• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.596-602
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• 2016

Staphylococcus aureus, like other gram-positive pathogens, has evolved a large repertoire of virulence factors as a powerful weapon to subvert the host immune system, among which alpha-hemolysin (Hla), a secreted pore-forming cytotoxin, plays a preeminent role. We observed a concentration-dependent reduction in Hla production by S. aureus in the presence of sub-inhibitory concentrations of isorhamnetin, a flavonoid from the fruits of Hippophae rhamnoides L., which has little antibacterial activity. We further evaluate the effect of isorhamnetin on the transcription of the Hla-encoding gene hla and RNAIII, an effector molecule in the agr system. Isorhamnetin significantly down-regulated RNAIII expression and subsequently inhibited hla transcription. In a co-culture of S. aureus and lung cells, topical isorhamnetin treatment protected against S. aureus-induced cell injury. Isorhamnetin may represent a leading compound for the development of anti-virulence drugs against S. aureus infections.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• 제53권4호
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• pp.347-355
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• 2020

Purpose: Zinc is known to be associated with osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. Osterix as zinc-finger transcription factor is also related to osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether zinc modulates osterix gene and protein expression in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. Methods: MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured in zinc-dependent concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 5, or 15 µM Zn), along with osteogenic control (normal osteogenic medium) for 1 and 3 days. The gene and protein expression levels of osterix were analyzed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. Results: Zinc increased osteoblast proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner at day 1 and 3. Similarly, zinc increased the activity of osteoblast marker enzyme alkaline phosphatase in cells and media in a zinc concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, our results showed that the pattern of osterix gene expression by zinc was down-regulated within the low levels of zinc treatments (0.5-1 µM) at day 1, but it was up-regulated after extended culture period at day 3. Osterix protein expression by zinc showed the similar pattern of gene expression, which down-regulated by low zinc levels at day 1 and up-regulated back at day 3 as the early stage of osteoblast differentiation. Conclusion: Our results suggest that zinc modulates osterix gene and protein expression in osteoblasts, particularly in low level of zinc at early stage of osteoblast differentiation period.

• BMB Reports
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• 제53권3호
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• pp.166-171
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• 2020

A chemical library comprising 2,354 drug-like compounds was screened using a transcription and replication-competent viruslike particle (trVLP) system implementing the whole Ebola virus (EBOV) life cycle. Dose-dependent inhibition of Ebola trVLP replication was induced by 15 hit compounds, which primarily target different types of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Based on the chemical structure, the compounds were divided into three groups, diphenylmethane derivatives, promazine derivatives and chemicals with no conserved skeletons. The third group included sertindole, raloxifene, and ibutamoren showing prominent antiviral effects in cells. They downregulated the expression of viral proteins, including the VP40 matrix protein and the envelope glycoprotein. They also reduced the amount of EBOV-derived tetracistronic minigenome RNA incorporated into progeny trVLPs in the culture supernatant. Particularly, ibutamoren, which is a known agonist of growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), showed the most promising antiviral activity with a 50% effective concentration of 0.2 μM, a 50% cytotoxic concentration of 42.4 μM, and a selectivity index of 222.8. Here, we suggest a strategy for development of anti-EBOV therapeutics by adopting GHSR agonists as hit compounds.

• 식물조직배양학회지
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• 제28권5호
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• pp.231-237
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• 2001

Differential screening을 통해 Moriguchi등 (1998)이 분리한 유전자와 상동성을 나타내는 CitMT45 유전자의 cDNA를 분리하였다. 본 실험에서 분리한 cDNA는 Moriguchi등 (1998)이 분리한 cDNA에 비해 긴 3' UTR을 가지고 있었다. 잎과 과피, 과육에서 CitMT45 유전자의 발현분석을 northern blot을 통해 수행한 결과, 발달단계에 따라 증가하는 비슷한 앙상을 관찰할 수 있었으나, 과육, 과피, 잎의 순으로 그 발현 양이 많았다. 이들의 발현조절에 대한 정보를 얻기 위해 게놈 DNA를 분리한 결과, CitMT45 게놈 구조는 3개의 exon과 2개의 intron으로 구성되어 있었고, primer extension 분석을 통해 CitMT45 유전자의 발현은 3개의 부위에서 개시되고 있음을 알 수 있었다. 전사개시부위의 5'upstream 지역에서 TATA box와 CCAAT box뿐만 아니라, 금속이온과 온도변화에 의한 조절에 중요한 부위로 알려진 cis-element를 발견하였다.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.171-176
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• 2012

