• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.912-916
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• 2014

Japanese apricot (Prunus mume Siebold and Zucc.) is a deciduous tree of the family Rosaceae, and it has long been used as a folk remedy for cough and dyspepsia. A new cultivar 'Okjoo' was developed from a cross between 'Gyokuei' and 'Rinsyu' carried out at the National Institute of Horticultural & Herbal Science in 1993. It w as s elected for good shape, large size and high yield capacity in 2006, and then it was granted official patent No. 4556 in 2013. It blooms 4 days and 2 days earlier than 'Gyokuei' and 'Rinsyu', respectively. Its flower petal color is pink, and the pollen amount is negligible. Its S-genotype, determined using Polymerase Chain Reaction with a S-RNase gene-specific primer pair, is $S_3S_6$. The average optimum harvest time of 'Okjoo' is late June. The fruit is round in shape and its suture is shallow. Average fruit weight is 18.5 g, and it contains total soluble solids $7.66^{\circ}Brix$ and titratable acidity at 4.81%. Fruit skin color is green. Sometimes only the light side of the fruits seems to develop blush. The incidence levels of scab (Cladosporium carpophilum Thumen) and bacterial shot hole (Xanthomonas arboricola pv. Pruni) are quite low. Consequently, 'Okjoo' seems to be a promising new cultivar for Japanese apricot growers.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.518-526
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• 2015

Objectives This study investigated the effect of purified safflower (Carthamus tinctorius Linne) and safflower seed (Carthamus tinctorius L. seed; CS) extract, using hot water and ethanol extract methods , on the osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3E1 cells.Methods The safflower and safflower seed were extracted with hot water and ethanol. The samples were concentrated by a rotary evaporator and then freeze-dried using a freeze-dryer. The MC3T3E1 cells were propagated and maintained in DMEM (Gibco) containing 10% FBS and a 1% antibiotic antimycotic solution. To induce osteogenic differentiation, the cells were treated for 14 days with DMEM with 10 mM β-glycerophosphate and 50 μM ascorbic acid. Extract doses were confirmed by the results of an MTT assay, and treatment of the extracts was performed in a differentiation medium every two days. The ALP staining and activity were tested after osteogenic differentiation for five days, and after 14 days, osteogenic differentiation was determined by alizarin red S staining. The mRNA expressions of osteogenic-related genes were quantified using quantitative real-time PCR.Results In the results of the MTT assay, all concentrations of safflower extracts had no toxicity in the MC3T3El cells. But in the groups of 100 ng/ml and 200 ng/ml concentrations of safflower seed extracts, the cell viability was significantly reduced by up to 40-50%. So we fixed the treatment concentration of the extract at 50 ng/ml. In the ALP and alizarin red S staining, all extract groups increased osteogenic differentiation compared with the control group. The water-safflower extract group showed the highest mRNA level of Alp, Runx2, and Dlx5 genes. The mRNA level of Ocn, an osteogenic gene related to late-stage differentiation, in the ethanol-safflower extract group increased the mineralization more significantly than in other groups.Conclusions These data suggest that the extract of safflower increases the osteoblastic differentiation activates of MC3T3E1 cells like the extract of safflower seed. The water-extract and ethanol-extract of safflower have effects on different stages of osteogenesis in MC3T3El. Not only safflower seed but also safflower will be useful therapeutic reagents for age-associated chronic diseases such as osteoporosis.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2014.10a
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• pp.34-34
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• 2014

