• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.68-77
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• 2005

Background: Costimulation is a critical process in Ag-specific immune responses. Both B7.1 and CD28 molecules have been reported to stimulate T cell responses during antigen presentation. Therefore, we tested whether Ag-specific immune responses as well as protective immunity are influenced by coinjecting with B7.1 and CD28 cDNAs in a mouse HSV-2 challenge model system. Methods: ELISA was used to detect levels of antibodies, cytokines and chemokines while thymidine incorporation assay was used to evaluate T cell proliferation levels. Results: Ag-specific antibody responses were enhanced by CD28 coinjection but not by B7.1 coinjection. Furthermore, CD28 coinjection increased IgG1 production to a significant level, as compared to pgD+pcDNA3, suggesting that CD28 drives Th2 type responses. In contrast, B7.1 coinjection showed the opposite, suggesting a Th1 bias. B7.1 coinjection also enhanced Ag-specific Th cell proliferative responses as well as production of Th1 type cytokines and chemokines significantly higher than pgD+pcDNA3. However, CD28 coinjection decreased Ag-specific Th cell proliferative responses as well as production of Th1 types of cytokines and chemokine significantly lower than pgD+pcDNA3. Only MCP-1 production was enhanced by CD28. B7.1 coimmunized animals exhibited an enhanced survival rate as well as decreased herpetic lesion formation, as compared to pgD+pcDNA3. In contrast, CD28 vaccinated animals exhibited decreased survival from lethal challenge. Conclusion: This study shows that B7.1 enhances protective Th1 type cellular immunity against HSV-2 challenge while CD28 drives a more detrimental Th2 type immunity against HSV-2 challenge, supporting an opposite role of B7.1 and CD28 in Ag-specific immune responses to a Th1 vs Th2 type.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1657-1664
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• 2008

We determined the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) by DNA chip test in 549 women and cytologic diagnosis. 237 of 549 women (43.17%) subjected with HPV DNA Chip examination were found positive for HPV. 210 (88.60%, High group) were infected with high-risk HPV types. 17 (7.17%, Low group) were infected with low-risk HPV types (6, 11, 40, 44, 70) and 17 (7.17%, Mixed group) were infected with mixed types. According to age, in their twenties, thirties, forties, fifties and over sixties, the prevalence of infection with high-risk HPV types were 1.26% (3/237), 15.61% (37/237), 31.65% (75/237), 23.21% (55/237), and 13.92% (33/237), respectively. In the Low and Mixed group, percentages of infection with HPV were significantly lower than that of the High group. On the comparison of cytologic diagnosis (224 women) by Pap smear and DNA chip positive (237 women) for HPV, 132 out of 194 cases in the High group (68.04%) suffered cervical lesions with ASCUS (atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, 7.22%), LSIL (low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, 15.98%), HSIL (high grade SIL, 23.20%) and ICC (invasive cervical cancer, 21.65%). The Low group (14/224 women) showed 1 case of ASCUS and 6 cases of LSIL, whereas the Mixed group (4/224 women) had only 2 cases of ASCUS. According to the HPV subtypes, the high-risk types 16 and 18 induced 26 and 7 cases of ICC, respectively, whereas other HPV subtypes induced lower or no ICC incidence. In conclusion, the present data imply that the prevalence of HPV was 43.17%, high-risk HPV type 16 is a major factor, which causes precancerous and/or cervical cancer in woman and that HPV DNA chip is an accurate and useful tool for detecting HPV.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.891-894
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• 2014

This study is aimed to investigate the role of paired boxed gene 1 (PAX1) methylation analysis by methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting (MS-HRM) in the detection of high grade lesions in atypical squamous cells cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (ASC-H) and compared its performance with the Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) human papillomavirus (HPV) test. In our study, 130 cases with a diagnosis of ASC-H from the cervical cytological screening by Thinprep cytologic test (TCT) technique were selected for triage. Their cervical scrapings were collected and evaluated by using PAX1 methylation analysis (MS-HRM) and high-risk HPV DNA test (HC2), followed by colposcopy and cervical biopsy. Chi-square test were used to test the differences of PAX1 methylation or HPV infection between groups. In the detection of CIN2+, the sensitivity, specificity, the PPV, NPV and the accuracy of PAX1 MS-HRM assay and high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) tests were respectively 80.6% vs 67.7%, 94.9% vs 54.5%, 83.3%, vs 31.8%, 94.0% vs 84.4%, and 91.5% vs 57.7%. The PAX1 MS-HRM assay proved superior to HR-HPV testing in the detection of high grade lesions (CIN2+) in ASC-H. This approach could screen out the majority of high grade lesion cases of ASC-H, and thus could reduce the referral rate to colposcopy.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.138-144
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• 2018

