• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7467-7472
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• 2013

Background: Polymorphisms of genes encoding cytokines could be potential biomarkers to predict risk of gastric cancer (GC). Here, we investigated the association between the IL-6 -6331 (T/C, rs10499563) polymorphism in its promoter region and GC risk. Methods: In this case-control study of 215 GC cases and 518 non-cancer controls, the IL-6 -6331 (T/C, rs10499563) polymorphism was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Results: Individuals with the TC or CC genotype were associated with a significantly decreased risk of GC (OR=0.710, 95%CI: 0.504-0.999, P=0.049) compared with TT wild-type carriers. Ther C allele was also associated with significantly decreased risk of GC (OR=0.715, 95%CI: 0.536-0.954, P=0.023) compared with the T allele. In the stratification analysis, TC or CC genotypes were associated with significantly decreased GC risk in subgroups of males, people older than 60, and H. pylori-positive cases. However, no significant interaction was observed for TC or CC genotypes with H. pylori infection. On stratification with the Lauren classification, TC or CC genotypes were associated with significantly decreased risk of diffuse-type GC (OR=0.497, 95%CI: 0.266-0.925, P=0.027), also in subgroups of males, people older than 60, and H. pylori-positive cases. Conclusions: The IL-6 -6331 (T/C, rs10499563) polymorphism is associated with genetic susceptibility of GC and may have the potential to predict GC risk.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2008

Background : This study was to reduce incidence of falls by analyzing actual problem and drawing out improvement plan applicable to the clinical practice through operation of the staff nurses-centered fall peer review group. Method : The fall peer review group was composed of 8 nurses having patient nursing experience for over 5 years, and each of fall cases was reviewed and the root cause was analyzed. As a result, it was found that the patients and their families did not fully understandthe content of the education, and the staff nurses did not completely inspect the risk factors of falls and perform immediate intervention when patient's condition changed. Based on the above-mentioned results, improvement activity was conducted for the purposes of consolidating patients education method and supplementing computerized system to support nurses' decision making as well as devices and facilities. Result : As a result of conducting improvement activity in the aspects of education for patients, support of nurse's decision-making, and devices and facilities through operation of the staff nurses-centered fall peer review group, falls decreased by 9.5% compared to before improvement activity. Conclusion : It is concluded that operation of the clinical nurses-centered fall peer review group played a role of promoter to draw out practical and applicable improvement plan to the clinical practice and apply directions of the field-centered, and increased nurses' interest in falls and ultimately, reduced incidence of falls. Therefore the Center will continue to operate the staff nurses-centered peer review group, and recommends participation of nurses who actually take the charge of nursing patients in further analysis of patients' safety accidents.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.311-317
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• 2006

Using PCR amplification, we cloned a cellulase gene (ce/H) from the Bacillus subtilis AH18 which has plant growth-promoting activity and antagonistic ability against pepper blight caused by Phytophthora capsici. The 1.6 kb PCR fragment contained the full sequence of the cellulase gene and the 1,582 bp gene deduced a 508 amino acid sequence. Similarity search in protein database revealed that the cellulase of B. subtilis AH18 was more than 98% homologous in the amino acid sequence to those of several major Bacillus spp. The ce/H was expressed in E. coli under an IPTG inducible lac promoter on the vector, had apparent molecular weight of about 55 kDa upon CMC-SDS-PAGE analysis. Partially purified cellulase had not only cellulolytic activity toward carboxymethyl-cellulose (CMC) but also insoluble cellulose, such as Avicel and filter paper (Whatman No. 1). In addition, the cellulase could degrade a fungal cell wall of Phytophthora capsici. The optimum pH and temperature of the ce/H coded cellulase were determined to be pH 5.0 and $50^{\circ}C$. The enzyme activity was activated by $AgNO_3$ or $CoCl_2$. However its activity was Inhibited by $HgC1_2$. The enzyme activity was activated by hydroxy urea or sodium azide and inhibited by CDTA or EDTA. The results indicate that the cellulase gene, ce/H is an antifungal mechanism of B. subtilis AH18 against phytophthora blight disease in red-pepper.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.201-210
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• 2003

