• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.58-66
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• 2020

Background: The biological and pharmacological effects of BST204, a fermented ginseng extract, have been reported in various disease conditions. However, its molecular action in metabolic disease remains poorly understood. In this study, we identified the antiadipogenic activity of BST204 resulting from its inhibition of the S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) signaling pathway. Methods: The inhibitory effects of BST204 on S6K1 signaling were investigated by immunoblot, nuclear fractionation, immunoprecipitation analyses. The antiadipogenic effect of BST204 was evaluated by measuring mRNA levels of adipogenic genes and by chromatin immunoprecipitation and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. Results: Treatment with BST204 inhibited activation and nuclear translocation of S6K1, further decreasing the interaction between S6K1 and histone H2B in 10T1/2 mesenchymal stem cells. Subsequently, phosphorylation of H2B at serine 36 (H2BS36p) by S6K1 was reduced by BST204, inducing an increase in the mRNA expression of Wnt6, Wnt10a, and Wnt10b, which disturbed adipogenic differentiation and promoted myogenic and early osteogenic gene expression. Consistently, BST204 treatment during adipogenic commitment suppressed the expression of adipogenic marker genes and lipid drop formation. Conclusion: Our results indicate that BST204 blocks adipogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells through the inhibition of S6K1-mediated histone phosphorylation. This study suggests the potential therapeutic strategy using BST204 to combat obesity and musculoskeletal diseases.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.481-485
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• 2015

Retroviruses genes have been inserted into the human genome for millions of years. These retroviruses are now inactive due to mutations such as deletions or nonsense mutations. After mutation, retroviruses eventually became fixed in the genome in their endogenous forms and existed as traces of ancient viruses. These retroviruses are called endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), with the human form known as human endogenous retrovirus. HERV cannot become a fully active virus, but a number of viral proteins or even virus particles are expressed under various conditions. Compared to endogenous retroviruses, some exogenous retroviruses are still infectious and can threaten human life. Among these, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the most well-known and best-studied. Recent studies have shown some elements of HERV were activated by HIV infection and interact with HIV-derived proteins. In addition, many studies have attempted to use HERV as vaccination against HIV infection. This review will describe the regulation and interaction between HERV and HIV infection and mention the development of vaccines and therapeutic agents against HIV infection by using HERV elements.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.29-37
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• 2000

Fenton’s oxidation process is one of the most commonly applied processes to the wastewater which cannot be treated by conventional biological treatment processes. However, it is necessary to minimize the cost of Fenton’s oxidation treatment by modifying the treatment processes or other means of chemical treatment. So, as a method for the chemical oxidation of biorefractory or nonbiodegradable organic pollutants, the Photo-Fenton-Reaction which utilizes iron(11)salt. $H_2O$$_2$ and UV-light simultaneously has been proprosed. Therfore, the purpose of this study is to test a removal efficiency of dye-wastewater and treatment cost with Fenton’s and Photo-Fenton’s oxidation process. The Fe(11)/$H_2O$$_2$ reagent is referred to as the fenton’s reagent. which produces hydroxy radicals by the interaction of Fe(11) with $H_2O$$_2$. In this exoeriment, the main results are as followed; 1. The Fenton oxidation was most efficient in the pH range of 3-5. The optimal condition for initial reaction pH was 3.5 for the high CO $D_{Cr}$ & TOC-removal efficiency. 2. The removal efficiency of TOC and CO $D_{Cr}$ increased up to the molar ration between ferrate and hydrogen peroxide 0.2:1, but above that ratio removal efficiency hardly increased. 3. The highest removal efficiency of TOC and CO $D_{Cr}$ were showed when the mole ration of ferrate to hydrogen peroxide was 0.2:3.4. 4. Without pretreatment process, photo-fenton oxidation which was not absorbed UV light was not different to fenton oxidation. 5. And Fenton oxidtion with pretreatment process was similar to Fenton oxidation in the absence of coagulation, the proper dosage of F $e^{2+}$: $H_2O$$_2$ was 0.2:1 for the optimal removal efficiency of TOC or CO $D_{Cr}$ .6. Also, TOC & CO $D_{Cr}$ removal efficiency in the photo-fenton oxidation with pretreatment was increased when UV light intensity enhanced.7. Optimum light intensity in the range from 0 to 1200 W/$m^2$ showed that UV-intensity with 1200W/$m^2$ was the optimum condition, when F $e_{2+}$:$H_2O$$_2$ ratio for the highest decomposition was 0.2:2.5.EX>$_2$ ratio for the highest decomposition was 0.2:2.5.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.1339-1348
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• 2015

