• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.224-236
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• 2015

We conducted the algicidal activity screening tests using 10 L microcosm to investigate the possibility of the field application of naphthoquinone derivative Nq 4-6 compound as an algicide. We determined its application range to assess its algicidal effects on the phytoplankton and to evaluate the response of the planktonic community and the water environment to this chemical. From results of the microcosm experiments, Nq 4-6 compound showed high algicidal activity on the centric diatoms such as Stephanodiscus hantzschii and Cyclotella meneghiniana, but it had no effect on other phytoplankton. The abundance of S. hantzschii continuously increased in the control, but its cell density decreased 1 day after the Nq 4-6 treatment. In particular, Nq 4-6 showed algicidal activity of 94.4% against S. hantzschii 7 days after the treatment. The dominance index of phytoplankton community was lower in the treatment than in the control. The diversity index, richness index and evenness index of phytoplankton community was higher in the treatment. Environmental factors and biological factors did not show specific changes after the Nq 4-6 compound treatment. Therefore, the results of this study demonstrates that Nq 4-6 is an effective agent for the control of S. hantzschii blooms, and that the microcosm tests play a crucial role when assessing field application.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.353-360
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• 2010

The Kyunggi Bay in mid-west of Korea is a relatively large estuarine system that connects the Han River system with Yellow Sea. Due to macro-tidal range of more than 8 m, the urban estuary shows deep tidal channels and wide tidal flats. Since last 30 years, the coastal development is undergoing, yielding noticeable change in environment. Particularly the tidal flat dynamics are generally accepted as being related with tidal residual flows in this area (Kim et al., 2009). We have estimated the annual variation and vertical structure of residual currents with one-year long observed flows in two major tidal channels of Kyunggi Bay. The moving average method and tidal current harmonic analysis yield nearly the same results on residual flow. The residual flow in Jangbong channel ranges from 20 cm/s in summer to 30 cm/s in winter. It is noticeable that the residual flow in Jangbong channel is flood dominant throughout the year, while the flow in Seokmo channel is ebb-dominant residual flow with current speed range of 20-40 cm/s. Due to the baroclinic response of relatively shallow estuary, significant reduction of energy in bottom layers have been observed, indicating the importance of residual circulation to the tidal flat behavior.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.12-27
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• 2004

Thanks to spectacular advances in the techniques for identifying proteins separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis and in methods for large-scale analysis of proteome variations, proteomics is becoming an essential methodology in various fields of plant sciences. Plant proteomics would be most useful when combined with other functional genomics tools and approaches. A combination of microarray and proteomics analysis will indicate whether gene regulation is controlled at the level of transcription or translation and protein accumulation. In this review, we described the catalogues of the rice proteome which were constructed in our program, and functional characterization of some of these proteins was discussed. Mass-spectrometry is a most prevalent technique to identify rapidly a large of proteins in proteome analysis. However, the conventional Western blotting/sequencing technique us still used in many laboratories. As a first step to efficiently construct protein data-file in proteome analysis of major cereals, we have analyzed the N-terminal sequences of 100 rice embryo proteins and 70 wheat spike proteins separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Edman degradation revealed the N-terminal peptide sequences of only 31 rice proteins and 47 wheat proteins, suggesting that the rest of separated protein spots are N-terminally blocked. To efficiently determine the internal sequence of blocked proteins, we have developed a modified Cleveland peptide mapping method. Using this above method, the internal sequences of all blocked rice proteins (i. e., 69 proteins) were determined. Among these 100 rice proteins, thirty were proteins for which homologous sequence in the rice genome database could be identified. However, the rest of the proteins lacked homologous proteins. This appears to be consistent with the fact that about 30% of total rice cDNA have been deposited in the database. Also, the major proteins involved in the growth and development of rice can be identified using the proteome approach. Some of these proteins, including a calcium-binding protein that fumed out to be calreticulin, gibberellin-binding protein, which is ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activate in rice, and leginsulin-binding protein in soybean have functions in the signal transduction pathway. Proteomics is well suited not only to determine interaction between pairs of proteins, but also to identify multisubunit complexes. Currently, a protein-protein interaction database for plant proteins (http://genome .c .kanazawa-u.ac.jp/Y2H)could be a very useful tool for the plant research community. Recently, we are separated proteins from grain filling and seed maturation in rice to perform ESI-Q-TOF/MS and MALDI-TOF/MS. This experiment shows a possibility to easily and rapidly identify a number of 2-DE separated proteins of rice by ESI-Q-TOF/MS and MALDI-TOF/MS. Therefore, the Information thus obtained from the plant proteome would be helpful in predicting the function of the unknown proteins and would be useful in the plant molecular breeding. Also, information from our study could provide a venue to plant breeder and molecular biologist to design their research strategies precisely.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.307-313
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• 2015

