• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.99-104
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• 2012

The present study was performed to evaluate the relationship between the neurotoxicity of acrylamide and the differential gene expression pattern in mice. Both locomotor test and rota-rod test showed that the group treated with higher than 30 mg/kg/day of acrylamide caused impaired motor activity in mice. Based on cDNA microarray analysis of mouse brain, myelin basic protein gene, kinesin family member 5B gene, and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 1 and its receptor genes were down-regulated by acrylamide. The genes are known to be essential for neurofilament synthesis, axonal transport, and neuroprotection, respectively. Interestingly, both FGF 1 and its receptor genes were down-regulated. Genes involved in nucleic acid binding such as AU RNA binding protein/enoyl-coA hydratase, translation initiation factor (TIF) 2 alpha kinase 4, activating transcription factor 2, and U2AF 1 related sequence 1 genes were down-regulated. More interesting finding was that genes of both catalytic and regulatory subunit of protein phosphatases which are important for signal transduction pathways were down-regulated. Here, we propose that acrylamide induces neurotoxicity by regulation of genes associated with neurofilament synthesis, axonal transport, neuro-protection, and signal transduction pathways.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.60 no.6
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• pp.379-391
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• 2022

Leishmaniasis is a serious parasitic disease caused by Leishmania spp. transmitted through sandfly bites. This disease is a major public health concern worldwide. It can occur in 3 different clinical forms: cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral leishmaniasis (CL, MCL, and VL, respectively), caused by different Leishmania spp. Currently, licensed vaccines are unavailable for the treatment of human leishmaniasis. The treatment and prevention of this disease rely mainly on chemotherapeutics, which are highly toxic and have an increasing resistance problem. The development of a safe, effective, and affordable vaccine for all forms of vector-borne disease is urgently needed to block transmission of the parasite between the host and vector. Immunological mechanisms in the pathogenesis of leishmaniasis are complex. IL-12-driven Th1-type immune response plays a crucial role in host protection. The essential purpose of vaccination is to establish a protective immune response. To date, numerous vaccine studies have been conducted using live/attenuated/killed parasites, fractionated parasites, subunits, recombinant or DNA technology, delivery systems, and chimeric peptides. Most of these studies were limited to animals. In addition, standardization has not been achieved in these studies due to the differences in the virulence dynamics of the Leishmania spp. and the feasibility of the adjuvants. More studies are needed to develop a safe and effective vaccine, which is the most promising approach against Leishmania infection.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.467-477
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• 2017

A nationwide survey was performed to investigate the current incidence of viral diseases in Korean sweet potatoes for germplasm and growing fields from 2011 to 2014. A total of 83.8% of the germplasm in Korea was infected with viruses in 2011. Commercial cultivars that were used to supply growing fields were infected at a rate of 62.1% in 2012. Among surveyed viruses, the incidence of five Potyvirus species that infect sweet potato decreased between 2012 and 2013, and then increased again in 2014. Representatively, the incidence of Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV) was 87.0% in 2012, 20.7% in 2013 and then increased to 35.3% in 2014. Unlike RNA viruses, DNA viruses were shown to decrease continuously. The incidence of Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV) was 5.5% in 2003, 59.5% in 2011, and 47.4% in 2012. It then decreased continuously year by year to 33.2% in 2013, and then 25.6% in 2014. While the infection rate of each virus species showed a tendency to decline, the virus infection status was more variable in 2013 and 2014. Nevertheless, the high rate of single infections and mixed infection combinations were more variable than the survey results from 2012. As shown in the results from 2013, the most prevalent virus infection was a single infection at 27.6%, with the highest rate of infection belonging to sweet potato symptomless virus-1 (SPSMV-1) (12.9%). Compared to 2013, infection combinations were more varied in 2014, with a total of 122 kinds of mixed infection.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.32-36
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• 2010

