Cross-protective efficacies of highly-pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 vaccines against a recent H5N8 virus

Park, S.J.,Si, Y.J.,Kim, J.,Song, M.S.,Kim, S.m.,Kim, E.H.,Kwon, H.i.,Kim, Y.I.,Lee, O.J.,Shin, O.S.,Kim, C.J.,Shin, E.C.,Choi, Y.K. Academic Press 2016 Virology Vol.498 No.-

<P>To investigate cross-protective vaccine efficacy of highly-pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses against a recent HPAI H5N8 virus, we immunized C57BL/6 mice and ferrets with three alum-adjuvanted inactivated whole H5N1 vaccines developed through reverse-genetics (Rg): [Vietnam/1194/04xPR8 (clade 1), Korea/W149/06xPR8 (clade 2.2), and Korea/ES223N/03xPR8 (clade 2.5)]. Although relatively low cross-reactivities (10-40 HI titer) were observed against heterologous H5N8 virus, immunized animals were 100% protected from challenge with the 20 mLD(50) of H5N8 virus, with the exception of mice vaccinated with 3.5 mu g of Rg Vietnam/1194/04xPR8. Of note, the Rg Korea/ES223N/03xPR8 vaccine provided not only effective protection, but also markedly inhibited viral replication in the lungs and nasal swabs of vaccine recipients within five days of HPAI H5N8 virus challenge. Further, we demonstrated that antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) of an antibody-coated target cell by cytotoxic effector cells also plays a role in the heterologous protection of H5N1 vaccines against H5N8 challenge. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.</P>

Neural stem cells injured by oxidative stress can be rejuvenated by GV1001, a novel peptide, through scavenging free radicals and enhancing survival signals

Park, H.H.,Yu, H.J.,Kim, S.,Kim, G.,Choi, N.Y.,Lee, E.H.,Lee, Y.J.,Yoon, M.Y.,Lee, K.Y.,Koh, S.H. Elsevier BV 2016 NeuroToxicology Vol.55 No.-

<P>Oxidative stress is a well-known pathogenic mechanism of a diverse array of neurological diseases, and thus, numerous studies have attempted to identify antioxidants that prevent neuronal cell death. GV1001 is a 16-amino-acid peptide derived from human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). Considering that hTERT has a strong antioxidant effect, whether GV1001 also has an antioxidant effect is a question of interest. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of GV1001 against oxidative stress in neural stem cells (NSCs). Primary culture NSCs were treated with different concentrations of GV1001 and/or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for various time durations. The H2O2 decreased the viability of the NSCs in a concentration-dependent manner, with 200 mu M H2O2 significantly decreasing both proliferation and migration. However, treatment with GV1001 rescued the viability, proliferation and migration of H2O2 injured NSCs. Consistently, free radical levels were increased in rat NSCs treated with H2O2, while co-treatment with GV1001 significantly reduced these levels, especially the intracellular levels. In addition, GV1001 restored the expression of survival-related proteins and reduced the expression of death associated ones in NSCs treated with H2O2. In conclusion, GV1001 has antioxidant and neuroprotective effects in NSCs following treatment with H2O2, which appear to be mediated by scavenging free radicals, increasing survival signals and decreasing death signals. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</P>

Effects of HA and NA glycosylation pattern changes on the transmission of avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in guinea pigs

Park, S.,Lee, I.,Kim, J.I.,Bae, J.Y.,Yoo, K.,Kim, J.,Nam, M.,Park, M.,Yun, S.H.,Cho, W.I.,Kim, Y.S.,Ko, Y.Y.,Park, M.S. Academic Press 2016 Biochemical and biophysical research communication Vol.479 No.2

Avian influenza H7N9 virus has posed a concern of potential human-to-human transmission by resulting in seasonal virus-like human infection cases. To address the issue of sustained human infection with the H7N9 virus, here we investigated the effects of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) N-linked glycosylation (NLG) patterns on influenza virus transmission in a guinea pig model. Based on the NLG signatures identified in the HA and NA genetic sequences of H7N9 viruses, we generated NLG mutant viruses using either HA or NA gene of a H7N9 virus, A/Anhui/0½013, by reverse genetics on the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus backbone. For the H7 HA NLG mutant viruses, NLG pattern changes appeared to reduce viral transmissibility in guinea pigs. Intriguingly, however, the NLG changes in the N9 NA protein, such as a removal from residue 42 or 66 or an addition at residue 266, increased transmissibility of the mutant viruses by more than 33%, 50%, and 16%, respectively, compared with a parental N9 virus. Given the effects of HA-NA NLG changes with regard to viral transmission, we then generated the HA-NA NLG mutant viruses harboring the H7 HA of double NLG addition and the N9 NA of various NLG patterns. As seen in the HA NLG mutants above, the double NLG-added H7 HA decreased viral transmissibility. However, when the NA NLG changes occurred by a removal of residue 66 and an addition at 266 were additionally accompanied, the HA-NA NLG mutant virus recovered the transmissibility of its parental virus. These demonstrate the effects of specific HA-NA NLG changes on the H7N9 virus transmission by highlighting the importance of a HA-NA functional balance.

