• Molecules and Cells
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.119-123
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• 2008

Pyrimidine antagonists including 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) have been used in chemotherapy for cancer patients for over 40 years. 5-FU, especially, is a mainstay treatment for colorectal cancer. It is a pro-drug that is converted to the active drug via the nucleic acid biosynthetic pathway. The metabolites of 5-FU inhibit normal RNA and DNA function, and induce apoptosis of cancer cells. One of the major obstacles to successful chemotherapy is the resistance of cancer cells to anti-cancer drugs. Therefore, it is important to elucidate resistance mechanisms to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy. We have used C. elegans as a model system to investigate the mechanism of resistance to 5-FU, which induces germ cell death and inhibits larval development in C. elegans. We screened 5-FU resistant mutants no longer arrested as larvae by 5-FU. We obtained 18 mutants out of 72,000 F1 individuals screened, and mapped them into three complementation groups. We propose that C. elegans could be a useful model system for studying mechanisms of resistance to anti-cancer drugs.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.389-399
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• 2010

Fertilization is a complex process comprised of numerous steps. During fertilization, two highly specialized and differentiated cells (sperm and egg) fuse and subsequently trigger the development of an embryo from a quiescent, arrested oocyte. Molecular interactions between the sperm and egg are necessary for regulating the developmental potential of an oocyte, and precise coordination and regulation of gene expression and protein function are critical for proper embryonic development. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a valuable model system for identifying genes involved in fertilization and the oocyte-to-embryo transition as well as for understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern these processes. In this review, we will address current knowledge of the molecular underpinnings of gamete interactions during fertilization and the oocyte-to-embryo transition in C. elegans. We will also compare our knowledge of these processes in C. elegans to what is known about similar processes in mammalian, specifically mouse, model systems.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.210-216
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• 2007

The backbone structure of ginsenosides, active ingredients of Panax ginseng, is similar with that of sterol, especially cholesterol. Caenorhabditis elegans (c. elegans) is one of free living nematodes and is well-established animal model for biochemical and genetic studies. C. elegans cannot synthesize de novo cholesterol, although cholesterol is essential requirement for its growth and development. In the present study, we investigated the effects of Korean red ginseng total extract (KRGE), ginseng total saponins (GTS) on life span of C. elegans in cholesterol-deprived and -fed medium. Cholesterol deprivation caused damages on life span of worms throughout F1 to F3 generations. KRGE or GTS supplement to cholesterol-deprived medium restored the life span of worms as much as cholesterol alone-fed medium. In study to identify which ginsenosides are responsible for life span restoring effects of KRGE, we found that ginsenoside Rc supplement not only restored life span of worms grown in cholesterol-deprived medium but also prolonged life span of worms grown in cholesterol-fed medium. These results show a possibility that ginsenosides could be utilized by C. elegans as a sterol substitute and further indicate that ginsenoside Rc is the effective component of Korean red ginseng that prolongs the life span of C. elegans.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2017

Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Baill. (Saururaceae) has been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of dysuria, leukorrhea, eczema, jaundice and ascites in Korea, China and Japan. Ethanol extract of S. chinensis was successively partitioned as methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and $H_2O$ soluble fractions. Among those fractions the ethyl acetate soluble fraction showed the most potent DPPH radical scavenging and superoxide quenching activities. To verify antioxidant activities of ethyl acetate fraction, we checked the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, and intracellular ROS level and oxidative stress tolerance in Caenorhabditis elegans. Furthermore, to see if increased stress tolerance of worms by treating of ethyl acetate fraction was due to regulation of stress-response gene, we quantified SOD-3 expression using transgenic strain. Consequently, ethyl acetate fraction elevated SOD and catalase activities of C. elegans, and reduced intracellular ROS accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, ethyl acetate fraction-treated CF1553 worms exhibited significantly higher SOD-3::GFP intensity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.1026-1035
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• 2011

Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which owes its origin to the marine environment, is considered as one of the most common causes of infectious diarrhea worldwide. The present study investigated the pathogenicity of V. parahaemolyticus against the model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans. Infection in the host was localized with GFP-tagged V. parahaemolyticus using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The times required for causing infection, bacterial load in intestine, chemotactic response, and alteration in pharyngeal pumping were analyzed in the host system. In addition, the regulation of innate immune-related genes, lys-7, clec- 60, and clec-87, was analyzed using real-time PCR. The role of immune-responsible pmk-1 was studied using mutant strains. The pathogenicity of environmental strain CM2 isolated from the Gulf of Mannar, India was compared with that of a reference strain obtained from ATCC. The pathogen infected animals appeared to ward off infection by up-regulating candidate antimicrobial genes for a few hours after the exposure, before succumbing to the pathogen. For the first time, the pathogenicity of V. parahaemolyticus at both the physiological and molecular levels has been studied in detail using the model organism C. elegans.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.80-85
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• 2014

