• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.67 no.4
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• pp.211-221
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• 2022

Recently, the demand for the cultivation of upland soil has been increasing, and the rate of conversion of paddy soil into upland soil is also increasing. Theincrease in uneven precipitation due to climate change has resulted in dramatic effects of waterlogging stress on upland crops. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the changes in growth characteristics and the expression patterns of proteins at the two-leaf stage of adzuki beans. The domestic cultivar, Arari (Miryang No. 8), was used to test waterlogging stress. At the two-leaf stage of adzuki beans, plant height slightly decreased androot fresh weight showed significant changes after 3 days of waterlogging treatment. Chlorophyll content was also significantly different after 3 days of waterlogging treatment compared to its content in control plants. Using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, more than 400 protein spots were identified. Twenty-one differentially expressed proteins from the two-leaf stage were analyzed using linear trap quadrupole-Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Of these 21 proteins, 9 were up-regulated and 12 were down-regulated under waterlogging treatment. Protein information resource (https://pir.georgetown.edu/) categories were assigned to all 49 proteins according to their molecular function, cellular component localization, and biological processes. Most of the proteins were found to be involved in the biological process, carbohydrate metabolism and were localized in chloroplasts.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.743-748
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• 2016

Background: $K^-Ras$ activation is an early event in colorectal carcinogenesis and associated mutations have been reported in about 40% of colorectal cancer patients. These mutations have always been responsible for enhancing malignancy and silencing them is associated with attenuation of tumorigenicity. Among downstream effectors are the RAF/MEK/ERK and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. PI3K/Akt signaling leads to reduction of apoptosis, stimulated cell growth and enhanced proliferation. Ellagic acid (EA), a naturally occurring antioxidant, has recently emerged as a promising anti-cancer agent. Purpose: To evaluate the impact of cellular genetic makeup of two colon cancer cell lines with different genetic backgrounds, HCT-116 ($K^-Ras^-/p53^+$) and Caco-2 ($K^-Ras^+/p53^-$), on response to potential anti-tumour effects of EA. In addition, the influence of $K^-Ras$ silencing in HCT-116 cells was investigated. Materials and Methods: Cellular proliferation, morphology and cell cycle analysis were carried out in addition to Western blotting for detecting total Akt and p-Akt (at Thr308 and Ser473) in the presence and absence of different concentrations of EA. Cell proliferation was also assessed in cells transfected with different concentrations of $K^-Ras$ siRNA or incubated with ellagic acid following transfection. Results: The results of the present study revealed that EA exerts anti-proliferative and dose-dependent pro-apoptotic effects. Cytostatic and cytotoxic effects were also observed. p-Akt (at Thr308 and Ser473) was downregulated. Moreover, EA treatment was found to (i) reduce $K^-Ras$ protein expression; (ii) in cells transfected with siRNA and co-treated with EA, pronounced anti-proliferative effects as well as depletion of p-Akt (at Thr308) were detected. Conclusions: Cellular genetic makeup ($K^-Ras^-/p53^-$) was not likely to impose limitations on targeting EA in treatment of colon cancer. EA had a multi-disciplinary pro-apoptotic anti-proliferative approach, having inhibited Akt phosphorylation, induced cell cycle arrest and showed an anti-proliferative potential in HCT-116 cells (expressing mutant $K^-Ras$).

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.291-299
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• 1996

Orthodontic force is a mechanical stress controlling both of tooth movement and skeletal growth. The mechanical stress stimulate bone cells that may exert some influence on bone remodeling. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference in cellular activity depending on mechanical stresses such as compressive and tensile force by determining the alkaline phosphatase(ALP) activity. A clonal osteogenic cell line MC3T3-E1 was seeded into a 24-well plate($2{\times}10^4/well$). At the confluent phase, a continuous compressive hydrostatic pressure($25g/cm^2$, $300g/cm^2$) and continuous tensile hydrostatic pressure($-25g/cm^2$, $-300g/cm^2$) were applied for 4, 6, 10, 14, 18, 20 days respectively by a diaphgragm pump. At the end of the stimulation period, cell layers were prepared for ALP activity assay. The ALP activity of the compressive group increased more than that of the tensile group at same force magnitude, whereas the cells responded to a similar pattern regardless of the type of mechanical stress The ALP activity of the compressive and tensile group turned into the level of the control group as the length of time increased. These results indicated that a mechanical stress may be more effective on cellular activity during active cellular proliferation and differentiation periods. The time to achieve maximum ALP activity was delayed as the mechanical stress increased in both the compressive and the tensile group. Accordingly, the magnitude of the stress rather than the type of mechanical stress may have more influence on cellular activity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.1353-1360
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• 2007