HaCaT cells are the immortalized human keratinocytes and have been extensively used to study the epidermal homeostasis and its pathophysiology. T helper cells play a role in various chronic dermatological conditions and they can affect skin barrier homeostasis. To evaluate whether HaCaT cells can be used as a model cell system to study abnormal skin barrier development in various dermatologic diseases, we analyzed the gene expression profile of epidermal differentiation markers of HaCaT cells in response to major T helper (Th) cell cytokines, such as $IFN{\gamma}$, IL-4, IL-17A and IL-22. The gene transcriptional profile of cornified envelope-associated proteins, such as filaggrin, loricrin, involucrin and keratin 10 (KRT10), in HaCaT cells was generally different from that in normal human keratinocytes (NHKs). This suggests that HaCaT cells have a limitation as a model system to study the pathophysiological mechanism associated with the Th cell cytokine-dependent changes in cornified envelope-associated proteins which are essential for normal skin barrier development. In contrast, the gene transcription profile change of human ${\beta}2$-defensin (HBD2) in response to $IFN{\gamma}$, IL-4 or IL-17A in HaCaT cells was consistent with the expression pattern of NHKs. $IFN{\gamma}$ also up-regulated transglutaminase 2 (TGM2) gene transcription in both HaCaT cells and NHKs. As an alternative cell culture system for NHKs, HaCaT cells can be used to study molecular mechanisms associated with abnormal HBD2 and TGM2 expression in response to $IFN{\gamma}$, IL-4 or IL-17A.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제47권2호
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• pp.117-124
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• 2009

Toxoplasma gondii provokes rapid and sustained nuclear translocation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) in HeLa cells. We observed activation of STAT6 as early as 2hr after infection with T. gondii by the nuclear translocation of fluorescence expressed from exogenously transfected pDsRed2-STAT6 plasmid and by the detection of phosphotyrosine-STAT6 in Western blot. STAT6 activation occurred only by infection with live tachyzoites but not by co-culture with killed tachyzoites or soluble T. gondii extracts. STAT6 phosphorylation was inhibited by small interfering RNA of STAT6 (siSTAT6). In view of the fact that STAT6 is a central mediator of IL-4 induced gene expression, activation of STAT6 by T. gondii infection resembles that infected host cells has been stimulated by IL-4 treatment. STAT1 was affected to increase the transcription and expression by the treatment of siSTAT6. STAT6 activation was not affected by any excess SOCS's whereas that with IL-4 was inhibited by SOCS-1 and SOCS-3. T. gondii infection induced Eotaxin-3 gene expression which was reduced by $IFN-{\gamma}$. These results demonstrate that T. gondii exploits host STAT6 to take away various harmful reactions by $IFN-{\gamma}$. This shows, for the first time, IL-4-like action by T. gondii infection modulates microbicidal action by $IFN-{\gamma}$ in infected cells.

• 대한소아치과학회지
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.77-84
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• 2006

자일리톨에 장기간 노출된 mutans streptococci는 자일리톨에 내성이 발현되어 자일리톨 내성균주가 생성된다고 알려져 있다. 본 연구의 목적은 mutans streptococci에서 자일리톨 내성균주와 감성균주의 gtf유전자 발현량을 각각의 유전자별로 정량적으로 분석하고 비교하는 것이다. 실시간 역전사 중합효소연쇄반응법을 이용하여 각각의 gtf발현을 조사한 결과 gtfD는 증가한 반면, gtfB와 gtfC는 감소하였는데 이는 각 유전자의 독립된 조절기전이 존재함을 보여주는 것이다. 또한 자일리톨에 노출된 mutans streptococci에서의 glucosyltransferase와 연관된 유전자변형이 자일리톨의 치아우식증 예방효과의 작용기전 중 하나임을 알 수 있었다.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제36권3호
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• pp.236-241
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• 2000

