• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.4353-4358
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• 2014

Background: PI3/AKT and NF-kB signaling pathways are constitutively active in acute myeloid leukemia and cross-talk between the two has been shown in various cancers. However, their role in acute myeloid leukemia has not been completely explored. We therefore used cell penetrating inhibitor peptides to define the contributions of AKT and NF-kB to survival and multi drug resistance (MDR) in HL-60 cells. Materials and Methods: Inhibition of AKT and NF-kB activity by AKT inhibitor peptide and NBD inhibitor peptide, respectively, resulted in decreased expression of mRNA for the MDR1 gene as assessed by real time PCR. In addition, treatment of HL-60 cells with AKT and NBD inhibitor peptides led to inhibition of cell viability and induction of apoptosis in a dose dependent manner as detected by flow cytometer. Results: Finally, co-treatment of HL-60 cells with sub-optimal doses of AKT and NBD inhibitor peptides led to synergistic apoptotic responses in AML cells. Conclusions: These data support a strong biological link between NF-kB and PI3-kinase/AKT pathways in the modulation of antiapoptotic and multi drug resistant effects in AML cells. Synergistic targeting of these pathways using NF-kB and PI3-kinase/AK inhibitor peptides may have a therapeutic potential for AML and possibly other malignancies with constitutive activation of these pathways.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.789-798
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• 2016

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are industrially important microorganisms for probiotics. The recent widespread application of LAB for preparation of functional food is attributable to the accumulating scientific evidence showing their beneficial effects on human health. In this study, we isolated and characterized plant-derived LAB that show angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory and antioxidant activities. The selected strain K2 was isolated from Kimchi, and identified as Lactobacillus plantarum by 16S rRNA gene analysis. The strain grew under static and shaking culture systems. They were also able to grow in different culture conditions like $25^{\circ}C{\sim}37^{\circ}C$ temperature, 4~10 pH range and ~6% NaCl concentration. L. plantarum K2 was highly resistant to acid stress; survival rate of the strain at pH 2.5 and 3 were 80% and 91.6%, respectively. The strain K2 also showed high bile resistance to 0.3% bile bovine and 0.3% bile extract with more than 74% of survival rate. The cell grown on MRS agar plate containing bile extract formed opaque precipitate zones around the colonies, indicating they have bile salt hydrolase activity. The strain showed an inhibitory activity against pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes; antibacterial activity was probably due to the lactic acid. The K2 strain showed relatively higher autoaggregation values, antihypertensive and antioxidant activities. These results suggest that L. plantarum K2 could be not only applied as a pharmabiotic for human health but also is also starter culture applicable to fermentative products.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.102 no.3
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• pp.331-337
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• 2013

Formate dehydrogenase (FDH), catalyzing the oxidation of the formate ion to carbon dioxide, is known as the stress protein in response to drought, low temperature and pathogen infection. To study the functions of FDH in poplar (Populus alba ${\times}$ P. glandulosa), we isolated a FDH cDNA (PagFDH1) and examined its expressional characteristics. The PagFDH1 is 1,499 base pairs long and encodes a putative 388 amino acid protein with an expected molecular mass of 42.5 kDa. The PagFDH1 protein has N-terminal mitochondria signal peptide and $NAD^+$ binding domain. Southern blot analysis indicated that a single copy of the PagFDH1 is present in the poplar genome. PagFDH1 is expressed highly in the suspension cells (especially in the lag and early exponential phases) and moderately in roots, flowers and leaves. ABA-mediated enhanced expression of PagFDH1 in response to drought and salt stress treatments indicates that the gene product could play an important role in the development of stress resistant trees.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1549-1555
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• 2010