Three csp-like genes were identified in the Corynebacterium glutamicum genome and designated cspA, cspB, and cspA2. The genes cspA and cspA2 encode proteins, comprising of 67 amino acid residues, respectively. They share 83% identity with each other. Identity of those proteins with Escherichia coli Csp proteins was near 50%. The cspB gene encodes a protein composed of 127 amino acids, which has 40% and 35% sequence identity with CspA and CspA2, respectively, especially at its N-terminal region. Analysis of the gene expression profiles was done using transcriptional cat fusion, which identified not only active expression of the three genes at the physiological growth temperature of $30^{\circ}C$ but also growth phase-dependent expression with the highest activity at late log phase. The promoters of cspA and cspA2 were more active than that of cspB. The expression of the two genes increased by 30% after a temperature downshift to $15^{\circ}C$, and such stimulation was more evident in the late growth phase. In addition, the cspA gene appeared to show DNA-binding activity in vivo, and the activity increased at lower temperatures. Interestingly, the presence of cspA in multicopy hindered the growth of the host C. glutamicum cells at $20^{\circ}C$, but not at $30^{\circ}C$. Altogether, these data suggest that cspA, cspB, and cspA2 perform functions related to cold shock as well as normal cellular physiology. Moreover, CspA and its ortholog CspA2 may perform additional functions as a transcriptional regulator.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.233-240
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• 2000

Aspects of structural differentiation of the free -floating hydrophyte, Spirodela polyrhira, has been investigated. The hydrophyte exhibited highly reduced structures having only fronds, connective stalks, and roots as a mature plant. The fronds were major photosynthetic and vegetatively reproducing organ during the growth. Daughter fronds which developed early in the mother frond were also chlorenchymatous, but they remained within foliage sheaths of the mother frond before separation from connecting stalks. Although the stalks and roots originated from the same meristematic region of the frond, they exhibited the distinct polarity showing former lateral growth and latter axial growth. Air chambers were formed only in the fronds and roots. Cellular components were scattered throughout the diffuse cytoplasm in most of the actively growing stalk cells. Root cells protected by the root cap demonstrated relatively complex organization, showing dense cytoplasm with Golgi, rER, mitochondria, and chloroplasts in the cortical cells. Cells in the root cap were highly vacuolated within the peripheral cytoplasm. Such reduction and differentiation of the plant body in Spirodela polyrhiza most effectively contributes to the better adaptation of smaller plants to superficial aquatic environments, while also enabling the rapid growth.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2007

Resveratrol (3,5,4’-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), a naturally occurring phytoallexin abundant in grapes and several plants, has been shown to be active in inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis in several human cancer cell lines. On the line of the biological activity of resveratrol, a variety of resveratrol analogs were synthesized and evaluated for their growth inhibitory effects against several human cancer cell lines. In the present study, we found that one of the resveratrol analogs, 3,4,5-trimethoxy-4’-bromo-cis-stilbene, markedly suppressed human colon cancer cell proliferation (EC$_{50}$ = 0.01 ${\mu}$g/ml), and the inhibitory activity was superior to its corresponding trans-isomer (EC$_{50}$ = 1.6 ${\mu}$g/ml) and resveratrol (EC$_{50}$ = 18.7 ${\mu}$g/ml). Prompted by the strong growth inhibitory activity in cultured human colon cancer cells (Col2), we investigated its mechanism of action. 3,4,5-Trimethoxy-4’-bromo-cis-stilbene induced arrest of cell cycle progression at G2/M phase and increased at sub-G1 phase DNA contents of the cell cycle in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Colony formation was also inhibited in a dose-dependent manner, indicating the inhibitory activity of the compound on cell proliferation. Moreover, the morphological changes and condensation of the cellular DNA by the treatment of the compound were well correlated with the induction of apoptosis. These data suggest the potential of 3,4,5-trimethoxy-4’-bromo-cis-stilbene might serve as a cancer chemotherapeutic or chemopreventive agent by virtue of arresting the cell cycle and inducing apoptosis for the human colon cancer cells.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.87-92
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• 2013

Microalgae have been suggested as a promising feedstock for producing biofuel because of their potential of lipid production. In this study, a first principles ODE model for microalgae growth and neutral lipid synthesis proposed by Surisetty et al. (2010) is investigated for the purpose of maximizing the rate of microalgae growth and the amount of neutral lipid. The model has 6 states and 12 parameters and follows the assumption of Droop model which explains the growth as a two-step phenomenon; the uptake of nutrients is first occurred in the cell, and then use of intra-cellular nutrient to support cells growth. In this study, optimal input design using D-optimality criterion is performed to compute the system input profile and sensitivity analysis is also performed to determine which parameters have a negligible effect on the model predictions. Furthermore, model predictive control based on successive linearization is implemented to maximize the amount of neutral lipid contents.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.906-915
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• 2017

