• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.157-163
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• 2022

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD), which encompasses alcoholic steatosis, alcoholic hepatitis, and alcoholic cirrhosis, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although the economic and health impacts of ALD are clear, few advances have been made in its prevention or treatment. We recently demonstrated that the insect-derived antimicrobial peptide CopA3 exerts anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory activities in various cell systems, including neuronal cells and colonic epithelial cells. Here, we tested whether CopA3 inhibits ethanol-induced liver injury in mice. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with ethanol only or ethanol plus CopA3 for 24 h and then liver injury and inflammatory responses were measured. Ethanol enhanced the production of proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, interferon (IFN)-γ, and IL-10. It also induced hepatocyte apoptosis and ballooning degeneration in hepatocytes. Notably, all these effects were eliminated or significantly reduced by CopA3 treatment. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that CopA3 ameliorates ethanol-induced liver cell damage and inflammation, suggesting the therapeutic potential of CopA3 for treating ethanol-induced liver injury.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.245-250
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• 2000

A new species of Blasobasinae, Blastobasis spiniella Park, sp. nov., is described, and four species: Neoblastobasis spiniharpella Kuznetzov et Sinev, Hypatopa silvestrella Kuznetzov, hypatopa tianshanica Sinev, and Holcoceroides scythrella Sinev ave reported for the first time in Korea. Description, diagnosis, illustrations of the male genitalia, and collection data of these species are provided.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.466-470
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• 2015

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2017

Bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) plays an important role in the development of bone and cartilage. It is involved in the hedgehog pathway, TGF beta signaling pathway, and in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. It is involved also in cardiac cell differentiation and epithelial to mesenchymal transition. In this study, We expressed human BMP2 (hBMP2) recombinant protein using Baculovirus Expression Vector System (BEVS) in Sf9 insect cells. The hBMP2 cDNA was cloned into baculovirus transfer vector, pBacgus-4x-1 and recombinant baculovirus was screened out through X-gal and GUS-fusions assay. Western blot analysis shown that molecular weight of hBMP2 recombinant protein was about 44.71 kDa.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.65-71
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• 2007

The Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV) ORF80 (ha80) has 765 bp encoding a protein with approximately 254 amino acids and a predicted molecular weight of 30.8 kDa. Homologues of ha80 are found in most baculovirus sequences, including those from lepidopteran NPVs, lepidopteran granuloviruses (GVs), hymenopteran baculoviruses, and one dipteran baculovirus, yet their functions remain unclear. In this study we characterized ha80, and showed that it was transcribed late in infected host cells (HzAM1). The product of ha80 was a 31 kDa protein that was not a structural protein of budded virus (BV) or occlusion-derived virus (ODV) particles. Ha80 was first detected in the cytoplasm of infected HzAM1 cells at 12 h p.i., and was observed in the nucleus at later stages of infection, suggesting that it may be involved in transporting viral proteins into the host cell nucleus or play its roles in the nucleus.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 1998

To construct transformed Bm5 cells, Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV)IE1 gene, an immediate early viral gene was firstly used in this study. AcNPV IE1 gene, which shares on 95.3% uncleotide sequence homology with Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) IE1 gene, was isolated and cloned into pBluescript. Neomycin gene from pKO-neo was inserted under the control of the IE1 promoter to yield pAcIE1-neo. The plasmid pAcIE1-neo was transfected into Bm5 or Sf9 cells, and neomycin-resistant cells were selected in TC100 medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 1 mg/$m\ell$ G418 for two weeks. Individual clones were picked and each was amplified for further characterization. The genomic DNA from neomycin-resistnt cells was isolated and characterized by PCR using AcNPV IE1 gene-specific primers and by Southern blot analysis using neomycin gene probe. We concluded that AcNPV IE1 gene was functional in B. moridrived Bm5 cells as well as Spodaptera frugiperda-derived Sf9 cells to produce stably-transformed insect cells.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.477-481
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• 2000

The cytotoxicity of crude insect drugs was measured using HeLa cells originating from human cervix and uterine cancer. using the dye uptake assay in order to find potential anticancer agents. Three kinds of extracts (buffer, methanol and ethylacetate) were prepared from 26 insects and used as raw materials for the activity assay. Among these, the buffer extracts from Tabanus, Mylabris and Huechys showed a potent anticancer activity, and those from Catharsius, Red ant, Scorpion, Tabanus and Vespae Nidus showed a strong L-amino acid oxidase (AAO) activity as well as cytotoxicity. In contrast, buffer extracts from Gryllotalpa orientalis and Apriona germari larvae showed greater/more rapid Hela cell growth than that of other insects.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 1999

An experiment was conducted among free-ranging red-winned blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) that acquired illness-induced conditioned taste aversion (CTA) by consuming insect prey tainted with a dose of parathion up to 2.0 mg/kg consumer body weight. Birds quickly acquired CTA and avoided all four insect prey during a lengthy posttest without parathion. This experiment proved that organophosphate insecticide application in the field might decrease the food consumption of wild birds and may also affect the reproductive success of breeding birds. Thus, CTA acquired accidentally after eating insecticide contaminated insect prey appears to be one of the reasons for the decreasing number of breeding songbirds in North America.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1998.10b
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• pp.337.1-337
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• 1998

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1997.10b
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• pp.275.1-275
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• 1997

No Abstract, See Full Text