Streptococcus suis is a worldwide pathogen of a variety of porcine infection and has also been described as a pathogen for humans. We studied biochemical characteristics, antimicrobial susceptibility, and identification of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of S. suis isolated from diseased pigs in Gyeongbuk province from 2004 to 2009. Sixty-one isolates were identified as S. suis by biochemical characteristics and PCR from 40 farms. The biochemical characteristics of S. suis isolates were production of VP-negative, hippurate, esculin, and arginine decarboxylase-positive, and fermentation of carbohydrate was variable lactose, trehalose, inulin, and raffinose, which was typeable 11 phenotype. In an antimicrobial susceptibility test, the majority of isolates were highly susceptible to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, ampicillin, cephalothin, cefoperazone and florfenicol, while being highly resistant to streptomycin, kanamycin, amikacin, neomycin, erythromycin, clindamycin, and tetracycline. The isolates were divided into 11 phenotypes of biochemistry. By using PCR, the 16S-rRNA gene DNA fragment was detected at 304 bp from all of isolates. These results may provide the basic information needed to establish strategies for the prevention of S. suis infection in pigs.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1273-1279
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• 2015

Agarase from a novel agar-degrading bacterium isolated from seawater in Namhae at Gyeongsangnamdo province of Korea was characterized. The SH-1 strain was selected from thousands of colonies on Marine agar 2216 media. Almost full 16S rRNA gene sequence of the agarolytic SH-1 strain showed 99% similarity with that of bacteria of Simiduia genus and named as Simiduia sp. SH-1. Agarase production was growth related, and activity was declined from stationary phase. Secreted agarase was prepared from culture media and characterized. It showed maximum activity of 698.6 units/L at pH 7.0 and 30℃ in 20 mM Tris-HCl buffer. Agarase activity decreased as the temperature increased from an optimum of 30℃, with 90% and 75% activity at 40℃ and 50℃, respectively. Agarase was not heat resistant. Slightly lower agarase activity was observed at pH 6.0 than at pH 7.0, without statistical difference, and 80% and 75% activity were observed at pH 5.0 and 8.0, respectively. Neoagarotetraose and neoagarobiose were the main final products of agarose, indicating that it is β-agarase. Simiduia sp. SH-1 and its β-agarase would be useful for the industrial production of neoagarotetraose and neoagarobiose, which have a whitening effect on skin, delaying starch degradation, and inhibiting bacterial growth.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1119-1124
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• 2012

Background: The effect and possible mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine, baicalin, on the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in drug-resistant human myeloid leukemia HL-60/ADR cells have been investigated in this current study. Methods: HL-60/ADR cells were treated by 20, 40, $80\;{\mu}mol/L$ baicalin followed by cell cycle analysis at 24h. The mRNA expression level of the apoptosis related gene, Bcl-2 and bad, were measured by RT-PCR on cells treated with $80\;{\mu}mol/L$ baicalin at 12, 24 and 48hr. Western blot was performed to detect the changes in the expression of the proteins related to HL-60/ADR cell apoptosis and the signaling pathway before and after baicalin treatment, including Bcl-2, PARP, Bad, Caspase 3, Akt, p-Akt, NF-${\kappa}B$, p-NF-${\kappa}B$, mTOR and p-mTOR. Results: Sub-G1 peak of HL-60/ADR cells appeared 24 h after $20\;{\mu}mol/L$ baicalin treatment, and the ratio increased as baicalin concentration increased. Cell cycle analysis showed 44.9% G0/G1 phase cells 24 h after baicalin treatment compared to 39.6% in the control group. Cells treated with $80\;{\mu}mol/L$ baicalin displayed a trend in decreasing of Bcl-2 mRNA expression over time. Expression level of the Bcl-2 and PARP proteins decreased significantly while that of the PARP, Caspase-3, and Bad proteins gradually increased. No significant difference in Akt expression was observed between treated and the control groups. However, the expression levels of p-Akt, NF-${\kappa}B$, p-NF-${\kappa}B$, mTOR and p-mTOR decreased significantly in a time-dependent manner. Conclusions: We conclude that baicalin may induce HL-60/ADR cell apoptosis through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6427-6431
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• 2013