Peroxiredoxin II promotes hepatic tumorigenesis through cooperation with Ras/Forkhead box M1 signaling pathway

Park, Y-H,Kim, S-U,Kwon, T-H,Kim, J-M,Song, I-S,Shin, H-J,Lee, B-K,Bang, D-H,Lee, S-J,Lee, D-S,Chang, K-T,Kim, B-Y,Yu, D-Y Macmillan Publishers Limited 2016 Oncogene Vol.35 No.27

<P>The current study was carried out to define the involvement of Peroxiredoxin (Prx) II in progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the underlying molecular mechanism(s). Expression and function of Prx II in HCC was determined using H-ras(G12V)-transformed HCC cells (H-ras(G12V)-HCC cells) and the tumor livers from H-ras(G12V)-transgenic (Tg) mice and HCC patients. Prx II was upregulated in H-ras(G12V)-HCC cells and H-ras(G12V)-Tg mouse tumor livers, the expression pattern of which highly similar to that of forkhead Box M1 (FoxM1). Moreover, either knockdown of FoxM1 or site-directed mutagenesis of FoxM1-binding site of Prx II promoter significantly reduced Prx II levels in H-ras(G12V)-HCC cells, indicating FoxM1 as a direct transcription factor of Prx II in HCC. Interestingly, the null mutation of Prx II markedly decreased the number and size of tumors in H-ras(G12V)-Tg livers. Consistent with this, knockdown of Prx II in H-ras(G12V)-HCC cells reduced the expression of cyclin D1, cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth and tumor formation in athymic nude mice, whereas overexpression of Prx II increased or aggravated the tumor phenotypes. Importantly, the expression of Prx II was correlated with that of FoxM1 in HCC patients. The activation of extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) pathway and the expression of FoxM1 and cyclin D1 were highly dependent on Prx II in H-ras(G12V)-HCC cells and H-ras(G12V)-Tg livers. Prx II is FoxM1-dependently- expressed antioxidant in HCC and function as an enhancer of Ras(G12V) oncogenic potential in hepatic tumorigenesis through activation of ERK/FoxM1/cyclin D1 cascade.</P>

Effects of Fertilization Time and Culture Medium of Pig Oocytes Matured In Vitro by Liquid Boar Sperm Stored at 4℃

Park, C.S.,Yi, Y.J.,Kim, M.Y.,Chang, Y.J.,Lee, S.H.,Jin, D.I 충남대학교 형질전환복제돼지연구센터 2004 논문집 Vol. No.8

This study was to investigate the effects of fertilization time and culture medium of pig oocytes matured in-vitro by liquid boar sperm. The sperm rich fraction (30∼60 ml) was slowly cooled to room temperature (20∼23℃) by 2 h after collection. Semen was transferred into 15 ml tubes, centrifuged at room temperature for 10 min 800×g, and the supernatant solution was poured off. The concentrated sperm was resuspended with 5 ml of the LEN diluent to provide 1.0×10^(9) sperm/ml at room temperature. The resuspended semen was cooled in a refrigerator to 4℃. The medium used for oocyte maturation was TCM-199 supplemented with 26.19 mM sodium bicarbonate, 0.9 mM sodium pyruvate, 10μg/ml insulin, 2μg/ml vitamin B_(12), 25 mM HEPES, 10μg/ml bovine apotransferrin, 150μM cysteamine, 10IU/ml PMSG, 10 IU/ml hCG, 10 ng/ml EGF, 0.4% BSA, 75μg/ml sodium penicillin G, 50μg/ml streptomycin sulfate and 10% pFF. After about 22 h of culture, oocytes were cultured without cysteamine and hormones for 22 h at 38.5℃, 5% CO₂in air. Oocytes were inseminated with liquid boar sperm stored at 4℃ for 2 days after collection. Oocytes were coincubated for 1, 3, 6 and 9 h in 500 μl mTBM fertilization media with 1.0×10^(6) sperm/ml concentration, respectively. Thereafter, oocytes were transferred into 500 μl NCSU-23, HEPES buffered NCSU-23, PZM-3 and PZM-4 culture media, respectively, for further culture of 6, 48 and 144 h. The rates of sperm penetration and male pronuclear formation were higher in the fertilization times for 6 and 9 h than in those for 1 and 3 h. The rates of cleaved oocytes were higher in the fertilization times for 6 and 9 h (85.0 and 84.6%) than in those for 1 and 3 h (61.1 and 76.8%). The percentage of blastocyst formation from the cleaved oocytes was highest in the fertilization time for 6 h (33.6%) than in that for 1, 3 and 9 h (11.4, 23.0 and 29.6%). Mean cell numbers per blastocyst were 32.9, 27.6, 26.3 and 24.4 in the fertilization times for 6, 9, 3 and 1 h, respectively. The rate of blastocyst from the cleaved oocytes and the number of cells per blastocyst were higher in HEPES buffered NCSU-23 culture medium than in NCSU-23, PZM-3 and PZM-4 culture media. In conclusion, we found out that liquid boar sperm stored at 4℃ could be used for in-vitro fertilization of pig oocytes matured in-vitro. Also, we recommend the coincubation time of 6 h in 500 μl TBM fertilization medium with 1×10^(6) sperm/ml concentration and the HEPES buffered NCSU-23 culture medium for in-vitro fertilization of pig oocytes matured in-vitro.

