• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2002.07a
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• pp.89-96
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• 2002

The importance of apoptosis in normal development and pathogenesis has been well recognized, and explosive progress towards dissecting its commitment step has been made during the past decade. Mitochondria, Apaf-1, caspase, and bcl-2 family members play central roles in the commitment step. However, it is still unclear how upstream cell survival pathways regulate apoptosis. It is also unknown whether the bcl-2 family members have any effect on the upstream survival pathways. We have demonstrated that the anti-apoptotic gene product bcl-2 greatly induces expression of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) in human breast epithelial cells. Surprisingly, we found that TIMP-1, like bcl-2, is a potent inhibitor of apoptosis induced by a variety of stimuli. Functional studies indicate that TIMP-1 inhibits a classical apoptotic pathway mediated by caspases, and that focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/Pl 3-kinase and mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) are critical for TIMP- 1 -mediated cell survival. We also showed specific association of TIMP-1 with the cell surface. Consistently, a 150-H)a surface protein was identified in MCF10A cells that specifically binds TIMP-1. Taken together, we hypothesize that TIMP-I binding on the cell surface induces a cell survival pathway that regulates the common apoptosis commitment step. The results of these studies will address a new paradigm in the regulation of apoptosis by an extracellular molecule TIMP-1, and also greatly enhance our understanding of TIMP-1's pleiotropic activity in many physiological and pathological processes. This information may also be useful in designing more rational therapeutic interventions aimed at modulating the anti-apoptotic activity of TIMP-1 .

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.385-392
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• 1996

Bacillus stearotheymophilus, a potent xylanolytic bacterium isolated from soil, was tested for the strain's strategies of pentose utilization and the evidence of substrate preferences. The strain metabolized glucose, xylose, ribose, maltose, cellobiose, sucrose, arabinose and xylitol. The efficacy of the sugars as a carbon and energy source in this strain was of the order named above. The organism, however, could not grow on glycerol as a sole growth substrate. During cultivation on a mixture of glucose and xylose or arabinose, the major hydrolytic products of xylan, B. stearothermophilus displayed classical diauxic growth in which glucose was utilized during the first phase. On the other hand, the pentose utilization was prevented immediately upon addition of glucose. Cellobiose was preferred over xylose or arabinose. In contrast, maltose and pentose were co-utilized, and also no preference on between xylose and arabinose. Enzymatic studies indicated that B. stearothermophilus possessed constitutive hexokinase, a key enzyme of the glucose metabolic system. While, the production of $^{D}$-xylose isomerase, $^{D}$-xylulokinase and $^{D}$-arabinose isomerase essential for pentose phosphate pathway were induced by xylose, xylan, and xylitol but repressed by glucose. Taken together, the results suggested that the sequential utilization of B. stearothermophilus would be mediated by catabolite regulatory mechanisms such as catabolite inhibition or inducer exclusion.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.425-431
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• 2014

Leaf scald caused by the infection of Rhynchosporium secalis, is a worldwide crop disease resulting in significant loss of barley yield. In this study, a systematic sequencing of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) was chosen to obtain a global picture of the assembly of genes involved in pathogenesis. To identify a large number of plant ESTs, which are induced at different time points, an amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) display of complementary DNA (cDNA) was utilized. Transcriptional changes of 140 ESTs were observed, of which 19 have no previously described function. Functional annotation of the transcripts revealed a variety of infection-induced host genes encoding classical pathogenesis-related (PR) or genes that play a role in the signal transduction pathway. The expression analyses by a semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that Rar1 and Rpg4 are defense inducible genes, and were consistent with the cDNA-AFLP data in their expression patterns. Hence, the here presented transcriptomic approach provides novel global catalogue of genes not currently represented in the EST databases.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.366-372
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• 2020

Since, side effects of antibiotics are frequently emphasized these days, their use is gradually diminishing, and alternative drugs are being developed. We have sought to reintroduce them as raw materials for human health as conventional 'weapons' that have been retired after their historical duties. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of lincomycin (LIN), on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Our findings show that LIN potently inhibited production of LPS-induced proinflammatory mediators, such as nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), without cytotoxicity. Consistent with these findings, LIN strongly decreased protein expression levels of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX-2). Furthermore, LIN reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β. To further elucidate the mechanisms of these inhibitory effects of LIN, we studied LPS-induced IκB-α degradation, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation. LIN suppressed downregulation of inhibitory κB (IκB-α) degradation, and the phosphorylation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway. Based on these results, we suggest that LIN may be considered a potential candidate as an anti-inflammatory cosmetic or a medicine for human health.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.173-180
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• 2020

Galectin-3 is a carbohydrate-binding protein and regulates diverse functions, including cell proliferation and differentiation, mRNA splicing, apoptosis induction, immune surveillance and inflammation, cell adhesion, angiogenesis, and cancer-cell metastasis. Galectin-3 is also recommended as a diagnostic or prognostic biomarker of various diseases, including heart disease, kidney disease, and cancer. Galectin-3 exists as a cytosol, is secreted in extracellular spaces on cells, and is also detected in nuclei. It has been found that galectin-3 has different functions in cellular localization: (i) Extracellular galectin-3 mediates cell attachment and detachment. (ii) cytosolic galectin-3 regulates cell survival by blocking the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, and (iii) nuclear galectin-3 supports the ability of the transcriptional factor for target gene expression. In this review, we focused on the role of galectin-3 on translocation from cytosol to nucleus, because it happens in a way independent of carbohydrate recognition and accelerates cancer progression. We also suggested here that intracellular galecin-3 could be a potent therapeutic target in cancer therapy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.558-562
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• 1986