Filamentous fungi of the genus Colletotrichum (teleomorph, Glomerella) are considered major plant pathogens worldwide. Cereals, legumes, vegetables, and fruit trees may be seriously affected by this pathogen (1). Colletotrichum species cause typical disease symptoms known as anthracnoses, characterized by sunken necrotic tissue, where orange conidial masses are produced. Anthracnose appears in both developing and mature plant tissues (2). We investigated disease occurrence in apple orchards from 2013 to 2014 in northern Gyeongbuk province, Korea. Typical anthracnose with advanced symptoms was observed in all apple orchards studied. Of late, static fruit spot symptoms are being observed in apple orchards. A small lesion, which does not expand further and remains static until the harvesting season, is observed at the beginning of fruit growth period. In our study, static symptoms, together with the typical symptoms, were observed on apples. The isolated fungus was tested for pathogenicity on cv. 'Fuji apple' (fully ripe fruits, unripe fruits, and cross-section of fruits) by inoculating the fruits with a conidial suspension ($10^5$ conidia/ml). In apple inoculated with typical anthracnose fungus, the anthracnose symptoms progressed, and dark lesions with salmon-colored masses of conidia were observed on fruit, which were also soft and sunken. However, in apple inoculated with fungi causing static symptoms, the size of the spots did not increase. Interestingly, the shape and size of the conidia and the shape of the appressoria of both types of fungi were found to be similar. The conidia of the two types of fungi were straight and cylindrical, with an obtuse apex. The culture and morphological characteristics of the conidia were similar to those of C. gloeosporioides (5). The conidia of C. gloeosporioides germinate and form appressoria in response to chemical signals such as host surface wax and the fruitripening hormone ethylene (3). In this study, the spores started to germinate 4 h after incubation with an ethephon suspension. Then, the germ tubes began to swell, and subsequently, differentiation into appressoria with dark thick walls was completed by 8 h. In advanced symptoms, fungal spores of virtually all the appressoria formed primary hyphae within 16 h. However, in the static-symptom fungus spores, no primary hyphae formed by 16 h. The two types of isolates exhibited different growth rates on medium containing apple pectin, Na polypectate, or glucose as the sole carbon. Static-symptom fungi had a >10% reduction in growth (apple pectin, 14.9%; Na polypectate, 27.7%; glucose, 10.4%). The fungal isolates were also genetically characterized by sequencing. ITS regions of rDNA, chitin synthase 1 (CHS1), actin (ACT), and ${\beta}$-tubulin (${\beta}t$) were amplified from isolates using primer pairs ITS 1 and ITS 4 (4), CHS-79F and CHS-354R, ACT-512F and ACT-783R, and T1 and ${\beta}t2$ (5), respectively. The resulting sequences showed 100% identity with sequences of C. gloeosporioides at KC493156, and the sequence of the ${\beta}$t gene showed 100% identity with C. gloeosporioides at JX009557.1. Therefore, sequence data from the four loci studied proves that the isolated pathogen is C. gloeosporioides. We also performed random amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR, which showed clearly differentiated subgroups of C. gloeosporioides genotypes. The clustering of these groups was highly related to the symptom types of the individual strains.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.593-597
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• 2009

The uterus plays a critical role in pregnancy and steroid hormones, and both estrogen (E2) and progesterone (P4) especially play important roles in the cross-talk between embryos and uterus to support the pregnancy. E2 stimulates uterine growth during early pregnancy to prepare for implantation of embryos. This cross-talk during the implantation period involves hormones (E2 and P4) and growth factors, including insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). In the uterus of a pregnant pig, the action of E2 is mediated by estrogen receptor-${\beta}$ (ER-${\beta}$). The expression of ER-a was much higher in early pregnancy than in mid- and late- pregnancy, suggesting E2 secretion from embryos enhances transcription of ER-a during early pregnancy. In order to prove whether IGF-I is an E2 target gene, quantitative real-time PCR was performed on ovariectomized murine uterus with E2 and/or P4 treatment(s). Increased IGF-I mRNA expression was observed with E2 treatment, however, it was not significantly induced by P4 treatment, which clearly demonstrates that, in mice, E2 depends on the activation of uterine IGF-I gene expression. The expression of IGF-I in the uterus of pigs was much higher in early pregnancy than in mid- and late- pregnancy and these data exhibited the same expression pattern with the ER-${\beta}$ gene expression in the uterus. It suggests that a positive co-relationship between IGF-I and ER-${\beta}$ expression exists in the uterus, and that both gene expressions of IGF-I and ER-${\beta}$ are regulated by E2. It further suggests that uterine the IGF-I gene expression might be initiated by E2 secreted from embryos to increase ER-${\beta}$ gene expression, and that this increased ER-${\beta}$ further stimulates the expression of IGF-I in the uterus during early pregnancy.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.593-600
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• 2007

