• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2000

Most baculoviruses have an ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase (egt) gene, whose product inactivates ecdysteroid within the infected host. Bomhyx mori larvae infected with BmEGTZ, a mutant B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) in which the egt gene has been inactivated, die more rapidly compared to larvae infected with wild-type BmNPV. In this study, the profile of hemolymph proteins, and progression of virus infection in BmEGTZ- and BmNPV-infected B. mori larvae, was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and histochemically. These analyses showed that virus-encoded and virus-induced proteins were expressed quicker in BmEGTZ-infected larvae than in BmNPV-infected larvae. This suggests that the decrease in time to death, following BmEGTZ infection, results from the stimulation of virus-specific protein expression. In order to examine the effect of ecdysteroid on virus transmission, the profile of hemolymph proteins, and progression of virus infection, were analyzed following an ecdysteroid injection of BmEGTZ- or BmNPV-infected larvae. In the BmNPV-infected larvae, ecdysteroid treatment had no apparent effect on hemolymph protein expression. This suggests that the injected ecdysteroid was inactivated by the BmNPV-expressed ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase. An Ecdysteroid injection into BmEGTZ-infected larvae increased the speed of virus-specific protein expression and virus transmission. These results suggest that ecdysteroid stimulates protein expression, which in tum results in the stimulation of virus transmission.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.95-98
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• 2017

Fasciola hepatica is a trematode that causes zoonosis, mainly in cattle and sheep, and occasionally in humans. Few recent studies have determined the infection status of this fluke in Korea. In August 2015, we collected 402 samples of freshwater snails at Hoenggye-ri (upper stream) and Suha-ri (lower stream) of Song-cheon (stream) in Daegwalnyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun in Gangwon-do (Province) near many large cattle or sheep farms. F. hepatica infection was determined using PCR on the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS-2). Among the 402 samples, F. hepatica 1TS-2 marker was detected in 6 freshwater snails; thus, the overall prevalence in freshwater snails was 1.5%. The prevalence varied between collection areas, ranging from 0.0% at Hoenggye-ri to 2.9% at Suha-ri. However, F. gigantica ITS-2 was not detected in the 6 F. hepatica-positive samples by PCR. The nucleotide sequences of the 6 F. hepatica ITS-2 PCR-positive samples were 99.4% identical to the F. hepatica ITS-2 sequences in GenBank, whereas they were 98.4% similar to F. gigantica ITS-2 sequences. These results indicated that the prevalence of F. hepatica in snail intermediate hosts was 1.5% in Gangwon-do, Korea; however the prevalence varied between collection areas. These results may help us to understand F. hepatica infection status in natural environments.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.348-352
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• 2006

Barley mild mosaic virus(BaMMV) is a soilborne Bymovirus vectored by root-infecting fungus, Polymyxa graminis. Mechanism of cultivar's resistance to BaMMV in field tests are difficult to assess since resistance could be either due to the virus or to P. graminis, or both. Whereas, available mechanical inoculation methods for BaMMV and other related viruses are labor intensive, give inconsistent results and generally result in low infection rates. Inoculation method using stick with gauze(SWG) was developed for BaMMV. The improved method proved to be simple, efficient, and reliable. The infected leaf tissues were preserved by drying in a frozen state under high vaccum(freeze dried barley infected leaves) to circumvent reduction of virus infectivity during storage. Five Korean barley cultivars were mechanically inoculated with BaMMV-infected sap by the improved method. Infection rates obtained were compared with natural infection. Cultivar Naehanssalbori showed resistance to BaMMV in the field trials but was found highly susceptible in the greenhouse tests by mechanical inoculation, indicating that the field resistance may be possibly due to resistance to P. graminis.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.19 no.1 s.42
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• pp.39-44
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• 1980

