• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.161-168
• /
• 1995

Brain dopamine systems play a central role in the control of movement, hormone release, and many complex behavior. The action of dopamine at its synapse is terminated predominately by high affinity reuptake into presynaptic terminals by dopamine transporter (DAT). The dopamine transporter(DAT) is membrane protein localized to dopamine-containing nerve terminals and closely related with cocaine abuse, Parkinsonism, and schizophrenia. In present study, the recombinant plasmid pRc/CMV-DAT, constructed by subcloning of a cDNA encoding a bovine DAT into eukaryotic expression vector pRc/CMV, was stably transfected into CV-1 cells(monkey kidney cell line). The DAT activities in the cell lines selected by Geneticin$^{R}$ were determined by measuring the uptake of $[^3H]$-dopamine. The transfected cell lines showed 30-50 fold higher activities than untransfected CV-1 cell line, and this result implies that DAT is well expressed and localized in transfected cells. The transfected cells accumulated $[^3H]$-dopamine in a dose-dependent manner with a $K_{m}$ of 991.6nM. Even though high doses of norepinephrine, epinephrine, serotonin, and choline neurotransmitters inhibited the uptake of $[^3H]$-dopamine, DAT in transfected cell line was proven to be much more specific to dopamine. The psychotropic drugs such as GBR12909, CFT, normifensine, clomipramine, desipramine, and imipramine inhibited significantly the dopamine uptake in tissue culture cells stably transfected with DAT cDNA. Radioactive in situ hybridization was done to map the cellular localization of DAT mRNA-containing cells in the adult rat central nervous system. The strong hybridization signals were detected only in the substantia nigra pars compacta and ventral tegmental area. The restricted anatomical localization of DAT mRNA-containing cells confirms the DAT as a presynaptic marker of dopamine-containing cells in the rat brain.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.45 no.7
• /
• pp.479-494
• /
• 2022

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells that have been intensively studied as therapeutic tools for a variety of disorders. To enhance the efficacy of MSCs, therapeutic genes are introduced using retroviral and lentiviral vectors. However, serious adverse events (SAEs) such as tumorigenesis can be induced by insertional mutagenesis. We generated lentiviral vectors encoding the wild-type herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) gene and a gene containing a point mutation that results in an alanine to histidine substitution at residue 168 (TK(A168H)) and transduced expression in MSCs (MSC-TK and MSC-TK(A168H)). Transduction of lentiviral vectors encoding the TK(A168H) mutant did not alter the proliferation capacity, mesodermal differentiation potential, or surface antigenicity of MSCs. The MSC-TK(A168H) cells were genetically stable, as shown by karyotyping. MSC-TK(A168H) responded to ganciclovir (GCV) with an half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value 10-fold less than that of MSC-TK. Because MSC-TK(A168H) cells were found to be non-tumorigenic, a U87-TK(A168H) subcutaneous tumor was used as a SAE-like condition and we evaluated the effect of valganciclovir (vGCV), an oral prodrug for GCV. U87-TK(A168H) tumors were more efficiently ablated by 200 mg/kg vGCV than U87-TK tumors. These results indicate that MSC-TK(A168H) cells appear to be pre-clinically safe for therapeutic use. We propose that genetic modification with HSV-TK(A168H) makes allogeneic MSC-based ex vivo therapy safer by eliminating transplanted cells during SAEs such as uncontrolled cell proliferation.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.185-193
• /
• 2023

Although increasing evidence of cause-and-effect relationship between BPA exposure and female reproductive disorders have been suggested through many studies, the precise biochemical and molecular mechanism(s) by which BPA interferes with steroidogenesis in the ovarian cells still remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to discover the steroidogenic biomarker(s) associated with BPA treatment in human granulosa cell line, KGN. In this study, our results obtained via the analysis of steroidogenesis-related protein expression in KGN cells using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blot analyses revealed that the expression levels of steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) and aromatase decreased considerably and gradually after BPA treatment in a dose-dependent manner under BPA treatment. Further, remarkable decreases in their expression levels at the cellular levels were also confirmed via immunocytochemistry, and subsequent StAR and aromatase mRNA expression levels showed profiles similar to those observed for their proteins, i.e., both StAR and aromatase mRNA expression levels were significantly decreased under BPA treatment at concentrations ≥0.1 μM. We observed that follicle stimulating hormone upregulated StAR and aromatase protein expression levels; however, this effect was suppressed in the presence of BPA. Regarding the steroidogenic effects of BPA on KGN cells, controversies remain regarding the ultimate outcomes. Nevertheless, we believe that the results here presented imply that KGN cells have a good cellular and steroidogenic machinery for evaluating endocrine disruption. Therefore, StAR and aromatase could be stable and sensitive biomarkers in KGN cells for the cellular screening of the potential risk posed by exogenous and environmental chemicals to female reproductive (endocrine) function.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2004.07b
• /
• pp.985-988
• /
• 2004

The carrier lifetime of boron doped Cz silicon samples after light induced degradation could be improved by optimized rapid thermal processing (RTP). The important five different parameters varied in order to investigate which parameter is important for the stable lifetime after light induced degradation, $\tau_d$. The Plateau temperature and the Plateau time influenced on the lifetime after light induced degradation. Especially, the Plateau temperature showed a strong influence on the stable lifetime. The optimal plateau temperature is approximately $900^{\circ}C$ t for a plateau time of 120 s. The stable lifetime increased from $15\mu}s$ to $25.5{\mu}s$. The normalized defect concentration, $N_t^*$, decreased from $0.06{\mu}s^{-1}$ to $0.037{\mu}s^{-1}$ by RTP-process.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.235-241
• /
• 2011