Unpolished rice (UR) is considered to be a healthy alternative to white rice when coping with chronic diseases. In the present study, the fermented slurry of unpolished rice (FSUR) was evaluated with respect to its antimicrobial activities and biochemical characteristics, including the quantities of sugar, total soluble sugar, organic acids, free amino acids, pH, and physiological activity. The antimicrobial efficiency of FSUR was assessed using the paper disc-agar diffusion method. FSUR exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against six pathogenic bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, and Yersinia enterocolitica) and two fermentation strains (Gluconacetobacter intermedius and Lodderomyces elongisporus). The antimicrobial activity of FSUR was higher than the commercial antibiotics, carbenicillin ($50{\mu}g/ml$) and tetracycline ($50{\mu}g/ml$) against S. aureus, E. coli, L. monocytogenes, P. aeruginosa, S. typhimurium, Y. enterocolitica, and L. elongisporus. Also FSUR had a high antioxidant activity. The microorganisms were isolated from FSUR using tryptic soy broth and yeast extract-peptone-dextrose agar media. The isolated microorganisms were characterized using physiological and biochemical analyses as well as by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenic analysis. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that the isolated microorganisms had a high similarity to G. intermedius, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Acetobacter peroxydans.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.141-145
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• 2014

There is a burgeoning number of products on the market that contain probiotics, but do they do you any good? What exactly are probiotics? They have been defined as living organisms that, when ingested in sufficient quantities, provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. They are often referred to as "friendly bacteria" or "good bacteria." Probiotics have been claimed, amongst other things, to (i) reduce the incidence of colon cancer and other diseases of the colon, such as IBS, (ii) stimulate the immune system, (iii) have anti-hypertensive and anti-cholesterolemic properties, (iv) mitigate against the effect of antibiotics on the intestinal microbiota, and (v) protect against gastrointestinal infections. However, the scientific basis for many of these claims is not well-established. Indeed, the European Food Safety Authority has denied the use of several health claims associated with probiotics, particularly those related to mitigation of diarrhea following consumption of antibiotics. Thus, there is a need for research on the mechanisms of action of probiotics. We have been mainly interested in the use of probiotics to control enteric infections. There are several possible modes of action to explain how probiotics may protect the host from enteric pathogens, including competitive exclusion and immunomodulation. We have shown that probiotics produce bioactive molecules that interfere with bacterial cell-cell communication (also called quorum sensing), and this results in a down-regulation of virulence genes that are responsible for attachment of the pathogen to the gastrointestinal epithelium. These bioactive molecules act on a variety of bacteria, including enterohemorrhagic and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens, and there is evidence that they can inhibit the formation of biofilms by Listeria monocytogenes. These bioactive molecules, which are peptidic in nature, can exert their effects not only in vitro but also in vivo, and we have shown that they mitigate against E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella in mice and Salmonella and E. coli K88 infections in pigs. They can be delivered in foods such as yoghurt and maintain their activity.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.323-331
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• 1996

Predetermination of sex in mammalian species has many aspects of application including the prenatal diagnoses of genetic disorders in humans and sex-selected breeding programs in the animal industry. Embryos sexing can be carried out using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify specific sequences present in the sex chromosomes, or by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) of specific probes to the X and Y chromosomes. A 3.3 kb porcine male-specific DNA fragment (pEM39) was cloned previously in our laboratory. In this study, FISH and PCR methods were employed to examine if the pEM39 can be used a sex-specific DNA probes Porcine ovaries were obtained from a local slaughter house and oocytes collected. All oocytes were subjected to in vitro maturation followed by 1n vitro fertilization. Parthenogenetically activated embryos were served as a negative control. Embryonic samples were collected at the 2-cell stages and PCR was performed to analyze DNA. Among 10 embryos examined, four embryos were identified as males and six were females. The cloned male-specific DNA fragment showed male-specificity for the cells in the liver tissue and the porcine early embryos by FISH. It was also demonstrated that the cloned male-specific DNA is localized on the hetero chromatic region of the long arm in the Y chrom-osome (Yq) as shown by the FISH and karyotyping. The results suggest that the cloned male-specific DNA fragment may be useful for predetermination of sex with a few embryonic cells. The porcine male-specific sequence can be a reliable index for embryo sexing by PCR.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.137-144
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• 2004

Algorithms for estimating breeding values on several categorical data by using latent variables with threshold conception were developed and showed. Thresholds on each categorical trait were estimated by Newton’s method via gradients and Hessian matrix. This algorithm was developed by way of expansion of bivariate analysis provided by Quaas(2001). Breeding values on latent variables of categorical traits and observations on linear traits were estimated by preconditioned conjugate gradient(PCG) method, which was known having a property of fast convergence. Example was shown by simulated data with two linear traits and a categorical trait with four categories(CE=calving ease) and a dichotomous trait(SB=Still Birth) in threshold animal mixed model(TAMM). Breeding value estimates in TAMM were compared to those in linear animal mixed model (LAMM). As results, correlation estimates of breeding values to parameters were 0.91${\sim}$0.92 on CE and 0.87${\sim}$0.89 on SB in TAMM and 0.72~0.84 on CE and 0.59~0.70 on SB in LAMM. As conclusion, PCG method for estimating breeding values on several categorical traits with linear traits were feasible in TAMM.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.195-206
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• 1995