Advanced H2O2 oxidation for diethyl phthalate degradation in treated effluents: effect of nitrate on oxidation and a pilot-scale AOP operation

Ko, K. B.,Park, C. G.,Moon, T. H.,Ahn, Y. H.,Lee, J. K.,Ahn, K. H.,Park, J. H.,Yeom, I. T. IWA Publishing 2008 Water Science & Technology Vol.58 No.5

<P>One of the objectives of this study was to delineate the effect of nitrate on diethyl phthalate (DEP) oxidation by conducting a bench-scale ultraviolet (UV)/H2O2 and O3/H2O2 operations as suggested in a previous study. We also aim to investigate DEP oxidation at various UV doses and H2O2 concentrations by performing a pilot-scale advanced oxidation processes (AOP) system, into which a portion of the effluent from a pilot-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) plant was pumped. In the bench-scale AOP operation, the O3 oxidation alone as well as the UV irradiation without H2O2 addition could be among the desirable alternatives for the efficient removal of DEP dissolved in aqueous solutions at a low DEP concentration range of 85±15 μg/L. The adverse effect in the UV/H2O2 process was significantly greater than that in the UV oxidation alone, and its oxidation was almost halved by the nitrate. However, the nitrate clearly enhanced the DEP oxidation in the O3 oxidation and O3/H2O2 process. Especially, the addition of nitrate almost doubled the DEP oxidation efficiency in the O3/H2O2 process. The series of pilot-scale AOP operations confirmed that about 30-50% of DEP dissolved in the treated MBR effluent streams was, at least, oxidized by the O3 oxidation alone as well as the UV irradiation without H2O2 addition. The UV photolysis of H2O2 was most effective for DEP degradation with an H2O2 concentration of 40 mg/L at a UV dose of 500 mJ/cm2.</P>

Genetic and phylogenetic characterizations of a novel genotype of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N8 viruses in 2016/2017 in South Korea

Kim, Y.I.,Park, S.J.,Kwon, H.I.,Kim, E.H.,Si, Y.J.,Jeong, J.H.,Lee, I.W.,Nguyen, H.D.,Kwon, J.J.,Choi, W.S.,Song, M.S.,Kim, C.J.,Choi, Y.K. Elsevier Science 2017 INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION Vol.53 No.-

<P>During the outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N6 viruses in 2016 in South Korea, novel H5N8 viruses were also isolated from migratory birds. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the HA gene of these H5N8 viruses belonged to clade 2.3.4.4, similarly to recent H5Nx viruses, and originated from A/Brk/Korea/Gochang1/14(H5N8), a minor lineage of H5N8 that appeared in 2014 and then disappeared. At least four reassortment events occurred with different subtypes (H5N8, H7N7, H3N8 and H10N7) and a chicken challenge study revealed that they were classified as HPAI viruses according to OIE criteria. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</P>

Evaluation of the zoonotic potential of a novel reassortant H1N2 swine influenza virus with gene constellation derived from multiple viral sources

Lee, J.H.,Pascua, P.N.Q.,Decano, A.G.,Kim, S.M.,Park, S.J.,Kwon, H.I.,Kim, E.H.,Kim, Y.I.,Kim, H.,Kim, S.Y.,Song, M.S.,Jang, H.K.,Park, B.K.,Choi, Y.K. Elsevier Science 2015 INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION Vol.34 No.-