The extracorporeal circulation has been much improved recently, but has yet much complex problems such as the protein denaturation and the activation of the complement system by the exposure of the blood to the foreign surface, which may result in such as the postperfusion syndrome. We studied the changes of the plasma protein fractions by the electrophoresis and the complement consumption [C3, C4] by the immunodiffusion method in the patients undergoing cardiac operation from Mar. 1, 1986 to Aug. 31, 1986. The results were summarized as follows: 1. y-globulin fraction was decreased [p<0.02 by paired t-test, N=25], but a,-globulin was increased [p<0.001 by paired t test, N=25] after operation. 2. C3,C4 were significantly reduced [p<0.001 by paired t-test, N=14] postoperatively and normalized from 24 hours after operation. 3. The consumption of C3,C4 had significant linear correlation [correlation coefficient r=0.97] and C, was more markedly reduced comparing with C3, which probably means the complement activation by classical pathway in our bubble oxygenator group.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.159-168
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• 1994

From the hot water extract of bracken(Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum), a Korean win edible plant, anti-complementary acidic polysaccharides were Isolated. Crude polysaccharide fraction(HPA-1) was obtain ed by methanol reflux, ethanol precipitation, dialysis, and lyophilization. HPA-1 contained 81.80% of total sugar, 30.40% of uronic acid, and 15.60cA of protein. HPA 1 was purified consecutively by cetavlon fractionation and chromatography including ion exchange nth DEAE-Sepharose CL 6B and gel permeation with Sephadex G-100 and Sepharose CL-6B. HPA-2- IVa and HPA-Va-2 were nearly homogeneous on HPLC and had 500,000 and 560,000 daltons of molecular weights, respectively. HPA-2-Wa consisted of fucose, galacturonic acid, and glucuronic acid at the molar ratio of 1.40 : 0.97 : 1.88. HPA-2-Va 2 was composed of rhamnose, galactose, and galacturonic acid at the molar ratio of 1.00 : 1.38 : 1.39. The polysaccharides were found to activate the C3 component both In the presence and In the absence of Ca2+ through the crossed-immunoelectrophoresis suggesting that those Involved in both classical and alternative complement pathway.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.892-896
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• 2005

In order to isolate substances that inhibit the hemolytic activity of human serum against eryth-rocytes, we have evaluated whole plants of the Orostachys japonicus species with regard to its anti-complement activity, and have identified its active principles following activity-guided isolation. A methanol extract of the O. japonicus, as well as its n-hexane soluble fraction, exhibited significant anti-complement activity on the complement system, which was expressed as total hemolytic activity. A bioassay-guided chromatographic separation of the constituents resulted in the isolation of three known compounds 1-3 from the active n-hexane fraction. The structure of these compounds were analyzed, and they were identified as hydroxyhopanone (1), $\beta-sitosteryl-3-O-\beta-D-glucopyranosyl-6'-O-palmitate$ (2), and $\beta-sitosteryl-3-O-\beta-D-glucopyranoside$ (3), respectively. Of these compounds, compound 2 exhibited potent anti-complement activity $(IC_{50}=1.0\pm0.1{\mu}M)$ on the classical pathway of the complement, as compared to tiliroside $(IC_{50}=76.5\pm1.1{\mu}M)$, which was used as a positive control. However, compounds 1 and 3 exhibited no activity in this system.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.463-465
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• 2003

Four protostane-type triterpenes, alisol B 23-acetate (1a), alisol C 23-acetate (2a), alisol B(3a), and alisol A 24-acetate (4a), were isolated from the rhizome of Alismatis plantago-aquatica L. var. orientale Samuelson (Alismataceae) and eleven protostane derivatives (compounds 1-11) were obtained by selective modification from alisol B 23-acetate (1a). These compounds were investigated for their anti-complement activity against the classical pathway of the complement system. Alisol B (3a) and alisol A 24-acetate (4a) exhibited anti-complement activity with $IC_{50} values of 150 and 130 \mu$ M. Among the synthetic derivatives, the tetrahydroxylated protostane triterpene (9) showed moderate inhibitory activity with $IC_{50} value of 97.1 \mu$ M. Introduction of an aldehyde group at C-23 (10; $IC_{50} value, 47.7 \mu$ M) showed the most potent inhibitory effect on the complement system in vitro.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.43-47
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• 2019

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) VIII is an autosomal dominant inherited connective tissue disorder characterized by intractable periodontal inflammation, absence of gingiva, pretibial plaques, skin hyperextensibility, joint hypermobility, and tissue fragility with onset in the childhood or adolescence. In a recent report, heterozygous variants of the C1R or C1S related to the classical complement pathway were identified in families with history of EDS VIII. The current report describes a Korean 34-year-old female carrying a novel missense variant of C1R c.925T>G (p.Cys309Gly) and exhibiting early severe periodontitis, skin fragility, and joint hypermobility. The patient also had frontal, parietal, and temporal white matter brain lesions without definite vascular abnormalities on brain magnetic resonance imaging, which have not been surveyed meticulously in EDS VIII. Considering the genetic alteration of classic complement pathways in this condition, it is necessary to carefully observe multisystemic inflammation processes such as changes in brain white matter.