• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.62-68
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• 2011

Calmodulin (CaM), a $Ca^{2+}$ binding protein in eukaryotes, mediates cellular $Ca^{2+}$ signals in response to a variety of biotic and abiotic external stimuli. The $Ca^{2+}$-bound CaM transduces signals by modulating the activities of numerous CaM-binding proteins. As a CaM binding protein, AtCBP63 ($\b{A}$rabidopsis thaliana $\b{C}$aM-binding protein $\underline{63}$ kD) has been known to be positively involved in plant defense signaling pathway. To investigate the pathogen resistance function of AtCBP63 in potato, we constructed transgenic potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants constitutively overexpressing AtCBP63 under the control of cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter. The overexpression of the AtCBP63 in potato plants resulted in the high level induction of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes such as PR-2, PR-3 and PR-5. In addition, the AtCBP63 transgenic potato showed significantly enhanced resistance against a pathogen causing bacterial soft rot, Erwinia carotovora ssp. Carotovora (ECC). These results suggest that a CaM binding protein from Arabidopsis, AtCBP63, plays a positive role in pathogen resistance in potato.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.240-249
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• 2011

The potential of juglone a plant naphthoquinone as a natural herbicide on new target, 7-keto-8-amino pelargonic acid synthetase (KAPAS) in the early step of biotin biosynthesis pathway, was performed in vitro and in vivo. Juglone effectively inhibited KAPAS activities in vitro and the $IC_{50}$ was $9.5{\mu}M$. Foliar application of juglone showed very good herbicidal activity to the eight-tested weed species. Among them, Solanum nigrum was completely controlled at a concentration of $250{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$ with main symptoms of desiccation or burndown. Digitaria sanguinalis and Aeschynomene indica were also sensitive to juglone treatment. All eight weed species were controlled by 90~100% at a concentration of $500{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$. However, soil application of juglone to Digitaria sanguinalis did not show any herbicidal symptoms. Cellular leakage from cucumber leaf squares treated with juglone increased depending on the concentrations increased from 6.25 to $100{\mu}M$ after 24 hours incubation with or without light. However, chlorophyll loss in cucumber leaf squares was negligible. Biotin supplements significantly rescued the inhibition of germination rate of Arabidopsis thaliana seeds previously inhibited by the juglone. Our results suggest that the juglone is a possible environmental friendly herbicide candidate with a new target KAPAS inhibiting activity.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2015

Background Wound healing is an interaction of a complex signaling cascade of cellular events, including inflammation, proliferation, and maturation. $K^+$ channels modulate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Here, we investigated whether $K^+$ channel-activated MAPK signaling directs collagen synthesis and angiogenesis in wound healing. Methods The human skin fibroblast HS27 cell line was used to examine cell viability and collagen synthesis after potassium chloride (KCl) treatment by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and western blotting. To investigate whether $K^+$ ion channels function upstream of MAPK signaling, thus affecting collagen synthesis and angiogenesis, we examined alteration of MAPK expression after treatment with KCl (channel inhibitor), NS1619 (channel activator), or kinase inhibitors. To research the effect of KCl on angiogenesis, angiogenesis-related proteins such as thrombospondin 1 (TSP1), anti-angiogenic factor, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), pro-angiogenic factor were assayed by western blot. Results The viability of HS27 cells was not affected by 25 mM KCl. Collagen synthesis increased dependent on time and concentration of KCl exposure. The phosphorylations of MAPK proteins such as extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 increased about 2.5-3 fold in the KCl treatment cells and were inhibited by treatment of NS1619. TSP1 expression increased by 100%, bFGF expression decreased by 40%, and there is no significant differences in the VEGF level by KCl treatment, TSP1 was inhibited by NS1619 or kinase inhibitors. Conclusions Our results suggest that KCl may function as a therapeutic agent for wound healing in the skin through MAPK signaling mediated by the $K^+$ ion channel.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.84-96
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• 1992

This study was carried out to examine the $H^+$ transport mechanism by observing the properties of cellular membrane having an ${\alpha}$ type of carbonic anhydrase (CA)-containing cells in turtle urinary bladder. The urinary bladder consists of a heterogenous population of cells. As a result of fine observation with traditional thin-section electron microscopy. the bladder epithelium has three different cell types on mucosal surface. They are a basal cell, a granular cell and a third type of CA-rich cell. The CA-rich cells are divided into two distinct smaller groups within them and called them ${\alpha}$ type and ${\beta}$ type of CA cells. The ${\alpha}$ type of CA cells are responsible for the proton secretion using the proton pumps on the apical plasma membrane, while the ${\beta}$ type of CA cells secrete bicarbonate via an oppositely-directed proton pumps in their basolateral plasma membrane. After performing the freeze-fracture technique, it was shown that there were distributed a large number of intramembranous particles having a special structure on the apical membrane of ${\alpha}$ type of CA-rich cells in the process of their $H^+$ secretion. In turtle bladder ${\alpha}$ type of CA-rich cells, this particle was the only prominent structure in the apical membrane. These intramembrane rod-shaped particles probably represent the integral membrane components of the proton pump. This result may explain that carbonic anhydrase within epithelial cell of urinary bladder takes part in formation of $H^+$ and bicarbonate, that active transport of $H^+$ is done, and that the reabsorption of bicarbonate suggests transport mechanism containing $H^+$ secretion. However, it seems that more studies are required for considering their regular transport pathway.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.294-298
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• 2016

