• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.226-232
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• 2017

In this study, ethanol extract of Epimedium koreanum Nakai(EEKN) enhanced melanogenesis by inducing expression of tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1). But EEKN did not increase the protein expression of tyrosinase-related protein 2 (TRP-2). Moreover, EEKN enhanced tyrosinase activity and melanin contents of B16F10 cells. EEKN raised the expression of CREB phosphorylation and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) as a key transcription factor for tyrosinase expression regulating melanogenesis. And PKC inhibitor H89 supressed that EEKN induced tyrosinase activity, melanin contents, and expression of tyrosinase, TRP-1. These results suggest that melanogenesis-promoting effect of EEKN was correlated with regulation of tyrosinase and TRP-1 protein through cAMP/PKC pathway.

• BMB Reports
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.207-212
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• 2013

The main purpose of this study is to examine the effect of caffeine on lipid accumulation in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Significant decreases in the accumulation of hepatic lipids, such as triglyceride (TG), and cholesterol were observed when HepG2 cells were treated with caffeine as indicated. Caffeine decreased the mRNA level of lipogenesis-associated genes (SREBP1c, SREBP2, FAS, SCD1, HMGR and LDLR). In contrast, mRNA level of CD36, which is responsible for lipid uptake and catabolism, was increased. Next, the effect of caffeine on AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway was examined. Phosphorylation of AMPK and acetyl-CoA carboxylase were evidently increased when the cells were treated with caffeine as indicated for 24 h. These effects were all reversed in the presence of compound C, an AMPK inhibitor. In summary, these data indicate that caffeine effectively depleted TG and cholesterol levels by inhibition of lipogenesis and stimulation of lipolysis through modulating AMPK-SREBP signaling pathways.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.139-145
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• 2016

In this paper, we propose to evaluate the effect of Resistin-like molecule alpha (Retnla) on the expression of transporters involved in modulating concentrations of peripheral cholesterol and plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. High levels of blood cholesterol are a well-recognized risk factor for atherosclerosis and are eliminated via the process of reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). We recently showed that Retnla ameliorates hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis by increasing biliary cholesterol secretion, the final step of the process, in low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient mice. However, the role of Retnla in HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux, initial step of RCT pathway, is not yet clear. To identify cholesterol transport genes regulated by Retnla, we performed an extensive microarray-based gene expression screen using livers from Retnla-overexpressing (Tg) mice and control animals. The most significant change in Retnla-Tg mice was an upregulation of ATP-binding cassette sub-family G member 4 (Abcg4) transport and was validated using quantitative RT-PCR. The validated gene was also induced by treatment of purified Retnla protein in RAW 264.7 cells incubated with acetylated low-density lipoprotein and Hepa1c1c7 cells. Taken together, these results indicates that Retnla might also accelerate initial step of RCT pathway, suggesting therapeutic value of Retnla in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.660-669
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect and regulatory mechanism of resveratrol supplementation on the mitochondrial energy metabolism of rats with exercise-induced fatigue. MATERIALS/METHODS: Forty-eight Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided randomly into a blank control group (C), resveratrol group (R), exercise group (E), and exercise and resveratrol group (ER), with 12 rats in each group. Group ER and group E performed 6-wk swimming training with 5% wt-bearing, 60 min each time, 6 days a wk. Group ER was given resveratrol 50 mg/kg by gavage one hour after exercise; group R was only given resveratrol 50 mg/kg by gavage; group C and group E were fed normally. The same volume of solvent was given by gavage every day. RESULTS: Resveratrol supplementation could reduce the plasma blood urea nitrogen content, creatine kinase activity, and malondialdehyde content in the skeletal muscle, increase the total superoxide dismutase activity in the skeletal muscle, and improve the fatigue state. Resveratrol supplementation could improve the activities of Ca²⁺-Mg²⁺-ATPase, Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase, succinate dehydrogenase, and citrate synthase in the skeletal muscle. Furthermore, resveratrol supplementation could up-regulate the sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)-proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α)-nuclear respiratory factor 1 pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Resveratrol supplementation could promote mitochondrial biosynthesis via the SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway, increase the activity of the mitochondrial energy metabolism-related enzymes, improve the antioxidant capacity of the body, and promote recovery from exercise-induced fatigue.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.304-310
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• 2007

