• Applied Microscopy
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.57-69
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• 1979

The ultrastructural changes of embryo and endosperm cells were observed during the green fruit with embryo about $250{\mu}$ long to germination. 1. In the embryo cells of green fruit with embryo about $250{\mu}$ long, mitochondrial cristae and plastid are undifferentiated and dictyosome are occasionally observed. There are electron-opaque globoids in the vacuole and a lot of spherosomes in the outer layer of smooth endoplasmic reticulum. Endosperm is filled with spherosomes and electron-opaque protein bodies surrounded by spherosomes, and due to these, other organelle are not observed. 2. In the embryo cells of seeds with red seed coat, mitochondrial cristae are well developed, electron-opaque globoids increased, and vacuoles are enlarged. In the endosperm, however, spherosomes increased, protein bodies are enlarged, and electron-opaque globoidal crystals are dispersed within them. 3. In the procambium and epicotyl cells of dehiscent seed, Golgi vacuoles and vesicles are well developed, and mitochondrial cristae are also well differentiated. Spherosomes are numerously present and radicle cells, peripheral cells of hypocotyl, and vacuoles of cotyledon are well differentiated. Endosperm is filled with spherosomes containing electron-opaque granules and protein bodies are surrounded by a single membrane. There are acid phosphatase around globoids and spherosomes. 4. At the time of seeding, spherosomes markedly increased in the outer layer of cotyledon and protein bodies are also observed. Cell organelles are differentiated and plastids containing starch are also present. 5. In the outer $2{\sim}3$ layers of cotyledons, radicle cells, and peripheral cells of hypocotyl during post-seeding to germination, spherosomes and plastids with starch increased, and mitochondria and microbodies are also found around the nucleus of embryo cells. With approaching, the germination stage, in the endosperm contacting with embryo, vacuoles are well differentiated but spherosomes decreased. There increased electron-opaque materials within vacuoles. In other endosperm, with the decrease of spherosome, mitochondria increased and electro n-opaque globular bodies are formed and gradually increased. The outer layer of protein bodies are reduced while electron-transparent portions are enlarged and fused together to occupy the outer layer where small particles are formed. 6. In the endosperm of germination stage, spherosomes decreased while protein bodies, are fused together to form 2 or 3 within a cell.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.851-858
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• 2023

Unique cartilage matrix-associated protein (UCMA) is an extrahepatic vitamin K-dependent protein rich in γ-carboxylated (Gla) residues. UCMA has been recognized for its ability to promote osteoblast differentiation and enhance bone formation; however, its impact on osteoblasts under hyperglycemic stress remains unknown. In this paper, we investigated the effect of UCMA on MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells under hyperglycemic conditions. After exposure to high glucose, the MC3T3-E1 cells were treated with recombinant UCMA proteins. CellROX and MitoSOX staining showed that the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which initially increased under high-glucose conditions in MC3T3-E1 cells, decreased after UCMA treatment. Additionally, quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed increased expression of antioxidant genes, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and superoxide dismutase 1, in the MC3T3-E1 cells exposed to both high glucose and UCMA. UCMA treatment downregulated the expression of heme oxygenase-1, which reduced its translocation from the cytosol to the nucleus. Moreover, the expression of dynamin-related protein 1, a mitochondrial fission marker, was upregulated, and AKT signaling was inhibited after UCMA treatment. Overall, UCMA appears to mitigate ROS production, increase antioxidant gene expression, impact mitochondrial dynamics, and modulate AKT signaling in osteoblasts exposed to high-glucose conditions. This study advances our understanding of the cellular mechanism of UCMA and suggests its potential use as a novel therapeutic agent for bone complications related to metabolic disorders.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.237-245
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• 2012

Coumestrol is one of phytoalexins synthesized in response to environmental stress, and commonly found in natural foods such as alfalfa sprouts, clovers, and soybean. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism underlying protective effect of coumestrol against UVB-induced photoaging in human dermal fibroblasts. We found that pretreatment with coumestrol enhanced the UVB-suppressed mitochondrial biogenesis through regulation of Sirt1 expression and activity, and its downstream gene regulation such as PGC-$1{\alpha}$, NRF1, and TFAM. Moreover, the ATP and ROS production was restored to normal status and the formation of advanced glycation endproducts leading to skin photoaging in skin fibroblasts was blocked by coumestrol pretreatment before UVB irradiation. These findings indicate that coumestrol might potentially prevent skin photoaging induced by mitochondrial damage and glycated protein production in dermal fibroblasts.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.7
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• pp.657-662
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• 2015

