• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.8
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• pp.427-428
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• 2015

Despite high interests on microenvironmental regulation of leukemic cells, little is known for bone marrow (BM) niche in leukemia patients. Our recent study on BMs of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients showed that the mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are altered during leukemic conditions in a clinical course-dependent manner. Leukemic blasts caused reprogramming of transcriptomes in MSCs and remodeling of niche cross-talk, selectively suppressing normal primitive hematopoietic cells while supporting leukemogenesis and chemo-resistance. Notably, differences in BM stromal remodeling were correlated to heterogeneity in subsequent clinical courses of AML, i.e., low numbers of mesenchymal progenitors at initial diagnosis were correlated to complete remission for 5-8 years, and high contents of mesenchymal progenitor or MSCs correlated to early or late relapse, respectively. Thus, stromal remodeling by leukemic cell is an intrinsic part of leukemogenesis that can contribute to the clonal dominance of leukemic cells over normal hematopoietic cells, and can serve as a biomarker for prediction of prognosis. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(8): 427-428]

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.1270-1281
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• 2018

Periodontal disease is triggered by the host immune response to pathogens in the microbial biofilm. Worsening of periodontal disease destroys the tooth-supporting tissues and alveolar bone. As oral inflammation can induce systemic diseases in humans, it is important to prevent periodontal disease. In this study, we demonstrated that Curcuma xanthorrhiza supercritical extract (CXS) and its active compound, xanthorrhizol (XAN), exhibit anti-inflammatory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated human gingival fibroblast-1 cells and anti-osteoclastic effects on receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL)-treated RAW264.7 cells. LPS-upregulated inflammatory factors, such as nuclear factor kappa B p65 and $interleukin-1{\beta}$, were prominently reduced by CXS and XAN. In addition, RANKL-induced osteoclastic factors, such as nuclear factor of activated T-cells c1, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase, and cathepsin K, were decreased in the presence of CXS and XAN. CXS and XAN inhibited the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/activator protein-1 (AP-1) signaling pathway. Collectively, these results provide evidence that CXS and XAN suppress LPS-induced inflammation and RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis by suppressing the MAPK/AP-1 pathway.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.38.1-38.24
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• 2022

Exosomes, which are well-known nanoscale extracellular vesicles, are multifunctional biomaterials derived from endosomes and perform various functions. The exosome is a critical material in cell-cell communication. In addition, it regulates the pathophysiological conditions of the tumor microenvironment in particular. In the tumor microenvironment, exosomes play a controversial role in supporting or killing cancer by conveying biomaterials derived from parent cells. Innate immunity is a crucial component of the host defense mechanism, as it prevents foreign substances, such as viruses and other microbes and tumorigenesis from invading the body. Early in the tumorigenesis process, the innate immunity explicitly recognizes the tumor via Ags and educates the adaptive immunity to eliminate it. Recent studies have revealed that exosomes regulate immunity in the tumor microenvironment. Tumor-derived exosomes regulate immunity against tumor progression and metastasis. Furthermore, tumor-derived exosomes regulate polarization, differentiation, proliferation, and activation of innate immune cells. Exosomes produced from innate immune cells can inhibit or support tumor progression and metastasis via immune cell activation and direct cancer inhibition. In this study, we investigated current knowledge regarding the communication between tumor-derived exosomes and innate immune cell-derived exosomes (from macrophages, dendritic cells, NK cells, and neutrophils) in the tumor microenvironment. In addition, we discussed the potential development of exosomal immunotherapy using native or engineered exosomes against cancer.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2020

Fish ovarian germline stem cells (OGSCs) that have the abilities to self-renew and differentiate into functional gametes can be used in various researches and applications. A main issue to be solved for effective utilization of fish OGSCs is the development of their stable in vitro culture condition, but only few researches about fish OGSC culture have been reported so far. In this study, in order to find the clues to develop the culture condition for OGSCs from Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes), we tried to establish somatic cell lines as a candidate for the feeder cells and evaluated its supporting effects on the culture of ovarian cell populations from O. latipes. As the results, the somatic cell lines could be established only from the embryonic tissues among three tissues derived from embryos, fins and ovaries. Three embryonic cell lines were tested as a feeder cell for the culture of ovarian cell population and all three cell lines induced cell aggregation formation of the cultured ovarian cells whereas the feeder-free condition did not. Furthermore, a significant cellular proliferation was observed in the ovarian cells cultured on two of three cell lines. As a trial to increase the capacity of the cell lines as a feeder cell that supports the proliferation of the cultured ovarian cells, we subsequently established a stable line that expresses the foreign O. latipes fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) from an embryonic cell line and evaluated its effectiveness as a feeder cell. The ovarian cells cultured on FGF2 expressing feeder cells still formed cell aggregates but did not show a significant increase in cellular proliferation compared to those cultured on non-transformed feeder cells. The results from this study will provide the fundamental information for in vitro culture of medaka OGSCs.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.623-634
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• 1995

