• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.9-16
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• 2013

Coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1) is included in the protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) family, which methylates histone arginine residues through posttranslational modification. It has been proposed that CARM1 may up-regulate the expression of pluripotency-related genes through the alteration of the chromatin structure. Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) are pluripotent and have the ability to self-renew. The cells are mainly used to study the genetic function of novel genes, because the cells facilitate the transmission of the manipulated genes into target mice. Since the up-regulated methylation levels of histone arginine residue lead to the maintenance of pluripotency in embryos and stem cells, it may be suggested that CARM1 overexpressing mESCs elevate the expression of pluripotency-related genes in reconstituted embryos for transgenic mice and may resist the differentiation into trophectoderm (TE). We constructed a fusion protein by connecting CARM1 and 7X-arginine (R7). As a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP), can translocate CARM1 protein into mESCs. CPP-CARM1 protein was detected in the nuclei of the mESCs after a treatment of 24 hours. Accordingly, the expression of pluripotency-related genes was up-regulated in CPP-CARM1-treated mESCs. In addition, CPP-CARM1-treated mESC-derived embryoid bodies (EBs) showed an elevated expression of pluripotency-related genes and delayed spontaneous differentiation. This result suggests that the treatment of recombinant CPP-CARM1 protein elevates the expression of pluripotency-related genes of mESCs by epigenetic modification, and this protein-delivery system could be used to modify embryonic fate in reconstituted embryos with mESCs.

• 한국자동차공학회논문집
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.42-49
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• 2014

The gasoline direct injection (GDI) system is considerably spreading in automotive market due to its advantages. Nevertheless, since GDI system emit higher particle matter (PM) due to its combustion characteristics, it is difficult to meet strengthened emission regulation in near future. For this reason, a combined GDI with MPI system, so-called, dual injection (DUI) system is being investigated as a supplemental measure for the GDI system. This paper focused on power and fuel consumption effect by injection mode strategy of DUI system in part load and idle engine operating condition. In this study, port fuel injectors are installed on 2.4 liters GDI production engine in order to realize DUI system. And, at each injection mode, DOE (design of experiment) method is used to optimize engine control parameters such as dual injection ratio, start of injection timing, end of injection timing, CAM position and so on. As a consequence, DUI mode shows slightly better or equivalent fuel efficiency compared to conventional GDI engine on 9 points fuel economy mode as well as MPI mode shows less fuel consumption than GDI mode during idle operation. Furthermore, DUI system shows improvement potential of maximum 2.0% fuel consumption and 1.1% performance compared to GDI system in WOT operating condition.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제5권5호
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• pp.423-431
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• 2001

Some recent investigations revealed that vasodilatory action of adenosine is mainly not mediated by surface A2 receptor and suggested the existence of an intracellular action site. In the present study, we tried to differentiate intracellular from extracellular site of adenosine action in the regulation of coronary flow. In perfused rabbit hearts, concentration-response curve of coronary flow to exogenous adenosine was constructed in the presence or absence of dipyridamole, an inhibitor of transmembrane purine transport. Inhibition of cellular adenosine uptake by dipyridamole suppressed the increase of flow rate while enhancing the decrease in heart rate induced by exogenous adenosine. In another series of experiments, perfused rabbit hearts were subjected to energy deprivation in order to increase the production of endogenous adenosine. Energy deprivation along with dipyridamole administration resulted in higher coronary flow rate. Lower perfusate adenosine concentration was observed along with higher tissue adenosine content in this group. These results implied that coronary flow rate is determined not by interstitial adenosine concentration but by intracellular activity of adenosine. To confirm the effects of dypiridamole in vivo, direct measurement of interstitial adenosine concentration by mycrodialysis along with the assay of intracellular adenosine content was performed after intranenous dipyridamole administration. After dipyridamole infusion, intracellular adenosine content was markedly increased while interstitial adenosine concentration was not altered. In another series of experiments, the right shift of concentration-response curve of adenosine-induced vasodilation by 8-phenyltheophilline, a representative adenosine receptor antagonist, was mostly abolished by prior administration of prazosin, indicating that the influence of 8-PT on the adenosine action is not attributed to the inhibition of A2 receptor but related to the suppression of ${\alpha}-adrenoceptor$ activation. From these results, we concluded that adenosine acts intracellularly to regulate the coronary blood flow.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.437-445
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• 2018