Twelve fungal isolates out of 123 isolates obtained from cysts and soils of potato cyst nematode (PCN)-infested fields in Central Java, Indonesia had parasitic abilities of over 50% on PCN eggs or females (cysts) in vitro pathogenicity tests. Cultural and morphological characters and DNA sequences of ribosomal genes in ITS region revealed that they were four isolates of Gliocladium (Trichoderma) virens, three isolates of Fusarium oxysporum, one of F. lateritium, one of Penicillium tritinum and two of Taralomyces spp. A hundred percent infections occurred in eggs or cysts by three fungal isolates G. virens, F. oxysporum and P. oxalicum, suggesting that these fungi may have a good potential for the PCN biocontrol. Especially, G. virens isolates, which occurred most frequently in the PCN-infested potato fields and are known to be highly adaptable to varying habitats, may be developed as reliable agents for controlling PCN with both egg- and cyst-parasitic capabilities and with high ecological adaptabilities.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.316-322
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• 2014

Recently, a Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) strain, named as CMV-209, was isolated from Glycine soja. In this study, symptom expression of CMV-209 was analyzed in detail in Nicotiana benthamiana by comparing with that of CMV-Fny, which is a representative strain of CMV. Using infectious cDNA clones of CMV strains 209 and Fny, symptom expression of various pseudorecombinants between these two strains were examined in the early and late infection stages. In the early infection stage, the pseudorecombinants containing Fny-RNA2 induced stunting and leaf distortion on the newly emerged leaves whereas the pseudorecombinants containing 209-RNA2 caused no obvious symptoms. In the late infection stage, the pseudorecombinants containing 209-RNA1 and Fny-RNA2 induced severe leaf distortion and stunting, while CMV-209 induced mild symptom and CMV-Fny caused typical mosaic, general stunting, and leaf distortion symptoms, indicating that RNA 2 encodes a symptom determinant(s) of CMV, which is capable of enhancing symptoms. Furthermore, our results support the possibility that natural recombination between compatible viruses can result in emergence of novel viruses causing severe damages in crop fields.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.331-337
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• 2012

Citrus melanose is one of important disease in citrus cultivation, reducing quality of citrus fruits and resulting in economic loss. Like other diseases in citrus, melanose was mainly protected by chemical fungicide in the field. Recently, alternative method of disease control is highly required due to the side effect of the chemicals. In this study four rhizobacterial strains TRH423-3, MRL408-3, THJ609-3, and TRH415-2 are selected by dual-culture testing its antifungal activity against Diaporthe citri causing citrus melanose. To investigate the protection efficacy of the selected rhizobacterial strains to citrus melanose, the bacteria were pre-treated on citrus leaves following inoculation with melanose pathogen. Pre-treatment with all selected rhizobacterial strains showed disease suppression in which the levels of protection rates were different by the rhizobacterial strains. Additional treatment with the rhizobacterial strains after the pathogen inoculation enhanced protection rates in all cases. The strain MRL408-3 and TRH423-3 were identified as Burkholderia gladioli, TRH415-2 as Pseudomons fluorescens and THJ609-3 as Pseudomonas pudia as a result of analyzing the internal transcript spaces of the rhizobacterial strains rDNA. The selected rhizobacterial strains may be valuable as biological control agents in the environment-friendly citrus farm in which chemical application is limited.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.393-401
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• 2016

Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation from the sun is the primary environmental factor that causes skin damages including skin cancer and premature skin aging. Because, even the most powerful sunscreen can't always afford enough protection, it is necessary to enhance the defensive power of skin against UV. Recently, constitutive photomorphogenic protein-1 (COP1) has shown to contribute to the regulation of UVB response of keratinocytes. In this study, we represent that COP1 and its associated protein, de-etiolated 1 (DET1), might participate in photoaging process in human skin as Arabidopsis COP1 does sun-protective function in plants. After UVB irradiation, the decrease of COP1 and DET1 mRNA expression was followed by the increase of c-Jun total protein. Moreover, transfection with DNA vectors expressing COP1 and DET1 down-regulated the c-Jun total protein. We found that Zanthoxylum piperitum extract (ZE) up-regulated the expression of COP1 and DET1 on human keratinocytes, and inhibited the expression of MMP1 which is one of the genes regulated by c-Jun signal. In addition, ZE has been reported to stimulate PPAR-${\alpha}$ and strengthen the skin barrier. We found that ZE decreased the UVB-induced IL-6 and IL-8 in NHEK cells. In human study, ZE protected skin against UV-B induced erythema and erythema-induced pigmentation. These results indicate that ZE could be useful for the protection against the adverse effects of UV irradiation through various mechanisms.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.393-406
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• 2019

