• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.112-124
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• 2002

2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) has been reported to exert detrimental toxicities on various organ systems including reproductive, cardiovascular, nervous, or dermal system. Immunomodulatory effects of TCDD is thymic atrophy, downregulation of cytotoxic T or B lymphocyte differentiation and activation, which were demonstrated using experimental animals, whereas immunotoxicity in human has not been investigated well. This study was proceeded to evaluate general immunologic spectrum of the Korean Vietnam War veterans exposed to TCDD during their operation, and compare with that of the non-exposed control subjects with similar age. Regarding composition and quantity, immune cells in peripheral blood collected from the TCDD-exposed was not much different from those of the control except decreased red blood cell, hemoglobin and hematocrit level. Furthermore, plasma IgG2, G3, and G4 isotype distribution was similar between two groups, but IgG1 level was significantly lowered in the TCDD-exposed, indicating a TCDD-mediated functional alteration of B cells. Significantly enhanced level of IgE in plasma, a hallmark of dermal or respiratory allergic response, was also observed in the TCDD-exposed compared with that of the control. Elevated generation of IL-4 and IL-10 was resulted from in vitro stimulation of T cells with PMA plus ionomycin or PHA, respectively, from the TCDD-exposed in comparison to those of the control, suggesting a skewed type-2 response. In addition, the level of IFN${\gamma}$, a multifunctional cytokine for T cell-mediated immunity, was lowered in the TCDD-exposed with upregulation of tumor necrosis factor $\alpha$. The present study suggests that TCDD exposure disturbs immunohomeostasis in humans observed as an aberrant plasma IgE and IgG1 levels and dysregulation of T cell activities.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.496-507
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• 2018

Immunization has been performed for centuries and is generally accepted as a sustainable method of controlling bacteria, viruses, and mediated and infectious diseases. Despite many studies having been performed on animal subjects to demonstrate the importance of toxin immunity, the use of toxoid vaccines in humans and animals has been limited for a long time. Recently, the development of the toxoid antigen delivery system has been facilitated using novel nano-medicinal technology. The micro/nano-carrier has been used to improve vaccination coverage as well as reduce vaccine costs. A micro/nano-carrier is a micro/nano-sized material that delivers immune cargo, including recombinant or peptide toxoid antigens. These toxoid antigens are either encapsulated in the interior or displayed on the surface of micro/nano-carriers as a way to protect them from the cellular machinery. In particular, the combination of toxoid antigens and micro/nano-carriers can induce phagocytosis through the specific interactions between GCs and macrophages; thus, the toxoid antigens can be delivered easily into the macrophages. This paper reviews recent achievements of micro/nano-carriers in the field of vaccine delivery systems such as microbial ghost cells (GCs, Bacterial ghost cells and Yeast ghost cells), gene-manipulated outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) and biocompatible, polymer-based nanoparticles (NPs, NP-Carrier and NP-Cage). Finally, this review shows various aspects in terms of the hosts' immune responses.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.201-210
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• 2009

Although Anisakis type larvae have been shown to cause various injuries directly or indirectly in humans and animals, the epidemiological studies on these larval infestations are in insufficient state. The status of larval infestation was investigated in 989 fishes of 44 species, which are inhabiting around the east-westernsouth costal area of Korea during the period from March 2007 to February 2008. The Anisakis type larvae were infected approximately 38% (377 fishes) in 989 fishes. Most of the worms were identified as Anisakis simplex type I by morphological finding and 18S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis. In the seasonal variations of infestation, most of the fishes showed higher infestation rate during spring and summer, while the fishes such as herring Clupea pallasii did during winter. From the histopathological studies of infested fishes, it has been observed that Anisakis type larvae are harbouring mainly around the intestinal viscera such as liver, pancreas, stomach, pylolic cecum, and cloaca.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 2014

For the treatments and protection of bacterial fish disease, many requirements are needed for aquatic probiotics so that they are effective in aquaculture animals but are also harmless to humans. In the present study, among 17 candidate probiotic bacteria (CPB) obtained from the edible part of the shellfish, Bacillus sp. CPB-St (CPB-St) were selected and in vitro evaluated for the possibility as a probiotic strain for the control of fish streptococcosis which frequently occurs in the olive flounder farms. CPB-St showed inhibitory effects on the growth of various fish pathogenic bacteria, Streptococcus sp., S. parauberis, S. iniae, Lactococcus garvieae and L. piscium by the double layer test ranging about 18~26 mm of clear zone. Inhibitory activity of CPB-St to Streptococcus sp. was observed 6 hours after and the growth of Streptococcus sp. was decreased to 8~55 folds in the co-culture of CPB-St with Streptococcus sp.. The safety of CPB-St to fish and survival of CPB-St in the intestine were assessed in the olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. Fish mortality was not observed in artificial infection with CPB-St for 2 weeks. CPB-St was entirely excreted from the stomach and intestine 24 hours after oral injection. This results indicate that CPB-St has potential applications as a probiotic for the control of fish streptococcosis in aquaculture.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.193-202
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• 2023

