• Animal cells and systems
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.221-225
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• 2003

The tadpole larva of the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi has two sensory pigment cells in its brain vesicle. To elucidate the temporal requirement for FGF signaling in formation of the pigment cells, embryos were treated with an FGF receptor 1 inhibitor, SU5402, or an MEK inhibitor, U0126 during various embryonic stages. In the present study, it is shown that the embryos treated with SU5402 from the 16-cell stage to the early gastrula stage do not form pigment cells, whereas those treated after the early gastrula stage form pigment cells. In pigment cell formation, embryos suddenly exhibited the sensitivity to SU5402 only for 1 h at the neural plate stage(-4 h after the beginning of gastrulation). When U0126 treatment was carried out at various stages between the 8-cell and late neurula stages, the embryos scarcely formed pigment cells. Pigment cell formation occurred when the embryos were placed in U0126 at early tail bud stage. These results indicate that FGF signaling is involved in pigment cell formation at two separate processes during ascidian embryogenesis, whereas more prolonged period is required for MEK signaling.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.431-437
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• 1998

Optimal media and cultural conditions for the production of prodigiosin-like pigment were established using Serratia sp. KH-95. Glucose and phosphate(K2PO4) stimulated the cell growth, but inhibited the production of pigment at concentration levels of above 10 g/L and 2.0 g/L, respectively. Addition of soy been oil or rice oil to the production medium accelerated cell growth up to more than 2-3 times, but the production of prodigiosin increased about 15-20% in spite of the good cell growth. The effect of pH on the production of pigment was investigated in a 5 liter-bioreactor. When the pH of culture broth was maintained below 8.0, most of pigment was attached to the surface of cells. When the pH of culture broth was above 8.5, however, about 70% of total pigment was suspended in the supernatant of the broth. The cell growth and production of pigment were inhibited at dissolved oxygen concentration of below 10% of air-saturation.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.193-199
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• 2015

Degenerative retinal diseases affect millions of people worldwide, which can lead to the loss of vision. However, therapeutic approaches that can reverse this process are limited. Recent efforts have allowed the possibility of the stem cell-based regeneration of retinal cells and repair of injured retinal tissues. Although the direct differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into terminally differentiated photoreceptor cells comprises one approach, a series of studies revealed the intrinsic regenerative potential of the retina using endogenous retinal stem cells. Muller glial cells, ciliary pigment epithelial cells, and retinal pigment epithelial cells are candidates for such retinal stem cells that can differentiate into multiple types of retinal cells and be integrated into injured or developing retina. In this review, we explore our current understanding of the cellular identity of these candidate retinal stem cells and their therapeutic potential for cell therapy against degenerative retinal diseases. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(4): 193-199]

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.357-372
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• 1997

To study the age-related morphological differences of the retinal pigment cells and Bruch's membrane of mouse, retinae of one week-old, five weeks-old, eight weeks-old, six months-old, twelve months-old, eighteen months-old, twenty-four months-old and thirty months-old ICR mice were dissected out under anesthesia. Pieces of the tissue taken from the posterior region of the retina were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde-1.5% paraformaldehyde (0.1 M Millonig's phosphate buffer, pH 7.3), and 1% osmium tetroxide (0.1 M Millonig's phosphate buffer, pH 7.3), and embedded in araldite mixture. The ultrathin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate, and were observed under a JEM 100 CX-II electron microscope. Observed results were as follows: 1. Retinae of one week old mouse exhibit that some parts of the pigment cell provided with basal foldings, whereas other parts of the one contain without basal foldings. After (ive weeks-old, all retinal pigment cells have the basal infoldings. 2. In the one week-old, stage 1 and stage 2 melanosomes were observed in the retinal pigments cells, but after five weeks-old, most of the retinal pigment cells contain some matured stage melanosomes (stage III and stage IV). 3. The phagosomes in the retinal pigment cells were increased during aging. 4. After eighteen months-old, electron dense materials are observed within the basal infoldings. 5. After eighteen months-old, the thickness of the Bruch's membrane is prominently increased. The thickness of the basal laminae of the pigment cell and the choriocapillary endothelium is more prominently increased as compared with that of the other components of the Bruch's membrane. 6. The thickness of the basal lamina of the pigment cell is more prominently increased as compared with that of the choriocapillary endothelium on aging. From the above results, it was suggested that the pigment cell and Bruch's membrane matures structurally In five weeks, and the function of the pigment cell is prominently suppressed around eighteen months-old, and thereafter the functional suppression is continued on aging.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.617-621
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• 1998