${\alpha}$-Iso-cubebene (ICB) is a dibenzocyclooctadiene lignin contained in Schisandra chinensis (SC), a well-known medicinal herb that ameliorates cardiovascular symptoms, but the mechanism responsible for this activity has not been determined. To determine the role played by ICB on the regulation of vascular tone, we investigated the inhibitory effects of ICB on vascular contractile responses by adrenergic ${\alpha}$-receptor agonists. In addition, we investigated the role on myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation and cytosolic calcium concentration in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). In aortic rings isolated from C57BL/6J mice, ICB significantly attenuated the contraction induced by phenylephrine (PE) and norepinephrine (NE), whereas ICB had no effects on KCl (60 mM)-induced contraction. In vasculatures precontracted with PE, ICB caused marked relaxation of aortic rings with or without endothelium, suggesting a direct effect on VSMC. In cultured rat VSMC, PE or NE increased MLC phosphorylation and increased cytosolic calcium levels. Both of these effects were significantly suppressed by ICB. In conclusion, our results showed that ICB regulated vascular tone by inhibiting MLC phosphorylation and calcium flux into VSMC, and suggest that ICB has anti-hypertensive properties and therapeutic potential for cardiovascular disorders related to vascular hypertension.

• 동력기계공학회지
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• 제19권6호
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• pp.47-53
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• 2015

Korea is the geographic location during the summer, the temperature rising to $35^{\circ}C$ and winter temperature is $-15^{\circ}C$ to reduce the air temperature changes, such as relatively large compared to other countries. This increase or decrease of the harmful exhaust gas discharged from automobile substantially inconvenience a significant impact on the active side of the car engine temperature and exhaust gas reducing device receives a large impact on the atmospheric temperature is regulation to be different. However, domestic vehicle emissions test temperature of $20{\sim}30^{\circ}C$ is it does not reflect this situation the actual test temperature to accurately measure the exhaust gas volume of the vehicle is difficult. In this study, domestic automobile exhaust gas test conditions of a test temperature $20{\sim}30^{\circ}C$ various temperatures, including (35, 25, 0, -7, -15, $-25^{\circ}C$) under the two vehicles (2.0L MPI, 2.4 L GDI) as was discussed with respect to the exhaust gas characteristics of the vehicle according to the ambient temperature gas. As a result, domestic emissions test temperature of $25^{\circ}C$ than average conditions were temperature decreases greenhouse gas emissions and increase overall increased by up to 15 times higher. Air temperature and the engine exhaust gas inconvenience a direct effect on the activation temperature required in the reduction unit is determined to be an increase of emissions and greenhouse gases, and also an increase in the variety of lubricants based lubricating and viscosity reduction, such as the engine oil due to the low temperature of these result It is considered that shows the.

• 한국운동역학회지
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.243-248
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• 2016

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the kinematical characteristics of somersault with twist in the Lou Yun and Akopian motions and to provide useful information to gymnastic athletes in men's vault. Method: The study subjects were 12 male adult top athletes. After 12 trials (7 Lou Yun and 5 Akopian trials) filmed by using two digital high-speed camcorders set at 90 frames/sec, kinematical data were collected through the direct linear transformation (DLT) method. The mean differences in biomechanical variables were compared during the second flight upward phase. The kinematic characteristics of somersault with twist in the Lou Yun and Akopian motions were identified. Results: In Lou Yun motion, the vertical release velocity through horse breaking was not difficult to obtain, so the athletes had enough time to prepare for the twist. Therefore, the Lou Yun motion has an advantage to make a cat twist in the pike posture. In the Akopian motion, obtaining the horizontal velocity through horse pushing was so easy that the Akopian athletes attained a large angular impulse and angular momentum. Therefore, the Akopian motion has an advantage to making a tilt twist in the body tilting posture. Conclusion: This study suggests that gymnastic athletes should control their body segment movements in order to increase the twisting angular velocity of the whole body, which requires regulation of the longitudinal moment of inertia of the body. Moreover, athletes should prepare for the shoulder and hip twists early in order to make the landing position in advance.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.339-348
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• 2006

Misaengtang (MST), a formula of Korean herbal medicines, has been used as a weight-controlling recipe. We have investigated two experiment of body weight regulation by MST In rats. i) The anti-obesity effect of MTS on a high fat diet-induced obesity, male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with a high-fat diet containing 30% in the absence or presence of MST (0.3, 1 or 3%) or a reference orlistat (0.05%) for 6 weeks. ii) weight-decrease effect of MST on normal diet, same animal were fed with a normal diet in the absence or presence of MST (3%) for 6 weeks. And the body weights, daily feed and water consumptions, organ weights, fat weights serum biochemistry were measured. In both experiments, MST and orlistat did not affect the body weight gain. But orlistat significantly increased the feed and water consumptions, leading to low-feed efficiency, and orlistat markedly reduced abdominal, paratesticular and perirenal fat weights, although increased the kidney weights. In MST, low dose (0.3%) of MST decreased the perirenal fat and increased the kidney weights in rats fed HFD, and MST 3% decreased the abdominal fat weights in rats fed normal diet. In addition, Orlistat caused changes in parameters of hepatotoxicity (AST and glucose), nephrotoxicity (BUN and B/C ratio) and lipid metabolism (HDL and triglycerides). In comparison, MST decreased AST, ALP and ALT, the hepatotoxicity markers, and somewhat improved the hepatic fatty degeneration. Taken together, it is suggested that MST does not exert anti-obesity activity as well as remarkably direct effects, but MST may be potentially benefit for dietary cure and exercise-cure of obesity.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.211-218
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• 2017

Cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) acts as a hydroxylase for estrogen and activates potential carcinogens. Moreover, its expression in tumor tissues is much higher than that in normal tissues. Despite this association between CYP1B1 and cancer, the detailed molecular mechanism of CYP1B1 on cancer progression in HeLa cells remains unknown. Previous reports indicated that the mRNA expression level of Herc5, an E3 ligase for ISGylation, is promoted by CYP1B1 suppression using specific small interfering RNA, and that ISGylation may be involved in ubiquitination related to ${\beta}-catenin$ degradation. With this background, we investigated the relationships among CYP1B1, Herc5, and ${\beta}-catenin$. RT-PCR and western blot analyses showed that CYP1B1 overexpression induced and CYP1B1 inhibition reduced, respectively, the expression of $Wnt/{\beta}-catenin$ signaling target genes including ${\beta}-catenin$ and cyclin D1. Moreover, HeLa cells were treated with the CYP1B1 inducer $7,12-dimethylbenz[{\alpha}]anthracene$ (DMBA) or the CYP1B1 specific inhibitor, tetramethoxystilbene (TMS) and consequently DMBA increased and TMS decreased ${\beta}-catenin$ and cyclin D1 expression, respectively. To determine the correlation between CYP1B1 expression and ISGylation, the expression of ISG15, a ubiquitin-like protein, was detected following CYP1B1 regulation, which revealed that CYP1B1 may inhibit ISGylation through suppression of ISG15 expression. In addition, the mRNA and protein expression levels of Herc5 were strongly suppressed by CYP1B1. Finally, an immunoprecipitation assay revealed a direct physical interaction between Herc5 and ${\beta}-catenin$ in HeLa cells. In conclusion, these data suggest that CYP1B1 may activate $Wnt/{\beta}-catenin$ signaling through stabilization of ${\beta}-catenin$ protein from Herc5-mediated ISGylation for proteosomal degradation.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.144-152
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• 2010

As the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project (IRGSP) was completed in 2005 and opened to the public, many countries are making a lot of investments in researches on the utilization of sequence information along with system development. Also, the necessity of the functional genomics researches using microarray is increased currently to secure unique genes related with major agricultural traits and analyze metabolic pathways. Microrarray enables efficient analysis of large scale gene expression and related transcription regulation. This review aims to introduce available microarrays made based on rice genome information and current status of gene expression analysis using these microarrays integrated with the databases available to the public. Also, we introduce the researches on the large scale functional analysis of genes related with useful traits and genetic networks. Understanding of the mechanism related with mutual interaction between proteins with co-expression among rice genes can be utilized in the researches for improving major agricultural traits. The direct and indirect interactions of various genes would provide new functionality of rice. The recent results of the various expression profiling analysis in rice will promote functional genomic researches in plants including rice and provide the scientists involved in applications researches with wide variety of expression informations.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.418-427
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• 2006

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) are ligand-gated nonselective cation channels that mediate fast excitatory neurotransmission. Although homologues of the iGluRs have been identified in higher plants, their roles are largely unknown. In this work we isolated a full-length cDNA clone (RsGluR) encoding a putative glutamate receptor from small radish. An RsGluR:mGFP fusion protein was localized to the plasma membrane. In Arabidopsis thaliana overexpressing the fulllength cDNA, glutamate treatment triggered greater $Ca^{2+}$ influx in the root cells of transgenic seedlings than in those of the wild type. Transgenic plants exhibited multiple morphological changes such as necrosis at their tips and the margins of developing leaves, dwarf stature with multiple secondary inflorescences, and retarded growth, as previously observed in transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing AtGluR3.2 [Kim et al. (2001)]. Microarray analysis showed that jasmonic acid (JA)-responsive genes including defensins and JA-biosynthetic genes were up-regulated. RsGluR overexpression also inhibited growth of a necrotic fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea possibly due to up-regulation of the defensins. Based on these results, we suggest that RsGluR is a glutamate-gated $Ca^{2+}$ channel located in the plasma membrane of higher plants and plays a direct or indirect role in defense against pathogen infection by triggering JA biosynthesis.