In December 2016, stem rot symptoms were observed on Persian buttercup (Ranunculus asiaticus) plants in Chilgok, Gyeongbuk, Korea. In the early stage of the disease, several black spots appeared on the stem of infected plants. As the disease progressed, the infected stem cleaved and wilted. The causal agent was isolated from a lesion and incubated on Reasoner's 2A (R2A) agar at $25^{\circ}C$. Total genomic DNA was extracted for phylogenetic analysis. Based on the 16S rRNA gene analysis, the isolated strain was found to belong to the genus Pseudomonas. To identify the isolated bacterial strain at the species level, the nucleotide sequences of the gyrase B (gyrB) and RNA polymerase D (rpoD) genes were obtained and compared with the sequences in the GenBank database. As the result, the causal agent of the stem rot disease was identified as Pseudomonas marginalis. To determine the pathogenicity of the isolated bacterial strain, it was inoculated into the stem of healthy R. asiaticus plant, the inoculated plant showed a lesion with the same characteristics as the naturally infected plant. Based on these results, this is the first report of bacterial stem rot on R. asiaticus caused by P. marginalis in Korea.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.127-127
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• 2003

벼 도열병 저항성 조절과정을 연구하는 효율적인 방법은 돌연변이를 분리하여 해당유전자를 분석하는 것이다. 이를 위하여 벼에서 제조된 4가지 돌연변이 집단을 이용하여 도열병 저항성 돌연변이를 분리하였다. 실험재료로는 1) fast neturon을 처리하여 제조된 Moroberekan 2,000 라인, 2)T-DNA의 형질전환에 의해서 제조된 화영 1,000 라인, 3)DEB처리에 의해서 제조된 RIL260 3,000라인, 4) gamma ray 처리에 의해서 제조된 상해향혈나 10,000 라인 등이 사용되었다. 병 저항성이 감소된 돌연변이의 분리를 위하여 재료로 사용된 벼 품종과 비친화적 상호작용을 보이는 균주의 포자를 2-3주된 벼 잎에 직접 살포하는 방법을 이용하였다. 균주 접종 7 일 후에 blast lesion을 형성하거나 lesion mimic 표현형을 보이는 돌연변이 등 병저항성이 감소된 라인을 선별하였다. 현재까지 1) Moroberakan 5 라인, 2) 화영 4 라인, 3) RIL260 1 라인 등이 선별되었다. 이와 함께 병저항성이 현저히 증가된 돌연 변이를 선별하기 위하여 친화적인 균주를 사용한 실험에서는 상해향렬나 2 라인이 선별되었다. 선별된 돌연변이는 벼 도열병 저항성 유전자의 분리 및 저항성 조절기작을 연구하는데 효과적으로 사용될 것이다.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.293-296
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• 2016

In late June 2016, stalk rot symptoms were observed on five vatieties of sorghum (Sorghum bicolar) at organic paddy-upland rotation system in Anseong city, Korea. The initial symptom on stalk surfaces was red color with a dark red spot lesion. A fungus was isolated from the initial lesion, and cultured on potato dextrose agar. Size of microconidia mostly extend to $5-19{\times}2-{\mu}m$ in culture, with 0-1 septa and macroconidia extend to $29-52{\times}3-4{\mu}m$ with 4-6 septa. Pathogenicity was investigated using conidial suspension spray to seedling of sorghum. After 3 days of inoculation, the dark red lesion was produced on stalks. On the basis of mycological characteristics, pathogenicity, and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequence analysis, this fungus was identified as Fusarium thapsinum. This is the first report of stalk rot on sorghum caused by F. thapsinum in Korea.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.456-461
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• 1996