Influenza IAVs are encapsulated negative-strand RNA viruses that infect many bird species' respiratory systems and can spread to other animals, including humans. This work reanalyzed previous microarray datasets to identify common and specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in chickens, as well as their biological activities. There were 760 and 405 DEGs detected in HPAIV and LPAIV-infected chicken cells, respectively. HPAIV and LPAIV have 670 and 315 DEGs, respectively, with both viruses sharing 90 DEGs. Because of HPAIV infection, numerous genes were implicated in a fundamental biological function of the cell cycle, according to the functional annotation of DEGs. Of the targeted genes, expressions of CDC Like Kinase 3 (CLK3), Nucleic Acid Binding Protein 1 (NABP1), Interferon-Inducible Protein 6 (IFI6), PIN2 (TERF1) Interacting Telomerase Inhibitor 1 (PINX1), and Cellular Communication Network Factor 4 (WISP1) were altered in DF-1 cells treated with polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (PIC), a toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) ligand, suggesting that transcription of these genes be controlled by TLR3 signaling. To gain a better understanding of the pathophysiology of AIVs in chickens, it is crucial to focus more research on unraveling the mechanisms through which AIV infections may manipulate host responses during the infection process. Insights into these mechanisms could facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.261-266
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• 2023

The skeletal muscles of livestock play a crucial role as protein sources for humans, and the consumption of poultry meat is steadily increasing worldwide. Numerous genes, including myogenic regulatory factors, are involved in myogenesis, and precise regulation of them is essential. In this study, genes specifically expressed in muscles were selected, and their promoters were cloned and analyzed. The analysis of gene expression in various tissues of animals revealed that many genes exhibited specific expression patterns in skeletal muscles, with TNNT3, TNNC2, and MYF6 genes showing similar patterns in poultry. The promoter regions of three genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction to sizes of 1.2 kb, 1.03 kb, and 1.43 kb, respectively. These fragments were then inserted at the front of the enhanced green fluorescent protein gene in vectors. It was confirmed that the sequences of three promoters closely matched the chicken genome sequences. Upon introducing vectors with each promoter into QM7 quail muscle cells, all three promoters successfully induced the expression of the green fluorescent protein. The brightness of the green fluorescence in each promoter was approximately seven times dimmer compared to the control, CMV-IE promoter. It is predicted that more than 230 transcription factors can bind to each promoter, especially various transcription factors expressed in muscles, including myogenic regulatory factors such as MYF5, MYOD, and MYOG. These promoters can be valuable for studying gene expression in poultry muscle cells, and further research is needed to precisely investigate the regulatory region of gene expression in promoters.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.605-614
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• 2022

Two major problems currently threaten human survival on Earth: climate change and the rapid aging of the population in developed countries. Climate change is a result of the increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere due to the increase in the use of fossil fuels owing to economic and transportation development. The rapid increase in the age of the population is a result of the rise in life expectancy due to the development of biomedical science and technology and the improvement of personal hygiene in developed countries. To avoid irreversible global climate change, it is necessary to quickly transition from the current fossil fuel-based economy to a zero-carbon renewable energy-based economy that does not emit GHGs. To achieve this goal, the dairy and livestock industry, which generates the most GHGs in the agricultural sector, must transition to using low-carbon emission production methods while simultaneously increasing consumers' preference for low-carbon diets. Although 77% of currently available arable land globally is used to produce livestock feed, only 37% and 18% of the proteins and calories that humans consume come from dairy and livestock farming and industry. Therefore, using edible insects as a protein source represents a good alternative, as it generates less GHG and reduces water consumption and breeding space while ensuring a higher feed conversion rate than that of livestock. Additionally, utilizing the functionality of medicinal insects, such as silkworms, which have been proven to have certain health enhancement effects, it is possible to develop functional foods that can prevent or delay the onset of currently incurable degenerative diseases that occur more frequently in the elderly. Insects are among the first animals to have appeared on Earth, and regardless of whether humans survive, they will continue to adapt, evolve, and thrive. Therefore, the use of various edible and medicinal insects, including silkworms, in industry will provide an important foundation for human survival and prosperity on Earth in the near future by resolving the current two major problems.

• 한국환경농학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.07a
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• pp.273-282
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• 2009

