• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.113-121
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• 2020

Macrophages are initiators for regulating a host's defenses to eliminate pathogens and trigger tissue repair. Macrophages are classified into two types: classically (M1) activated macrophages and alternatively (M2) activated macrophages. M1-phenotype macrophages directly or indirectly kill infectious organisms and tumor cells via pro-inflammatory responses, whereas M2-phenotype macrophages remodel wounded tissue through anti-inflammatory responses. In this paper, we investigated how Phellinus linteus hot water extract passed from Diaion HP-20 resin (PLEP) regulates polarization of M1-like or M2-like macrophages in human THP-1 cells. PLEP did not have cytotoxicity at a high concentration of 300 ㎍/ml. We observed morphological alteration of the THP-1 cells, which are stimulated by PLEP, LPS/INF-γ (M1 stimulators) or IL-4/IL13 (M2 stimulators). PLEP exposure induced morphology contiguous with LPS/INF-γ. qPCR was also performed to determine whether PLEP influences M1 or M2 polarization-related genes. M1-phenotype macrophage-specific genes, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, CXCL10 and CCR7, were enhanced by PLEP in a dose-dependent manner similar to LPS/INF-γ. Conversely, M2-phenotype-specific genes, such as MRC-1, DC-SIGN, CCL17 and CCL22, were suppressed by PLEP. PLEP also significantly up-regulated secretory inflammation cytokines related to M1 polarization of macrophages, including TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6, which was similar to the gene expression. Further, MAPK and NF-κB signaling were increased by treatment with PLEP, resulting in enhancement of cytokine secretion. PLEP might therefore be used as a promising booster of pro-inflammatory responses through M1 polarization of human THP-1 cells.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.563-570
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• 2009

We previously isolated the OsCBT gene, which encodes a calmodulin (CaM)-binding protein, from a rice expression library constructed from fungal elicitor-treated rice suspension cells. In order to understand the function of OsCBT in rice, we isolated and characterized a T-DNA insertion mutant allele named oscbt-1. The oscbt-1 mutant exhibits reduced levels of OsCBT transcripts and no significant morphological changes compared to wild-type plant although the growth of the mutant is stunted. However, oscbt-1 mutants showed significant resistance to two major rice pathogens. The growth of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea, as well as the bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae was significantly suppressed in oscbt-1 plants. Histochemical analysis indicated that the hypersensitive-response was induced in the oscbt-1 mutant in response to compatible strains of fungal pathogens. OsCBT expression was induced upon challenge with fungal elicitor. We also observed significant increase in the level of pathogenesis-related genes in the oscbt-1 mutant even under pathogen-free condition. Taken together, the results support an idea that OsCBT might act as a negative regulator on plant defense.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.525-538
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• 2014

Safety of reactive systems is one of the most important research areas in the field of weapon development. A NoGo response or at least a low-order explosion should be ensured to prevent unexpected accidents when the reactive system is impacted by high-velocity projectile. We investigated the shock-induced detonation of cased reactive systems subject to a normal projectile impact to the cylindrical surface based on two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations using the I&G chemical rate law. Two types of energetic materials, namely LX-17 and AP-based solid propellant, were considered to compare the dynamic responses of the reactive system when subjected to the threshold impact velocity. It was found that shock-to-detonation transition phenomena occurred in the cased LX-17, whereas no full reaction occurred in the propellant.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.3589-3595
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• 2013

Changes of phenolics, antioxidant activities and fatty acid contents were determined in the mangrove plant exposed to Cu, Ni and Cd. Propagules of Rhizophora mangle were cultured for 12 weeks under the Cu (0.01 and 1 ppm), Ni (0.1 and 10 oom) and Cd (0.1 and 10 ppm) stresses. In comparison with control, morphological changes of mangrove root were not observed in 12 weeks. Significant changes of phenolics were not detected and antioxidant activities were dramatically increased in the metal-treated mangroves. Fatty acid, C14:1, C15:1 and C18:3n-6, contents were changed in the all of tested propagules. These results shows that DPPH radical scavenging assay and determination of fatty acid contents could be useful biomarkers for diagnosing responses of mangrove plant under heavy metal stress.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2015