Rapid and efficient engulfment of apoptotic cells is an essential property of phagocytes for removal of the large number of apoptotic cells generated in multicellular organisms. To achieve this, phagocytes need to be able to continuously uptake apoptotic cells. It was recently reported that uncoupling protein 2 (Ucp2) promotes engulfment of apoptotic cells by increasing the phagocytic capacity, thereby allowing cells to continuously ingest apoptotic cells. However, the functions of Ucp2, beyond its possible role in dissipating the mitochondrial membrane potential, that contribute to elevation of the phagocytic capacity have not been determined. Here, we report that the anion transfer or nucleotide binding activity of Ucp2, as well as its dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential, is necessary for Ucp2-mediated engulfment of apoptotic cells. To study these properties, we generated Ucp2 mutations that affected three different functions of Ucp2, namely, dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential, transfer of anions, and binding of purine nucleotides. Mutations of Ucp2 that affected the proton leak did not enhance the engulfment of apoptotic cells. Although anion transfer and nucleotide binding mutations did not affect the mitochondrial membrane potential, they exerted a dominant-negative effect on Ucp2-mediated engulfment. Furthermore, none of our Ucp2 mutations increased the phagocytic capacity. We conclude that dissipation of the proton gradient by Ucp2 is not the only determinant of the phagocytic capacity and that anion transfer or nucleotide binding by Ucp2 is also essential for Ucp2-mediated engulfment of apoptotic cells.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.181-189
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• 2003

We describe here the complete nucleotide sequence and the exon-intron structure of the luciferase gene of the firefly, Pyrocoelia rufa. The luciferase gene of the P. rufa firefly consisted of six introns and seven exons coding for 548 amino acid residues. From the translational start site to the end of last exon, however, the genomic DNA length of the P. rufa luciferase gene from the Korean and Chinese samples spans 1,968 bp and 1983 bp, respectively, and 3 amino acid residues were different to each other. Additionally, we also analyzed mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I(COI) gene of the Chinese P. rufa fireflies. Analysis of DNA sequences from the mitochondrial COI protein-coding gene revealed 4 mitochondrial DNA sequence-based haplotypes with a maximum divergence of 0.7％. With the 20 P. rufa haplotypes found in Korea, phylogenetic analyses using PAUP and PHYLIP subdivided the P. rufa into three clades, termed clades A and B for the Korean sample, and clade C for the Chinese sample.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.41-54
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• 2023

The blue-tailed damselfly, Ischnura elegans Van der Linden, 1820 (Odonata: Coenagrionidae), is a climate-sensitive indicator species in South Korea. In this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of I. elegans collected from South Korea for subsequent population genetic analysis, particularly to trace population movements in response to climate change. The 15,963 base pair (bp)-long complete mitogenome of I. elegans has typical sets of genes including a major non-coding region (the A+T-rich region), and an arrangement identical to that observed in ancestral insect species. The ATP6, ND3 and ND1 genes have the TTG start codon, which, although rare, is the canonical start codon for animal mitochondrial tRNA. The A/T content was 71.4% in protein-coding genes, 72.1% in tRNAs, 72.9% in the whole genome, 74.7% in srRNA, 75.3% in lrRNA, and 83.8% in the A+T-rich region. The A+T-rich region is unusually long (1,196 bp) and contains two subunits (192 bp and 176-165 bp), each of which is tandemly triplicated and surrounded by non-repeat sequences. Comparison of the sequence divergence among available mitogenomes of I. elegans, including the one from the current study, revealed ND2 as the most variable gene, followed by COII and COI, suggesting that ND2 should be targeted first in subsequent population-level studies. Phylogenetic reconstruction based on all available mitogenome sequences of Coenagrionidae showed a strong sister relationship between I. elegans and I. senegalensis.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.25.1-25.14
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• 2024

