examined how RAR, RXR and CAR regulated CYP1A1 in rainbow trout hepatoma cell (RTH 149) using luciferase reporter gene assay system. We did transient transfection with CYP1A1 luciferase reporter gene and treated with TCDD, all-trans RA, 9-cis RA and phenobarbital. Treatment of all-trans RA, 9-cis RA or phenobarbital decreased the TCDD induced transcription of CYP1Al. When we did transient cotransfection with CYP1A1 luciferase reporter gene and RXR, as increase of RXR concentration, the TCDD induced transcription of CYP1A1 was decreased. Transfection with CAR also decreased the TCDD induced transcription of CYP1A1 in RTH 149 cells.

• 한국환경독성학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국환경독성학회 2003년도 추계국제학술대회
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• pp.179-179
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• 2003

Exposure of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) causes a variety of biological and toxicology effects, most of which are mediated by aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The ligand-bound AhR as a heterodimer with AhR nuclear translocator (ARNT) binds to its specific DNA recognition site, the dioxin-responsive element (DRE), and it results in increased transcription of CYP1A1 gene. Retinoic acid (RA) regulates the transcription of various genes for several essential functions through binding to two classes of nuclear receptors, the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and retinoid X receptor (RXR). Constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) also regulates the transcription of gene. In this study, we have examined how RAR, RXR and CAR regulated CYP1A1 in rainbow trout hepatoma cell (RTH 149) using luciferase reporter gene assay system. We did transient transfection with CYP1A1 luciferase reporter gene and treated with TCDD, all-trans RA, 9-cis RA and phenobarbital. Treatment of all-trans RA, 9-cis RA or phenobarbital decreased the TCDD induced transcription of CYP1A1. When we did transient cotransfection with CYP1A1 luciferase reporter gene and RXR, as increase of RXR concentration, the TCDD induced transcription of CYP1A1 was decreased. Transfection with CAR also decreased the TCDD induced transcription of CYP1A1 in RTH 149 cells.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.66-72
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• 2020

Alstroemeria plants were transformed by using an improved particle-gun-mediated transformation system. Friable embryogenic callus (FEC) induced from the leaves with axil tissues of Alstroemeria plant was used as the target tissue. Also, FEC was transformed with the bar gene was used as a selectable marker. In the case of plasmid pAHC25, 7.5% of the twice-bombarded FEC clumps showed blue foci, whereas the clumps with single bombardment showed only 2.3%. Additionally, a 90° rotation with double bombardment led to a higher frequency (6 times) of luciferase gene expression in PBL9780 than the control treatment. After 8 weeks of bombardment, more than 60 independent transgenic lines were obtained for pAHC25 and nearly 150 independent transgenic lines were obtained for PBL9780, all of which were resistant to PPT and demonstrated either GUS or luciferase activity. Regarding effect of osmotic treatment (0.2 M mannitol) with 7 different periods, the highest transient gene expression was obtained in 8 h before and 16 h after transformation in both pAHC25 and PBL9780. Compared with the control, at least three times more GUS foci and photons were observed in this treatment. With respect to different combinations of mannitol and sorbitol with 8 h before and 16 h after transformation, high numbers of transient and stable transgene expressions were observed in both 0.2 M mannitol and 0.2 M sorbitol used in the osmotic pre-culture. This combination showed the highest transformation efficiency in both pAHC25 (8.5%) and PBL9780 (14.5%). In the control treatment, only 10% of the FEC clumps produced somatic embryos. However, by using 0.2 M mannitol and 0.2 M sorbitol, the frequency of somatic embryos increased to 36.5% (pAHC25) and 22.9% (PBL9780). Of the somatic embryos produced, at least 60% germinated. Approximately 100 somatic embryos from these 210 independent transgenic lines from 2 plasmids developed into shoots, which were then transferred to the greenhouse. PCR analysis confirmed the presence of the bar gene. This is the report on the production of transgenic Alstroemeria plants by using particle bombardment with a high efficiency, thereby providing a new alternative for the transferring of gene of interests in Alstroemeria in the breeding program in the future.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.307-313
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• 2009

