• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.261-268
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• 2012

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza virus are the most significant pathogens causing respiratory tract diseases. Composite vaccines are useful in reducing the number of vaccination and confer protection against multiple infectious agents. In this study, we generated fusion of RSV G protein core fragment (amino acid residues 131 to 230) and influenza HA1 globular head domain (amino acid residues 62 to 284) as a dual vaccine candidate. This fusion protein, Gcf-HA1, was bacterially expressed, purified by metal resin affinity chromatography, and refolded in PBS. BALB/c mice were intranasally immunized with Gcf-HA1 in combination with a mucosal adjuvant, cholera toxin (CT). Both serum IgG and mucosal IgA responses specific to Gcf and HA1 were significantly increased in Gcf-HA1/CT-vaccinated mice. To determine the protective efficacy of Gcf-HA1/CT vaccine, immunized mice were challenged with RSV (A2 strain) or influenza virus (A/PR/8/34). Neither detectable viral replication nor pathology was observed in the lungs of the immune mice. These results demonstrate that immunity induced by intranasal Gcf-HA1/CT immunization confers complete protection against both RSV and homologous influenza virus infection, suggesting our Gcf-HA1 vaccine candidate could be further developed as a dual subunit vaccine against RSV and influenza virus.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.331-336
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• 1995

To use cultured mucosa as a graft of full thickness, our laboratory has been involved in the development of techniques to grow epidermis together with connective tissue. Human oral mucosa was obtained at dental surgery. Under sterile conditions the tissues were cut into explants of 0.1 $cm^2$ which were placed in the center of 24 well tissue culture dishes and incubated in a growth medium. The growth medium used for epithelial was MEM(Minimum Essential Medium) supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum, 0.5% dimethyl sulfoxide, glutamine (0.292 g/l), epidermal growth factor (40 ug/ml), cholera toxin (30 ng/ml), hydrocortisone (2 ug/ml), insulin (40 ug/ml) and transferin (5 ug/ml). The medium for stratification of epithelial cells was MEM supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum, 0.5% dimethyl sulfoxide and glutamine (0.292 g/l). The medium used for fibroblasts was MEM supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum. With the three types of media used alternatively, a mucosa composed of epidermis and connective tissue was obtained after 3 weeks of culture.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.783-794
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• 1996

It has been suggested that ion transport systems are intimately involved in mediating the effects of growth regulatory factors on the growth of a number of different types of animal cells in vivo. The functional importance of the apical membrane $Na^+/H^+$ antiporter in the renal proximal tubule is evidenced by estimates that this transporter mediates the reabsorption of approximately one third of the filtered load of sodium and the bulk of the secretion of hydrogen ions. This study was designed to investigate the pathway utilized by IGF-I in regulating sodium transport in primary cultured renal proximal tubule cells. Results were as follows : 1. $Na^+$ was observed to accumulate in the primary cells as a function of time. Raising the concentration of extracellular NaCl induced an decrease in $Na^+$ uptake compared with control cells in a dose dependent manner. The rate of $Na^+$ uptake into the primary cells was about two times higher in the absence of NaCl($40.11{\pm}1.76pmole\;Na^+/mg\;protein/min$) than in the presence of 140mM NaCl($17.82{\pm}0.94pmole\;Na^+/mg\;protein/min$) at the 30 minute uptake. 2. $Na^+$ uptake was inhibited by IAA($1{\times}10^{-4}M$) or valinomycin($5{\times}10^{-6}M$) treatment($50.51{\pm}4.04$ and $57.65{\pm}2.27$ of that of control, respectively). $Na^+$ uptake by the primary proximal tubule cells was significantly increased by ouabain($5{\times}10^{-5}M$) treatment($140.23{\pm}3.37%$ of that of control). When actinomycin D($1{\times}10^{-7}M$) or cycloheximide($4{\times}10^{-5}M$) was applied, $Na^+$ uptake was decreased to $90.21{\pm}2.39%$ or $89.64{\pm}3.69%$ of control in IGF-I($1{\times}10^{-5}M$) treated cells, respectively. 3. Extracellular cAMP decreased $Na^+$ uptake in a dose-dependent manner($10^{-8}-10^{-4}M$). IBMX($5{\times}10^{-5}M$) also inhibited $Na^+$ uptake. Treatment of cells with pertussis toxin(50pg/ml) or cholera toxin($1{\mu}g/ml$) inhibited $Na^+$ uptake. Extracellular PMA decreased $Na^+$ uptake in a dose-dependent manner(1-100ng/ml). 100 ng/ml PMA concentration significantly inhibited $Na^+$ uptake in IGF-I treated cells. However, staurosporine($1{\times}10^{-7}M$) had no effect on $Na^+$ uptake. When PMA and staurosporine were added together, the inhibition of $Na^+$ uptake was not observed. In conclusion, sodium uptake in primary cultured rabbit renal proximal tubule cells was dependent on membrane potentials and intracellular energy levels. IGF-I stimulates sodium uptake through mechanisms that involve some degree of de novo protein and/or RNA synthesis, and cAMP and/or PKC pathway mediating the action mechanisms of IGF-I.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.119-125
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• 1996