Bacillus cereus 1-1 strain produced 2 mM of ALA in the aerobic dark condition without any inhibitor like levulinic acid. The optimum culture conditions for the ALA production were that preculture and main culture were continued for 18 hr in TCY medium, and 16 mM of organic acids like acetic acid were added at the late log phase when the pH was 6.8. And the addition of 0.3% glucose was effective at the beginning of the main culture. ALA production was continued for more than 8 hr by the addition of glutamic acid instead of acetic acid, and was inhibited by addition of $40\;{\mu}M$ gabaculine seriously. These results confirmed that B. cereus 1-1 strain produced ALA through C-5 pathway.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.360-367
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• 1994

The effect of various nutrients for the production of the anti-complementary polysaccha- ride by Flammulina velutipes, was examined and the partial purification of the polysaccharide was carried out. The culture conditions and medium compositions considerably influenced the anti-complementary activity of the polysaccharides. When a culture was carried out at 23$\circ$C and pH 5.5 for 6 days in the synthetic medium supplemented with galactose and NaNO$_{3}$, the production of the anti-complementary polysaccharide was maximized. The crude polysaccharide, FV-1 was isolated from the culture broth and partially purified into two fractions, FV-1-II and FV-1-III by gel filtration using Sephadex G-100. FV-1-II was mainly consisted of xylose, mannose, galactose and glucose, and rhamnose, mannose and galactose, for FV-1-III. Also, the anti-complementary activity of FV-1-III was reduced partially in the absence of the Ca ion. When crossed immunoelect- rophoresis using anti-human C3 serum was carried out after incubation of normal human serum with the FV-1-III in the Ca ion free condition, a cleavage of C3 precipitin line was observed. These results indicate that the mode of complement activation by polysaccharide from Flammulina velutipes is via not only the classical pathway but also the alternative pathway.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1651-1658
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• 2020

Since Zika virus (ZIKV) was first detected in Uganda in 1947, serious outbreaks have occurred globally in Yap Island, French Polynesia and Brazil. Even though the number of infections and spread of ZIKV have risen sharply, the pathogenesis and replication mechanisms of ZIKV have not been well studied. ZIKV, a recently highlighted Flavivirus, is a mosquito-borne emerging virus causing microcephaly and the Guillain-Barre syndrome in fetuses and adults, respectively. ZIKV polyprotein consists of three structural proteins named C, prM and E and seven nonstructural proteins named NS1, NS2A, NS2B, NS3, NS4A, NS4B, and NS5 in an 11-kb single-stranded positive sense RNA genome. The function of individual ZIKV genes on the host innate immune response has barely been studied. In this study, we investigated the modulations of the NF-κB promoter activity induced by the MDA5/RIG-I signaling pathway. According to our results, two nonstructural proteins, NS2A and NS4A, dramatically suppressed the NF-κB promoter activity by inhibiting signaling factors involved in the MDA5/RIG-I signaling pathway. Interestingly, NS2A suppressed all components of MDA5/RIG-I signaling pathway, but NS4A inhibited most signaling molecules, except IKKε and IRF3-5D. In addition, both NS2A and NS4A downregulated MDA5-induced NF-κB promoter activity in a dosedependent manner. Taken together, our results suggest that NS2A and NS4A signifcantly antagonize MDA5/RIG-I-mediated NF-κB production, and these proteins seem to be controlled by different mechanisms. This study could help understand the mechanisms of how ZIKV controls innate immune responses and may also assist in the development of ZIKV-specific therapeutics.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.68-74
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• 2011