Until now, considerable effort has been made to engineer novel nitrogen-fixing organisms through the transfer of nif genes from various diazotrophs to non-nitrogen fixers; however, regulatory coupling of the heterologous nif genes with the regulatory system of the new host is still not well understood. In this work, a 49 kb nitrogen fixation island from P. stutzeri A1501 was transferred into E. coli using a novel and efficient transformation strategy, and a series of recombinant nitrogen-fixing E. coli strains were obtained. We found that the nitrogenase activity of the recombinant E. coli strain EN-01, similar to the parent strain P. stutzeri A1501, was dependent on external ammonia concentration, oxygen tension, and temperature. We further found that there existed a regulatory coupling between the E. coli general nitrogen regulatory system and the heterologous P. stutzeri nif island in the recombinant E. coli strain. We also provided evidence that the E. coli general nitrogen regulator GlnG protein was involved in the activation of the nif-specific regulator NifA via a direct interaction with the NifA promoter. To the best of our knowledge, this work plays a groundbreaking role in increasing understanding of the regulatory coupling of the heterologous nitrogen fixation system with the regulatory system of the recipient host. Furthermore, it will shed light on the structure and functional integrity of the nif island and will be useful for the construction of novel and more robust nitrogen-fixing organisms through biosynthetic engineering.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.91-91
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• 2013

Imagine a world where we could biomanufacture hybrid nanomaterials having atomic-scale resolution over functionality and architecture. Toward this vision, a fundamental challenge in materials science is how to design and synthesize protein-like material that can be fully self-assembled and exhibit information-specific process. In an ongoing effort to extend the fundamental understanding of protein structure to non-natural systems, we have designed a class of short peptides to fold like proteins and assemble into defined nanostructures. In this talk, I will talk about new strategies to drive the self-assembled structures designing sequence of peptide. I will also discuss about the specific interaction between proteins and inorganics that can be used for the development of new hybrid solar energy devices. Splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen is one of the promising pathways for solar to energy convertsion and storage system. The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has been regarded as a major bottleneck in the overall water splitting process due to the slow transfer rate of four electrons and the high activation energy barrier for O-O bond formation. In nature, there is a water oxidation complex (WOC) in photosystem II (PSII) comprised of the earthabundant elements Mn and Ca. The WOC in photosystem II, in the form of a cubical CaMn4O5 cluster, efficiently catalyzes water oxidation under neutral conditions with extremely low overpotential (~160 mV) and a high TOF number. The cluster is stabilized by a surrounding redox-active peptide ligand, and undergo successive changes in oxidation state by PCET (proton-coupled electron transfer) reaction with the peptide ligand. It is fundamental challenge to achieve a level of structural complexity and functionality that rivals that seen in the cubane Mn4CaO5 cluster and surrounding peptide in nature. In this presentation, I will present a new strategy to mimic the natural photosystem. The approach is based on the atomically defined assembly based on the short redox-active peptide sequences. Additionally, I will show a newly identified manganese based compound that is very close to manganese clusters in photosystem II.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.59-65
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• 2010

Wetlands are a well known ecosystem which have high spatial-temporal heterogeneity of chemical characteristics. This high heterogeneity induces diverse biogeochemical processes, such as aerobic decomposition, denitrification, and plant productivity in wetlands. Understanding the dynamics of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and inorganic nitrogen in wetlands is important because DOC and inorganic nitrogen are main factors controlling biological processes in wetlands. In this study, we assessed spatial distribution of DOC and inorganic nitrogen with relation to the different hydrology and vegetation in created wetlands. Both DOC and nitrate contents were significantly higher in vegetated areas than open areas. Different water levels also affected DOC contents and their quality. Average DOC contents were $0.37mg{\cdot}g^{-1}$ in deep riparian (DR) and $0.31mg{\cdot}g^{-1}$ in shallow riparian (SR). These results appeared to be related to the interaction between carbon supply by vegetation and microbial decomposition. On the other hand, inorganic nitrogen contents were not affected by water level differences. This result indicates that presence/absence of vegetation could be a more important factor than hydrology in the spatial dynamics of inorganic nitrogen. In conclusion, we observed that vegetation and hydrology differences induced spatial distribution of carbon and nitrogen which are directly related to biogeochemical processes in wetlands.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.264-269
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• 2014