In 2011-2012, contemporary North American-like H3N2 swine influenza viruses (SIVs) possessing the 2009 pandemic H1N1 matrix gene (H3N2pM-like virus) were detected in domestic pigs of South Korea where H1N2 SIV strains are endemic. More recently, we isolated novel reassortant H1N2 SIVs bearing the Eurasian avian-like swine H1-like hemagglutinin and Korean swine H1N2-like neuraminidase in the internal gene backbone of the H3N2pM-like virus. In the present study, we clearly provide evidence on the genetic origins of the novel H1N2 SIVs virus through genetic and phylogenetic analyses. In vitro studies demonstrated that, in comparison with a pre-existing 2012 Korean H1N2 SIV [A/swine/Korea/CY03-1½012 (CY03-1½012)], the 2013 novel reassortant H1N2 isolate [A/swine/Korea/CY0423/2013 (CY0423-12/2013)] replicated more efficiently in differentiated primary human bronchial epithelial cells. The CY0423-12/2013 virus induced higher viral titers than the CY03-1½012 virus in the lungs and nasal turbinates of infected mice and nasal wash samples of ferrets. Moreover, the 2013 H1N2 reassortant, but not the intact 2012 H1N2 virus, was transmissible to naive contact ferrets via respiratory-droplets. Noting that the viral precursors have the ability to infect humans, our findings highlight the potential threat of a novel reassortant H1N2 SIV to public health and underscore the need to further strengthen influenza surveillance strategies worldwide, including swine populations.

Effect of H/Ar treatment on ZnO:B transparent conducting oxide for flexible a-Si:H/μc-Si:H photovoltaic modules under damp heat stress

Jeong, J.S.,Kim, Y.H.,Park, C.K.,Kim, H.D.,Choi, J. Pergamon Press 2016 Microelectronics and reliability Vol.64 No.-

<P>A flexible amorphous/microcrystalline Si:H (a-Si:H/mu c-Si:H) tandem-junction photovoltaic (PV) module was produced in which a thin film of ZnO:B grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) served as the transparent conducting oxide (TCO). The Hall mobility of ZnO:B is degraded by damp heat, simulated here using the conditions of 85 degrees C at 85% relative humidity; this affects the series resistance and efficiency of the PV module. In this study, ZnO:B was treated by H/Ar plasma to reduce the degradation experienced under damp heat. The degradation time of the Hall mobility of ZnO:B, defined as the time necessary for the cell to reach the efficiency loss of -20%, was improved by similar to 54% by H/Ar treatment (ZnO:B center dot H/Ar). The mechanism behind this improvement was investigated by assessing the reactions of the ZnO:B and ZnO:B center dot H/Ar thin films to moisture. Related changes in the physical and chemical properties of ZnO:B and ZnO:B center dot H/Ar were analyzed by Xray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary-ion mass spectroscopy, and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. The analyses showed that the concentration of OH- was high while those of Zn2+ and B3+ were low in the grain boundaries of the ZnO:B surface after exposure to humidity. After H/Ar treatment, the increase in OH- concentration in ZnO:B was reduced, and the decrease in the Zn2+ and B3+ concentrations was much smaller. The H/Ar plasma treatment of ZnO:B affected the surface reaction forming Zn(OH)(2), between the OH- and Zn2+ ions at the grain boundaries under damp heat. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.</P>

한국산 애기무당벌레아과(딱정벌레목 ; 무당벌레과)의 분류학적 연구(1) : 방패무당벌레속(Hyperaspis)의 검토 A Taxonomic Review of Genus Hyperaspis

윤일병,박해철 고려대학교 한국곤충연구소 1992 昆蟲硏究誌 Vol.18 No.1

한국산 애기무당벌레아과(딱정벌레목 : 무당벌레과)의 분류학적 연구(Ⅰ)-방패무당벌레속(Hyperaspis)dml 검토-, 박해철 · 윤일병 (고려대학교 생물학과) 昆蟲硏究誌.. 18 : 31 ~ 38, 1992. 본 논문은 한국산 애기무당벌레아과 (subfamily Scymninae)의 제1보로서 방패무당벌레속(genus Hyperspis)을 동정, 분류하였다. 총 1속 6종으로 정리되었다; H. amurensis 흑색방패무당벌레 (신칭), H. sinensis 쌍점방패무당벌레(신칭), H. asistica 방패무당벌레, H. leechi 넉점방패무당벌레, H. erythrocephala 홍머리방패무당벌레, 및 H. gyotokui 육점방패무당벌레. 그중에서 H. amurensis와 H. sinensis는 한국 미기록종이며 북한산으로 밝혀진 H. erythrocephala와 H. gyotokui는 표본을 확인치 못하였다. The paper is a taxonomic review of the genus Hyperaspis, as a part of taxonomic study on the subfamily Scymninae i Korea. Six species are recogized; H. amurensis, H. sinensis, H. asiatica, H. leechi, H. erythrocephala, and H. gyotokui. Out of them, H. sinensis and H. amurensis are new to Korean penninsula. But H. erythrocephala and H. gyotokui recorded in North Korea has not been found in South Korea.