• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2021

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), the most prevalent virus in chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), negatively affects chili pepper production in South Korea. In this study, foliar spraying with β-glucans obtained from the mycelial walls of the yeast-like fungus Aureobasidium pullulans inhibited CMV infection of chili pepper if applied before virus inoculation. At three concentrations, β-glucans from A. pullulans significantly ameliorated CMV symptoms in treated chili pepper; the effect was greater in plants treated with 0.01% β-glucans than 0.005% or 0.001% β-glucans. Double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that these β-glucans treatments resulted in 1.7- to 10-fold reductions in CMV accumulation in the treated chili pepper. The glucans did not act directly on the virus and did not interfere with virus disassembly or replication. Foliar spraying with 0.01% β-glucans from A. pullulans at 24 hr intervals for 3 days significantly increased plant height, the total number of fruit, and the fresh weight of chili pepper fruit. However, the stem diameter of chili pepper treated with β-glucans did not increase significantly. These results indicate that foliar spraying with β-glucans from A. pullulans acts an antiviral agent against CMV infection and stimulates chili pepper growth.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.294-297
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• 2005

The amount of $\beta-glucans$ in 12 edible mushroom species was determined and their water-solubility was assessed. A large variability in $\beta-glucans$ content was observed in the mushroom species, ranging from 4.71 to $46.20\%$ on a dry basis. Gyrophora esculenta, Lentinus edodes, Coriolus versicolor, Ganodenna lucidum, and Flammulina velutipes had high levels of $\beta-glucans$ Soluble $\beta-glucans$ content, which plays a key role in the physiological effects of mushrooms, also varied greatly according to the mushroom species, ranging from 2.12 to $19.66\%$. Water-solubility of $\beta-glucans$ in the edible mushrooms, as a percentage of total $\beta-glucans$ content varied from 42.55 to $73.35\%$.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1870-1872
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• 2009

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.156-163
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• 2003

Background: $\beta$-1,3-glucans are well known to enhance the immune reactions, resulting in antitumor, antibacterial, antiviral, anticoagulatory and wound healing activities. $\beta$-1, 3-glucans have various activities depending on molecular weight, degree of branching, conformation, water-solubility and intermolecular association. However, the $\beta$-1,3-glucan linked backbone structure is essential and $\beta$-D-glucopyranosyl units are required for immuno-potentiating activities. Result: In this study, we tested the immunophamacological activities of soluble $\beta$-1,3-glucans and confirmed the following activities: (1) $IFN-{\gamma}$ production in PBMCs in the presence or the absence of PHA, LPS, or IL-18; (2) induction of various cytokines in the spleen and thymus; (3) adjuvant effect on the antibody production; (4) nitrogen oxide synthesis in macrophages; (5) the cytotoxic and antitumor effects on cell lines and ICR mice. Conclusion: These results strongly suggested that $\beta$-1,3-glucans possessed various immuno-pharmacological activities.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.347-350
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• 2007

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.438-444
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• 2011

The mushroom Coriolus versicolor contains biologically active polysaccharides, most of which belong to the ${\beta}$-glucan group. Diverse physicochemical properties, due to different sources and isolated types of ${\beta}$-glucans, can induce distinct biological activities. We investigated the effects of ${\beta}$-glucans from C. versicolor on phagocytic activity, nitric oxide (NO), TNF-${\alpha}$ production, and signaling of dectin-1, a well-known ${\beta}$-glucan receptor, in macrophages. ${\beta}$-Glucans increased phagocytic activity and TNF-${\alpha}$ and NO-iNOS/eNOS production. Laminarin, a specific inhibitor of dectin-1, showed strong inhibitory effects on phagocytosis and subsequent TNF-${\alpha}$, iNOS, and eNOS production increased by ${\beta}$-glucans, indicating that ${\beta}$-glucans reacts with dectin-1 receptors. We examined whether the aforementioned cytokines were involved in the signaling pathway from the dectin-1 receptor to phagocytosis, and found that the inhibition of iNOS, eNOS, and TNF-${\alpha}$ receptors significantly decreased ${\beta}$-glucan-induced phagocytosis. In conclusion, our study showed that dectin-1 signaling, triggered by ${\beta}$-glucans, subsequently elicited TNF-${\alpha}$ and NO-iNOS/eNOS production, and that these molecules seem to act as secondary molecules that cause eventual phagocytosis by macrophages. These findings suggest that C. versicolor could be used as a nutritional medicine that may be useful in the treatment of infectious disease.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.102-108
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• 2009