The outbreak of the pear rust caused by Gymnosporangium haraenum SYDOW has increased gradually since 1973, and amounted to 60.3 percent infection of leaves in 1975. But it has reduced due to regulation of juniper plantings by Plant Protection Law enacted in 1974. The teliospores of C. haraeanum germinated from middle of April to middle of May under natural condition. The germination of teliospores was observed 5 day earlier under laboratory condition with the artificial rainfall than that of natural condition. It was required considerable rainfall and longer than 3hr rainy period to germinate teliospores after being matured. Infection of rear leaves took place in the rain or just after the rain, but not after 24hr. The incubation period of G. haraeanum on the leaf was 9 to 10 days. In case that the distance between orchard and juniper trees was less than loom, almost all of the pears were infected, but the chance oft infection reduced in proportion as the distance increased. No infection occurred at the distance of further than 2000m.

• ALGAE
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.249-256
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• 2009

The occurrence of Laminarionema elsbetiae (Ectocarpaceae, Phaeophyceae), as epi-endophyte of Rhodymenia pseudopalmata (Rhodymeniales, Rhodophyta), described from Santa Isabel, Rawson, Argentina. L. elsbetiae grows in the host tissues forming epi-endophytic relationship in the epidermal, cortical and medullar layers. Epiphytic thalli of L. elsbetiae were unbranched filaments emerging from hostis surface. Reproductive structures of L. elsbetiae on the host were absent. On the contrary, free cultured individuals formed different reproductive structures. Macrozoosporangia containing a single large motile zoospore originated from vegetative cells, they were conical to cylindrical in shape, 30-50 ${\mu}m$ in length and 18-20 ${\mu}m$ in wide. Uniseriate plurilocular zoosporangia were cylindrical shape, 40 ${\mu}m$ in length and 10-13 ${\mu}m$ in wide. Sexual fusion was not seen. In mixed cultures of L. elsbetiae with R. pseudopalmata fronds, L. elsbetiae infected the host, grew as in natural host and, formed macrosporangia between host subcortical cells. Gametophytes of L. elsbetiae were filaments with diffuse growth, branched with a branch pattern alternate or opposite. Gametangia were plurilocular, uni or biseriate and lateral. When mature they contained 2 to 6 isogametes. The presence L. elsbetiae on R. pseudopalmata could be defined as an epi-endophytic relationship. The percentage of infection of R. pseudopalmata thalli by L. elsbetiae was 34%.A25% of the infected thalli presented a low, non-symptomatic level infection, whereas a 62% and a 13% of them exhibited respectively moderate and high indexes of infection.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.177-183
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• 1997

Multiple species of muridae and arvicolidae rodents serve as the natural reserviors of hantaviruses. Hantaviruses are distributed in rodent populations world-widely even in geographical areas where hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) has not been reported. Serologic diagnosis of infection, using hantaviral antigen, indicates that hantaviruses are widey distributed in wild rodents. This study was designed to intended the hantavirus infection among wild rodents captured in Kyebang mountain, Kangwon-do in Korea. A total of 216 wild rodents in 3 species were trapped in July and September in 1995. Serological evidence for hantaviruses infection were tested against five hantavirus antigens by indirect immunofluorescent antibody technique (IFA). Among 100 Eothenomys regulus, 78 Apodemus peninsulae and 38 Apodemus agrarius; 12 C. regulus, 15 A. peninsulae and 6 A. agrarius were IF antibody positive against hantaviruses. This data suggest that Eothenomys regulus and Apodemus peninsulae would be a natural reservoir of hantaviruses.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.29-38
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• 2009

