• BMB Reports
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• 제51권4호
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• pp.174-181
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• 2018

A number of genes have been therapeutically targeted to relieve cancer, but cancer relapse is still a growing issue. The concept that the surrounding tumor environment is critical for the progression of cancer may foster an answer to the issue of cancer malignancy. Runt domain transcription factors (RUNX1, 2, and 3) are evolutionarily conserved and have been intensively studied for their roles in normal development and pathological conditions. During tumor growth, a hypoxic microenvironment and infiltration of the tumor by immune cells are common phenomena. In this review, we briefly introduce the consequences of hypoxia and immune cell infiltration into the tumor microenvironment with a focus on RUNX3 as a critical regulator. Furthermore, based on our current knowledge of the functional role of RUNX3 in hypoxia and immune cell maintenance, a probable therapeutic intervention is suggested for the effective management of tumor growth and malignancy.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.456-465
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• 2023

Cervical tumors represent a prevalent form of cancer affecting women worldwide; current treatment options involve surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Angiogenesis, the process of new blood vessel formation, is a crucial factor in cervical tumor growth. The molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of the liver kinase B1 (LKB1/STK11) tumor suppressor protein on tumor angiogenesis have not been elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the role of LKB1 in cervical tumor angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo in this study. Our results demonstrated that LKB1 inhibited cervical tumor angiogenesis by suppressing the expression of angiogenesis-related factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia inducible factor-1α. LKB1 directly affected both carcinoma and vascular endothelial cells, resulting in a significant reduction in tumor growth and angiogenesis. Furthermore, LKB1 was found to bind to VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) and target the VEGFR-2-mediated protein kinase B/mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling pathway in endothelial cells, thereby reducing cervical tumor growth and angiogenesis. Our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic effects of LKB1 in cervical cancer. These findings will help develop new therapeutic strategies for cervical cancer.

• Genes and Genomics
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• 제40권11호
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• pp.1169-1180
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• 2018

Cave shrimps from the genera Typhlatya, Stygiocaris and Typhlopatsa (TST complex) comprises twenty cave-adapted taxa, which mainly occur in the anchialine environment. Anchialine habitats may undergo drastic environmental fluctuations, including spatial and temporal changes in salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen content. Previous studies of crustaceans from anchialine caves suggest that they have possessed morphological, behavioral, and physiological adaptations to cope with the extreme conditions, similar to other cave-dwelling crustaceans. However, the genetic basis has not been thoroughly explored in crustaceans from anchialine habitats, which can experience hypoxic regimes. To test whether the TST shrimp-complex hypoxia adaptations matched adaptive evolution of mitochondrial OXPHOS genes. The 13 OXPHOS genes from mitochondrial genomes of 98 shrimps and 1 outgroup were examined. For each of these genes was investigated and compared to orthologous sequences using both gene (i.e. branch-site and Datamonkey) and protein (i.e. TreeSAAP) level approaches. Positive selection was detected in 11 of the 13 candidate genes, and the radical amino acid changes sites scattered throughout the entire TST complex phylogeny. Additionally, a series of parallel/convergent amino acid substitutions were identified in mitochondrial OXPHOS genes of TST complex shrimps, which reflect functional convergence or similar genetic mechanisms of cave adaptation. The extensive occurrence of positive selection is suggestive of their essential role in adaptation to hypoxic anchialine environment, and further implying that TST complex shrimps might have acquired a finely capacity for energy metabolism. These results provided some new insights into the genetic basis of anchialine hypoxia adaptation.

• 한국해양공학회지
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• 제22권5호
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• pp.7-24
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• 2008