Acute toxicity tests for 5 organic solvents were conducted using Euglena agilis carter (E. agilis), a Korean domestic organism. Organic solvents decreased the growth rate of E. agilis in a dose dependent manner. The toxicity to E. agilis was increased in the order of chloroform>acetone${\geq}$ethanol${\geq}$methanol>DMSO based on $EC_{50}$ values from growth test. Organic solvents also induced cell motility and morphological changes of E. agilis. Especially significant effects on the cell swimming velocity, motility, and compactness were observed for chloroform at the concentration of $EC_{50}$ calculated from 96 hr growth test. Overall, toxic responses of E. agilis to test substances are comparable to or more sensitive than D. magna, M. macrocopa and V. fischeri. Our study demonstrates that E. agilis can be a putative ecotoxicity test model organism to assess domestic water quality. Results obtained from this study can be applied to establish the standard test guidelines for ecotoxicity test using E. agilis.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.22 no.2 s.55
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• pp.52-66
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• 1983

The brown planthopper, N. lugens (Stal), has become a serious pest of rice in tropical Asia during the last decade. At high pest density, its feeding damage causes 'hopperburn' or complete wilting and drying of the rice plant. It also transmits grassy and ragged stunt virus diseases. The estimated losses caused by the pest in tropical Asia exceed $US\$300$ millions. While cultivation of resistant rice varieties has proved to be highly effective against the pest, their long-term stability is threatened because of the evolution of prolific biotypes which can destroy these varieties. At present, identification of biotypes is based principally on the differential reactions of host rice varieties to the pest and on host-mediated behavioral and physiological responses of the pest. Recent findings of morphological differences in adult rostrum, legs, and antennae, body parts that possess receptors for host plant location and discrimination, and cytological differences in N. lugens populations maintained as stock cultures strongly complement other biotype studies. So far, three N. lugens biotypes have been identified in the Philippines. Biotype I can survive on and damage varieties that do not carry and genes for resistance, while Biotype 2 survives on resistant varieties carrying Bph 1 gene and Biotype 3 on varieties carrying gene bph 2. However, none of these biotypes can survive on varieties with genes Bph 3 or bph 4. Several varieties which are resistant in the Philippines are susceptible in India and Sri Lanka as the South Asian biotypes of N. lugens are more virulent than Southeast Asian biotypes. To monitor the pest biotypes in different geographical regions and to identify new sources of resistance, an International Brown Planthopper Nursery has been established in many cooperating countries. The evolution of biotypes is an exceedingly complex process which is governed by the interactions of genetic and biological factors of the pest populations and the genetic makeup of the cultivated varieties. While the strategy for sequential release of varieties with major resistance genes has been fairly successful so far, the monegenic resistance of these varieties makes them vulnerable to the development of the pest biotypes. Therefore, present breeding endeavors envisage utilizing both major and minor resistance genes for effective control of the pest.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.77 no.1
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• pp.53-64
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• 1988

The idiogram of pine chromosomes was obtained from the length, the ratio of the long and short arm, and the position of the secondary constriction. The descending order of the long arm was found by analyzing the idiogram for 6 species of hard pines and 5 species of soft pines growing in Korea. The basic chromosome number of the genus Pinus was n=12, of which the ten chromosomes were the M-type showing similar S/L ratio, and the other two short chromosomes were the heterobrachial SM-type and the sub-median centric SM-type. The interspecific identification was able to made by comparing the number and the position of the secondary constriction, and the pattern of descending order of the long arm. The intraspecific variation was also able to be identified by comparing the long arms Descending order among the provenaces. Some differences were found in the chromosomal structures between the hard- and the soft-pines. However, the differences were not apparent as much as those in the morphological characteristics. The results might not be exactly reproducible because of the variable responses of chromosomes depending on concentration of the chemicals, the temperatures and time of the treatments, and the analytical errors during the preparateur preparation.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.372-380
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• 2014

