• 한국식품영양과학회지
• /
• 제36권4호
• /
• pp.503-513
• /
• 2007

The obese population has been increasing worldwide and obesity has become one of the socioeconomic problems. Obesity raises more concerns as more studies regarding its direct and indirect relativity to several diseases such as type II diabetes, hypertension, etc. are published. Since leptin, an important signal in the chronic control of food intake and energy expenditure, was discovered in 1994, there has been a great accumulation of knowledge on fighting obesity by facilitating pharmacological and nutritional strategies on the molecular level of the body weight control system. In particular, evidences are accumulating that particular food components affect our physiological function and gene expressions which are associated with body weight control. In this study, we review the four mechanisms for weight control and antiobesity functional agents such as HCA, L-carnitine, CLA, chitosan, calcium supplements capsaicin contained in red pepper, and oriental herbal mixture. We also describe about the efficacy and working mechanism of these functional agents on the basis of antiobesity mechanisms.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• 제34권4호
• /
• pp.374-378
• /
• 1996

In the aquatic fungus Allomyces macrogynus the effects of $Ca^{2+}$ and cAMP on the intracellular signal transduction of zoospore germination were studied using in vitro protein phosphorylation assay system. An endogenously phosphorylated protein (p50) having molecular weight of 50 kDa on SDS-PAGE was found in soluble fractions of both zoospore and mycelium. In zoospore extract, the endogenous phosphorylation of p50 was weak without any effectors, but was enhanced by $Ca^{2+}$ and even more by cAMP. Phosphorylation of the same protein in mycelial extract was high only in the absence of cAMP. Irrespective of the presence of $Ca^{2+}$ and cAMP, its phosphorylation was antagonistically suppressed in assay of combined zoospore and mycelial extracts. These results suggest that p50 is interconvertible in phosphorylation/dephosphorylation as a novel protein involved in germination of A. macrogynus. The antagonistic effect of cAMP to the phosphorylation of p50s from different developmental stages may be important in the regulation of cellular differentiation.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
• /
• 제27권4호
• /
• pp.211-221
• /
• 2012

The process of embryo implantation requires physical contact and physiological communication between the conceptus trophectoderm and the maternal uterine endometrium. During the peri-implantation period in pigs, the conceptus undergoes significant morphological changes and secretes estrogens, the signal for maternal recognition of pregnancy. Estrogens secreted from the conceptus act on uterine epithelia to redirect $PGF_2{\alpha}$, luteolysin, secretion from the uterine vasculature to the uterine lumen to prevent luteolysis as well as to induce expression of endometrial genes that support implantation and conceptus development. In addition, conceptuses secrete cytokines, interferons, growth factors, and proteases, and in response to these signals, the uterine endometrium produces hormones, protease inhibitors, growth factors, transport proteins, adhesion molecules, lipid molecules, and calcium regulatory molecules. Coordinated interactions of these factors derived from the conceptus and the uterus play important roles in the process of implantation in pigs. To better understand mechanism of implantation process in pigs, this review provides information on signaling molecules at the conceptus-uterine interface during early pregnancy, including recently reported data reported.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• 제7권3호
• /
• pp.173-186
• /
• 2003

The transition metal cadmium is a serious occupational and environmental toxin. To inhibit cadmium-induced damage, cells respond by increasing the expression of genes that encode stress-responsive proteins. The metal-regulatory transcription factor 1 (MTF-1) is a key regulator of heavy-metal induced transcription of metallothionein-I and II and other genes in mammals and other metazoans. Transcriptional activation of genes by MTF-1 is mediated through binding to metal-responsive elements in the target gene promoters. Phosphorylation of MTF-1 plays a critical role in the cadmium-inducible transcriptional activation of metallothionein and other responses. Studies using inhibitors indicate that multiple kinases and signal transduction cascades, including those mediated by protein kinase C, tyrosine kinase and casein kinase II, are essential for cadmium-mediated transcriptional activation. In addition, calcium signaling is also involved in regulating metal-activated transcription. In several species, cadmium induces heat shock genes. Recently much progress has been made in elucidating the cellular machinery that regulates this metal-inducible gene expression. This review summarizes these recent advances in understanding the role of some known cadmium-responsive genes and the molecular mechanisms that activate metal-responsive transcription factor, MTF-1.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• 제26권1호
• /
• pp.64-69
• /
• 2003

To analyze vasopressin-induced $Ca^{2+}$ increase in liver cells, rat hepatocytes were isolated and attached to collagen-coated cover slips. Using fura-2, a $Ca^{2+}$-sensing dye, changes in intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration by vasopressin were monitored. Results in this communication suggested that vasopressin-induced $Ca^{2+}$ increase were composed of both $Ca^{2+}$ release from internal $Ca^{2+}$ stores and influx from the plasma membrane. The $Ca^{2+}$ influx consisted of two distinguishable components. One was dependent on the presence of vasopressin and the other was not. SK＆F96365 blocked vasopressin-induced $Ca^{2+}$ influx in a dose-dependent manner. Vasopressin-induced $Ca^{2+}$ release from internal stores diminished in a primary culture of hepatocytes according to the culture time. However, changes in vasopressin-induced $Ca^{2+}$ influx across the plasma membrane differed from changes in the $Ca^{2+}$ release from internal stores, suggesting two separate signalings from receptor activation to internal stores and to the plasma membrane.

