• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.62 no.1
• /
• pp.67-71
• /
• 2019

All countries, including Korea, are currently experiencing the effect of rapid climate change. As a result, the cultivation area of many crops including wheat is changing, or productivity is falling sharply. If enough nitrogen is present in the soil, the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide due to the greenhouse effect can lead to increased photosynthesis of plants, resulting in increased productivity. By contrast, a low proportion of nitrogen in soil does not increase production, often leading to the use of nitrogen fertilizers to increase crop productivity: this causes serious environmental pollution due to the leakage of nitrogen fertilizers used by crops. Increasing the understanding of the molecular level of the plant nitrogen use efficiency mechanism may contribute to increased productivity of crops and reduced of environmental pollution by nitrogen. In Korea, cultivars have developed 35 kinds of wheat, such as 'keumgang' and 'Chokyeong', which can be used for specific purposes such as baking or noodles. In this study we investigate 'keumgang' and 'Chokyeong' in order to elucidate the mechanism of nitrogen use ability of wheat and contribute to the reduction of environmental pollution by providing guidelines for the proper use of nitrogenous fertilizer.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.55 no.7
• /
• pp.342-347
• /
• 2022

Defense priming allows plants to enhance their immune responses to subsequent pathogen challenges. Recent reports suggested that acquired resistances in parental generation can be inherited into descendants. Although epigenetic mechanisms are plausible tools enabling the transmission of information or phenotypic traits induced by environmental cues across generations, the mechanism for the transgenerational inheritance of defense priming in plants has yet to be elucidated. With the initial aim to elucidate an epigenetic mechanism for the defense priming in plants, we reassessed the transgenerational inheritance of plant defense, however, could not observe any evidence supporting it. By using the same dipping method with previous reports, Arabidopsis was exposed repeatedly to Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000) during vegetative or reproductive stages. Irrespective of the developmental stages of parental plants that received pathogen infection, the descendants did not exhibit primed resistance phenotypes, defense marker gene (PR1) expression, or elevated histone acetylation within PR1 chromatin. In assays using the pressure-infiltration method for infection, we obtained the same results as above. Thus, our results suggest that the previous observations on the transgenerational inheritance of defense priming in plants should be more extensively and carefully reassessed.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.10-22
• /
• 2023

Objectives The aim of this study is to explore the mechanism of action and target diseases of Sasang constitutional prescriptions using a multiscale interactome approach. Methods The compound and target information of Sasang constitutional prescriptions were retrieved from various databases such as the TM-MC, STITCH, and TTD. Key targets for Sasang constitutional prescriptions were identified by selecting the top 100 targets based on the number of simple paths within the constructed network. Diffusion profiles for Sasang constitutional prescriptions and diseases were calculated based on a biased random walk algorithm. Potential diseases and key mechanisms of Sasang constitutional prescriptions were identified by analyzing diffusion profiles. Results We identified 144 Sasang constitutional prescriptions and their targets, finding 80 herbs with effective biological targets. A cluster analysis based on selecting up to 100 key targets for each prescription revealed a more cohesive grouping of prescriptions according to Sasang constitution. We then predicted potential diseases for 62 Sasang constitutional prescriptions using diffusion profiles calculated on a multiscale interactome. Finally, our analysis of diffusion profiles revealed key targets and biological functions of prescriptions in obesity and diabetes. Conclusions This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a multiscale interactome approach in elucidating the complex mechanisms and potential therapeutic applications of prescriptions in Sasang constitutional medicine.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.121-130
• /
• 2008

Methamphetamine, a commonly used addictive drug, is a powerful addictive stimulant that dramatically affects the CNS. Repeated METH administration leads to a rewarding effect in a state of addiction that includes sensitization, dependence, and other phenomena. It is well known that susceptibility to the development of addiction is influenced by sources of reinforcement, variable neuroadaptive mechanisms, and neurochemical changes that together lead to altered homeostasis of the brain reward system. These behavioral abnormalities reflect neuroadaptive changes in signal transduction function and cellular gene expression produced by repeated drug exposure. To provide a better understanding of addiction and the mechanism of the rewarding effect, it is important to identify related genes. In the present study, we performed gene expression profiling using microarray analysis in a reward effect animal model. We also investigated gene expression in four important regions of the brain, the nucleus accumbens, striatum, hippocampus, and cingulated cortex, and analyzed the data by two clustering methods. Genes related to signaling pathways including G-protein-coupled receptor-related pathways predominated among the identified genes. The genes identified in our study may contribute to the development of a gene modeling network for methamphetamine addiction.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.28 no.9
• /
• pp.1057-1064
• /
• 2005

Apoptosis may occur in early embryos where the execution of essential developmental events has failed, and gangliosides, sialic acid-conjugated glycosphingolipids, are proposed to regulate cell differentiation and growth. To evaluate the regulatory roles of ganglioside GM3 in early embryonic development, this study examined its expressional patterns in apoptotic cells during early embryonic development in mice. Pre-implanted embryos were obtained by in vitro fertilization, which were treated at the 4-cell stage with three the apoptosis inducers, actinomycin D, camptothecin and cycloheximide, for 15 h. All three inducers significantly increased the percentage of apoptotic cells, as measured using a TUNEL method, but remarkably reduced the total cell numbers. The numbers of morula and blastocyst stages were significantly decreased by treatment of the embryos with the three apoptosis inducers compared with the control, with a similar result also observed in the number of blastomeres. Staining of early embryos with Hoechst 33342 revealed a significant percentage of apoptotic nuclei. Prominent immunofluo­rescence microscopy revealed a significant difference in the ganglioside GM3 expression in apoptotic embryos compared with the control, and RT-PCR also demonstrated a dramatic increase in ganglioside GM3 synthase mRNA in the apoptotic embryos. These results suggest that ganglioside GM3 may be pathophysiologically implicated in the regulation of early embryonic development through an apoptotic mechanism.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.22 no.10
• /
• pp.1324-1329
• /
• 2012