The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) disease group are fatal neurodegenerative disorders affecting a wide range of hosts. The group includes kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, scrapie in sheep and goats and Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle. The exact nature of the infectious agent involved in the transmission of these diseases remains controversial. However, a central event in their pathogenesis is the accumulation in infected tissues of an abnormal form of a host-encoded protein, the prion protein (PrP). Whereas the normal cellular protein is fully sensitive to protease ($PrP^{sen}$), the disease-associated prion protein ($PrP^d$) is only partly degraded ($PrP^{res}$), its amino-terminal end being removed. BSE was first reported in the mid-80s in the UK. Ten years later, a new form of human prion disease, variant CJD (vCJD) developed in the wake of the BSE epidemic, and there is now strong scientific evidence that vCJD was initiated by the exposure of humans to BSE-infected tissues, thus indicating a zoonotic disease. However, the ban on the feeding of animal-derived proteins to ruminants, and the apparent lack of vertical transmission of BSE, have led to a decline in the incidence of the disease within cattle herd and therefore, an assumed decreased risk for human contacting vCJD. The origin of the original case(s) of BSE still remains an enigma even though three hypotheses have been raised. Hypotheses are i) sheep- or goat-derived scrapie-infected tissues included in meat and bone meal fed to cattle, ii) a previously undetected sporadic or genetic bovine TSE contaminating cattle feed or iii) originating from a human TSE through animal feed contaminated with human remains. A host cellular membrane protein ($PrP^C$), which is abundant in central nervous system tissue, appear to be conformationally altered in the diseased host into a prion protein ($PrP^{Sc}$). This $PrP^{Sc}$ is detergent insoluble and partially protease-resistant ($PrP^{res}$). The term $PrP^{res}$ is normally used to describe the protein detected after protease treatment, in techniques such as Western immunoblotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay using fresh/frozen tissue. Immunohistochemistry may performed with formalin-fixed tissues. Also, clinical signs of the BSE are one of the major diagnostic indicators. Recently, atypical forms (known as H- and L-type) of BSE have appeared in several European countries, Japan, Canada and the United States. An unusual case was also reported in a miniature zebu. The atypical BSE fall into two groups based on the relative molecular mass (Mm) of the unglycosylated $PrP^{res}$ band relative to that of classical BSE, one of the higher Mm (H-type) and the other lower (L-type). Both types have been detected worldwide as rare cases in older animals, at a low prevalence consistent with the possibility of sporadic forms of prion diseases in cattle. This raises the unwelcome possibility that vCJD could increase in the human population. Now, active surveillance program against BSE is going on in Korea. In regional veterinary service lab, ELISA is applied to screen the BSE in slaughter and confirmatory tests by Western immunoblotting and immunohistochemisty are carried out if there are positive or suspect in the screening test. Also, the ruminant feed ban is rigorously enforced. Removal of specified risk materials such as brain and spinal cord from cattle is mandatory process at slaughter to prevent the infected material from entering the human food chain.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.143-148
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• 2017

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed is an important dietary source of protein, oil, carbohydrates, isoflavones, and other nutrients for humans and animals. Raffinose and stachyose are the main antinutritional factors in soybean seed. They are carbohydrates belonging to the raffinose family of oligosaccharides, which are not readily digested in humans and cause flatulence or diarrhea. The genetic reduction of the raffinose and stachyose contents in mature soybean seeds will improve the nutritional value of soybean. The objective of this research was to evaluate agronomic traits with 10 $F_6$ strains selected from breeding populations derived from a cross among seven parents. The contents of raffinose and stachyose in mature seeds were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography. Agronomic traits such as flower color, flowering date, harvesting date, lodging, plant height, seed coat color, hilum color, 100 seed weight, and yield were evaluated. Ten intermediate parents showed low raffinose and stachyose contents. The intermediate parent 883-1 had a small seed size, six intermediate parents (15A1, 15D1, RS-5, RS-33, RS-64, and RS-70) had a medium seed size, and two intermediate parents (14G20 and RS-21) had a large seed size. The intermediate parent RS-21 had a black seed coat and a green cotyledon. Four intermediate parents (883-1, 14G20, RS-5, and RS-21) had elite agronomic traits. The new intermediate parents developed through this study will be used to develop improved soybean cultivars with low contents of raffinose and stachyose.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.885-891
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• 2018

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) toxin A is known to cause acute gut inflammation in humans and animals by triggering cytoskeletal disorganization in gut epithelial cells. In human colonocytes, toxin A blocks microtubule assembly by directly increasing the enzymatic activity of histone deacetylase-6 (HDAC-6), a tubulin-specific deacetylase, thereby markedly decreasing tubulin acetylation, which is essential for microtubule assembly. Microtubule assembly dysfunction-associated alterations (i.e., toxin A-exposed gut epithelial cells) are believed to trigger barrier dysfunction and gut inflammation downstream. We recently showed that potassium acetate blocked toxin A-induced microtubule disassembly by inhibiting HDAC-6. Herein, we tested whether acetic acid (AA), another small acetyl residue-containing agent, could block toxin A-induced tubulin deacetylation and subsequent microtubule assembly. Our results revealed that AA treatment increased tubulin acetylation and enhanced microtubule assembly in an HT29 human colonocyte cell line. AA also clearly increased tubulin acetylation in murine colonic explants. Interestingly, the AA treatment also alleviated toxin A-induced tubulin deacetylation and microtubule disassembly, and MTT assays revealed that AA reduced toxin A-induced cell toxicity. Collectively, these results suggest that AA can block the ability of toxin A to cause microtubule disassembly-triggered cytoskeletal disorganization by blocking toxin A-mediated deacetylation of tubulin.