In the course of screening for antioxidant compounds from natural plants in Korea by measuring the radical scavenging effect, a methanol extract of the flower buds of Daphne genkwa S. et Z. (Thymelaeaceae) was found to show a potent antioxidant activity. Subsequent activity-guided fractionation of methanol extract of D. genkwa led to the isolation of four compounds from the ethyl acetate soluble fraction. The chemical structures were elucidated as genkwanin (1), 3'-hydroxygenkwanin (2), apigenin (3), and tiliroside (4) by spectroscopic techniques. Among them, compound 2 showed the significant anti-oxidative effect on DPPH. And compound 2 showed the significant riboflavin-and xanthine-originated superoxide quenching activities. To verify the antioxidant enzymatic activities of compound 2, the SOD enzymatic activity was measured spectrophtometrically using prepared Caenorhabditis elegans homogenates. The results showed that compound 2 was able to elevate SOD activity of C. elegans in a dose dependent manner. Moreover, compound 2 decreased the intracellular ROS accumulation of worms.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.314-319
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• 2017

To evaluate the longevity property of Allium hookeri (Liliaceae) leaves, this study was performed. Ethanol extract of A. hookeri was successively partitioned as methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and $H_2O$ soluble fractions, and lifespan-extending effects of the fractions were checked using Caenorhabditis elegans model system. The most active ethyl acetate-soluble fraction elevated heat stress tolerance, and increased expression of stress resistance protein. Further studies were performed to investigate several aging-related factors such as reproduction, food intake, growth and movement of C. elegans. The results revealed that there were no significant changes in aging-related factors including reproduction and food intake, however, ethyl acetate-soluble fraction treatment led to up-regulation of locomotory ability and growth of aged worms, suggesting ethyl acetate-soluble fraction affected healthspan as well as lifespan of nematode.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 2012

In the present study, toxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was investigated in the nematode, Caenohabditis elegans focusing on the upstream signaling pathway responsible for regulating oxidative stress, such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades. Formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was observed in AgNPs exposed C.elegans, suggesting oxidative stress as an important mechanism in the toxicity of AgNPs towards C. elegans. Expression of genes in MAPK signaling pathways increased by AgNPs exposure in less than 2-fold compared to the control in wildtype C.elegans, however, those were increased dramatically in sod-3 (gk235) mutant after 48 h exposure of AgNPs (i.e. 4-fold for jnk-1 and mpk-2; 6-fold for nsy-1, sek-1, and pmk-1, and 10-fold for jkk-1). These results on the expression of oxidative stress response genes suggest that sod-3 gene expression appears to be dependent on p38 MAPK activation. The high expressions of the pmk-1 gene 48 h exposure to AgNPs in the sod-3 (gk235) mutant can also be interpreted as compensatory mechanisms in the absence of important stress response genes. Overall results suggest that MAPK-based integrated stress signaling network seems to be involved in defense to AgNPs exposure in C.elegans.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.903-909
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• 2021

Caenorhabditis elegans whose DNA sequence was completely identified is a representative species used in various research fields such as gene functional analysis and animal behavioral research. In the mean time, many researches on the bio-monitoring system to determine whether water is contaminated or not by using the swimming activities of nematodes. In this paper, we show the possibility of using the swimming activities of C. elegans in the development of a machine learning based bio-monitoring system which identifies chemicals that cause water pollution. To characterize swimming activities of nematode, BLS entropy is computed for the nematode in a frame. And, BLS entropy profile, an assembly of entropies, are classified into several patterns using clustering algorithms. Finally these patterns are used to construct data sets. We recorded images of swimming behavior of nematodes in the arenas in which formaldehyde, benzene and toluene were added at a concentration of 0.1 ppm, respectively, and evaluate the performance of the developed HMM.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.568-575
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• 2018

In order to discover lifespan-extending compounds made from natural resources, activity-guided fractionation of Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae) ethanol extract was performed using the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model system. The compound 6-gingerol was isolated from the most active ethyl acetate soluble fraction, and showed potent longevity-promoting activity. It also elevated the survival rate of worms against stressful environment including thermal, osmotic, and oxidative conditions. Additionally, 6-gingerol elevated the antioxidant enzyme activities of C. elegans, and showed a dose-depend reduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in worms. Further studies demonstrated that the increased stress tolerance of 6-gingerol-mediated worms could result from the promotion of stress resistance proteins such as heat shock protein (HSP-16.2) and superoxide dismutase (SOD-3). The lipofuscin levels in 6-gingerol treated intestinal worms were decreased in comparison to the control group. No significant 6-gingerol-related changes, including growth, food intake, reproduction, and movement were noted. These results suggest that 6-gingerol exerted longevity-promoting activities independently of these factors and could extend the human lifespan.