• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.97-103
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• 2016

Mammals have 3 pairs of major salivary glands i.e., the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands. Saliva secretion of these glands is modulated by taste perception. Salivary glands are composed mainly of acinar and ductal cells. Primary saliva is secreted by acinar cells and modified during ductal flow. Recently, of the murine 35 bitter taste receptors, Tas2r108 was expressed at highest levels in the submandibular gland by qPCR. Further, Tas2r108-transfected cells respond to a range of bitter compounds, such as denatonium, quinine, colchicine, diphenidol, caffeine and dapson. The objective of the present study was to characterize the expression of Tas2r108 mRNA in acinar and/or ductal cells of the submandibular gland using in situ hybridization (ISH). Male 42-60 days old DBA2 mice were used in the study. Messenger RNAs were extracted from the submandibular gland for generating digoxigenin (DIG) labeled-cRNA probes. These probes were transcribed in anti-sense and sense orientation using T7 RNA polymerase. Dot blot hybridization was performed using DIG labeled-cRNA probes, in order to estimate integrity and optimal diluting concentration of these probes. Subsequently, ISH was performed on murine submandibular gland to detect Tas2r108 mRNA. Dot blot hybridization data demonstrated that Tas2r108 DIG labeled-cRNA anti-sense probes specifically detected Tas2r108 cDNA. ISH results showed that the anti-sense probes labeled acinar and ductal cells in the submandibular gland, whereas no staining was visible in sense controls. Interestingly, the Tas2r108 expression levels were higher in acinar than ductal cells. These results suggested that Tas2r108 might be more associated with primary saliva secretion than with ductal modification of saliva composition.

• 대한바이러스학회지
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.261-269
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• 1999

The relationship between second messenger cGMP and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replication was investigated. First, the intracellular level of cGMP ([cGMP]i) in HCMV-infected cells was measured. The [cGMP]i increased at early times after HCMV infection, reached maximum level at 12 hr and returned to basal level at 24 hr after virus infection, while [cGMP]i in mock-infected cells remained relatively unchanged. Increasing [cGMP]i resulted in enhanced transcription of HCMV major immediate early gene. For early gene expression, cGMP had varying effect. Expression of 1.2 kb RNA decreased and 2.2 kb RNA increased with increasing cGMP, while 2.7 kb RNA gene expression was not affected. HCMV early genes are regulated by immediate early gene, and the effect of cGMP on the regulatory effect of major immediate early gene on early genes was investigated. In the absence of cGMP, major immediate early gene repressed 2.7 kb RNA gene expression, while 1.2 kb RNA and 2.2 kb RNA early genes were not significantly affected. In the presence of $1\;{\mu}M$ cGMP, however, major immediate early gene stimulated the expression of three early genes.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제38권10호
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• pp.895-903
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• 2015

Non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the translation of target messenger RNAs (mRNAs) involved in the growth and development of a variety of cells, including primordial germ cells (PGCs) which play an essential role in germ cell development. However, the target mRNAs and the regulatory networks influenced by miRNAs in PGCs remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate a novel miRNAs control PGC development through targeting mRNAs involved in various cellular pathways. We reveal the PGC-enriched expression patterns of nine miRNAs, including miR-10b, -18a, -93, -106b, -126-3p, -127, -181a, -181b, and -301, using miRNA expression analysis along with mRNA microarray analysis in PGCs, embryonic gonads, and postnatal testes. These miRNAs are highly expressed in PGCs, as demonstrated by Northern blotting, miRNA in situ hybridization assay, and miRNA qPCR analysis. This integrative study utilizing mRNA microarray analysis and miRNA target prediction demonstrates the regulatory networks through which these miRNAs regulate their potential target genes during PGC development. The elucidated networks of miRNAs disclose a coordinated molecular mechanism by which these miRNAs regulate distinct cellular pathways in PGCs that determine germ cell development.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제54권3호
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• pp.286-288
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• 2018

남자 대학생의 피부에서 분리한 Moraxella osloensis NP7는 베타-락탐과 아미노글리코사이드 항생제에 대해 내성을 보였다. 본 연구에서는 NP7 균주 유전체의 완전한 염기서열과 유전자 주석을 보고하고자 한다. NP7 균주는 원형 염색체와 7개의 플라스미드를 갖고 있다. 염색체는 43.9%의 G + C 함량을 갖는 2,389,582개의 염기쌍을 갖고 있으며, 단백질을 암호하는 2,065개의 유전자를 보유하고 있다. 전체 플라스미드는 평균적으로 40.5%의 G + C 함량을 갖는 654,202개의 염기쌍을 갖고 있으며, 단백질을 암호하는 667개의 유전자를 보유하고 있다. 염색체는 4개의 리보좀 RNA 오페론, 1개의 transfermessenger RNA 유전자, 47개의 tRNA 유전자, 3개의 핵산스위치 유전자 그리고 3개의CRISPR array를 포함하고 있으며, 1개의 CRISPR은 pNP7-1 플라스미드에 존재한다. 베타-락탐과 아미노글리코사이드 항생제에 내성을 부여하는 유전자는 pNP7-1 플라스미드에 존재하고 있다.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제42권5호
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• pp.426-439
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• 2019

