• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.171-180
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• 2023

Spring black stem and leaf spot, caused by Phoma medicaginis, is an issue in annual Medicago species. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed the response to P. medicaginis infection in a collection of 46 lines of three annual Medicago species (M. truncatula, M. ciliaris, and M. polymorpha) showing different geographic distribution in Tunisia. The reaction in the host to the disease is explained by the effects based on plant species, lines nested within species, treatment, the interaction of species × treatment, and the interaction of lines nested within species × treatment. Medicago ciliaris was the least affected for aerial growth under infection. Furthermore, the largest variation within species was found for M. truncatula under both conditions. Principal component analysis and hierarchical classification showed that M. ciliaris lines formed a separate group under control treatment and P. medicaginis infection and they are the most vigorous in growth. These results indicate that M. ciliaris is the least susceptible in response to P. medicaginis infection among the three Medicago species investigated here, which can be used as a good candidate in crop rotation to reduce disease pressure in the field and as a source of P. medicaginis resistance for the improvement of forage legumes.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.20.1-20.13
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• 2023

Background: As Actinobacillus pleuropneumonniae (APP) infection causes considerable losses in the pig industry, there is a growing need to develop effective therapeutic interventions that leverage host immune defense mechanisms to combat these pathogens. Objectives: To demonstrate the role of microRNA (miR)-127 in controlling bacterial infection against APP. Moreover, to investigate a signaling pathway in macrophages that controls the production of anti-microbial peptides. Methods: Firstly, we evaluated the effect of miR-127 on APP-infected pigs by cell count/enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Then the impact of miR-127 on immune cells was detected. The cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 were evaluated by ELISA. The expression of cytokines (anti-microbial peptides [AMPs]) was assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The expression level of IL-6, TNF-α and p-P65 were analyzed by western blot. The expression of p65 in the immune cells was investigated by immunofluorescence. Results: miR-127 showed a protective effect on APP-infected macrophage. Moreover, the protective effect might depend on its regulation of macrophage bactericidal activity and the generation of IL-22, IL-17 and AMPs by targeting sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor3 (SIPR3), the element involved in the Toll-like receptor (TLR) cascades. Conclusions: Together, we identify that miR-127 is a regulator of S1PR3 and then regulates TLR/nuclear factor-κB signaling in macrophages with anti-bacterial acticity, and it might be a potential target for treating inflammatory diseases caused by APP.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.55.1-55.12
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• 2023

Background: Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), caused by the PPR virus (PPRV), is an acute and fatal contagious disease that mainly infects goats, sheep, and other artiodactyls. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are considered the primary innate immune cells. Objectives: PBMCs derived from goats were infected with PPRV and analyzed to detect the relationship between PPRV replication and apoptosis or the inflammatory response. Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to identify PPRV replication and cytokines expression. Flow cytometry was conducted to detect apoptosis and the differentiation of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells after PPRV infection. Results: PPRV stimulated the differentiation of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells. In addition, PPRV induced apoptosis in goat PBMCs. Furthermore, apoptosis and the inflammatory response induced by PPRV could be suppressed by Z-VAD-FMK and Z-YVAD-FMK, respectively. Moreover, the virus titer of PPRV was attenuated by inhibiting caspase-1-dependent apoptosis and inflammation. Conclusions: This study showed that apoptosis and the inflammatory response play an essential role in PPR viral replication in vitro, providing a new mechanism related to the cell host response.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.59-72
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• 2024

A comprehensive survey of mungbean-growing areas was conducted to observe leaf spot disease caused by Alternaria alternata. Alternaria leaf spot symptoms were observed on the leaves. Diversity of 50 genotypes of mungbean was assessed against A. alternata and data on pathological traits was subjected to cluster analysis. The results showed that genotypes of mungbean were grouped into four clusters based on resistance parameters under the influence of disease. The principal component biplot demonstrated that all the disease-related parameters (% disease incidence, % disease intensity, lesion area, and % of infection) were strongly correlated with each other. Alt a 1 gene that is precisely found in Alternaria species and is responsible for virulence and pathogenicity. Alt a 1 gene was amplified using gene specific primers. The isolated pathogen produced similar symptoms when inoculated on mungbean and tobacco. The sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, a 600 bp fragment amplified using specific primers, ITS1 and ITS2 showed 100% identity with A. alternata. Potato virus X (PVX) -based silencing vector expressing Alt a 1 gene was constructed to control this pathogen through RNA interference in tobacco. Out of 50 inoculated plants, 9 showed delayed onset of disease. Furthermore, to confirm our findings at molecular level semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used. Both phenotypic and molecular investigation indicated that RNAi induced through the VIGS vector was efficacious in resisting the pathogen in the model host, Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). To the best of our knowledge, this study has been reported for the first time.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.125-138
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• 2024

Citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) is a member of the Alphaflexiviridae family that causes yellow vein clearing symptoms on citrus leaves. A total of 118 leaf samples from nine regions of six provinces in Korea were collected from various citrus species in 2020 and 2021. Viral diagnosis using next-generation sequencing and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) identified four viruses: citrus tristeza virus, citrus leaf blotch virus, citrus vein enation virus, and CYVCV. A CYVCV incidence of 9.3% was observed in six host plants, including calamansi, kumquat, Persian lime, and Eureka lemon. Among the citrus infected by CYVCV, only three samples showed a single infection; the other showed a mixed infection with other viruses. Eureka lemon and Persian lime exhibited yellow vein clearing, leaf distortion, and water-soak symptom underside of the leaves, while the other hosts showed only yellowing symptoms on the leaves. The complete genome sequences were obtained from five CYVCV isolates. Comparison of the isolates reported from the different geographical regions and hosts revealed the high sequence identity (95.2% to 98.8%). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that all the five isolates from Korea were clustered into same clade but were not distinctly apart from isolates from China, Pakistan, India, and Türkiye. To develop an efficient diagnosis system for the four viruses, a simultaneous detection method was constructed using multiplex RT-PCR. Sensitivity evaluation, simplex RT-PCR, and stability testing were conducted to verify the multiplex RT-PCR system developed in this study. This information will be useful for developing effective disease management strategies for citrus growers in Korea.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.35-53
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• 2007

Geochemical and isotope studies on the groundwater system of the Youngcheon area were carried out. Most groundwaters belong to Ca-$HCO_3$ and Ca-$SO_4$ types and some groundwaters belong to Na-$HCO_3$ type. Geochemical characteristics of these groundwaters were mainly affected by their basement rocks around the boreholes. High $SO_4$ content of groundwater is the result of reaction with sulfate or sulfide minerals in the host rock. Ca was originated from the carbonate minerals in the sedimentary rock. After the groundwater was saturated with calcite, the Na-$HCO_3$ type groundwaters were evolved by the reaction with plagioclase for a relatively long residence time. This explanation was supported by low tritium contents of Na-$HCO_3$ type groundwaters. ${\delt}a^{18}O$ and ${\delta}D$ data indicate that the groundwaters are of meteoric water origin and there was no difference between the various types of waters. Grondwaters from the boreholes BH-1, BH-9 and BH-12 showed the geochemical and isotopic characteristics of deep groundwater. Most borehole groundwaters except them did not show the systematic geochemical variations with sampling depth indicating that the shallow and deep groundwaters were mixed with each other throughout the study area. The results of water quality analysis indicate that the study area is highly contaminated by the introduction of agricultural sewage.

• The Korean Journal of Ceramics
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.95-98
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• 1998

We have developed new type of superconducting-superionic conducting nanohybrids, $Ag_xI_wBi_2Sr_2Ca_{n-1}Cu_nO_y$ (n=1 and 2) by applying the chimie douce reaction to the superconducting Bi-based cuprates. These nanohybrids can be achieved by the stepwise intercalation whereby the $Ag^+$ ion is thermally diffused into the pre-intercalated iodine sublattice of $IBi_2Sr_2Ca_{n-1}Cu_nO_y$. According to the X-ray diffraction analysis, the Ag-I intercalates are found to have an unique heterostructure in which the superionic conducting Ag-I layer and the superconducting $IBi_2Sr_2Ca_{n-1}Cu_nO_y$ layer are regularly interstratified with a remarkable basal increment of ~7.3$\AA$. The systematic XAS studies demonstrate that the intercalation of Ag-I accompanies the charge transfer between host and guest, giving rise to a change in hole concentration of $CuO_2$ layer and to a slight $T_c$ change. The Ag K-edge EXAFS result reveals that the intercalated Ag-I has a $\beta$-AgI-like local structure with distorted tetrahedral symmetry, suggesting a mobile environment for the intercalated $Ag^+$ ion. In fact, from ac impedance analyses, we have found that the Ag-I intercalates possess a fast ionic conductivity ($\sigma_i=10^{-1.4}\sim 10^{-2.6}\Omega^{-1}\textrm{cm}^{-1}\;at\;270^{\circ}C$ with an uniform activation energy ($\DeltaE_a=0.22\pm 0.02$ eV). More interesting finding is that these intercalates exhibit high electronic conducting as well as ionic ones ($t_i$=0.02~0.60) due to their interstratified structure consisting of superionic conducting and superconducting layers. In this respect, these new intercalates are expected to be useful as an electrode material in various electrochemical devices.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1386-1392
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• 2008