Recent studies described the ${\varepsilon}4$ allele of apoE confers a two-to fourfold increased risk for late-onset Alzheimer#s disease (LOAD), but LOAD pathology does not all fit neatly around apo E. Therefore, the goal of this study was to find the association between Alzheimer and apo E4 genotype in the 107 elderly between 50 to 64 years old who visited to FHWC of Sungshin Women#s University. We conducted the questionnaire survey (general & 24 hr dietary recall), anthropometerics (BP, waist & BMI) and blood biochemistry (FBS & lipid profiles). LDL-c and HOMA-IR were calculated by Friedwald#s and Matthew#s formulas. The apo E genotyping was performed by PCR-RFLP method and subjects were divided into three allele groups (${\varepsilon}3$; wild, ${\varepsilon}2$ & ${\varepsilon}4;$ mutants). The apo E allele frequencies were 7.0% for the ${\varepsilon}2$, 83.6% for the ${\varepsilon}3$ and 9.3% for the ${\varepsilon}4$. In comparison with biochemistry characteristics by apo E genotype, FBS was significantly higher in ${\varepsilon}4(129.2{\pm}6.8)$ than that in the others (${\varepsilon}2$: $117{\pm}7.4$, ${\varepsilon}3$: $107.3{\pm}2.2)$ (p<0.01). More than forty percents of ${\varepsilon}4$ group shown the dyslipidemia [high TG (>150mg/dl) & low HDL (<40 mg/dl:male or <50 mg/dl: female)]. The cytokines levels such as IL-1 ${\beta}$, IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ were not different among three apoE alleles. After the adjusting sex, age & dietary fiber, LDL-c level was siginificantly higher in ${\varepsilon}4$ ($108.3{\pm}7.7$) than that in ${\varepsilon}2$ ($100.4{\pm}8.4$) (p<0.05). According to food intake and the recipe on the basis of 24 hr dietary recall, the elder]y with ${\varepsilon}4$ allele took higher intake frequency of the light -colored vegetable (radish, onion & cabbage) and pan-fried foods (sauteed beef and vegetables, stir-fried vienna with vegetables) than the others. We knew that the elderly with ${\varepsilon}4$ allele had been restricted the calories intakes with high dietary fiber (33.6+2.5 g/d) to maintain the normal level of FBS and LDL-c. On next study, the prevalence of Alzheimer#s disease in this population who has ${\varepsilon}4$ allele on the condition of calories restriction will be continually follow-up.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.105-113
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• 2006

Reactive oxygen species(ROS) generated in cellular metabolism have an effect on cell maturation and development. In human reproductive tract, oxidative injury by ROS may induce female infertility. Also, oxidative injury may be responsible for developmental retardation and arrest of mammalian preimplantation embryos. Activating transcription factor 4(ATF4) is a member of the cyclic-AMP response element-binding(CREB) familiy of basic region- leucine zipper(bZip). ATF4 is known to regulate stress response to protect cell from various stress factors and inducer of apoptisis. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether ATF4 is involved in the defensive mechanism in oxidative stress condition during the development of mouse preimplantation embryos. To verify the expression of ATF4 in oxidative stress condition, 2-cell stage embryos were cultured in HTF media containing 0.1mM, 0.5mM or 1mM hydrogen peroxide($H_2O_2$) for 1hr(2-cell), 8hr(4-cell), 17hr(8-cell), 24hr(morula), 48hr(early blastocyst) or 64hr(late blastocyst). The developmental rate decreased in the 0.1mM $H_2O_2$ treated group compared with control group. In embryos treated with 0.5mM and 1mM $H_2O_2$ showed 2-cell block. As a results of the semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis of SOD1, ATF4 and Bax gene expression, SOD1, ATF4 and Bax genes were increased in 0.1mM, 0.5mM, 1mM $H_2O_2$ treated groups compared with control group. In 2-cell embryos, expression of SOD1, ATF4 and Bax genes were notably increased in 0.1mM, 0.5mM, 1mM $H_2O_2$ treated groups compared with control group. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that ATF4 protein was localized at the cytoplasm of preimplantation embryos. The increase in ATF4 immunoreactivety was observed in the 0.1mM, 0.5mM, 1mM $H_2O_2$ treated groups compared with control group. It suggests that oxidative stress by $H_2O_2$ induces expression of ATF4 and may be involved in protection mechanism in preimplantation embryos from oxidative injury.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1637-1643
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• 2009

Shikonin, a component of Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc, exerts various characteristics such as anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-obesity functions. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of shikonin-induced inhibition of adipogenesis, we analyzed the mRNA expression level of various adipogenesis-related factors including C/EBPs (CCAAT/enhancerbinding proteins) and $PPAR{\gamma}$ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor $\gamma$). The data showed that mRNA expressions of C/$EBP{\beta}$ and C/$EPB{\delta}$ were only slightly changed by shikonin treatment, but mRNA expressions of $PPAR{\gamma}$ and C/$EPB{\alpha}$ were significantly down-regulated. Then, we tested whether upstream regulators of C/$EBP{\beta}$ and $PPAR{\gamma}$ were involved in anti-adipogenesis of shikonin. C/$EBP{\gamma}$ and CHOP (C/EBP homologous protein), which are upstream regulators of C/$EBP{\beta}$, were not affected by shikonin treatment. On the contrary, the mRNA level of KROX20 was markedly down-regulated by shikonin treatment. These results suggest that KROX20 might regulate downstream factors of adipogenesis through C/$EBP{\beta}$-independent pathway. The expression of KLF15 (Kruppel-like factor15), which is a member of KLF family and is a upstream regulator of $PPAR{\gamma}$, was dramatically decreased by shikonin treatment, but KLF2 was not changed. Shikonin had no impact on the expression of KLF5 in the early stage of adipogenesis, but shikonin increased expression of KLF5 in the late stage of adipogenesis. Even though mRNA expression of KLF5 was moderately changed by shikonin treatment, its effect may be small compared with the effect of KLF15, which was markedly inhibited. Taken together, these results suggest that shikonin inhibits adipogenesis through the down-regulation of $PPAR{\gamma}$ and C/$EPB{\alpha}$, which is mediated by the down-regulation of two pro-adipogenic factors, KROX20 and KLF15.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.96-103
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• 2014