Masan-Jinhae Bay, in Korea, is known for its frequent algal bloom outbreaks. This study was conducted in order to examine the environmental characteristics of the area, with the aim of identifying indicators that could be used to speculate about future algal blooms. The water temperatures and salinities in Haengam Bay, one of the small inner bays within Jinhae, appeared to re relatively higher than those in Masan and Jinhae bays, across most seasons. Furthermore, stratification begins to develop in all three regions from spring to summer as a result of the local heating effects and an increase in the efficient from the surrounding land. As a result, anoxic conditions appear near the bottom layer of the bay, leading to the deterioration of water quality, which has been identified as one of the causes of bloom outbreaks. Compared to Haengam and Jinhae bays, concentrations of DIN and DIP were remarkably higher in Masan Bay. However, the mean ratio of DIN to DIP was 3.3$\sim$13.6 in all three regions throughout the year, suggesting that nitrogen can function as a growth-limiting factor for phytoplankton. The results of mathematical models showed that cumulative organic pollutants may be a trigger for direct algal bloom occurrences, since residual tidal currents appeared to be less than $3\;cm\;\cdot\;s^{-1}$. Furthermore, computed DO concentrations in the four small inner bays of Jinhae during the summer appeared to be $3\;cm\;\cdot\;l^{-1}$ indicating a hypoxic state. Likewise, computed Chl-a concentrations turned out to be more than $0.01\;mg\;\cdot\;l^{-1}$, indicating eutrophication across most seasons. Based on the overall results, Masan-Jinhae Bay appeared to possess a very high potential for algal bloom outbreaks at anytime during the year.

• 생태와환경
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• 제36권3호통권104호
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• pp.322-335
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• 2003

낙동강 하류 지역에서 저질의 환경, 산소 소모량 (SOD), 무기 영양염 ($PO_4\;^{3-}$, $NH_4\;^+$, $NO_3\;^-$, $SiO_2$)의 용출량을 측정하여 용출 특성과 저질에 의한 내부 부하량을 추정하고자 하였다. 저질의 SOD는 10 ${\sim}$ $30^{\circ}C$범위에서 온도에 따라 직선적으로 증가하였으며 $Q_{10}$값은 1.1${\sim}$1.6이었고, $20^{\circ}C$기준 SOD는 76${\sim}$120 mg $O_2\;m^{-2}\;hr^{-1}$범위였다. 저질에서 영양염 용출은 호기/빈산소 조건, 온도, 저질의 유기물함량 등의 영향을 크게 받았다. $NH_4\;^+$와 $SiO_2$는 호기조건 및 빈산소 조건에서 용출이 활발하여 용존산소 농도에 관계없이 저질에서 수층으로 이동하였으나 $PO_4\;^{3-}$는 빈산소 조건에서 용출량이 높은 반면 호기 조건에서는 미미하였으며 $25^{\circ}C$이상 조건에서 크게 증가하는 양상을 띠었다. $NH_4\;^+$, $SiO_2$ 및 $PO_4\;^{3-}$의 용출량은 온도 증가에 대해 지수적으로 증가하였으며 온도에 대한 $Q_{10}$은 $PO_4\;^{3-}$가 3.7${\sim}$7.3으로 가장 높았다. 저질에서 $PO_4\;^{3-}$와 $NH_4\;^+$의 용출량은 지역적으로 차이가 컸으나, $SiO_2$ 용출량은 지역적 차이가 미미하였다. 반면 호기 및 빈산소 조건에서 $NO_3\;^-$은 수중에서 저질로 흡수되었으며 그 흡수량은 온도에 따라 직선적으로 증가하였다. 온도에 따른 흡수율 증가는 호기성보다 빈산소 조건에서 더 컸다. 낙동강 하류 지역의 저질 호기조건/빈산소 조건에서 $NH_4\;^+$, $NO_3\;^-$, $PO_4\;^{3-}$ 및 $SiO_2$의 용출량 범위는 각각 -9${\sim}$ 105 mgN $m^{-2}day^{-1}$, -156${\sim}$62 $m^{-2}day^{-1}$ -5${\sim}$5 $m^{-2}day^{-1}$, 및 12 ${\sim}$ 117 $m^{-2}day^{-1}$였다. 낙동강과 서낙동강에서 식물플랑크톤의 1차 생산성과 조체의 C:N:P의 Redfield 비율 106: 16: 1을 이용하여 추정한결과 저질에서 용출되는 $NH_4\;^+$는 식물플랑크톤의 요구량의 9 ${\sim}$23%이었고, $PO_4\;^{3-}$는 11 ${\sim}$ 22%를 차지하였다.