The production of red pigment from glucose by fed-batch culture of Monascus anka was investigated. In batch culture using fermentor, 200 rpm of agitation speed, 1vvm of aeration volume, and 10% (v/v) of inoculum size were optimal, respectively. The red pigment production was increased by removal of wall-attached mycelium. In an intermittent feeding fed-batch culture, dry cell weight increased to 30 g/l, adn the red pigment content reached 350 of absorbance at 495nm. In a continuous feeding fed-batch culture, dry cell weight increased to 22g/l, and the red pigment content reached 190 of absorbance at 495nm.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.272-274
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• 2002

The anterior brain vesicle of ascidian larvae contains two distinct pigment cells. Ultrastructure of these pigment cells has been shown that the anterior pigment cell is an otolith for perception of gravity and the posterior pigment cell is an ocellus for light reception. The larva has remarkably simple central nervous system (CNS) composed of about 330 cells. We focused to study neural networks of visual systems. In the present paper, we report the whole structure of the photoreceptors of the ascidian larva visualized by an antibody against arrestin. Visual arrestin is the key protein for the termination of phototransduction and one of the abundant proteins in photoreceptors. Recently, we cloned an arrestin homologue gene, Ci-arr and the expression of Ci-arr was found to be restricted to the photoreceptors in the ocellus. To study the whole structure of the photoreceptors in the larva, we prepared an antibody against Ci-Arr. It is found that anti Ci-Arr antibody specifically stains the photoreceptors, including the cell bodies, the axons, and the nerve terminals. The photoreceptor cell bodies lies in row outside the pigment cup which penetrate the pigment cell and is continuous with the outer segments of the photoreceptor cell, inside the concavity of the pigments. The axons form bundle into a single tract. The tract extends toward the midline, where the nerve terminals diverge and seem to form synapses

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.19-22
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• 2003

The semicontinuous production of red pigment by immobilized cells of Bacillus sp. B H-99 was investigated in comparison with free cells. The red pigment produced highest productivity under the conditions of aeration of 0.2 mL/min and 2 mm diameter of gel beads by using 3.0% sodium alginate. Semicontinuous production by immobilized cells showed the highest productivity with replacement of fresh production medium in every 72 h for fourth fermentation cycle following the conditions of red pigment productivity.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.612-616
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• 1998

Optimal media and cultural conditions for the production of red pigment were established using Monasurs anka KFCC 4478. The optimal temperature and initial pH for the production of red pigment were 30$^{\circ}C$ and 7.0, respectively. Glucose turned out to be most suitable carbon source for red pigment production. Optimal glucose concentration was 3.0%. Addition combined of nitrogen sources of peptone and NaNo3 induced good red pigment production. Thiamine-HCI and nicotinic acid were increased the production of red pigment. Under optimal conditions, maximum red pigment production and cell growth were observed after 5 days of incubation.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.77-84
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• 1994

To assess the feasibility of anthocyanin production in cell cultures of Euphorbia splendens Bojer the role of sucrose in pigment production was investigated and pilot scale cultures were attempted to establish mass production system. And also, several instrumental analyses were conducted to identify the pigment extracted from cultured rolls. Anthocyanin production was promoted prominently with concenetrations of sucrose ranging from 3% to 9% while cell growth was maximized at 3% of sucrose . This suggested that high osmolarity of sucrose enhance pigment production. When cells were cultured in two types of bioreactor better cell growth was achieved with draft-type air lift bioreactor than impeller type bioreactor and the pigment productivity was reached to 2.2 mg/L/day. The major pigment extracted from cultured cells was characterized as cyanidin-3-glucoside.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.230-235
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• 2011

Roasted and retorted (RR) chestnuts develop green pigment spots on their surface during storage. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the green pigment using RAW 264.7, MOLT-4, KATOIII and HT-29 cells. The pigment scraped from RR chestnuts (GP), whole RR chestnuts with green pigment spots (GC), whole RR chestnuts without green pigment (WC) and roasted and frozen stored chestnuts (FC) were extracted in 10% DMSO. MOLT-4 cells were less resistant to the cytotoxicity of the chestnut extracts than the RAW 264.7 cells. The GP extracts did not show different responses against $H_2O_2$-induced oxidative stress and LPS-induced NO production compared to the other extracts. The chestnut extracts did not have proliferative activity on either of the KATOIII or HT-29 cells (p>0.05). Our results from the comparison of the green pigment produced on the surface of the RR chestnuts to chestnuts that do not develop the green pigment suggest that the pigment may not be harmful in terms of either cytotoxicity towards immune cells or proliferation of gastrointestinal cancer cells.