The molecular interaction between tumor suppressor p53 and the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins plays an essential role in the transcription-independent apoptotic pathway of p53. In this study, we investigated the binding of p53 DNA-binding domain (p53DBD) with the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins, Bcl-w, Mcl-1, and Bcl-2, using GST pull-down assay and NMR spectroscopy. The GST pull-down assays and NMR experiments demonstrated the direct binding of the p53DBD with Bcl-w, Mcl-1, and Bcl-2. Further, NMR chemical shift perturbation data showed that Bcl-w and Mcl-1 bind to the positively charged DNA-binding surface of p53DBD. Noticeably, the refined structural models of the complexes between p53DBD and Bcl-w, Mcl-1, and Bcl-2 showed that the binding mode of p53DBD is highly conserved among the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins. Furthermore, the chemical shift perturbations on Bcl-w, Mcl-1, and Bcl-2 induced by p53DBD binding occurred not only at the p53DBD-binding acidic region but also at the BH3 peptide-binding pocket, which suggests an allosteric conformational change similar to that observed in Bcl-$X_L$. Taken altogether, our results revealed a structural basis for a conserved binding mechanism between p53DBD and the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins, which shed light on to the molecular understanding of the transcription-independent apoptosis pathway of p53.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.217-222
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• 2010

Resveratrol is a natural polyphenolic compound frequently found in grapes. The biological actions of resveratrol have been extensively investigated both in vitro and in vivo. The interactions of resveratrol with commonly-consumed drugs, however, have rarely been studied. In this study, the cytotoxic properties of resveratrol on the hepatic and intestinal cells in the presence of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, including acetaminophen (AAP), aspirin (Asp), and ibuprofen (Ibu), were evaluated. The cytotoxic effects of resveratrol on hepatic HepG2 and colonic HCT 116 cells were not markdely changed in the presence of AAP, Asp, or Ibu. Conversely, the cytotoxicity of OTC drugs was not affected by resveratrol either. Concentrations of resveratrol below 10 mM significantly increased HepG2 cell growth after 48 or 72 hr incubation; however, the growth-stimulating effect was not observed in the presence of AAP. When HCT 116 cells were treated with OTC drugs before or after resveratrol, the cytotoxic effects were not significantly altered. The present study provides basic information for the potential health effects of the interactions between resveratrol and commonly-consumed OTC drugs.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.475-483
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• 2019

The use of stem cells in cell-based therapy has attracted extensive interest in the field of regenerative medicine, and it has been applied to numerous incurable diseases due to the inherent abilities of self-renewal and differentiation. However, there still exist some severe obstacles, such as requirement of cell expansion before the treatment, and low survival at the treated site. To overcome these disadvantages of stem cells, we used the carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 6 (CEACAM 6) gene, which functions to increase cell-cell interaction as well as anti-apoptosis. We first confirmed whether CEACAM 6 is expressed in various cell lines at the protein level (including in stem cells), followed by evaluating and selecting the optimal transfection conditions into stem cells. The CEACAM 6 gene was transfected into stem cells to prolong cell survival and preserve from damage by oxidative stress. After confirming the CEACAM 6 expression in transfected stem cells, the cell survival was assessed under oxidative condition by exposing to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) to mimic the chronic environment-induced cellular damage. CEACAM 6 expressing stem cells show increased cell viability compared to the non-CEACAM 6 expressing cells. We propose that the application of the CEACAM 6 gene is a potential option, capable of expanding and enhancing the therapeutic effects of stem cells.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.363-367
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• 2003

Contact area and pressure are important factors which directly influence a life of knee implants. Since implant's mechanical functions should be experimentally evaluated for clinical use, many studies using a knee simulator and a pressure sensor system have been conducted. However it has not been reported that the contact pressure's distribution of a knee implant motion was estimated in real-time during a gate cycle. Therefore. the objective of this study was to analyze the contact pressure distribution for the motion of a joint using the knee simulator and I-scan sensor system. For this purpose, we developed a force-controlled dynamic knee simulator to evaluate the mechanical performance of artificial knee joint. This simulator includes a function of a soft tissue and has a 4-degree-of-freedom to represent an axial compressive load and a flexion angle. As axial compressive force and a flexion angle of the femoral component can be controlled by PC program. The pressure is also measured from I-scan system and simulator to visualize the pressure distribution on the joint contact surfaces under loading condition during walking cycle. The compressive loading curve was the major cause for the contact pressure distribution and its center move in a cycle as to a flexion angie. In conclusion, this system can be used to evaluate to the geometric interaction of femoral and tibial design due to a measured mechanical function such as a contact pressure, contact area and a motion of a loading center.