Objective: Previously, we found that oocyte specific homeobox (Obox) 4 plays significant role in completion of meiosis specifically at meiosis I-meiosis II (MI-MII) transition. The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanism of action of $Obox4$ in oocyte maturation by evaluating downstream signal networking. Methods: The $Obox4$ dsRNA was prepared by $in$ $vitro$ transcription and microinjected into the cytoplasm of germinal vesicle oocytes followed by $in$ $vitro$ maturation in the presence or absence of 0.2 mM 3-isobutyl-1-metyl-xanthine. Total RNA was extracted from 200 oocytes of each group using a PicoPure RNA isolation kit then amplified two-rounds. The probe hybridization and data analysis were used by Affymetrix Gene-Chip$^{(R)}$ Mouse Genome 430 2.0 array and GenPlex 3.0 (ISTECH, Korea) software, respectively. Results: Total 424 genes were up (n=80) and down (n=344) regulated after $Obox4$ RNA interference (RNAi). Genes mainly related to metabolic pathways and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway was changed. Among the protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms, PKC-alpha, beta, gamma were down-regulated and especially the MAPK signaling pathway PKC-gamma was dramatically decreased by $Obox4$ RNAi. In the cell cycle pathway, we evaluated the expression of genes involved in regulation of chromosome separation, and found that these genes were down-regulated. It may cause the aberrant chromosome segregation during MI-MII transition. Conclusion: From the results of this study, it is concluded that $Obox4$ is important upstream regulator of the PKC and anaphase-promoting complex action for maintaining intact germinal vesicle.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.318-323
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• 1990

The bis(malonato)diaquochromate(III) ion, $Cr(C_3H_2O_4)_2^-$ in acidic solution hydrolyzes to give $Cr(C_3H_2O_4)^{+}.$ This reaction is catalyzed by ferric ion and the rate law for this cation catalyzed-aquation in a $HClO_4/NaClO_4$ medium, $I = 1.00 M, is-d[Cr(C_3H_2O_4)_2^-]/dt = ({\kappa}_1[Fe^{3+}] + {\kappa}_2[H^+])[Cr(C_3H_2O_4)_2^-]$ where ${\kappa}_1(25^{\circ}C) = 4.72×10^{-5} M^{-1}sec^{-1} ({\Delta}H^{\neq} = 22.5 Kcal/mol, {\Delta}S^{\neq} = - 2.58 eu) and {\kappa}_2(25^{\circ}C) = 4.75{\times}10^{-5} M^{-1}sec^{-1} ({\Delta}H^{\neq} = 21.2 Kcal/mol, {\Delta}S^{\neq} = - 7.13 eu).$ Rapid preequilibrium association of basic Cr-bound oxygen with $Fe^{3+},$ followed by rate-determining ring opening, is proposed to account for the ${\kappa}_1,$ hydrolysis pathway.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.23-36
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• 2009

In the present work, the metabolic network of primary metabolism of the slow-growing myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum was reconstructed from the annotated genome sequence of the type strain So ce56. During growth on glucose as the carbon source and asparagine as the nitrogen source, So ce56 showed a very low growth rate of $0.23\;d^{-1}$, equivalent to a doubling time of 3 days. Based on a complete stoichiometric and isotopomer model of the central metabolism, $^{13}C$ metabolic flux analysis was carried out for growth with glucose as carbon and asparagine as nitrogen sources. Normalized to the uptake flux for glucose (100%), cells recruited glycolysis (51%) and the pentose phosphate pathway (48%) as major catabolic pathways. The Entner-Doudoroff pathway and glyoxylate shunt were not active. A high flux through the TCA cycle (118%) enabled a strong formation of ATP, but cells revealed a rather low yield for biomass. Inspection of fluxes linked to energy metabolism revealed that S. cellulosum utilized only 10% of the ATP formed for growth, whereas 90% is required for maintenance. This explains the apparent discrepancy between the relatively low biomass yield and the high flux through the energy-delivering TCA cycle. The total flux of NADPH supply (216%) was higher than the demand for anabolism (156%), indicating additional reactions for balancing of NADPH. The cells further exhibited a highly active metabolic cycle, interconverting $C_3$ and $C_4$ metabolites of glycolysis and the TCA cycle. The present work provides the first insight into fluxes of the primary metabolism of myxobacteria, especially for future investigation on the supply of cofactors, building blocks, and energy in myxobacteria, producing natural compounds of biotechnological interest.