• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.13-24
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• 2024

Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the anti-obesity effect of Cydonia oblonga Miller fruit extract (COME) and to compare its anti-obesity efficacy with Garcinia cambogia extract (GCE) in diet-induced obese mice. Methods: Five-week-old male C57BL/6 were allocated into four groups: control diet (CD), high-fat diet (HFD), HFD + 400 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day COME (H+C), or HFD + 400 mg/kg BW/day GCE (H+G) groups. COME or GCE was administered once a day by oral gavage for eight weeks. Body weight, body fat percentage, fat weight, and biochemical parameters in serum were measured. The expressions of transcription factors and their target genes in epididymal adipose tissues were analyzed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results: COME reduced body weight, weight gain, body fat percentage, total white adipose tissue weight, adipocyte size, and serum levels of insulin and leptin in high-fat diet-induced obese C57BL/6 mice. COME suppressed the mRNA expressions of CCAAT/enhancer binding proteinα, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorγ, sterol-regulatory element-binding protein-1c, fatty acid synthase, and adipocyte protein 2 and increased carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 mRNA expression in epidydimal adipose tissues. The anti-obesity efficacy of COME was found to be similar to that of GCE at the same dose. However, COME more effectively decreased adipose tissue weights, epididymal adipocyte size, serum insulin and leptin compared to GCE. Conclusions: These results demonstrated that COME is not toxic and exhibits anti-obesity efficacy at a level similar to that of GCE, suggesting that COME may be applicable as an anti-obesity agent.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.2081-2084
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• 2007

A 2.5 kb aga gene encoding ${\alpha}$-galactosidase (${\alpha}$-Gal) from Leuconostoc mesenteroides SY1 was cloned into pSJE, an E. coli-Leuconostoc shuttle vector. The recombinant plasmid, pSJEaga, was introduced into Leuconostoc citreum KCTC3526 (ATCC49370) by electroporation. Transcription level of aga was the highest in cells grown on raffinose (1%, w/v) followed by cells grown on galactose, melibiose, fructose, glucose, and sucrose. Western blot using antibodies against ${\alpha}$-Gal showed similar results to slot-blot results and enzyme activity measurements. All the results indicated that the aga was successfully expressed in L. citreum and its transcription was under the carbon catabolite repression (CCR).

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2014

Objectives This study was performed to evaluate the effects of fermented lotus extracts on prediabetes and hyperlipidemia in high fructose diet rats. Methods Extracts of lotus leaf and lotus root were fermented using 4 different probiotics separately, including Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium breve, and Bifidobacterium longum. Expressions of adipogenic transcription factors including Adiponectin, GLUT-4, Leptin, PPAR gamma, Resistin and Visfatin were analyzed by Real time PCR and Western blotting analysis. Results Fermented lotus extracts reduced blood glucose. Fermented lotus extracts inhibited adipogenic transcription factors by inhibiting preadipocytes differentiation. The level of gene expression of Adiponectin, GLUT-4, Leptin, PPAR gamma, Resistin and Visfatin in relation to that of GAPDH were increase or decrease significantly with the Fermented lotus formulation group. Conclusions Fermented lotus extracts showed hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects by inhibiting preadipocyte differentiation and controlling insulin sensitivity in high fructose diet rats.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.171-178
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• 2010

This study examined the relationship between speech intelligibility and comprehensibility for hearing impaired children with cochlear implants. Speech intelligibility was measured by orthographic transcription method for acoustic signal at the level of words and sentences. Comprehensibility was evaluated by examining listener's ability to answer questions about the contents of a narrative. Speech samples were collected from 12 speakers(age of 6~15 years) with cochlear implants. For each speaker, 4 different listeners(total of 48 listeners) completed 2 tasks: One task involved making orthographic transcriptions and the other task involved answering comprehension questions. The results of the study were as follows: (1) Speech intelligibility and comprehensibility scores tended to be increased by decreasing of severity. (2) Across all speakers, the relationship was significant between speech intelligibility and comprehensibility scores without considering severity. However, within severity groups, there was the significant relationship between comprehensibility and speech intelligibility only for moderate-severe group. These results suggest that speech intelligibility scores measured by orthographic transcription may not accurately reflect how well listener comprehend speech of children with cochlear implants and therefore, measures of both speech intelligibility and listener comprehension should be considered in evaluating speech ability and information-bearing capability in speakers with cochlear implants.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.137-141
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• 1996

A partial cDNA encoding a Korean radish isoperoxidase was obtained from a cDNA library prepared from 9 day old radish root. In order to obtain Korean radish isoperoxidase cDNA, 5' RACE (rapid amplification cDNA end) PCR was performed and a cDNA (prxK1) encoding a complete structural protein was obtained by RT (reverse transcription)-PCR. Sequence analysis revealed that the length of the cDNA was 945 base pairs, and that of the mRNA transcript was ca. 1.6 kb. The deduced amino acid of the protein were composed of 315 amino acid residues and the protein was 92% homologous to turnip peroxidase, and 46% to 50% homologous to other known peroxidases. The 945 bp cDNA encoding Korean radish isoperoxidase was overexpressed in Escherichia coli up to approximately 9% of total cellular protein. The recombinant fusion protein exhibited 43 kDa on SDS-PAGE analysis and the activity level of the recombinant nonglycosylated protein was two fold higher in IPTG induced cell extracts than that of uninduced ones.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.111-118
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• 2017