The effects of human epidermal growth factor(EGF) which was produced by recombinant DNA technique was investigated on gastric secretion, gastric lesion and ulcer models in rats. The EGF showed significant inhibition of secretion of gastric juice and total acid output, at 0.4mg/kg, id and also inhibited Shay ulceration at 0.4mg/kg, id in rats. The lesion induced by absolute ethanol was significantly reduced by oral administration of EGF at 0.4mg/kg. Likewise, EGF caused significant inhibition of indomethacin induced gastric ulcer at oral doses of 0.2 and 0.4mg/kg. The EGF produced dose-dependent inhibition of gastric ulcer induced by acidified aspirin, but showed no significant inhibition at oral doses of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4mg/kg. The chronic gastric ulcer induced by injection of 20% acetic acid solution was significantly reduced by oral doses of 0.1 and 0.4mg/kg of EGF. Duodenal ulcer induced by mepirizole was dose-dependently inhibited by oral doses of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4mg/kg of EGF. These data suggest that EGF possesses pronounced inhibitory action in gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer of rats.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.373-379
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• 2009

5-Hydroxyuridine (5-OHU) is a major lesion of uridine and cytosine produced in RNA by various chemical oxidants. To elucidate its biochemical and biophysical effects on RNA replication, the site-specifically modified oligoribonucleotides containing 5-OHU were synthesized with C5-hydroxy-5'-ODMTr-2'-TBDMS-uridine phosphoramidite using automated solid phase synthesis. The base-pairing properties of nucleotides opposite 5-OHU in 24 mer oligoribonulcleotides with dNTP were studied using three reverse transcriptases (Super-$Script^{TM}II$-, AMV-, MMLV-RT) in cDNA synthesis. Adenine as well as guanine was incorporated preferentially by all reverse transcriptases. In the UV-melting temperature experiment, the results from the relative stabilities of the base pairs were A : 5-OHU > G : 5-OHU > T : 5-OHU $\approx$ C : 5-OHU. Circular Dichroism (CD) studies showed that DNA-RNA containing 5- OHU heteroduplexes exhibit a similar conformation between the A-type RNA and B-type DNA. These results suggest that 5- OHU from oxidative damage was mainly influenced by adenine mismatch.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.151-155
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• 2000

A cDNA (Oslls1) encoding Lls1-homologue of maize was isolated from cDNA library of rice (Oryza sativa cv. Ilpum). The 2,138 bp of full length Oslls1 clone contains an open reading frame of 1,623 nucleotides encoding 575 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence of Oslls1 has a high level of homology with chlorophyll a oxygenases of Arabidopsis thaliana (67%) and Marchantia polymorpha (65%). Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA indicates the existence of a small gene family for Oslls1 in the rice genome. The expression of Oslls1 mRNA was induced in leaves and germinating seeds. Treatment of $H_2O$$_2$significantly down-regulated Oslls1 expression. The expression of Oslls1 mRNA was consititutively down-regulated in the blm, a rice mutant exhibiting spontaneous necrotic lesions. These results suggest that this Oslls1 gene may be involved incell death mechanisms in the blm mutant of rice.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.229-236
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• 2018

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) has been one of the most common parasitic diseases in Saudi Arabia. This study exhibits the clinical features, diagnosis, cytokine profile and treatment of CL patients in Al-Taif province. Ninety CL suspects at a tertiary care general hospital were enrolled in one-year study. Patients were interviewed, clinically-examined, and subjected to laboratory tests: skin scraping smear microscopy, OligoC-TesT commercial PCR (Coris BioConcept) and kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) PCR for Leishmania diagnosis. Interferon-gamma (RayBio; Human $IFN-{\gamma}$ ) and nitric oxide (NO) levels in patients' sera were evaluated before treatment with sodium stibogluconate (pentostam) with 20-day intramuscular drug regimen. Positive rates of microscopy, commercial PCR and kDNA PCR were 74.4%, 95.5% and 100%, respectively. Patients came to hospital mostly in winter (45.0%). CL was frequently exhibited in Saudi patients (78.8%), male gender (70.7%), age <20 years (50.0%), rural-dwellers (75.5%) and patients with travel history (86.6%). Lesion was mostly single ulcer (93.3%), occurred in the face (67.7%). Upon pentostam treatment, 85.1% of ulcers showed rapid healing signs. Levels of $IFN-{\gamma}$ and NO were significantly higher in the healing than the non-healing cases (P<0.001). The kDNA PCR proved more sensitive than microscopy and OligoC-TesT commercial PCR. Our results open perspectives for $IFN-{\gamma}$ use as a biomarker predicting treatment response.