Lupus is characterized by the autoantibodies against nuclear Ags, underscoring the importance of identifying the B cell subsets driving autoimmunity. Our research focused on the mitochondrial activity and CXCR4 expression in CD11c⁺ B cells from lupus patients after ex vivo stimulation with a TLR9 agonist, CpG-oligodeoxyribonucleotide (ODN). We also evaluated the response of CD11c⁺ B cells in ODN-injected mice. Post-ex vivo ODN stimulation, we observed an increase in the proportion of CD11c^hi cells, with elevated mitochondrial activity and CXCR4 expression in CD11c⁺ B cells from lupus patients. In vivo experiments showed similar patterns, with TLR9 stimulation enhancing mitochondrial and CXCR4 activities in CD11c^hi B cells, leading to the generation of anti-dsDNA plasmablasts. The CXCR4 inhibitor AMD3100 and the mitochondrial complex I inhibitor IM156 significantly reduced the proportion of CD11c⁺ B cells and autoreactive plasmablasts. These results underscore the pivotal roles of mitochondria and CXCR4 in the production of autoreactive plasmablasts.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1197-1202
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• 2008

Recent studies provide some evidence that the HtrA2 protein is intimately associated with the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders and that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) quality control and ER stress-associated cell death play critical roles in neuronal cell death. However, little is known about the intimate relationship between HtrA2 and ER stress-associated cellular responses. In the present study, we have demonstrated that the HtrA2 protein level was gradually and significantly increased by up to to-fold in the mitochondria under tunicamycin (Tm)-induced ER stress, which eventually promoted cell death through the release of HtrA2 into the cytoplasm. Using an ecdysone-inducible mammalian expression system, we demonstrate that the extent of cell death in 293-HtrA2 cells was approximately 20 times higher under Tm-induced ER stress, indicating that the increase in the HtrA2 protein level in the mitochondria itself is necessary but not sufficient for the promotion of cell death. Taken together, these results suggest that HtrA2 may serve as a mediator of ER stress-induced apoptosis and ER-mitochondrial cross-talk in some cellular processes.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.1065-1070
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• 2006

The avian uncoupling protein (avUCP) is a member of the mitochondrial transporter superfamily that uncouples proton entry in the mitochondrial matrix from ATP synthesis. The sequencing analysis method was used to identify nucleotide polymorphisms within the avUCP gene in Korean native chicken (KNC). This study identified ten single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the avUCP gene. We analyzed the SNPs of the avUCP gene to investigate whether polymorphism in the gene might be responsible for quantitative variations in economic traits in KNC. Three significant polymorphic sites for economic traits were avUCP C+282T (mean body weight, p<0.05), avUCP C+433T (daily percent lay, p<0.05), and avUCP T+1316C (daily percent lay, p<0.05). The frequency of each SNP was 0.125 (C+282T in avUCP gene exon 1 region), 0.150 (C+433T in avUCP gene intron 1 region), and 0.15 (T+1316C in avUCP gene exon 3 region), respectively. Among the identified SNPs, one pair of SNPs (genotype CC, C+282T and TT, avUCP C+433T) showed the highest daily percent lay (p<0.05) and mean body weight (p<0.05) and the frequency was 0.067. This study of the avUCP gene could be useful for genetic studies of this gene and selection on economic traits for KNC.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.590-595
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• 2006

To investigate the anti-cancer effects of n-butanol fraction of DoJeokSeungKi-Tang extracts(nBFD) in U-937 cells. MTT assay was used to determine U-937 cells proliferation. Flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis. Bcl-xl anti-apoptotic protein and caspase-3, p53 pro-apoptotic protein were examined by Western blot analysis. nBFD inhibited the proliferation of U-937 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The cells treated with nBFD showed a typical apoptotic process by increasing sub-Gl peak. nBFD reduced uptake of 3,3'dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide(DiOC6) a fluorochrome which incorporates into cells dependent upon their mitochondrial transmembrane potential$({\triangle}{\psi}m)$. nBFD induced in U-937 cells apoptosis mainly via increasing sub-Gl peak, regulation of Bcl-xl, caspase-3 and p53 protein.