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제40권1호
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2007

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is a mitogenactivated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase kinase that activates JNK and p38 kinases. ASK1 is activated by various stresses, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and calcium influx which are thought to be responsible for the pathogenesis or exacerbations of various human diseases. Recent studies revealed the involvement of ASK1 in ROS- or ER stressrelated diseases, suggesting that ASK1 may be a potential therapeutic target of various human diseases. In this review, we focus on the current findings for the relationship between pathogenesis and ASK1-MAPK pathways.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• 제17권2호
• /
• pp.67-70
• /
• 2001

Medicago truncatula is a diploid legume plant related to the forage crop alfalfa. Recently, it has been chosen as a model species for genomic studies due to its small genome, self-fertility, short generation time, and high transformation efficiency. M. truncatula engages in symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing soil bacterium Rhizobium meliloti. M. truncatula mutants that are defective in nodulation and developmental processes have been generated. Some of these mutants exhibited altered phenotypes in symbiotic responses such as root hair deformation, expression of nodulin genes, and calcium spiking. Thus, the genes controlling these traits are likely to encode functions that are required for Nod-factor signal transduction pathways. To facilitate genome analysis and map-based cloning of symbiotic genes, a bacterial artificial chromosome library was constructed. An efficient polymerase chain reaction-based screening of the library was devised to fasten physical mapping of specific genomic regions. As a genomics approach, comparative mapping revealed high levels of macro- and microsynteny between M. truncatula and other legume genomes. Expressed sequence tags and microarray profiles reflecting the genetic and biochemical events associated with the development and environmental interactions of M. truncatula are assembled in the databases. Together, these genomics programs will help enrich our understanding of the legume biology.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• 제7권1호
• /
• pp.57-62
• /
• 2003

Flounder B lymphocytes isolated from different tissues were studied in terms of cell proliferation, apoptosis and the effects of cortisol on these processes. B lymphocytes, isolated from the flounder head kidney and spleen, were characterized by higher proliferation and lower intracellular calcium ($Ca^2$) response to lgcrosslinking compared with peripheral blood B lymphocytes. Cortisol induced high levels of apoptosis (150% of control levels) in peripheral blood B lymphocytes, in combination with a stimulatory LPS signal. Head kidney and to a lesser extent spleen B lymphocytes, although less sensitive than their equivalent in peripheral blood, underwent cortisol-induced apoptosis irrespective of extra stimulation up to 142% of control levels. Also proliferation with and without LPS stimulation was suppressed by cortisol (compared to plasma values measured during stress conditions) that is effective in inducing a significant increase in apoptosis in all three populations of B-cells, suggesting that cortisol may be important for immunoregulation in both stressed and non-stressed conditions. This implies possible severe impact of stress on lymphocyte development and activity, Different sensitivity of B-cells to the corticosteroid, with respect to developmental stage and activity, may prevent excessive and long lasting depletion of B-lymphocytes.

• Journal of Plant Biology
• /
• 제39권4호
• /
• pp.295-300
• /
• 1996

The physiological effects of oligogalacturonic acid (OGA:D. P. 6-7), a product of acid hydrolysis of polygalacturonic acid (PGA), on ethylene biosynthesis in mung bean (Vigna radiata W.) hypocotyl segments was studied. Among PGA, OGA and monogalacturomic acid (MGA), only OGA stimulated ethylene production in mung bean hypocotyl segments, and the most effective concentraton of OGA was 50$\mu\textrm{g}$/mL. Time course data indicated that this stimulatiion effect of OGA appeared after 90 min incubation period and continued until 24 h. When indol-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) were treated with OGA to investigate the mechanism of OGA on ethylene production, they did not show synergistic effects on ethylene production. The stimulation of ethylene production by OGA was due to the increase of in vivo ACC synthase activity, but OGA treatment had no effect of in vivo ACC oxidase activity. The effect of aminoethoxy vinyl glycine (AVG) and Co2+, the inhibitor of ethylene synthesis, was siminished a little by the OGA, but the treatment of Ca2+, known to increase ACC, with OGA did not increase the ethylene production, this effect seems to be specific for Ca2+ because other divalent cation, Mg2+, did not show the inhibition of OGA-indyuced ethylene production. It is possible that the OGA adopts a different signal transduction pathway to the ethylene bioxynthesis.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• 제44권5호
• /
• pp.335-341
• /
• 2021

Zinc is an essential micronutrient with crucial roles in multiple facets of biological processes. Dysregulated zinc homeostasis impairs overall immune function and resultantly increases susceptibility to infection. Clinically, zinc supplementation is practiced for treatment of several infectious diseases, such as diarrhea and malaria. Recent focus on zinc as a beneficial element for immune system support has resulted in investigation of the immunomodulatory roles of zinc in a variety of immune cells. Besides its classical role as a cofactor that regulates the structural function of thousands of proteins, accumulating evidence suggests that zinc also acts, in a manner similar to calcium, as an ionic regulator of immune responses via participation as an intracellular messenger in signaling pathways. In this review, we focus on the role of zinc as a signaling molecule in major pathways such as those downstream of Toll-like receptors-, T cell receptor-, and cytokine-mediated signal transduction that regulate the activity and function of monocytes/macrophages and T cells, principal players in the innate and adaptive immune systems.