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers in the world and deeply threatens people's health, especially in China. Techniques of early diagnosis, prevention and prediction are still being discovered, among which the approaches based on single nucleotide polymorphisms in microRNA genes (miRNA SNPs) are newly proposed and show prospective potential. In particular, the association between SNPs in miRNA196a-2 (rs11614913) and miRNA146a (rs2910164) and HCC has been investigated. However, the conclusions made were conflicting, possibly due to insufficient sample size or population stratification. Further confirmations in well-designed large samples are still required. In this study, we verified the association between these two SNPs and the susceptibility to HCC by MassARRAY assay in a 2,000 large Chinese case-control sample. Significant association between rs11614913 and HCC was confirmed. Subjects with the genotype of CT+TT or T allele in rs11614913 were more resistant to HCC (CT+TT: OR (95% CI)=0.73 (0.57-0.92), P=0.01; T allele: OR (95% CI)=0.85 (0.75-0.97), P=0.02) and HBV-related HCC (CT+TT: OR (95% CI)=0.69 (0.53-0.90), P=0.01; T allele: OR (95% CI)=0.82 (0.71-0.95), P=0.01). The affected carriers of CT or TT also tended to have lower levels of serum AFP (P=0.01). This study demonstrated a role of rs11614913 in the etiology of HCC. Further research should focus on the clinical use of this miRNA SNP, so as to facilitate conquering HCC.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.171-177
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• 2012

A total of 94 tomato accessions were evaluated for the resistance to $Tomato$ $spotted$ $wilt$ $virus$ (TSWV) using a Sw5-2 SCAR marker and bioassay. PCR products of the marker were approximately 574 bp, 500 bp, and 462 bp, among which the longest was linked to TSWV resistance allele of Sw5-b. This allele was only found in three accessions (09-438, 10-318, and 10-321) in which some individuals showed apparent recovery or stem necrosis symptom to a tomato isolate of TSWV-pb1. Thirty-five individuals (one per each accession) which were non-infected by ELISA were selected for further observation. Among these, 26 individuals that did not show any symptom at 5 months after inoculation were confirmed for viral infection by RT-PCR. TSWV-specific PCR amplicon was weakly detected in all 26 individuals including 'Eureta', a commercial F1 possessing the resistance allele of Sw5-b. The resistant genes in the selected individuals may play an important role for reducing the viral concentration in tissues of inoculated tomato plants and seems to be quantitatively controlled by several factors including Sw5-b gene.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.347-354
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• 2007

Commercialization of genetically modified (GM) plants will be required the assessment of risks associated with the release of GM plants that should include a detailed risk assessment of their impacts in human health and the environment. Prior to GM plant release, applicants should provide the information on GM crops for approval. We carried out this study to provide the molecular data for risk assessment of the GM Chinese cabbage plants with insect-resistance gene, modified CryIAc, which we obtained by Agrobacterium-transformation. From the molecular analysis with GM Chinese cabbage, we confirmed the transgene copy number and stability, the expression of the transgene, and integration region sequences between the transgene and the Chinese cabbage genome. Based on the unique integration DNA sequences, we designed specific primer set to detect GM Chinese cabbage and set up the GM cabbage detection method by qualitative PCR analysis. Qualitative analysis with GM Chinese cabbage progenies analysis was revealed the same as the result of herbicide treatment. Our results provided the molecular data for risk assessment analysis of GM Chinese cabbage and demonstrated that the primer set proposed could be useful to detect GM Chinese cabbage.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2006

This study is to examine the relationship between TGF-b1 expression and CTGF expression, and to evaluate the effect of Sp1 blockade on the expression of TGF-b1, CTGF and extracellular genes, clones of fibroblasts stably transfected with Sp1 decoy ODN. R-Sp1 decoy ODN was highly resistant to degradation by nucleases or serum, compared to the linear or phosphorothioated-Sp1 decoy ODN. Skin wounds were created on the back of 36 anesthetized rats. They were divided into four groups-the rats with normal skin, with wounded skin without decoy, with wounded skin injected with R-Sp1 decoy, and with wounded skin injected with mismatched R-Sp1 decoy, respectively. Skins were collected at 3rd, 5th, 7th, 14th day after wounding. Cellular RNA was extracted by RT-PCR analysis. TGF-${\beta}1$ and CTGF were deeply related with skin fibrosis during scar formation and it appeared that TGF-${\beta}1$ may cause the induction of CTGF expression. R-Sp1 decoy ODN inhibited TGF-${\beta}1$ and CTGF expression both in cultured fibroblasts and in the skin of rats. These results indicate that targeting Sp1 with R-type decoy efficiently blocks extracellular matrix gene expression, and suggest an important new therapeutic approach to control the scarring in normal wound healing and fibrotic disorders.