BACKGROUND: This study was carried out in order to closely examine the influence of fertilization upon growth in container of seedling in indeciduous Quercus species (Q. mysinaefolia, Q. acuta and Q. glauca). METHODS AND RESULTS: Fertilizer level was made by adjusting water soluble compound fertilizer (N:P:K=19: 19:19, v/v) to 1000, 2000, $3000mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ level along with non-fertilizing plot. Fertilization increased height, root collar diameter growth, and dry weight in these three species of trees. The more increase in fertilizer level led to the more rise even in growth of these species. H/D ratio and T/R ratio also showed tendency of getting bigger in the more rise in fertilizer level. Photosynthetic rate was shown to get higher in the higher fertilizer level according to fertilization in all the three species. In the analysis of root morphological traits, the total root length was surveyed to be longer in the more rise in fertilizer concentration. As even a case of root project area, surface area, and root volume is the similar tendency to characteristics in the total root length, a rise depending on fertilization was observed. CONCLUSION: In light of the results in this experiment, the fertilizer level is judged to be $2000mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ level that is proper for production of 1-year-old container seedling in indeciduous Quercus species with excellent root development and high seedling quality index.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.36-50
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• 1990

This experiment was performed to study the morphological responses of the enterochromaffin cells in the duodenal mucosa of rabbit following bile duct ligation. Adult male rabbits were divided into normal, sham operation and experimental groups. Bile duct ligation was performed under ether anesthesia and animals were sacrificed on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 14th day after operation. Mucosal specimens from the duodenum were prefixed with 2.5% glutaraldehyde-1.5% paraformaldehyde(0.1M Millonig's phosphate buffer, pH 7.3), followed by postfixation with 1% osmium tetroxide(0.1M Millonig's phosphate buffer, pH 7.3), and embedded within araldite mixture. The sections were cut on a LKB-V ultratome, and observed under a JEM 100CX II electron miroscope. The results were as follow; 1. Irregularities of the nuclei of the enterochromaffin cells were noticed from the 1st day after bile duct ligation, and concentration of the chromatin in the nucleus was more frequently observed on the 7th and the 14th day. 2. The granular endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex of the enterochromaffin cell were more developed than those of the normal on the 1st day after bile duct ligation, but they showed poor organization from the 3rd day. 3. Amount of the microfilaments in the enterochromaffin cell was significantly increased from the 5th day after bile duct ligation and they were more frequently observed in the vicinity of the nucleus. 4. Vacuoles with various electron densities in the enterochromaffin cell were increased in number from the 3rd day after bile duct ligation. 5. Glycogen-like particles in the enterochromaffin cell were frequently observed on the 3rd and the 5th day after bile duct ligation. 6. In the early stage of the ligation of bile duct, in the enterochromaffin cells, well developed intracellular organelles, such as granular endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus were pronounced. But, in the later stage, the cells contained poor organelles, with the some structural sign of necrotic change.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.873-878
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• 2017

We previously reported that NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1)-knockout (KO) mice exhibited spontaneous inflammation in the gut. We also found that NQO1-KO mice showed highly increased inflammatory responses compared with NQO1-WT control mice when subjected to DSS-induced experimental colitis. In a Clostridium difficile toxin-induced mouse enteritis model, NQO1-KO mice were also sensitive compared with NQO1-WT mice. Moreover, numerous studies have shown that NQO1 is functionally associated with immune regulation. Here, we assessed whether NQO1 defects can alter macrophage activation. We found that peritoneal macrophages isolated from NQO1-KO mice produced more IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ than those isolated from NQO1-WT mice. Moreover, the dicumarol-induced inhibition of NQO1 significantly increased IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ production in peritoneal macrophages isolated from NQO1-WT mice, as well as in the cultured mouse macrophage cell line, RAW264.7. These results indicate that NQO1 may negatively regulate the activation of macrophages. Knockout or chemical inhibition of NQO1 markedly reduced the expression of $I{\kappa}B$ (inhibitor of $NF{\kappa}B$) in both mouse peritoneal macrophages and RAW264.7 cells. Finally, RAW264.7 cells treated with dicumarol exhibited morphological changes reflecting macrophage activation. Our results suggest that NQO1 may suppress the $NF{\kappa}B$ pathways in macrophages, thereby suppressing the activation of these cells. Thus, immunosuppressive activity may be among the many possible functions of NQO1.