In order to develop enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for fumonisins, production of specific antibodies, establishment of ELISA conditions, and quantitation of the toxin from spiked corns by ELISA were performed. Fumonisin $B_1(FB_1)$ conjugated to cholera toxin (CT) with or without Freund's adjuvant was subcutaneously injected into 2 groups of rabbits. When the titer of the antisera produced by each rabbit was tested, higher titer was observed in case of the immunization with the adjuvant. By use of the antiserum showing the highest titer (1:16,000) and its purified antibodies, competitive indirect and direct ELISA's (ciELISA and cdELISA) were established, respectively. When the cross-reactivity of the antibody against fumonisin analogs was investigated by the ciELISA, it was very low against $B_3$ (2%) but high against fumonisin $B_2$ (179%). The sensitivity of the ELISAs was also very high, because the detection limit for $FB_1$ was 0.03 ppb in ciELISA and 0.3 ppb in cdELISA. When the ELISA's were applied to the spiked corns after extraction with 75% methanol, the assay recovery of $FB_1$ was too unstable to assay. However, when cleanup by strong anion exchange (SAX) cartridge was introduced to remove interfering materials, the mean ELISA recovery of $FB_1$ from corns spiked to 3~10 ppm was found to be 34.0% and stable (mean of CV, 8.2%).

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.63-76
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• 1996

The aim of present study was to characterize phosphate uptake and to investigate the mechanism for the insulin and insulin-like growth factor(IGF) stimulation of phosphate uptake in primary cultured rabbit renal proximal tubule cells. Results were as follows : 1. The primary cultured proximal tubule cells had accumulated $6.68{\pm}0.70$ nmole phosphate/mg protein in the presence of 140 mM NaCl and $2.07{\pm}0.17$ nmole phosphate/mg protein in the presence of 140 mM KCl during a 60 minute uptake period. Raising the concentration of extracellular phosphate to 100 mM$(48.33{\pm}1.76\;pmole/mg\;protein/min)$ induced decrease in phosphate uptake compared with that in control cells maintained in 1 mM phosphate$(190.66{\pm}13.01\;pmole/mg\;protein/min)$. Optimal phosphate uptake was observed at pH 6.5 in the presence of 140 mM NaCl. Phosphate uptake at pH 7.2 and pH 7.9 decreased to $83.06{\pm}5.75%\;and\;74.61{\pm}3.29%$ of that of pH 6.5, respectively. 2. Phosphate uptake was inhibited by iodoacetic acid(IAA) or valinomycin treatment $(62.41{\pm}4.40%\;and\;12.80{\pm}1.64%\;of\;that\;of\;control,\;respectively)$. When IAA and valinomycin were added together, phosphate uptake was inhibited to $8.04{\pm}0.61%$ of that of control. Phosphate uptake by the primary proximal tubule cells was significantly reduced by ouabain treatment$(80.27{\pm}6.96%\;of\;that\;of\;control)$. Inhibition of protein and/or RNA synthesis by either cycloheximide or actinomycin D markedly attenuated phosphate uptake. 3. Extracellular CAMP and phorbol 12-myristate 13 acetate(PMA) decreased phosphate uptake in a dose-dependent manner in all experimental conditions. Treatment of cells with pertussis toxin or cholera toxin inhibited phosphate uptake. cAMP concentration between $10^{-6}\;M\;and\;10^{-4}\;M$ significantly inhibited phosphate uptake. Phosphate uptake was blocked to about 25% of that of control at 100 ng/ml PMA. 3-Isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine(IBMX) inhibited phosphate uptake. However, in the presence of IBMX, the inhibitory effect of exogenous cAMP was not significantly potentiated. Forskolin decreased phosphate transport. Acetylsalicylic acid did not inhibit phosphate uptake. The 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycorol(DAG) and 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn- glycerol(OAG) showed a inhibitory effect. However, staurosporine had no effect on phosphate uptake. When PMA and staurosporine were treated together, inhibition of phosphate uptake was not observed. In conclusion, phosphate uptake is stimulated by high sodium and low phosphate and pH 6.5 in the culture medium. Membrane potential and intracellular energy levels are also an important factor fer phosphate transport. Insulin and IGF-I stimulate phosphate uptake through a mechanisms that involve do novo protein and/or RNA synthesis and decrease of intracellular cAMP level. Also protein kinase C(PKC) is may play a regulatory role in transducing the insulin and IGF-I signal for phosphate transport in primary cultured proximal tubule cells.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.231-239
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• 1999