In order to systemically investigate the possibility of using coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) to deliver foreign genes in vivo, a recombinant strain of CVB3 encoding the renilla gene (CVB3-renilla) was constructed. The recombinant CVB3 resulted in extensive and transient expression of the renilla protein within mouse organs, especially the pancreas. The level of expression was generally dependent upon the viral titer present. Moreover, the CVB3-renilla strain was completely attenuated. Interestingly, the recombinant CVB3 vector was expressed much more strongly in mouse organs than was a comparable adenoviral vector. The CVB3-renilla strain did not express the renilla gene in mice with pre-existing coxsackievirus-specific neutralizing antibodies, but direct organ-specific administration of the virus during open-peritoneum surgery was able to circumvent this immunity. This coxsackievirus vector may represent a useful means for delivering and expressing foreign genes in mouse models in an acute and extensive fashion.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.233-239
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• 2003

We have developed a reliable and high-frequency genetic transformation and regeneration system via somatic embryogensis of Eleutherococcus sessiliflorus. Embryogenic callus obtained from seed were co- cultivated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA101/pIG121Hm harboring genes for intron-$\beta$-glucoronidase(GUS), kanamycin and hygromycin resistance. Following co-cultivation, two types of samples(fine embrogenic calli and early globular embryo clusters) were cultivated on Murashige and Skoog(MS) medium containing 1 mg/L2.4-D for 3day in dark. Transient expression of GUS gene was found to be higher in the early globular embryo clusters than in the embryogenic calli. Also, co-cultivated period affected expression of GUS gene; the best result was obtained when globular embryo clusters were co-cultivated with Agrobacterium for 3 days. Subsequently, this callus transferred to selective MS medium containing 1mg/L2.4-D, 50mg/L kanamycin or/and 30mg/L hygromycin and 300mg/L cefortaxime. These embryogenic calls were subcultured to the same selection medium at every 2 weeks intervals. Approximately 24.5% of the early globular embryos co-cultivated with Agrobacterium for 3days produced kanamycin or/and hygromycin-resistant calli. Transgenic somatic embryos were converted into plantlets in half strength MS medium supplemented with 3mg/L GA$_3$ kanamycin and were confirmed by GUS histochemical assay and polymerase chain reaction analysis. Genomic Southem blot hybridization confirmed the incorporation of NPT II gene into the host genome.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.235-239
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• 2004

Drosophila melanogaster heat shock protein 70 gene promoter (Dhsp70p) is widely used in transgenic insect to drive exogenous gene, and the homologous region 3 from Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPVhr3) functions as an enhancer for several promoters. To test whether BmNPVhr3 can enhance the Dhsp70ps transcriptional activity, the reporter plasmids, which contain the Dhsp70p, the reporter $\beta$-galactosidase gene with SV40 terminator and BmNPVhr3 fragment, are constructed and transfected into the insect cell lines (Bm-N cells and Sf-21 cells) by lipofectin-mediated method. The results from the transient expression assay show that BmNPVhr3 significantly increases transcriptional activity of Dhsp70p both under the normal condition and under the heat-shock treatment, although the effects are significantly different between in Bm-N cells and in sf-21 cells. The enhancing behavior of BmNPVhr3 on the Dhsp70p is in an orientation-independent manner. Meanwhile, the effects of heat-shock treatment on Dhsp70p alone or Dhsp70p/BmNPVhr3 combination present no significant difference, indicating that BmNPVhr3 only enhances the transcriptional activity of Dhsp70p, but cant alter its characteristic of the response to the heat-shock stress. The above results suggest that the Dhsp70p/BmNPVhr3 combination is more effective one to drive exogenous gene for transgene or stable cell expression system in insects.