Many small RNAs (sRNAs) regulate gene expression by base pairing to their target messenger RNAs (mRNAs) with the help of Hfq in Escherichia coli. The sRNA DsrA activates translation of the rpoS mRNA in an Hfq-dependent manner, but this activation ability was found to partially bypass Hfq when DsrA is overproduced. The precise mechanism by which DsrA bypasses Hfq is unknown. In this study, we constructed strains lacking all three rpoS-activating sRNAs (i.e., ArcZ, DsrA, and RprA) in $hfq^+$ and $Hfq^-$ backgrounds, and then artificially regulated the cellular DsrA concentration in these strains by controlling its ectopic expression. We then examined how the expression level of rpoS was altered by a change in the concentration of DsrA. We found that the translation and stability of the rpoS mRNA are both enhanced by physiological concentrations of DsrA regardless of Hfq, but that depletion of Hfq causes a rapid degradation of DsrA and thereby decreases rpoS mRNA stability. These results suggest that the observed Hfq dependency of DsrA-mediated rpoS activation mainly results from the destabilization of DsrA in the absence of Hfq, and that DsrA itself contributes to the translational activation and stability of the rpoS mRNA in an Hfq-independent manner.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.149-159
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• 2022

Cancers of the lung and liver are the top 10 leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Thus, it is essential to identify the genes specifically expressed in these two cancer types to develop new therapeutics. Although many messenger RNA (mRNA) sequencing data related to these cancer cells are available due to the advancement of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, optimized data processing methods need to be developed to identify the novel cancer-specific genes. Here, we conducted an analytical comparison between Bowtie2, a Burrows-Wheeler transform-based alignment tool, and Kallisto, which adopts pseudo alignment based on a transcriptome de Bruijn graph using mRNA sequencing data on normal cells and lung/liver cancer tissues. Before using cancer data, simulated mRNA sequencing reads were generated, and the high Transcripts Per Million (TPM) values were compared. mRNA sequencing reads data on lung/liver cancer cells were also extracted and quantified. While Kallisto could directly give the output in TPM values, Bowtie2 provided the counts. Thus, TPM values were calculated by processing the Sequence Alignment Map (SAM) file in R using package Rsubread and subsequently in python. The analysis of the simulated sequencing data revealed that Kallisto could detect more transcripts and had a higher overlap over Bowtie2. The evaluation of these two data processing methods using the known lung cancer biomarkers concludes that in standard settings without any dedicated quality control, Kallisto is more effective at producing faster and more accurate results than Bowtie2. Such conclusions were also drawn and confirmed with the known biomarkers specific to liver cancer.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제45권10호
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• pp.738-748
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• 2022

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has posed a serious threat to global public health. A novel vaccine made from messenger RNA (mRNA) has been developed and approved for use at an unprecedented pace. However, an increased risk of myocarditis has been reported after BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination due to unknown causes. In this study, we used single-cell RNA sequencing and single-cell T cell receptor sequencing analyses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to describe, for the first time, changes in the peripheral immune landscape of a patient who underwent myocarditis after BNT162b2 vaccination. The greatest changes were observed in the transcriptomic profile of monocytes in terms of the number of differentially expressed genes. When compared to the transcriptome of PBMCs from vaccinated individuals without complications, increased expression levels of IL7R were detected in multiple cell clusters. Overall, results from this study can help advance research into the pathogenesis of BNT162b2-induced myocarditis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제33권12호
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• pp.1563-1575
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• 2023