Periodontitis is characterized by gingival inflammation and results in periodontal pocket formation with loss of the supporting alveolar bone and connective tissue around the teeth. Therapeutic modalities should therefore aim not only at eliminating the gingival inflammatory process and preventing the progression of periodontal disease but also at reestablishing and regenerating the periodontal tissue previously lost to the disease. To achieve periodontal regeneration, progenitor cells must migrate to the denuded root surface, attach to it, proliferate and mature into an organized and functional fibrous attachment apparatus. Likewise, progenitor bone cells must also migrate, proliferate, and mature in conjunction with the regenerating periodontal ligament. Significant advances have been made during the last decade in understanding the factors controlling the migration, attachment and proliferation of cells. A group of naturally occuring molecules known as polypeptide growth factors in conjunction with certain matrix proteins are key regulators of these biological events. Of these, the fibroblast growth factor(FGF), platelet-derived growth factor(PDGF) , insulin like growth factor(CIGFs), transforming growth factor(TGFs), epidermal growth factor(EGF) and bone morphogenetic growth factor(BMPs) apper to have an important role in periodontal wound healing. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of BMP on periodontal ligament cells. Human periodontal ligament cells were cultured from extracted tooth for non-periodontal reason. Cultured periodontal ligament cells were treated with BMP. Cellular activities were determined by MTT(3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay and ALP(alkaline phosphatase) activity. The results were as follows ; Regardless of cultured time, cellular activities were stimulated by BMP. Also, BMP greatly increased alkaline phosphatase(ALP) in periodontal ligament cells. These results suggest that BMP not only have no cytotoxic effect on periodontal ligament cells, but also have osteogenic stimulatory effect on periodontal ligament cells.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.289-298
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• 2005

Bone morphogenetic protein-7(BMP-7), a member of the transforming growth factor superfamily, stimulates osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. There are lots of evidences supporting a direct participation of periodontal ligament(PDL) cells on periodontal tissue regeneration. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of recombinant human(rh) BMP-7 on primary rat PDL cells in vitro, with special focus on the ability of bone formation. The PDL cells were cultured with rhBMP-7 at the concentration of 0, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200ng/ml for MTT assay. We evaluated the alkaline phosphatase activity at 3 and 5 days of incubation and the ability to produce mineralized nodules of rat PDL cells at 14 days of cell culture in concentration of 0, 10, 25, 50 and 100ng/ml. The cell activity was not reduced in cells treated with BMP-7 at $10{\sim}100ng/ml$, whereas the cell activity was reduced in the concentration of 200ng/ml than the control at day 1 and 3(p<0.01). At 3 and 5 day, alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly increased in cells treated with BMP-7 at 50ng/ml and 100ng/ml(p<0.05). The area of mineralized bone nodule was greater in cells treated with BMP-7 at 50 and 100 ng/ml than the control(p<0.01). These results suggest that rhBMP-7 stimulate rat PDL cells to differentiate toward osteoblast phenotype and secretion of the extracellular matrix of rat PDL cells.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.153-159
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• 2022

The olfactory organ of a Korean endemic species, Pseudobagrus koreanus, was investigated to describe its morphology and histology and analyze correlation between habitat environment and its ecological habits and characters, using a stereo microscope, a light microscope, and a scanning electron microscope. Its external morphology showed tubular anterior nostril at the tip of the snout and slit posterior nostril at the base of the nasal barbel. The olfactory chamber showed the rosette structure consisting of numerous lamellae radial and parallel to the medium raphe. The olfactory lamella has the sensory epithelium with olfactory receptor nuerons, supporting cells, basal cells, lymphatic cells, plasma cells and the non-sensory epithelium with stratified epithelial cells, mucous cells, lymphatic cells. In particular, 1) 41~43 (n=20) lamellae, 2) lymphatic cells and plasma cells, 3) mucous cells including neutral polysaccharid may be olfactory characteristics relevant to a stagnant or a standing habitat environment, nocturnal habit dependent on olfaction, and taxonomic characters compared at least to other catfish species.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.166-175
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• 2004