Natural products are attractive as the source of new drug development. Especially, numerous unknown marine bioresources are an object of attention because the ocean occupies three fourth of the earth. Survival of marine bioresources in extreme environment may induce the production of biological active compounds. As previous study, we examined over 40 specimens of marine sponges collected from Micronesia and screened their anti-proliferative activities in various cancer cell lines. Among them, we investigated Coscinoderma sp.'s activity and mechanism in human colon carcinoma HCT116 and RKO cells. Furthermore, we also used the p53-knockout of HCT116 cells and the p53 loss of RKO cells for elucidating the role of p53. Coscinoderma sp. inhibited cellular viability independently of the p53 status. Therefore, we compared the expression level of cell death-related proteins by Coscinoderma sp. in HCT16 and in HCT116 p53KO cells. Coscinoderma sp. increased p53 level and NOXA levels and induced apoptosis under the condition of p53 existence. On the other hand, Coscinoderma sp. increased p21 and mTOR levels in HCT116 p53KO cells. These results suggest that Coscinoderma sp. induced anti-proliferation effect through different pathway depending on p53 status.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.39-50
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• 2001

In order to investigate the effect of Transforming growth factor ${\beta}1$(below TGF-${\beta}1$) and osteogenic protein-1(below Op-1) onto the myogenic differentiation, C2C12 satellite myoblastic cell line was cultured and treated with both growth factors. At first morphological changes with microscopical examination were examined, and isolated total RNA to analyse mRNA expression of bone marker proteins, muscle regulatory proteins, TGF-${\beta}$ receptor and their ligands by Northern blot analysis. And cellular proliferative inducibility of both growth factors was also tested to C2C12 cells. Incubating the cell with $5ng/m{\ell}$ of TGF-${\beta}1$ until 4 days almost inhibited multinucleated myotube formation expressing muscular regulatory proteins, and induced decreasing Id proteins. However, no osteoblastic phenotypes was induced by TGF-${\beta}1$ in C2C12 cells. The mRNA expression of TGF-${\beta}$ receptors with TGF-${\beta}1$ was conversed after 48 hours cultured. Type I TGF-${\beta}$ receptor was seemed to play a role in negative signalling for inhibition of myogenic differentiation. OP-1 dose dependently induced ALP activity, osteopontine production and bone sialoprotein production at concentrations above $100ng/m{\ell}$ and osteocalcin production at concentrations above $300ng/m{\ell}$. The concentration of OP-1 required to induce these osteoblastic phenotypes was the same as that required to almost completely inhibit myotube formation. Incubation with above $100ng/m{\ell}$ OP-1 suppressed the expression of mRNA for muscular egulatory proteins from 2 days after incubation. Expression of Id-1, 2, 3 mRNA were stimulated by OP-1 at concentration above $300ng/m{\ell}$. When C2C12 cells were treated with both growth factors, TGF-${\beta}1$ potentiated the inhibitory effect of OP-1 on myotube formation and expression of mRNA for myogenin at 12 days. And TGF-${\beta}1$ reduced osteocalcin and bone sialoprotein production induced by OP-1 at 12 days in C2C12 cells. Both growth factor had no mitogenic effect. These results indicate that OP-1 converts the differentiation pathway of C2C12 myoblasts into that of osteoblastic lineage cells and it's not heritable, but TGF-${\beta}1$ does not and has reversible inhibitory activity on the myogenic differentiation. TGF-${\beta}1$ and OP-1 play a role in myogenic differentiation via different mechanism between them.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.739-747
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• 2014

The aim of the study was to determine the effects of Ixeris dentata extract (IDE) on anticancer activity in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells at both cellular and molecular levels. The cells were cultured in the presence of 0, 20, 30 and $40{\mu}g/mL$ Ixeris dentata extract for 24 hours, respectively. At the end of culture, cytochemical analyses for MTT activity, trypan blue dye exclusion, Annexin V-FITC Apoptosis, and radical oxygen species (ROS) were conducted. RT-PCR was also performed to determine whether or not alterations in cell viability affect the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. MTT assay showed that relative cell viability decreased in a dose-dependent manner (p<0.05). Reduction of cell viability matched well with increased cell membrane permeability as determined by trypan blue dye exclusion test (p<0.05). The rates of intracellular ROS also increased in a similar manner to those of TB-stained cells. There was an associated shift of apoptotic cells from early to late apoptosis between the 30 and $40{\mu}g/mL$. Bax/Bcl-2 ratio significantly increased along with significant decreases in Bcl-2 expression between 30 and $40{\mu}g/mL$ groups (p<0.05). In conclusion, anticancer activity of Ixeris dentata extract is modulated by a reduction in cell viability along with increased membrane permeability, leading to ROS accumulation within cells, and subsequently cell death through an apoptotic pathway that involves Bax and Bcl-2 in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.423-430
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• 2016