효모 Saccharomyces cerevisiae를 숙주 세포로 이용하여 활성형의 항균펩티드를 생산하기 위한 model system으로서 쉬파리 유래 defensin의 합성 유전자를 GAP promoter, mating factor $\alpha$1 (MF$\alpha$1)의 preprosequence 및 GAL7 transcription terminator의 조절하에 있는 재조합 plasmid pGMD18을 제작한 후 Saccharomyces cerevisiae에 형질전환하여 growth inhibtion zone assay를 통해 항균활성을 보유한 재조합 효모를 선별하였다. 재조합 효모의 성장 속도와 defensin의 분비능을 증가시키기 위하여 최적의 배지 조성과 배양조건을 결정하였다. 재조합 효모의 defensin 생산을 위한 최적 배양조건을 조사한 결과 0.4% yeast extract, 유기질소원 2% corn steep liquor, 탄소원 2.5% glucose, 0.05% $C_2CO_3$를 포함한 배지에서 초기 pH3 그리고 배양온도 $28^{\circ}C$의 경우가 세포성장과 defensin 의 항균활성이 가장 우수하였다. 이 조건으로 배양을 수행한 결과 YPD 배지에서 배양한 조건보다 약 2배의 세포 성장과 약 4배의 defenzin 생산을 확인하였다.

• 식물조직배양학회지
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.237-243
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• 1998

야생종 토마토의 자가불화합성에 관여하는 S RNase유전자의 조직특이적 발현 양상을 조사하기 위하여 $\textrm{S}_{11}$ 및 $\textrm{S}_{12}$ allele에 속하는 RNase 유전자의 Promoter영역에 대한 염기 서열을 비교 분석한 결과, 전사개시점에서 상류측으로 350-500bp사이에서 양쪽 allele의 Promoter간에 상동성을 나타내는 3부분과 direct repeat sequence를 발견하였다. Promoter영역에서 이러한 부분이 S RNase 유전자가 화주특이적으로 발현하는데 영향을 줄 것으로 예상하고, 이들 영역을 중심으로 6종류의 deletion fragment를 만들어 GUS 유전자에 연결하여, 토마토의 생식조직에 microprojectile bombardment를 수행하였다. 그 결과 토마토 자가불화합성에 관여하는 S RNase 유전자의 promoter는 TATA box를 포함한 127 bP만으로도 화주조직 특이적 발현을 조절할 수 있었다. 또한 S RNase 유전자의 promoter영역내에는 토마토 화변, 자방과 심피조직들에서 negative 혹은 positive로 유전자의 발현을 유도하는 부분이 발견되었다.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.54-60
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• 2015

Background: The present study was designed to prepare and find the optimum active preparation or fraction from Korea Red Ginseng inhibiting matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) expression, because MMP-13 is a pivotal enzyme to degrade the collagen matrix of the joint cartilage. Methods: From total red ginseng ethanol extract, n-BuOH fraction (total ginsenoside-enriched fraction), ginsenoside diol-type-enriched fraction (GDF), and ginsenoside triol-type-enriched fraction (GTF) were prepared, and ginsenoside diol type-/F4-enriched fraction (GDF/F4) was obtained from Panax ginseng leaf extract. Results: The n-BuOH fraction, GDF, and GDF/F4 clearly inhibited MMP-13 expression compared to interleukin-$1{\beta}$-treated SW1353 cells (human chondrosarcoma), whereas the total extract and ginsenoside diol-type-enriched fraction did not. In particular, GDF/F4, the most effective inhibitor, blocked the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), c-Jun-activated protein kinase (JNK), and signal transducer and activator of transcription-1/2 (STAT-1/2) among the signal transcription pathways involved. Further, GDF/F4 also inhibited the glycosaminoglycan release from interleukin-$1{\alpha}$-treated rabbit cartilage culture (30.6% inhibition at $30{\mu}g/mL$). Conclusion: Some preparations from Korean Red Ginseng and ginseng leaves, particularly GDF/F4, may possess the protective activity against cartilage degradation in joint disorders, and may have potential as new therapeutic agents.