Impairment of wound healing is a common problem in individuals with diabetes. Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived cytokine, has many beneficial effects on metabolic disorders such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. C1q/TNF-Related Protein 9 (CTRP9), the closest paralog of adiponectin, has been reported to have beneficial effects on wound healing. In the current study, we demonstrate that CTRP9 regulates growth, differentiation, and apoptosis of HaCaT human keratinocytes. We found that CTRP9 augmented expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 ($TGF{\beta}1$) by transcription factor activator protein 1 (AP-1) binding activity and phosphorylation of p38 in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated suppression of $TGF{\beta}1$ reversed the increase in p38 phosphorylation induced by CTRP9. siRNA-mediated suppression of $TGF{\beta}1$ or p38 significantly abrogated the effects of CTRP9 on cell proliferation and differentiation while inducing apoptosis, implying that CTRP9 stimulates wound recovery through a $TGF{\beta}1$-dependent pathway in keratinocytes. Furthermore, intravenous injection of CTRP9 via tail vein suppressed mRNA expression of Ki67 and involucrin whereas it augmented $TGF{\beta}1$ mRNA expression and caspase 3 activity in skin of type 1 diabetes animal models. In conclusion, our results suggest that CTRP9 has suppressive effects on hyperkeratosis, providing a potentially effective therapeutic strategy for diabetic wounds.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.819-825
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• 2003

pharbitis nil and Taraxacum mongolicum are representative herbs that have been used for cancer treatment in Korean traditional medicine. To understand the molecular basis of the antitumor function, we analyzed the effect of these herbs on proliferation and apoptosis of tumor cells using a gastric cancer cell line AGS. Cell counting assay showed that pharbitis nil strongly inhibit cell proliferation Of AGS whereas Taraxacum mongolicum exhibit no detectable effect on cellular growth. [³H]thymidine uptake analysis also demonstrated that DNA replication of AGS is suppressed in a dose-dependent manner by treatment with pharbitis nil. Additionally, tryphan blue exclusion assay showed that Pharbitis nil induce apoptotic cell death of AGS in a dose-dependent. To explore whether anti antiproliferative and/or proapototic property of Pharbitis nil is associated with their effect on gene expression, we performed RT-PCR analysis of cell cycle- and apoptosis-related genes. Interestingly, mRNA expression levels of c-Jun, c-Fos, c-Myc, and Cyclin D1 were markedly reduced by Pharbitis nil. Taraxacum mongolicum also showed inhibitory action on expression of these growth-promoting protooncogene but there effects are less significant, as compared to Pharbitis nil. Furthermore, it was also found that Pharbitis nil activates expression of the p53 tumor suppressor and its downstream effector p21Waf1, which induce G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Collectively, our data demonstrate that Pharbitis nil induce growth inhibition and apoptosis of human gastric cancer cells and these effects are accompanied with down-and up-regulation of growth-regulating protooncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, respectively. This observation thus suggests that the anticancer effect of Pharbitis nil might be associated with its regulatory capability of tumor-related gene expression.

• ALGAE
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.61-72
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• 2016

Arctic microalgae thrive and support primary production in extremely cold environment. Three Arctic green microalgal strains collected from freshwater near Dasan Station in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Arctic, were analyzed to evaluate the optimal growth conditions and contents of fatty acids. The optimal growth temperature for KNF0022, KNF0024, and KNF0032 was between 4 and 8℃. Among the three microalgal strains, KNF0032 showed the maximal cell number of 1.6 × 107 cells mL^-1 at 4℃. The contents of fatty acids in microalgae biomass of KNF0022, KNF0024, and KNF0032 cultured for 75 days were 37.34, 73.25, and 144.35 mg g^-1 dry cell weight, respectively. The common fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) analyzed from Arctic green microalgae consisted of palmitic acid methyl ester (C16:0), 5,8,11-heptadecatrienoic acid methyl ester (C17:3), oleic acid methyl ester (C18:1), linoleic acid methyl ester (C18:2), and α-linolenic acid methyl ester (C18:3). KNF0022 had high levels of heptadecanoic acid methyl ester (26.58%) and heptadecatrienoic acid methyl ester (22.17% of the total FAMEs). In KNF0024 and KNF0032, more than 72.09% of the total FAMEs consisted of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Oleic acid methyl ester from KNF0032 was detected at a high level of 20.13% of the FAMEs. Arctic freshwater microalgae are able to increase the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids under a wide range of growth temperatures and can also be used to produce valuable industrial materials.