The comparative immunomodulatory effects of ${\beta}$-glucans isolated from mushroom fungi (Coriolus versicol), yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and bacteria (Agrobacterium) on the major functions of macrophages were evaluated. As parameters of macrophage functions, we examined tumoricidal activity, phagocytosis, nitric oxide (NO) production, and the induction of inducible NO synthetase (iNOS) in RAW264.7 cells, following treatments with ${\beta}$-glucans from the three different sources. The results indicated that all ${\beta}$-glucan treatments significantly induced tumoricidal activity in the RAW264.7 cells, with a remarkable effect shown by the beta-glucan from Agrobacterium at a concentration of $10{\mu}g/mL$. There was also a significant increase in iNOS-NO system activity in macrophages treated with ${\beta}$-glucans extracted from yeast; however, iNOS-NO system activity was not markedly changed by the treatment of ${\beta}$-glucans from C. versicolor mushroom fungi or Agrobacterium. Furthermore, the ${\beta}$-glucans from C. versicolor had a significant phagocytotic effect at concentrations of 1, 10, and $100{\mu}g/mL$. Taken together, the present data suggest that these ${\beta}$-glucans, isolated from three different sources, have different effects on macrophage function, and therefore, may have different clinical uses in different for various types of diseases.

• Mycobiology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.144-148
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• 2010

$\beta$-Glucans have been known to exhibit antitumor activities by potentiating host immunity by an unknown mechanism. The C-type lectin dectin-1, a $\beta$-glucan receptor, is found on the macrophage and can recognize various $\beta$-glucans. Previously, we demonstrated the presence of $\beta$-glucan receptor, dectin-1, on the Raw 264.7 cells as well as on murine mucosal organs, such as the thymus, the lung, and the spleen. In order to investigate immunopotentiation of innate immunity by $\beta$-glucan, we stimulated a murine macrophage Raw 264.7 cell line with $\beta$-glucans from Pleurotus ostreatus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Laminaria digitata. Then, we analyzed cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-$\alpha$ and interleukin (IL)-6 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In addition we analyzed gene expression patterns in $\beta$-glucan-treated Raw 264.7 cells by applying total mRNA to cDNA microarray to investigate the expression of 7,000 known genes. When stimulated with $\beta$-glucans, the macrophage cells increased TNF-$\alpha$ expression. When co-stimulation of the cells with $\beta$-glucan and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a synergy effect was observed by increased TNF-$\alpha$ expression. In IL-6 expression, any of the $\beta$-glucans tested could not induce IL-6 expression by itself. However, when co-stimulation occurred with $\beta$-glucan and LPS, the cells showed strong synergistic effects by increased IL-6 expression. Chip analysis showed that $\beta$-glucan of P. ostreatus increased gene expressions of immunomodulating gene families such as kinases, lectin associated genes and TNF-related genes in the macrophage cell line. Induction of TNF receptor expression by FACS analysis was synergized only when co-stimulated with $\beta$-glucan and LPS, not with $\beta$-glucan alone. From these data, $\beta$-glucan increased expressions of immunomodulating genes and showed synergistic effect with LPS.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.433-445
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• 2012

During the course of evolution, animals encountered the harmful effects of fungi, which are strong pathogens. Therefore, they have developed powerful mechanisms to protect themselves against these fungal invaders. ${\beta}$-Glucans are glucose polymers of a linear ${\beta}$(1,3)-glucan backbone with ${\beta}$(1,6)-linked side chains. The immunostimulatory and antitumor activities of ${\beta}$-glucans have been reported; however, their mechanisms have only begun to be elucidated. Fungal and particulate ${\beta}$-glucans, despite their large size, can be taken up by the M cells of Peyer's patches, and interact with macrophages or dendritic cells (DCs) and activate systemic immune responses to overcome the fungal infection. The sampled ${\beta}$-glucans function as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and are recognized by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) on innate immune cells. Dectin-1 receptor systems have been incorporated as the PRRs of ${\beta}$-glucans in the innate immune cells of higher animal systems, which function on the front line against fungal infection, and have been exploited in cancer treatments to enhance systemic immune function. Dectin-1 on macrophages and DCs performs dual functions: internalization of ${\beta}$-glucan-containing particles and transmittance of its signals into the nucleus. This review will depict in detail how the physicochemical nature of ${\beta}$-glucan contributes to its immunostimulating effect in hosts and the potential uses of ${\beta}$-glucan by elucidating the dectin-1 signal transduction pathway. The elucidation of ${\beta}$-glucan and its signaling pathway will undoubtedly open a new research area on its potential therapeutic applications, including as immunostimulants for antifungal and anti-cancer regimens.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.943-945
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• 2013