In oral and maxillofacial surgery, there are many cases requiring the graft of epidermal tissues such as maxillectomy, and vestibuloplasty. There have been so many challenges for the culture of the epidermal tissue. Observing the ultrastructure of the cultured human oral kertinocytes, we could compare this findings with that of in vivo ones. With that, we could find the differencies and similarities between cultured cells and in vivo ones, and evaluate the clinical applications of cultured tissue. Human gingiva was obtained and the specimen was explanted on 24-well plate. Two types of culture media were used in this culture system. One was for the growth of the keratinocytes (Media I), and the other was for the stratification (Media II). Media I had special ingredients for the epidermal growth. Those were 0.5% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 30ng/ml of epidermal growth factor (EGF), 30ng/ml of cholera toxin, and $5{\mu}g/ml$ of transferrin. We cultured the oral keratinocytes for 3 weeks, and at that time the cultured keratinocytes were processed to prepare the specimen for the TEM study. The results were as follows.; 1. In the phase contrast micrograph, epidermal outgrowth firstly appeared on the 3rd day after explantation, and the growing keratinocytes were activley mitotic, and had polygonal shape and increased N/C ratio. 2. In the phase contrast micrograph, the outer most cells exhibited areas where broad cytoplasmic processes extended out onto the culture subtratum(fan-like appaearance). 3. In the TEM micrographs, the cultured keratinocytes showed stratification. The cells were in elongated form, and there were no morphologic differencies among the layers usually found in the in vivo gingiva. 4. Most of cellular organelles underwent lysis, and keratohyaline granules were seen. Tonofibrils were dispersed in the cytoplasm. 5. The cells were interconnected by desmosomes, and their frequency of distribution was considered to be lower than that of in vivo keratinocytes. 6. We could conclude the cultured oral keratinocytes exhibited signs of terminal differentiation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2011

Genus Nicotiana has 76 species including N. tabacum. These plants are used not only as a material for cigarette manufacturing but also as ornamental plant, medicinal plant, poisonous substance plant, and bug repellent plant. N. tabacum is used as a main material for cigarette manufacturing with N. rustica. N. sylvestris and N. alata is used as ornamental plants because of their beautiful flowers and N. rustica is used for bug repellent or pesticide because of its high concentration of nicotine. N. glauca, a tree tobacco, is used for bio-fuel production. N. tabacum is used as a popular model plant system for degeneration, regeneration, and transformation. N. benthamiana is also used as a model system for foreign gene expression by agroinfiltration. The transformation ability of tobacco plant is a good target for molecular farming. Hepatitis B virus envelop protein, E. coli heat-labile enterotoxin, diabetes autoantigen, and cholera toxin B subunit were produced using tobacco plants. Secondary metabolites of tobacco include nicotine, anabasine, nornicotine, anatabine, cembranoid, solanesol, linoleic acid, rutin, lignin and sistosterol, and they are used for various medicine productions which cannot be produced by organic synthesis for their complicated structures. In conclusion, we have to understand the applicability of tobacco plant in detail and study to enlarge the usage of the plants.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1393-1400
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• 2008