Phosphomannomutase (ManB) is involved in the biosynthesis of GDP-mannose, which is vital for numerous processes such as synthesis of carbohydrates, production of alginates and ascorbic acid, and post-translational modification of proteins. Here, we discovered that a deletion mutant of manB (BG101) in Streptomyces coelicolor (S. coelicolor) showed higher sensitivity to bacteriostatic chloramphenicol (CM) than the wild-type strain (M145), along with decreased production of CM metabolites. Deletion of manB also decreased the mRNA expression level of drug efflux pumps (i.e., cmlR1 and cmlR2) in S. coelicolor, resulting in increased sensitivity to CM. This is the first report on changes in antibiotic sensitivity to CM by deletion of one glycolysis-related enzyme in S. coelicolor, and the results suggest different approaches for studying the antibiotic-resistant mechanism and its regulation.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.34 no.7
• /
• pp.2063-2066
• /
• 2013

While many eukaryotic and some prokaryotic proteins show a phosphorylation-dependent mobility shift (PDMS) on SDS-PAGE, the molecular mechanism for this phenomenon had not been elucidated. We have recently shown that the distribution of negatively charged amino acids around the phosphorylation site is important for the PDMS of some proteins. Here, we show that replacement of the phosphorylation site with a negatively charged amino acid results in a similar degree of the mobility shift of a protein as phosphorylation, indicating that the PDMS is due to the introduction of a negative charge by phosphorylation. Compared with a protein showing no shift, one showing a retarded mobility on SDS-PAGE had a decreased capacity for SDS binding. The elucidation of the consensus sequence (${\Theta}X_{1-3}{\Theta}X_{1-3}{\Theta}$, where ${\Theta}$ corresponds to an acidic function) for a PDMS suggests a general strategy for mutagenizing a phosphorylatable protein resulting in a PDMS.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.385-390
• /
• 2000

Overwintering plants should survive the various biotic and abiotic stresses that occur during winter. Previous studies indicated that active oxygen species are involved in freezing, dehydration, anoxia and pathogen infections. As the importance of the events that occur in the intercellular compartment became apparent in disease resistance, we examined the nature of intercellular antioxidant enzymes in order to access their possible involvement in the winter hardiness of barley. The levels of intercellular peroxidase, catalase, and SOD activities on the unit protein basis were 394, 18, and 9% of those of cellular activities, respectively. Major intercellular peroxidase isoforms consisted of four neutrals and four basic forms; whereas major cellular isoforms were two basic forms. Out of the two major catalase isoforms a higher molecular weight form was predominantly abundant in both cellular and intercellular compartments. Among the five major cellular SOD isoforms, three were also present in the intercellular compartment. The presence of substantial amounts of intercellular antioxidant enzymes in overwintering barley leaves may suggest the involvement of these enzymes in the tolerance mechanism to the various stresses that occur during winter.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.42 no.12
• /
• pp.829-833
• /
• 2009

Angiogenin is a member of the ribonuclease superfamily that induces the formation of new blood vessels. It has been suggested that the surface loop of angiogenin defined by residues 59-71 plays a special role in angiogenic function (1); however, the mechanism of action is not clearly defined. To elucidate the role of the surface loop on the structure, function and stability of angiogenin, three surface loop mutants were produced in which 14 amino acids in the surface loop of RNase A were substituted for the 13 amino acids in the corresponding loop of angiogenin. The structure, stability and biological functions of the mutants were then investigated using biophysical and biological approaches. Even though the substitutions did not influence the overall structure of angiogenin, they affected the stability and angiogenic function of angiogenin, indicating that the surface loop of angiogenin plays a significant role in maintaining the stability and angiogenic function of angiogenin.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.69-82
• /
• 2012

Objectives : To establish objective and scientific evidence of Korean medicine (KM), the papers on Oryeong-san (Wuling-san) frequently used in medical institutions of Korean Medicine were analyzed. Methods : The papers were classified by the registration of domestic or international journals, the year of publication, experimental fields and the kinds of studies on biological activities. The therapeutic mechanism was investigated in accordance with therapeutic effect of Oryeong-san (Wuling-san). Results : Out of 57 articles selected, 16 were published in domestic journals, 17 were in Chinese journals and 24 were in Japanese journals. Most papers reported as biological activities were on improvement of renal function. Oryeong-san (Wuling-san) increased urine factor such as urine excretion and electrolyte balance while decreasing proteinuria, serum factors including creatinine, cholesterol and triglyceride. In addition, injured renal tissue was recovered normally and gene expression controlling urine excretion was down-regulated. Conclusions : Improvement of renal function could be interpreted as objective and scientific evidence for Oryeong-san (Wuling-san).