• 한국해양환경ㆍ에너지학회지
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.130-137
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• 2011

부영양화가 진행된 연안역의 퇴적환경개선을 목적으로, 수정만으로 부터 분리한 저서미세조류 Achnanthes sp., Amphora sp., Navicula sp.와 Nitzschia sp.의 성장에 미치는 수온과 염분의 영향을 정치배양으로 살펴보았다. 최대 성장속도는 Achnanthes sp.의 경우 $25^{\circ}C$와 25 psu(0.60 /day), Amphora sp.에서 $15^{\circ}C$와 25 psu(0.56 /day), Navicula sp.에서 $20^{\circ}C$와 30 psu(0.53 /day) 그리고 Nitzschia sp.에서 $20^{\circ}C$와 25 psu(0.48 /day)로 나타났다. 그리고 4종의 최적성장(최대성장 속도의 70% 이내)로부터, Amphora sp., Navicula sp.와 Nitzschia sp.는 광온성 및 광염성종으로 나타났으며, Achnanthes sp.는 낮은 수온영역에서 성장하기 어려운 협온성 종으로 특징지을 수 있었다. 따라서 Amphora sp., Navicula sp.와 Nitzschia sp.는 부영양화나 빈산소수괴 문제와 같이 오염된 연안역의 개선을 위한 식물환경복원용으로 유용한 미세조류일 것으로 판단된다.

• Animal Bioscience
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• 제34권5호
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• pp.922-930
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• 2021

Objective: Tibetan pigs, predominantly originating from the Tibetan Plateau, have been subjected to long-term natural selection in an extreme environment. To characterize the metabolic adaptations to hypoxic conditions, transcriptomic and proteomic expression patterns in the livers of Tibetan and Yorkshire pigs were compared. Methods: RNA and protein were extracted from liver tissue of Tibetan and Yorkshire pigs (n = 3, each). Differentially expressed genes and proteins were subjected to gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes functional enrichment analyses. Results: In the RNA-Seq and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation analyses, a total of 18,791 genes and 3,390 proteins were detected and compared. Of these, 273 and 257 differentially expressed genes and proteins were identified. Evidence from functional enrichment analysis showed that many genes were involved in metabolic processes. The combined transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed that small molecular biosynthesis, metabolic processes, and organic hydroxyl compound metabolic processes were the major processes operating differently in the two breeds. The important genes include retinol dehydrogenase 16, adenine phosphoribosyltransferase, prenylcysteine oxidase 1, sorbin and SH3 domain containing 2, ENSSSCG00000036224, perilipin 2, ladinin 1, kynurenine aminotransferase 1, and dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 1. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide novel insight into the high-altitude metabolic adaptation of Tibetan pigs.

• 생태와환경
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• 제33권3호통권91호
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• pp.213-221
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• 2000

본 연구는 1993년부터 1994년까지 대청호의 17개 지점에서 계절적 산소농도 및 심층 산소 결핍율을 조사하였다. 1993년 본류로부터의 유입수는 7${\sim}$8월의 장마철에 최대를 보였으며, 이는 상류의 수온 성층 및 무산소층을 파괴하여, 심층 무산소대는 호수 중 하류역에 제한되었다. 이 기간동안 무산소충은 호수전체 부피의 10%이하에 불과하였다. 반면, 1994년 하절기에 무산소충은 호수전역에 걸쳐 분포하였고, 산소포화도는 30% 이하를 유지하였으며, 무산소대의 체적은 수체 총부피의 85%를 차지하였다. 호수내 산소의 급격한 감소는 냉수성 어종(빙어)의 대량폐사를 야기시켰다. 하절기동안 상대적 산소결핍도(Relative Areal Oxygen Deficit, RAOD)는 1993년에 $-0.024\;mg\;O_2\;cm^{-2}\;d^{-1}$로 산소함량이 증가한 반면, 1994년에는 $-0.080\;mg\;O_2\;cm^{-2}\;d^{-1}$로서 산소의 빠른 감소율을 보였다. 계산된 무산소도(Anoxic Factor, AF)는 RAOD와 동일 페턴을 보였으며, 1993보다 1994년에 50 d 이상 증가를 보였다. 수심별 평균 여름 산소농도의 계산에 따르면, 1993년의 경우 대부분지점에서 강(River)의 특성 ($6{\sim}11\;mg/l\;DO$)을 보인 반면, 1994에는 수체 전역에서 전형적인 호수특성 (<4mg/l DO)을 보였다. 유입량에 대한 용존산소의 회기분석에 따르면, 산소 변화는 장마철유입량의 크기에 의해 결정되었다($R^2\;=\;0.99$). 이런 결과는 대청호에서 하절기 용존산소를 조절하는 1차적 요인이 하절기 강우의 강도라는 사실을 제시한다.