Background: Telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein enzyme capable of synthesizing telomeric repeats, attracts attention for its possible role in determining the replicative capacity of normal somatic cells, transformed cells, and cells of the germline lineage. Differently from normal somatic cells with no telomerase activity, normal lymphocytes has been reported to have telomerase activity comparable to that found in transformed cells during development and activation, which substantiate a role in supporting the capacity of lymphocytes for extensive clonal expansion. Methods: Here, in order to define the telomerase regulation in murine T lymphocytes, telomerase activity in cloned murine $CD8^+$ T cells and naive $CD8^+$ T cells isolated from C57BL/6 mice was examined. Next, the regulatory mechanism of telomerase activity at transcriptional and post- translational levels was investigated by determining the expression level of the TERT protein, a key component for telomerase activity. Results: It was demonstrated that telomerase activity was expressed in an inactivated state as well as in an activated state in the murine $CD8^+$ T lymphocytes by using TRAP assay. The increase of telomerase activity was partially dependent on the net increase of TERT expression. Also, telomerase activity was decreased after treatment with protein kinase inhibitors, indicating that telomerase activation was prevented by inhibition of phosphorylation. Conclusion: Therefore, these results suggest that telomerase activity is constitutively expressed in the murine resting T lymphocytes and controlled by both transcriptional regulation and post- ranslational modifications.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Pathology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2002

Oval cell is considered as facultative precursor cells for both hepatocytes and biliary cells, as well as origin of hepatocellar and cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC) during carcinogenesis or toxic liver injury. To clarify the cellular origin or differentiation of cholagiocarcinogensis, the fate of carcinogen-induced oval cells was pathologically and phenotypically chased in Syrian golden hamster liver after Clonorchis sinensis (CS) infection which would give rise to a promoting effect. Two week treatment of hamsters with 0.005% diethylnitrosamine (DEN) followed by 2 week treatment of 1% 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) under choline deficient diet resulted in massive proliferation of BrdU labeleed and PCNA positive oval cells showing various distinct morphology, histochemical and immunohistochemical phenotypes for GGT, cytokeratin 19 and OV-6. Oval cells also frequently form ductular-like structures or phenotypically show hepatocyte-like characteristics. After CS infection, the oval cells showed sequential morphological changes to atypicl proliferating bile ductules and all hamsters thereafter developed well differentiated and anaplastic CCC at 16 week after CS infection. In electron microscopy, some bile ductules were constructed by intermediate oval cells and bile ductular cells surrounded by basement membrane. The results of this study strongly suggest that CCC developed in the present study were originated from hepatic stem-like oval cells, supporting the theory of stem cell origin of cancers. In addition, this hamster model would be valuable for the molecular mechanistic study during chemical-triggered cholangiocarcinogenesis.

• ALGAE
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.105-113
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• 2010

A new red algal parasite, Symphyocolax koreana M. S. Kim, gen. et sp. nov., has been found on a specimen of Symphyocladia latiuscula (Harvey) Yamada, a member of the tribe Pterosiphonieae of the Rhodomelaceae; this genus has never before been reported to host red algal parasites. Here, the new parasite from Korea is described in terms of vegetative and reproductive morphology. The thallus has a minute, colored polysiphonous upright axis with many branches attached by pseudoparenchymatous pulvinate bases. There are six pericentral cells, with many corticated cells in the lower part of the main branches. Trichoblasts occur on dioecious male and female gametophytes, but not on tetrasporophytes. Procarps develop on suprabasal cells of trichoblasts and consist of a four-celled carpogonial branch and two sterile cells attached to the supporting cell. Spermatangial branches are borne one per each successive segment on monosiphonous pedicels in spiral positions with fertile trichoblast. Tetrasporangia are formed one per segment in a straight series and are tetrahedrally divided. Features of the vegetative axes, procarp, spermatangial trichoblasts, and tetrasporangial branching show that the new genus is an alloparasite belonging to the tribe Polysiphonieae.