Objective: Adipose tissue plays a key role in the development of obesity and diabetes. We previously reported that lignosulfonic acid suppresses the rise in blood glucose levels through the inhibition of ${\alpha}$-glucosidase activity and intestinal glucose absorption. The purpose of this study is to examine further biological activities of lignosulfonic acid. Methods: In this study, we examined the effect of lignosulfonic acid on differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells. Results: While lignosulfonic acid inhibited proliferation (mitotic clonal expansion) after induction of differentiation, lignosulfonic acid significantly increased the size of accumulated lipid droplets in the cells. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that lignosulfonic acid increased the expression of the adipogenic transcription factor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ($PPAR{\gamma}$), leading to increased glucose transporter 4 (Glut-4) expression and 2-deoxyglucose uptake in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. Additionally, feeding lignosulfonic acid to diabetic KK-Ay mice suppressed increase of blood glucose level. Conclusion: Lignosulfonic acid may be useful as a functional anti-diabetic component of food.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.30 no.4 s.48
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• pp.485-489
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• 2004

Melanin pigmentation in human skin is a major defensive mechanism against ultraviolet light of the sun. Tyrosinase plays a key role in the biosynthesis of melanin. This is why many researches have been focused on regulations in controlling the epidermal melanization. We found that extract of Canavalia lineata inhibits mushroom tyrosinase activity, dopa oxidase activity, and melanin synthesis in B16F10 melanoma cells. To elucidate mRNA level reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique was used. It was revealed that A subfraction of $CHCI_3$ extract of Canavalia lineara reduced the tyrosinase mRNA expression of B16F10 melanoma cells by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.62-68
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• 2004

A cDNA encoding the masu salmon, Oncorhynchus masou, estrogen receptor $\alpha$ (msER$\alpha$) was cloned from the pituitary gland by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This cDNA contains an open reading frame encoding 513 amino acid residues, and the calculated molecular weight of this protein is about 56,430 Dalton. The amino acid sequences of the DNA binding and ligand binding domains of msER$\alpha$ showed high homology to those of other fish species (84-100%). Reverse transcription PCR analysis showed that the mRNA level of msER$\alpha$ in the pituitary was slightly higher in estradiol-17$\beta$(E2) injected masu salmon than that of control fish. To test the biological activity of msER$\alpha$, the cDNA was ligated to a mammalian expression vector and transfected into a gonadotrope-derived cell line, L$\beta$T2, with a reporter plasmid including estrogen responsive element. Expression of the reporter protein, luciferase, was E2 and msER$\alpha$-dependent. The masu salmon ER$\alpha$ is structurally conserved among teleost species and functions as a transcriptional activator in the pituitary cells.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.140-146
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• 2016

Naringenin (NAR) as one of the flavonoids observed in grapefruit has been reported to exhibit an anti-cancer activity. Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is associated with apoptosis in human colon cancer cells. This study was performed to investigate the molecular mechanism by which NAR stimulates ATF3 expression and apoptosis in human colon cancer cells. NAR reduced the cell viability and induced an apoptosis in human colon cancer cells. ATF3 overexpression increased NAR-mediated cleaved PARP, while ATF3 knockdown attenuated the cleavage of PARP by NAR. NAR increased ATF3 expression in both protein and mRNA level, and increased the luciferase activity of ATF3 promoter in a dose-dependent manner. The responsible region for ATF3 transcriptional activation by NAR is located between -317 and -148 of ATF3 promoter. p38 inhibition blocked NAR-mediated ATF3 expression, its promoter activation and apoptosis. The results suggest that NAR induces apoptosis through p38-dependent ATF3 activation in human colon cancer cells.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.131-136
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• 1999

In fungi known as ascomycetes, ability to mate is controlled by a single mating type (MAT) locus with two dissimilar sequences called idiomorphs carrying genes encoding transcription factors that are unrelated to each other. Fungi requiring strains with different MAT genes to complete the sexual process are heterothallic (self-sterile); species in which as single strain is able to undergo sexual reproduction are homothallic (self-fertile). Previous analysis of sequences from several heterothallic and homothallic species of the ascomycete genus Cochliobolus showed that homothallics evolve from heterothallics and that each known Cochliobolus homothallic species arose independently, from a different heterothallic ancestral species. Here we report detailed comparative analyses of MAT sequences ad their flanking regions, and show that: (1) The level of MAT gene similarity is not correlated with reproductive life style; (2) MAT proteins from all Cochliobolus species are conserved within the transcription factor signature sequences; they are not conserved in the carboxy terminal half of MAT-1, or third of MAT-2, except in those from very closely related species; (3) A gene (ORF1) of unknown function, consistently found on the MAT flank, is more conserved than are the MAT genes themselves; (4) The intergenic sequences diverge sharply among species.