Background: The induction of cellular defensive genes such as phase II detoxifying and antioxidant enzymes is a highly effective strategy for protection against carcinogenesis as well as slowing cancer development. Transcription factor Nrf2 (nuclear factor E2-related factor 2) is responsible for activation of phase II enzymes induced by natural chemopreventive compounds. Methods: Red ginseng oil (RGO) was extracted using a supercritical $CO_2$ extraction system and chemical profile of RGO was investigated by GC/MS. Effects of RGO on regulation of the Nrf2/antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway were determined by ARE-luciferase assay, western blotting, and confocal microscopy. Results: The predominant components of RGO were 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (31.48%), bicyclo[10.1.0] tridec-1-ene (22.54%), and 22,23-dihydrostigmasterol (16.90%). RGO treatment significantly increased nuclear translocation of Nrf2 as well as ARE reporter gene activity, leading to upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1. Phosphorylation of the upstream kinases such as apoptosis signal-regulating kinase (ASK)1, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase (MKK)4/7, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 MAPK were enhanced by treatment with RGO. In addition, RGO-mediated Nrf2 expression and nuclear translocation was attenuated by JNK inhibitor SP600125 and p38 MAPK inhibitor SB202190. Conclusion: RGO could be used as a potential chemopreventive agent, possibly by induction of Nrf2/ARE-mediated phase II enzymes via ASK1-MKK4/7-JNK and p38 MAPK signaling pathways.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.1 s.81
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• pp.110-115
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• 2007

It has been previously described that transcription factor early growth response gene product 1 (EGR-1) functions as a tumor suppressor gene. This study was conducted to demonstrate that EGR-1 induction by phytochemical apigenin and its derivative isovitexin can mediate the growth suppression of the intestinal epithelial tumor cells. Apigenin and isovitexin induced EGR-1 gene expression both in the dose and time-dependent manners. Moreover the induction was relatively late around 9-12 hr after treatment of HCT-116 cells, while several anti-inflammatory agent such as NSAIDS and catechins elicit the ECR-1 gene expression at much earlier time about 1-3 hr after treatment. In terms of signal transduction, ERK1/2 was critical for apigenin-induced EGR-1 gene expression and its promoter activation. When EGR-1 gene expression was blocked with EGR-1 small interference RNA, the cytotoxicity of apigenin in the human epithelial cells was attenuated, suggesting the involvement of EGR-1 in the anti-tumoric activity of apigenin. To link the EGR-1 induction to EGR-1-regulated gene products in colon cancer, NSAID-Activated Gene 1 (NAG-1) was demonstrated to be elevated by apigenin and isovitexin at 24-48 hr after treatment. Taken together, apigenin-activated ERK1/2 mediated EGR-1 gene induction, which was associated with suppression of the cellular viability by apigenin compound.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.1027-1032
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• 2016

Antigen is substance causing disease derived from pathogen. Living organism has the immune system in terms of defense mechanism against antigen. Antigen is processed through several pathways such as phagocytosis, antibody action, complement activation, and cytotoxins by NK or cytotoxic T lymphocyte via MHC molecule. Lymph node (LN) is comprised of the complicated 3 dimensional network and several stromal cells. Fibroblastic reticular cells (FRC) are distributed in T zone for interaction with T cells. FRC produces the extra cellular matrix (ECM) into LN for ECM reorganization against pathogen infections and secretes homing chemokines. However, it has not so much been known about the involvement of the antigen process of FRC. The present report is for the function of FRC on antigen process. For this, FRC was positioned with several infected situations such as co-culture with macrophage, T cell, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and TNFα stimulation. When co-culture between FRC with macrophage and T cells was performed, morphological change of FRC was observed and empty space between FRCs was made by morphological change. The matrix metallo-proteinase (MMP) activity was up-regulated by Y27632 and T cells onto FRC. Furthermore, inflammatory cytokine, TNFα regulated the expression of adhesion molecules and MHC I antigen transporter in FRC by gene chip assay. NO production was elevated by FRC monolayer co-cultured with macrophage stimulated by LPS. GFP antigen was up-taken by macrophage co-cultured with FRC. Collectively, it suggests that FRC assists of the facilitation of antigen process and LN stroma is implicated into antigen process pathway.