Acyl-coenzyme A (CoA):diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2) catalyzes the last stage of triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis, a process that forms ester bonds with diacylglycerols (DAG) and fatty acyl-CoA substrates. The enzymatic role of Dgat2 has been studied in various biological species. Still, the full description of how Dgat2 channels fatty acids in skeletal myocytes and the consequence thereof in glucose uptake have yet to be well established. Therefore, this study explored the mediating role of Dgat2 in glucose uptake and fatty acid partitioning under short interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA)-mediated Dgat2 knockdown conditions. Cells transfected with Dgat2 siRNA downregulated glucose transporter type 4 (Glut4) messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and decreased the cellular uptake of [1-¹⁴C]-labeled 2-deoxyglucose up to 24.3% (p < 0.05). Suppression of Dgat2 deteriorated insulin-induced Akt phosphorylation. Dgat2 siRNA reduced [1-¹⁴C]-labeled oleic acid incorporation into TAG, but increased the level of [1-¹⁴C]-labeled free fatty acids at 3 h after initial fatty acid loading. In an experiment of chasing radioisotope-labeled fatty acids, Dgat2 suppression augmented the level of cellular free fatty acids. It decreased the level of re-esterification of free fatty acids to TAG by 67.6% during the chase period, and the remaining pulses of phospholipids and cholesteryl esters were decreased by 34.5% and 61%, respectively. Incorporating labeled fatty acids into beta-oxidation products increased in Dgat2 siRNA transfected cells without gene expression involving fatty acid oxidation. These results indicate that Dgat2 has regulatory function in glucose uptake, possibly through the reaction of TAG with endogenously released or recycled fatty acids.

• 치위생과학회지
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• 제13권3호
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• pp.321-329
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• 2013

과산화수소는 치아미백에 널리 사용되는 물질로 과다 사용시 치수세포에 손상을 일으킬 수 있다. 본 연구의 목적은 활성산소인 과산화수소에 의해 유도되는 상아모세포의 단계별 분화와 LOX isoforms과의 관계를 밝히고자 하였다. 치수세포에 분화유도 배지와 과산화수소를 시간과 농도별로 처리한 후 LOX 유전자 발현은 RT-PCR로 측정하였고, LOX enzyme activity는 고감도 형광분석으로 확인하였다. 또한 가장 많은 발현억제를 보인 LOX와 LOXL을 선택하여 siRNA 처리 후 분화표지자의 발현변화와 LOX enzyme activity를 확인하였다. 1. 과산화수소 처리에 따라 LOX, LOXL, LOXL3 mRNA 발현은 농도와 시간 의존적으로 감소하였으나 LOXL2와 LOXL4 mRNA는 변화가 없었다. 2. 과산화수소 처리된 LOX enzyme activity는 0.3 mM과 24시간에서 가장 많은 증가를 보였다. 3. ALP, OPN, OCN의 mRNA 발현은 LOX와 LOXL siRNAs 모두에서 억제되었고, DMP1과 DSPP는 LOX siRNA에서 더 많은 억제 효과를 보였다. 하지만, 분화단계별(초기, 중기, 말기) 차이는 보이지 않았다. 4. LOX와 LOXL siRNAs를 처리하여 LOX enzyme activity를 측정한 결과 LOX siRNA를 처리한 실험군에서 더 많은 억제효과를 보였다. 이러한 결과는 상아모세포 성장과 분화과정에 낮은 농도의 과산화수소가 분화를 유도하고 여기에 LOX가 관련됨을 알 수 있었다. 결론적으로, 과산화수소는 LOX 유전자 발현조절을 통해 치수세포의 성장과 분화에서 중추적인 역할을 할 것이라고 생각된다.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제40권2호
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• pp.160-168
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• 2016

Background: Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) is a well-characterized medicinal herb listed in the classic oriental herbal dictionary as "Shin-nong-bon-cho-kyung." Ginseng has diverse pharmacologic and therapeutic properties. Black ginseng (BG, Ginseng Radix nigra) is produced by repeatedly steaming fresh ginseng nine times. Studies of BG have shown that prolonged heat treatment enhances the antioxidant activity with increased radical scavenging activity. Several recent studies have showed the effects of BG on increased lipid profiles in mice. In this study report the effects of water and ethanol extracts of BG on hypercholesterolemia in rats. To our knowledge, this is the first time such an effect has been reported. Methods: Experiments were conducted on male Sprague Dawley rats fed with a high-cholesterol diet supplemented with the water and ethanol extracts of BG (200 mg/kg). Their blood cholesterol levels, serum white blood cell levels, and cholesterol-metabolizing marker genes messenger RNA (mRNA) expression were determined. Liver and adipose tissues were histologically analyzed. Results: We found that BG extracts efficiently reduced the total serum cholesterol levels, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels with increased food efficiency ratio and increased number of neutrophil cells. It also attenuated the key genes responsible for lipogenesis, that is, acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) acetyltransferase 2, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2, at the mRNA level inside liver cells. Furthermore, the BG extract also reduced the accumulation of fat in adipose tissues, and inhibited the neutral fat content in liver cells stained with hematoxylin and eosin and oil red O. Conclusion: Administration of BG extracts to Sprague Dawley rats fed with high-cholesterol diet ameliorated hypercholesterolemia, which was mediated via modulation of cholesterol-metabolizing marker genes. This data throw a light on BG's cardioprotective effects.