Objective: The role of prostaglandin $E_2$ (PGE2) in the etiopathogenesis of immune and inflammatory diseases has become the subject of recent debate. To determine the role of PGE2 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we tested the effect of exogenous PGE2 on the production of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) by rheumatoid synoviocytes. Methods: Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) were prepared from the synovial tissues of RA patients, and cultured in the presence of PGE2. The COX-2 mRNA and protein expression levels were determined by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. The PGE2 receptor subtypes in the FLS were analyzed by RT-PCR. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was used to measure the NF-${\kappa}B$ binding activity for COX-2 transcription. The in vivoeffect of PGE2 on the development of arthritis was also tested in collagen induced arthritis (CIA) animals. Results: PGE2 ($10^{-11}$ to $10^{-5}M$) dose-dependently inhibited the expression of COX-2 mRNA and the COX-2 protein stimulated with IL-$1{\beta}$, but not COX-1 mRNA. NS-398, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, displayed an additive effect on PGE2-induced COX-2 downregulation. The FLS predominantly expressed the PGE2 receptor (EP) 2 and EP4, which mediated the COX-2 suppression by PGE2. Treatment with anti-IL-10 monoclonal antibodies partially reversed the PGE2-induced suppression of COX-2 mRNA, suggesting that IL-10 may be involved in modulating COX-2 by PGE2. Experiments using an inducer and an inhibitor of cyclic AMP (cAMP) suggest that cAMP is the major intracellular signal that mediates the regulatory effect of PGE2 on COX-2 expression. EMSA revealed that PGE2 inhibited the binding of NF-${\kappa}B$ in the COX-2 promoter via a cAMP dependent pathway. In addition, a subcutaneous injection of PGE2 twice daily for 2 weeks significantly reduced the incidence and severity of CIA as well as the production of IgG antibodies to type II collagen. Conclusion: Our data suggest that overproduced PGE2 in the RA joints may function as an autocrine regulator of its own synthesis by inhibiting COX-2 production and may, in part, play an anti-inflammatory role in the arthritic joints.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.61-69
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• 2011

Gene and promoter structures of metallothionein(MT) from Miho spine loach (Cobitis choii; Cypriniformes) were characterized, and the transcriptional responses to experimental exposures to heavy metals and heat stress were examined. The C. choii metallothionein displayed well-conserved features of teleostean metallothioneins at gDNA, mRNA and amino acid levels. Bioinformatic analysis predicted that the C. choii MT regulatory region potentially possessed various motifs or elements targeted by various transcription factors associated with metal-coordinating regulation (e.g., metal transcription factor-1), immune responses (e.g., nuclear factor kappa B), and thermal modulations (e.g., heat shock factor). Acute heavy-metal exposures to 0.5 or $1.0\;{\mu}M$ of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) or zinc (Zn) showed that MT transcription was significantly stimulated by Cd (9.6-fold relative to non-exposed control) and Cu (10.4-fold), only moderately by Mn (2.4-fold), but hardly by Ni and Zn. Elevation of water temperature from $25^{\circ}C$ to $31^{\circ}C$ caused a rapid modulation of MT mRNAs toward upregulation to 9.5-fold; however, afterward the elevated mRNA level slightly decreased during further incubation at $31^{\circ}C$ for 6 h. Results from this study suggest that MT-based expression assay could be a useful basis for better understanding the metal- and/or heat-caused stresses in this endangered fish species.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.47-64
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• 2016

Objectives: In the present study, a genetic analysis was conducted to investigate the association of the expression of SNPs of EDN1 gene polymorphism with the clinical phenotype in bronchial asthma patients with either excess or deficiency syndrome.Methods: Ninety-four healthy control subjects and 52 asthma patients were included in this study. The asthma patients were divided into two groups: those with deficiency syndrome and those with excess syndrome. We searched the exonic and promoter areas of the EDN1 gene in the NCBI website SNPs with <0.01 minor allele frequency (MAF) and <0.01 heterozygosity. Pro programs were performed to obtain the odds ratio, 95% confidence interval, and p-value. Multiple logistic regression models were conducted to analyze the genetic data.Results: In our genotype and allele analyses, there were significant differences in the codominant 2 model of the rs3087459 SNP genotype and also in the CGG haplotype between the control group and the asthma group. Genotype and allele analyses were conducted between the deficiency and excess syndrome group. There were significant differences in the dominant and log-additive model and also in the frequency of C-alleles of rs3087459 SNP genotype. There were significant differences in codominant 1, dominant and log-additive model and T-allele of rs5370 SNP genotype. The AGG haplotype also revealed significant differences.Conclusions: EDN1 SNPs (rs3087459, rs5370) showed a significant association with symptomatic excess syndrome in Korean asthmatic patients.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.75-80
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• 2009