The study was undertaken to examine the possibility of the involvement of $K^+$ channels in the mechanism of relaxant-action of imipramine on the isolated canine detrusor muscle strips. Canine urinary bladder were isolated, and smooth muscle strips of 15 mm long and 2 mm wide from the mid-portion of anterior wall were made in the Tyrode solution of $0{\sim}4^{\circ}C$. The strips were prepared for isometric myography in Biancani's isolated muscle chamber containing 1 ml of Tyrode solution, which was maintained with pH 7.4 by aeration with $95%\;O_2/5%CO_2\;at\;37^{\circ}C$. RP 52891, a non-specific $K^+$ channel opener, concentration-dependently suppressed the spontaneous phasic contractions of the detrusor strips. Imipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, also reduced the spontaneous contractions in a concentration-dependent manner. RP 52891 was more potent than imipramine(p<0.05), and Imipramine was more efficient than RP 52891(p<0.05).Procaine, a voltage-dependent $K^+$ channel blocker, glibenclamide, an ATP-dependent $K^+$ channel blocker, and apamin, a calcium-dependent $K^+$ channel blocker antagonized the relaxant effect of RP 52891, but not of imipramine. Imipramine reduced the electric field stimulation (EFS) -induced contractions concentration-dependently. None of the $K^+$ channel blockers employed for this study, procaine, glibenclamide or apamin antagonized the inhibitory action of imipramine on the EFS-induced contraction. These results suggest that in canine detrusor, the $K^+$ channels of the characteristics of voltage-dependent, ATP-dependent and/or calcium-dependent are exist, and the inhibitory action of imipramine on the contractility of the detrusor is independent from the $K^+$ channels.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2001

In macrophages, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) alone or in combination with $interferon-{\gamma}\;(IFN-{\gamma})$ has been shown to release a nitric oxide (NO) through the increase of the transcription of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene. To investigate the exact intracellular signaling pathway of the regulation of iNOS gene transcription by LPS plus $IFN-{\gamma},$ the effects of protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitor and protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors on NO production, iNOS mRNA expression, nuclear $factor-_{\kappa}B\;(NF-_{\kappa}B)$ binding activity and the promoter activity of iNOS gene containing two $NF-_{\kappa}B$ sites have been examined in a mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. LPS or $IFN-{\gamma}$ stimulated NO production, and their effect was enhanced synergistically by mixture of LPS and $IFN-{\gamma}.$ The PTK inhibitor such as tyrphostin reduced LPS plus $IFN-{\gamma}-induced$ NO production, iNOS mRNA expression and $NF-_{\kappa}B$ binding activity. In contrast, PKC inhibitors such as H-7, Ro-318220 and staurosporine did not show any effect on them. In addition, transfection of RAW 264.7 cells with iNOS promoter linked to a CAT reporter gene revealed that tyrphostin inhibited the iNOS promoter activity through the $NF-_{\kappa}B$ binding site, whereas PKC inhibitors did not. Taken together, these suggest that PTK, but not PKC pathway, is involved in the regulation of the iNOS gene transcription through the $NF-_{\kappa}B$ sites of iNOS promoter in RAW 264.7 macrophages by LPS plus $IFN-{\gamma}$.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.71-78
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• 2001

Capsaicin, a pungent ingredient of hot pepper, elicits an intense burning pain when applied cutaneously and intradermally. Activation of capsaicin-gated channel in C-type dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons produces nonselective cationic currents. Although electrophysiological and biochemical properties of capsaicin-activated current $(I_{CAP})$ were studied, the regulatory mechanism and intracellular signaling pathway are still unclear. In the present study, we investigated the modulations of $I_{CAP}$ by DAMGO $({\mu}-opioid\;agonist)$ and cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8). In 18 out of 86 cells, the amplitude of $I_{CAP}$ was significantly increased by DAMGO and completely reversed after washout, while $I_{CAP}$ was decreased by DAMGO in 25 cells. In 43 cells, DAMGO had no effect on $I_{CAP}$. Mean action potential duration was significantly different between 'increased-by-DAMGO' group and 'decreased-by-DAMGO' group. Mean amplitudes of $I_H$ were not significantly different between both groups. CCK-8 reversibly enhanced the amplitude of $I_{CAP}$ (5/13). DAMGO also increased $I_{CAP}$ amplitude significantly in the same cells. The amplitude of $I_{CAP}$ was increased in additive manner by combined applications of DAMGO and CCK-8 in these cells. These results suggest that DAMGO and CCK-8 can either increase or decrease $I_{CAP}$ presumably depending on the subtypes of DRG cells and classified by electrophysiological properties.