Although prion diseases, a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases of human and animals, are presumed to be caused by several mechanisms including abnormal change of prion protein, oxidative stress is still believed to play a central role in development of the diseases. Cigarette smoking has a few beneficial effects on neuronal diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease despite of many detrimental effects. In this study, we investigated how chronic cigarette smoking could exert such beneficial effect against oxidative damage. For this study, homogenates of 87V scrapie-infected brain was inoculated on intracerebral system of IM mice through stereotaxic microinjection and biochemical properties concerning with oxidative stress were examined. The scrapie infection decreased the activity of mitochondrial Mn-containing superoxide dismutase by 50% of the control, meanwhile the effects on other antioxidant enzymes including Cu or Zn-containing superoxide dismutase were not significant. Additionally, the infection elevated superoxide level as well as monoamine oxide-B (MAO-B) in the infected brain. Interestingly, many of the detrimental effects were improved in partial or significantly by long-term cigarette smoke exposure (CSE). CSE not only completely prevented the generation of mitochondrial superoxide but also significantly (p<0.05) decreased the elevated mitochondrial MAO-B activity in the infected brain. Concomitantly, CSE prevented subsequent protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation caused by scrapie infection; however, it did not affect the activities of antioxidant enzymes. These results suggest that chronic exposure of cigarette smoke contribute to in part preventing the progress of neurodegeneration caused by scrapie infection.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.43 no.1 s.133
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• pp.19-25
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• 2005

Protective efficacy of vaccination with Neospora caninum multiple recombinant antigens against N. caninum infection was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Two major immunodominant surface antigens (NcSAG1 and NcSRS2) and two dense granule proteins (NcDG1 and NcDG2) of N. caninum tachyzoites were expressed in E. coli, respectively. An in vitro neutralization assay using polyclonal antisera raised against each recombinant antigen showed inhibitory effects on the invasion of N. caninum tachyzoites into host cells. Separate groups of gerbils were immunized with the purified recombinant proteins singly or in combinations and animals were then challenged with N. caninum. Following these experimental challenges, the protective efficacy of each vaccination was determined by assessing animal survival rate. All experimental groups showed protective effects of different degrees against experimental infection. The highest protection efficacy was observed for combined vaccination with NcSRS2 and NcDG1. Our results indicate that combined vaccination with the N. caninum recombinant antigens, NcSRS2 and NcDG1, induces the highest protective effect against N. caninum infection in vitro and in vivo.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.131-138
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• 2009

The present study surveyed the prevalence of natural infection of the sheep esphagus muscle with sarcocysts of Sarcocystis ovicanis and examined induction of protective immunity using UV-attenuated sporocysts. The overall prevalence of natural infection of the sheep was 95%. Infectivity of the collected sarcocysts was confirmed by shedding of sporulated oocysts after feeding infected esophageal tissues to dogs. To induce protective immunity, lambs were immunized 3 times (once a week) with $1.5{\times}10^4$ sporocysts exposed to UV-light for 30min (UV-30 group) or 60 (UV-60 group) min and then challenged with $1.5{\times}10^4$ normal sporocysts at the 3rd week post the 1st vaccination. These lambs showed high survival and less clinical signs of sarcocystosis than normal infected lambs. The attenuated sporocysts produced abnormal cysts; small in size and detached from the muscle fiber. These abnormalities were more obvious in UV-60 group than UV-30 group. Also, the $IFN-{\gamma}$ level and lymphocyte percentage were increased while the total leukocyte count was decreased in the UV-60 group compared with other groups. The high level of $IFN-{\gamma}$ may be an evidence for the induction of Th1 responses which may have protective effect against a challenge infection.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.210-218
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• 2013

Numerous studies have suggested that Korean red ginseng (KRG) extract has various immune modulatory activities both in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we used a mouse model to examine the effects of orally administered KRG extract on immunity against herpes simplex virus (HSV). Balb/c mice were administered with 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg oral doses of KRG extract for 10 d and then vaginally infected with HSV. We found that KRG extract rendered recipients more resistant against HSV vaginal infection and further systemic infection, including decreased clinical severity, increased survival rate, and accelerated viral clearance. Such results appeared to be mediated by increased vaginal IFN-${\gamma}$ secretion. Moreover, increased mRNA expression of IFN-${\gamma}$, granzyme B, and Fas-ligand was identified in the iliac lymph node and vaginal tracts of KRG extract treated groups (200 and 400 mg/kg). These results suggest that the activities of local natural killer cells were promoted by KRG extract consumption and that KRG may be an attractive immune stimulator for helping hosts overcome HSV infection.