• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.233-237
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• 2006

We postulated that apolysis was processed in accordance with apoptotic changes occurring in a cestode, Spirometra erinacei (Pseudophyllidea). We cloned the novel putative apoptosis-associated gene from S. erinacei via screening of a S. erinacei cDNA library with a ced-3 gene (activator of apoptosis) probe from Caenorhabditis elegans. We identified a 261-bp cDNA sequence, which encodes for an 86-amino acid protein. The cloned gene expression was observed in the neck and gravid proglottids via Northern blotting, using cloned cDNA inserts as probes, but the clone was not expressed in any of other tissues. We suggest that this gene may be involved in the apolysis of S. erinacei during normal tissue development and differentiation in cestode parasites.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.54-68
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• 2002

PEBP2/CBF (Polyomavirus Enhancer-core Binding Protein 2/Core Binding Factor), represents a new family of heterodimeric transcription factor. Those members play important roles in hematopoiesis and osteogenesis in mouse and human. PEBP2/CBF is a sequence-specific DNA binding protein. Each member of the PEBP2/CBF family of transcription factors is composed of two subunits, ${\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$. The evolutionarily conserved 128 amino acid region in ${\alpha}$ subunit has been called the Runt domain, which harbors two different activities, the ability to bind DNA and interact with the ${\beta}$ subunit. Recently, cDNA clones encoding the C. elegans Runt domain were isolated by screening a cDNA library. This gene was referred to run (Runt homologous gene). In this study, the basic experiments for the structural characterization of RUN protein were performed using spectroscopic methods. We have identified the structural properties of RUN using bioinformatics, CD and NMR. The limit temperature of the structural stability was up to 60$^{\circ}C$ with irreversible thermal process, and the structure of RUN seems to adopt ${\alpha}$ helices and one or more ${\beta}$ sheet or turn. The degree of NMR peak dispersion and intensity was increased by addition of glycine. Therefore, glycine could be used to alleviate the aggregation property of RUN in NMR experiment.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.1095-1106
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• 2023

This study investigated the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of Aster glehni (AG) extract in RAW 264.7 cells and Caenorhabditis elegans. The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents were higher in the ethanol extracts than in the hot water extracts. As a result of measuring the moisture contents (%) and extraction yields (%) of AG and drying A. glehni for processing (DAG), 70% ethanol, which has the highest percentage of extraction yield, was selected as the final solvent. DPPH radical scavenging activity showed higher antioxidant activity of ethanol extracts of DAG than AG. The cytotoxicity assay of the AG or DAG ethanol extracts was treated at different concentrations (25, 50, and 100 ㎍/mL), and cell viability rates were higher than 80% at all concentrations. The LPS-stimulated nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 was significantly reduced at all concentrations of AG and DAG groups. As a result of measuring the gene expression of iNOS, which induces NO production, the AG or DAG group decreased by 33% and 32%, compared with the phosphate buffer saline (PBS) group. Under inflammatory stress conditions, the survival rate of C. elegans treated with AG or DAG ethanol extract with LPS showed concentration-dependent improvement in survival rate compared with the PBS group. Considering these results, AG could potentially be developed as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functional food material.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2015

Ligularia stenocephala has a wide range of types of constituents with various pharmacological properties. Here in this study, we examined the effect of methanolic extract of L. stenocephala (MLS) on the lifespan and stress tolerance using Caenorhabditis elegans model system. We found that lifespan of wild-type worms was significantly lengthened in the presence of MLS in a dose dependent manner. MLS also elevated the tolerance of worms against osmotic, heat shock, and oxidative stress. We also demonstrated in vivo antioxidant capacity of MLS by checking intracellular reactive oxygen species levels as well as antioxidant enzyme activities such as catalase and superoxide dismutase. We further investigated several aging-related factors, including pharyngeal pumping rate and body length. Here, we showed that MLS exerts longevity effect independent of both factors. In addition, body movement of aged worms was significantly elevated, suggesting MLS could enhance healthspan as well as lifespan.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2006

Drug dependence deals a heavy socioeconomic burden to the society. For adolescents, the damage from drug dependence is greater than adults considering their higher susceptibility to drug effect and increasing chance for violence leading to criminal punishment process. Habitual drug use depends on genetic and environmental factors and the complex interactions between the two. Mammalian model systems have been useful in understanding the neurochemical and cellular impacts of abused drugs on specific regions of the brain, and in identifying the molecular targets of drugs. More elucidation is required whether biological effects of drugs actually cause the habitual dependence at the cellular level. Although there is much insight available on the nature of drug abuse problems, none of the systems designed to help drug dependent individuals is efficient in screening functional ingredients of the drug, and thus resulting in the failure of helping drug dependent individuals recover from drug dependence. Alternative model systems draw the attention of researchers, such as the invertebrate model systems of nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) and fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). These models should provide new insight into the mechanisms leading to the behavior of drug users (even functional studies analyzing molecular mechanism), and screening useful components to help remove drug dependence among drug users. The relatively simple anatomy and gene expression of the invertebrate model systems should enable researchers to coordinate current knowledge on drug abuse. Furthermore, the invertebrate model systems should facilitate advance in experiments on the susceptibility of specific genetic backgrounds and the interaction between genetic factors to drug dependence.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1558-1570
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• 2012