In order to develop transgenic sweetpotato plants [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. cv. Yulmi] with enhanced tolerance to oxidative stress, we constructed transformation vectors expressing 2-Cys peroxiredoxin (Prx) gene under the control of the stress-inducible SWPA2 or enhanced 35S promoter (named as SP or EP). Transgenic sweetpotato plants were attempted to generate from embryogenic calli using an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system. Embryogenic calli gave rise to somatic embryos and then converted into plantlets on MS medium containing 100 mg/L kanamycin. Transgenic plants were regenerated in the same medium. Southern blot analysis confirmed that the Prx gene was inserted into the genome of the plants. To further study we selected the transgenic plant lines with enhanced tolerance against methyl viologen (MV). When sweetpotato leaf discs were subjected to methyl MV at $20{\mu}M$, transgenic plants showed about 40% higher tolerance than non-transgenic or empty vector-transformed plants.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.1314-1323
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• 2010

In this study, we constructed various kinds of binary vectors with the pPZP backbone for co-overexpression, tissue- or development-specific expression and stress-inducible expression, and validated them for ectopic expression of target genes. Using a modified CaMV 35S promoter, a binary vector was generated for co-overexpression of two different genes and was confirmed to be efficient for overexpressing two different target genes at the same time and place. Binary vectors containing At2S3, KNAT1 or LFY promoters were constructed for tissue-specific or development-specific gene expression, and the binary vectors were suited for embryo/young seedling stage-, shoot apical meristem- or leaf primordia-specific expressions. Furthermore, the binary vectors containing RD29A or AtNCED3 promoters were validated as suitable vectors for gene expression induced by abiotic stresses such as high salt, ABA, MV and low temperature. Taken together, the binary vectors constructed in this study would be very useful for analyzing the biological functions of target genes and molecular mechanisms through ectopic expression.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.292-297
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• 2010

Anthocyanin, a phenolic compound, is a pigment that shows blue or red color in the fruit, petal and other tissues. It is an important factor in grape berry skin pigment and accumulates only in the skin. This skin-specific accumulation of anthocyanin has been reported to be regulated by the ufgt gene which encodes UDP-glucose: flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase that participates in the biosynthesis of anthocyanin. The ufgt gene is expressed only in berry skin, while the other genes involved in the biosynthetic pathway are expressed in both skin and flesh tissues. In order to determine whether anthocyanin accumulation is primarily regulated by compartment of UFGT, a ufgt cDNA clone was isolated from grape berry, its open reading frame was ligated in pBI121 vector in either a sense or an antisense orientation under the control of the CaMV35S promoter and the recombinant constructs were incorporated into tobacco plants. Several transgenic lines were selected and characterized to determine the level of expression of the grapevine ufgt transcript and endogenous homologs of tobacco. Compared to the wild-type, the amount of anthocyanins in sense transgenic plants increased by 44%, while the amount of anthocyanins in antisense transgenic plants decreased by 88%. In addition, the color of flowers became intense in the sense transgenic plants. These results suggest that over-expression or repression of the ufgt gene affected the accumulation of anthocyanin in flowers of tobacco.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1384-1389
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• 2006

Prolactin plays an important role in mammary gland development, milk section initiation and maintenance of lactation, so the bovine prolactin gene is considered as a potential quantitative trait locus affecting milk performance traits in dairy cattle. In this study, to determine the association between prolactin and milk performance traits, the genetic polymorphisms of a part of the prolactin gene were detected in a population of 649 cows of Chinese Holstein Dairy Cattle. Three SNPs in the promoter and one SNP in the intron1 of prolactin were identified, which was A/C (-767), G/T (-485), C/A (-247), and C/T (427), respectively. Statistical results indicated that one of SNP within promote, CHBP2, was significantly associated with milk yield (p<0.01), fat yield (p<0.05), protein yield (p<0.01), and protein percentage (p<0.05). The cows with genotype BB of CHBP2 had significantly higher milk yield (p<0.01), fat yield (p<0.05), and protein yield (p<0.01) than those of cows with genotype AA, while cows with genotype AA showed the highest protein percentage (p<0.05). In addition, based on the nine major haplotypes constructed from the four SNPs, the association analysis between diplotypes and milk performance trait was carried out. Results showed that the least square mean for fat yield of diplotype H2H8 was significantly higher than those of other eleven diplotypes (p<0.05). Our findings implied that CHBP2 and H2H8 of prolactin would be useful genetic markers in selection program on milk performance traits in Holstein Dairy Cattle.