To examine variation in trophic pathways and the characteristics of food webs from organic matters to aquatic insects, we used stable isotopes to study an intermittent stream system of the Inukami River, Japan. The aquatic insects, including Glossosoma spp., Chironominae spp., Stenelmis spp., Rhyacophilla nigrocephala, and Hexatoma spp., were characterized by different feeding strategies. The ${\delta}^{13}C$ values for these species indicated that Glossosoma spp. graze upon periphyton; Chironominae and Stenelmis spp. mainly feed on benthic particulate organic matter, and R. nigrocephala and Hexatoma spp., which were identified as predators, feed upon Glossosoma, Stenelmis, and/or Chironominae spp. This suggests that the trophic position of consumers at each station may be determined by the trophic position of basal food sources in situ. For trophic pathways, the ${\delta}^{13}C$ values for both organic matter and aquatic insects tended to gradually decrease, whilst the ${\delta}^{15}N$ values increased from the upper reach to the lower reaches, relative to the physicochemical and geographical conditions. These parameters indirectly influence the flow of energy from organic matter to consumers within food web in an intermittent stream system.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.11-14
• /
• 2006

In this study we attempted to develop a novel genomic method to selectively isolate target functional microbial genomes from environmental samples. For this purpose, stable isotope probing (SIP) was applied in selectively isolating organic pollutant-assimilating populations. When soil microbes were fed with $^{13}C-labeled $ biphenyl, biphenyl-utilizing cells were incorporated with the heavy carbon isotope. The heavy DNA portion was successfully separated by CsCl equilibrium density gradient. And the diversity in the heavy DNA was sufficiently reduced, being suitable for the current DNA microarray techniques to detect biphenyl-utilizing populations in the soil. In addition, we proposed a new way to get more genetic information by combining this SIP method with selective metagenomic approach. The increased selective power of these new DNA isolation methods will be expected to provide a good quality of new genetic information, which, in turn, will result in development of a variety of biomarkers that may be used in assessing ecotoxicology issues including the impacts of organic hazards, and antibiotic-resistant pathogens on human and ecological systems.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.212-225
• /
• 2023

This study presents a modularized process of a hybrid renewable energy system that combines photovoltaic power and wind power to supply stable power in a unit area (1 km²). The water electrolysis process and fuel cells process also contributes to the supply of the stable power. The entire system can constantly supply power of 4.39 MW/km². Actual meteorological data is used for simulation.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.9-13
• /
• 2004

Transient uidA expression was used to optimize parameters required for biolistic transformation of suspension cells of Easter lily, Lilium longiflourm. Maximum uidA expression occurred following bombardment with gold particles as compared to tungsten. A 3hr pre-treatment of suspension cells with 0.125M osmoticum resulted in a 1.5X increase in uidA expression. A helium pressure of 1550 psi combined with a particle travelling distance of 6cm resulted in maximum uidA expression as compared to either 1100, 1200, or 1800 psi. Transient transformation resulted in up to 493 uidA expressing cells/Petri plate. For stable transformation suspension cells of Lilium longiflorum, were co-bombarded with plasmid DNA containing cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) replicase under the rice actin (Act1) promoter and either the bar or PAT genes under the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV 355) promoter. Ten regenerated plants contained the transgene as analyzed by PCR, and two of the ten plants were confirmed to contain the transgene by Southern hybridization. The two transgenic plants were independent transformants, one containing the bar gene and the other both the CMV replicase and bar genes. Plants were sprayed at the rosette stage and found to be resistant to 1000 mg/L of phosphinothricin (Trade name-Ignite) indicating expression of the bar gene throughout the leaves when bar was under control of the CaMV 35S promoter.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.1333-1337
• /
• 2004

Oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide are powerful inducers of cell damage, ageing, and apoptosis. Since clusterin, a 75-80 kDa mammalian glycoprotein, is frequently found to be inducible in apoptotic cells and tissues, this study inquired into whether this would be a protective mechanism against further cell death. The aim was to find out whether overexpression of clusterin could protect cells from oxidant­induced stress and apoptosis. To clarify this issue, we generated and analyzed stable cell lines expressing fusion proteins of a rat clusterin with an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). When treated with varying concentrations of hydrogen peroxides, clusterin transfectants indeed showed increased resistance to apoptosis and exhibited a much higher survival rate than mock-transfected cells. On the other hand, neither intracellular re-distribution nor local concentration of clusterin-EGFP was observed, which leaves the question open about its anti-apoptotic mechanism. In conclusion, the overexpression of clusterin provides a means for protecting cells against oxidative stress and subsequent cell death.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.97-102
• /
• 1979

An actinomycete, AS-568, which produced an inhibitory substance against succinate dehydrogenase of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma and Sarcoma-180 cells of mouse, was isolated. The inhibitory activity was determined by SDI (Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibition) method. The active substance was specific against carcinoma cells compared to normal cells in mouse; liver, kidney and brain. The inhibitory ratio was about 50％ after one hr treatment at 37$^{\circ}C$ in vitro. Maximal productivity of active substance was recognized by 5 days culture in glucose-asparagine. The active component in cultural liquid was stable in neutral pH range and heat treatment reasonably, add it was recovered from precipitate by ammonium sulfate or non-dialyrable fraction in cellophane membrane as showing the behavior of high molecular substance.