In radiation biology, analysis of various mechanisms in response to radiation has been accomplished with the use of model organisms. These model organisms are powerful tools for providing a biologically intact in vivo environment to assess physiological and pathophysiological processes affected by radiation. Accumulated data using these models have been applied to human clinical studies (including the evaluation of radiotherapeutic efficacy) and discovery of radiotherapy reagents. However, there are few studies to provide overall integrated information about these useful model organisms. Thus, this review summarizes the results of radiation biology studies using four well-known model organisms: yeast, Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, and mice.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.3-10
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• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Oligonol, mainly found in lychee fruit, is an antioxidant polyphenolic compound which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. The detailed mechanisms by which oligonol may act as an anti-aging molecule have not been determined. MATERIALS/METHODS: In this study, we evaluated the ability of oligonol to modulate sirtuin (SIRT) expression in human lung epithelial (A549) cells. Oligonol was added to A549 cells and reactive oxygen species production, mitochondrial superoxide formation, and p21 protein levels were measured. Signaling pathways activated upon oligonol treatment were also determined by western blotting. Furthermore, the anti-aging effect of oligonol was evaluated ex vivo in mouse splenocytes and in vivo in Caenorhabditis elegans. RESULTS: Oligonol specifically induced the expression of SIRT1, whose activity is linked to gene expression, metabolic control, and healthy aging. In response to influenza virus infection of A549 cells, oligonol treatment significantly up-regulated SIRT1 expression and down-regulated viral hemagglutinin expression. Oligonol treatment also resulted in the activation of autophagy pathways and the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Furthermore, oligonol-treated spleen lymphocytes from old mice showed increased cell proliferation, and mRNA levels of SIRT1 in the lungs of old mice were significantly lower than those in the lungs of young mice. Additionally, in vivo lethality assay revealed that oligonol extended the lifespan of C. elegans infected with lethal Vibrio cholerae. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrated that oligonol may act as an anti-aging molecule by modulating SIRT1/autophagy/AMPK pathways.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.931-937
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• 2018

Triptolide is a compound found in Tripterygium wilfordii and reported to have an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities. A previous study shows that the dietary supplementation with triptolide increases resistance to environmental stressors, including oxidative stress, heat shock, and ultraviolet irradiation, and extends lifespan in C. elegans. Here, we investigated the underlying mechanisms involved in the lifespan-extending effect of triptolide. The effect of triptolide on age-related diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's disease, was also examined using animal disease models. The longevity phenotype conferred by triptolide was not observed in the eat-2 mutant, a well-known genetic model of dietary restriction, while there was an additional lifespan extension with triptolide in age-1 and clk-1 mutants. The long lifespan of age-1 mutant is resulted from a reduced insulin/IGF-1-like signaling and the clk-1 mutant lives longer than wild-type due to dysfunction of mitochondrial electron transport chain reaction. The effect of dietary restriction using bacterial dilution on lifespan also overlapped with that of triptolide. The toxicity of high glucose diet or transgenic human amyloid beta gene was significantly suppressed by the supplementation with triptolide. These findings suggest that triptolide can mimic the effect of dietary restriction on lifespan and onset of age-related diseases. We conclude that triptolide can be a strong candidate for the development of dietary restriction mimetics.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.75-84
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• 2019

Cytochrome c oxidase subunit II gene(CO II gene) is subunit of cytochrome oxidase, which is complex IV of mitochondria electron transport system. It has been frequently used in molecular phylogenetic studies because the speed of its DNA variation is faster than that of nucleus. It is especially useful in phylogenetic study of molecular biology in insects. In this study, we cloned and sequenced CO II gene of mitochondria DNA from Rhabditidae family nematode. Our results showed that this gene is comprised of 696 base pairs(bp). In the analysis of similarity of this gene with other known genes of 14 species of nematodes in Rhabditida order, we identified that this gene has high similarity with that of Caenorhabditis briggsae(86.0%) and C. elegans(85.6%) in Rhabditidae family. On the meanwhile, it has very low similarity with that of Angiostrongylus cantonensis(31.8%) in Angiostrongylidae family and Metastrongylus salmi(31.6%) in Metastrongylidae family. Based on the results of this study, we suggest that this nematode is closely related with that of Caenorhabditis genus in Rhabditidae family.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1537-1541
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• 2006

The $^1H$ and $^{13}C$ chemical shifts of eleven flavone derivatives were completely determined by basic 1D and 2D NMR experiments. Nineteen flavone derivatives including the above eleven derivatives were examined for anti-oxidative effects using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl assay and Caenorhabditis elegans. In order to understand the relationships between the structures of flavone derivatives and their anti-oxidative activities, a Comparative Molecular Field Analysis was performed.