In August 2017, anthracnose symptoms were observed on the petioles and leaf veins of Korean radish (Rhaphanus sativus) in Hongcheon, Jeongseon, and Pyeongchang of the Gangwon province, Korea. Many grayish to dark-brown spots of 1-2 mm in diameter, appeared on the lower surface and leaf veins of the radish leaves. The spots gradually enlarged and coalesced to form dark-brown irregular lesions. Ten Colletotrichum isolates were obtained from the affected tissues of the Korean radish. Out of them, eight isolates were identified as C. higginsianum and two isolates were identified as C. truncatum based on morphological characteristics and multi-locus molecular phylogenetic analysis using the internal transcribed spacers and intervening 5.8S rDNA (ITS), partial beta-tubulin gene (TUB2), partial actin gene (ACT), and partial chitin synthase-1 gene (CHS1). The pathogenicity test was carried out on wounded and unwounded Korean radish (cv. Siraegimu and Osarimu), and Chinese cabbage (cv. Chuno and Smart) by inoculating with a spore suspension. All isolates except one C. truncatum isolate developed typical symptoms on both wounded and unwounded Korean radish. In Chinese cabbage, only the plants inoculated with C. higginsianum isolates developed symptoms regardless of the wound. This is the first report of anthracnose caused by C. truncatum on Korean radish in Korea.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.10
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• pp.680-685
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• 2011

The AT-hook motif is a small DNA-binding protein motif that has been found in the high mobility group of non-histone chromosomal proteins. The Arabidopsis genome contains 29 genes encoding the AT-hook motif DNA-binding protein (AHL). Recent studies of Arabidopsis genes (AtAHLs) have revealed that they might play diverse functional roles during plant growth and development. In this report, we mined 20 AHL genes (OsAHLs) from the rice genome database using AtAHL genes as queries and characterized their molecular features. A phylogenetic tree revealed that OsAHL proteins can be classified into 2 evolutionary clades. Tissue expression pattern analysis revealed that all of the OsAHL genes might be functionally expressed genes with 3 distinct expression patterns. Nuclear localization analysis using transgenic Arabidopsis showed that several OsAHL proteins are exclusively localized in the nucleus, indicating that they may act as architectural transcription factors to regulate expression of their target genes during plant growth and development.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.393-399
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• 2008

We investigated the potential of fucoidan for its ability to provide protection from gamma rayinduced damage. In our results, the fucoidan significantly improved the counts of endogenous colony forming unit to $9.5 {\pm} 1.5$, from $5.5 {\pm} 2.5$ compared with un-treated irradiated control group at 10 day after 7 Gy whole body irradiation. After 2 Gy irradiation, fucoidan treatment attenuated the percent of tail DNA of splenocytes, parameters of DNA damage, from $30.17 {\pm} 1.7%$ to $13.67 {\pm} 2.81%$ 2.81% by comet assay and also accelerated the proliferation of splenocytes, compared with un-treated irradiated control group by 3Hthymidine incorporation assay. Furthermore, fucoidan decreased the number of apoptotic fragments per intestinal crypt by 31.8% at 1 days after 2 Gy irradiation. These results indicated that the fucoidan significantly improved the hematopoietic recovery, prevented the DNA damage in immune cells and enhanced their proliferation, which had been suppressed by ionizing radiation. in addition, fucoidan rescued intestinal cells from radiation-induced apoptosis. Thus, this study raises the possibility of using fucoidan as adjuvant therapeutic agent after radiotherapy.