Recent study has demonstrated an increasing prevalence of food allergy in Korean children. Specific probiotic bacteria may promote potentially anti-allergenic processes through induction of Th1-type immunity and enhance the regulatory lymphocyte. This study investigated whether orally administrated probiotics could suppress allergic responses in an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergy mouse model. Thus, female C3H/HeJ mice were orally sensitized with OVA and cholera toxin for 4 weeks. Lactobacillus acidophilus AD031, Bifidobacterium lactis AD011, and L. acidophilus AD031 plus B. lactis AD011 were fed to mice from 2 weeks before the sensitization. The OVA-induced mice that were not treated with probiotics had significantly increased serum levels of OVA-specific IgE and IgG1, and OVA-specific IgA in feces. However, the mice treated with probiotics suppressed production of the OVA-specific IgE, IgG1, and IgA. The level of IL-4 was significantly lower, and the levels of INF-$\gamma$ and IL-10 were significantly higher in the mice treated with probiotics than that in the non-treated mice. The groups treated with probiotics had decreased levels of degranulated mast cells, eosinophil granules, and tail scabs. These results indicate that L. acidophilus AD031 and B. lactis AD011 might be useful for the prevention of allergy.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.598-606
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• 2003

Salmonella encodes an enterotoxin (Stn) which possesses biological activity similar to the cholera toxin. Stn contributes significantly to the overall virulence of S. typhimurium in a murine model. The production of Stn is enhanced in a high-osmolarity medium and by contact with epithelial cells. In the present study, the in vitro and in vivo transcriptional regulations of the sin promoter revealed two promoters, P1 and P2. The P1 promoter identified by a primer extension analysis of stn mRNA exhibited a switching mechanism in vivo. Depending on the growth stage, transcription was initiated from different start sites termed $P1_S\;and\;P1_E$. $P1_S$, recognized by RNA polymerase containing ${\sigma}^S(E{\sigma}^S),\;and\;P1_E$, recognized by $E{\sigma}^70$, were activated during the stationary and exponential phases, respectively, while $P1_S\;and\;P1_E$ were both negatively regulated by CRPㆍcAMP and H-NS. Results revealed that $P1_S$ was the responsible promoter activated under a high osmolarity and low pH. The P2 promoter was identified 45 nucleotides downstream from $P1_E$ and negatively controlled by CRPㆍcAMP in vitro. No P2 activity was detected in vivo. The regulation of stn expression monitored using a Pstn::egfp fusion indicated that $E{\sigma}^S$ was required for the induction of stn and various factors were involved in stn regulation inside animal cells.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.185-189
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• 2020

Immunogenicity of dendritic cell-derived exosomes stimulated with Toxoplasma gondii lysates (TLA exo), mixed with cholera toxin as an adjuvant, was investigated in mice immunized via 2 mucosal routes (ocular vs intranasal). BALB/c mice were injected 3 times with TLA exo vaccine at 2 week interval, and the levels of IgG in serum and IgA in tear, saliva, feces, and vaginal wash were measured. To observe the expression of T. gondii-specific B1 gene, mice infected with ME49 T. gondii cysts were immunized with TLA exo or PBS exo (not stimulated with TLA), and their brain tissues were examined. The mice vaccinated via intranasal route elicited significantly higher humoral and mucosal immune responses compared with mice treated with PBS alone. Also, mice immunized via ocular route (by eyedrop) induced significantly higher T. gondii-specific IgG in serum and IgA in tear and feces in comparison with PBS controls. B1 gene expression was significantly lower in TLA exo vaccinated mice than in PBS or PBS exo vaccinated mice. These results demonstrated that ocular immunization of mice with TLA exo vaccine has the potential to stimulate systemic or local antibody responses. This study also highlighted an advantage of an eyedrop vaccine as an alternative for T. gondii intranasal vaccines.