Purpose: The aim of this study is that the prevalence of rotavirus infection was evaluated by each group and clinical features of group A, B and C rotaviruses infections were described respectively to compare one with another. Methods: Between January 2010 and December 2010, we enrolled a group of children below 10 years of age admitted for management of acute diarrhea at the Catholic University of Korea Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital. A total of 310 stool samples documented to be free of common bacterial pathogens were collected from children with diarrhea. The presence of group A, B or C rotavirus is indicated by amplification of DNA segments of the expected lengths after the first and second PCRs Results: In a total of 310 stool specimens, 40 (12.9%) specimens were positive for rotaviruses. These included 23 (7.4%) positive for group A, 5 (1.6%) for group B and 12 (3.9%) for group C rotaviruses. Group B rotavirus infected patients had significantly less diarrheas per day (group A: P =0.01, group C: P =0.01) and shorter duration of vomiting days (group A: P =0.03, group C: P =0.03) than those with group A and C rotaviruses infection respectively. All the group B rotaviruses had been isolated in March and October. Group C rotavirus infections were prevalent during late summer and early winter and peaked in October. Conclusion: These findings indicate that group B and C rotaviruses are notable causes or the contributing causes of diarrhea among infants and children in Korea.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.56-63
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• 2014

Using commercial radish varieties for processing, about 30% of radish was discarded due to the root shape and low purity. To raise the processing ability, we tried to develop a new variety producing H-shaped root. As another characteristic required in variety for processing is high purity, we tried to raise purity using simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers for testing seed purity in every segregating generation. To develop Male-sterile (MS) seeding parent, we crossed commercial variety of 'Gwan dong spring' and 'Gyeo ryong spring'. One elite inbred was selected as recurrent parent for the MS plant. The major horticultural traits of selected inbred line were disease resistance, late bolting, heat resistance and bright green root top color. To develop pollen parent, we crossed commercial variety of 'Tae sang king' and 'Seoul spring'. We used individual selection method to develop H-shaped hard root and disease resistant inbred. In each segregating generation, we selected one plant based on phenotype and the uniformity of selected plant was tested by SSR markers using self-pollinated seeds. In the first segregating generation, 64.6% of sib plants shared the same band in PCR amplification using ACMP-490 primer and 66.7% using cnu-316 primer. The uniformity of segregating generations using ACMP-490 and cnu-316 raised in second generation to 68.8%, 70.8%, respectively; in third generation to 93.8%, 100%; in fourth generation to 93.8%, 100%; in fifth generation to 95.8%, 100%; in sixth generation to 100%, 100%. A novel cross was made using selected MS parent and pollen parent. When we checker the horticultural traits using autumn cultivation, the novel cross variety produced H-shaped root comparing other commercial varieties and produced highly uniform radish. Thus we registered this novel cross variety as 'YR ORE' at 2013 (Registration No. 4550).

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.387-401
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• 2021

Thrips infesting hot peppers were monitored in greenhouses using yellow sticky traps. In addition, the hot peppers infected with tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) were observed during the monitoring period. The flower thrips (Frankliniella intonsa) were initially trapped at a low density just after transplanting seedlings of hot peppers at late March. The western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) were trapped after mid April. These two thrips represented more than 98% of the total thrips attracted to the traps after May, in which F. intonsa showed higher occurrence frequency than F. occidentalis. The total number of thrips had two peaks at mid May with a small and short-term peak and at June-July with a large and long-term peak. The trapped thrips exhibited inconsistent sex ratios, suggesting a seasonal parthenogenesis. Different geographical populations were varied in cytochrome oxidase I sequences, in which local populations in Andong shared a high sequence similarity. TSWV-infected hot peppers, which might be mediated by these two thrips species, were observed and confirmed by an immunoassay kit and a molecular diagnosis using RT-PCR. In addition, the TSWV was detected in F. occidentalis collected from the infected hot peppers. Three open reading frames (NS_S, N, and NS_M) of the isolated TSWV genomes were sequenced and showed multiple point mutations containing missense mutations among geographical variants. When the isolated TSWV was fed to nonvirulent thrips of F. occidentalis, the virus was detected in both larvae and adults. However, the viral replication occurred in larvae, but not in adults.