A gene (sll0158) putatively encoding a glycogen branching enzyme (GBE, E.C. 2.4.1.18) was cloned from Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, and the recombinant protein expressed and characterized. The PCR-amplified putative GBE gene was ligated into a pET-21a plasmid vector harboring a T7 promoter, and the recombinant DNA transformed into a host cell, E. coli BL21(DE3). The IPTG-induced enzymes were then extracted and purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. The putative GBE gene was found to be composed of 2,310 nucleotides and encoded 770 amino acids, corresponding to approx. 90.7 kDa, as confirmed by SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF-MS analyses. The optimal conditions for GBE activity were investigated by measuring the absorbance change in iodine affinity, and shown to be pH 8.0 and $30^{\circ}C$ in a 50 mM glycine-NaOH buffer. The action pattern of the GBE on amylose, an $\alpha$-(1,4)-linked linear glucan, was analyzed using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) after isoamylolysis. As a result, the GBE displayed $\alpha$-glucosyl transferring activity by cleaving the $\alpha$-(1,4)-linkages and transferring the cleaved maltoglycosyl moiety to form new $\alpha$-(1,6)-branch linkages. A time-course study of the GBE reaction was carried out with biosynthetic amylose (BSAM; $M_p{\cong}$8,000), and the changes in the branch-chain length distribution were evaluated. When increasing the reaction time up to 48 h, the weight- and number-average DP ($DP_w$ and $DP_n$) decreased from 19.6 to 8.7 and from 17.6 to 7.8, respectively. The molecular size ($M_p$, peak $M_w{\cong}2.45-2.75{\times}10^5$) of the GBE-reacted product from BSAM reached the size of amylose (AM) in botanical starch, yet the product was highly soluble and stable in water, unlike AM molecules. Thus, GBE-generated products can provide new food and non-food applications, owing to their unique physical properties.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.156-170
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• 1994

The talc ore deposits can be divided into chloritic and dolomitic ores according to mineral assemblages. The former is mainly composed of chlorite and talc accompanied with dolomite, muscovite and opaque mineral, and the latter of dolomite and talc with serpentine, calcite and magnesite in places. Talc was originated from chlorite and serpentine. Carbonate minerals were formed either directly from the introduced hydrothermal solution or secondarily as a by-product of steatitization of chlorite and serpentine. The process of talc formation may be governed by the chemical composition of the host rocks and the amount and/or chemical composition of the hydrothermal solution which may be different in places. However, the representative reactions producing talc from chlorite and serpentine are as follows : (1) chlorite+$Mg^{++}+Si^{4+}+H_2O$=talc, (2) chlorite+$Mg^{++}+Si^{4+}+Ca^{++}+CO_2+O_2+H_2O$=talc+ dolomite+ magnesite, and (3) serpentine +$Mg^{++}+Fe^{++}+Si^{4+}+Ca^{++}+CO_2+H_2O$=talc+dolomite. The reactions indicate that the carbonate minerals can be formed when the hydrothermal solution have high $fO_2$ and $fCO_2$. The steatitization might be proceeded by the hydrothermally metasomatic reaction between chlorite schist or chlorite gneiss intercalated in the granitic gneiss and hydrothermal solution accompanied to the wet granitization.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.117-122
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• 1997

On the basis of our previous paper[Bull. Korean Chem. Soc. 1995, 16, 1015], the relative stability, ionization potential, and chemical reaction of the neutral and multiply charged $C_{60}$n ions(n=3+ to 6-) have been investigated by the semi-empirical MNDO method. $C_{60}^{1-}$ has the highest stability. The ionization potential values of the $C_{60}$ ions range from 15.31 eV of $C_{60}^{2+}$ to -13.01 eV of $C_{60}^{6-}$. These values show a linear relationship according to charges. The average IP per charge is 3.15 eV from our calculations and 3.22 eV from the linear function of IP. A charge- or electron-transfer reaction of $C_{60}^{n+}$ will only occur if the ionization potential of any guest molecule is lower than the electron affinity of the host $C_{60}^{n+}$. If the energy gap between ionization potential and electron affinity, ${\Delta}_{IP-EA}$, is high, charge-transfer reactions arise by the charge-controlled effect. However, if ${\Delta}_{IP-EA}$ is low, electron-transfer reactions arise by the frontier-controlled effect.