Korean Byungkyul - Citrus platymamma Hort.et Tanaka flavonoids induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, regulating MMP protein expression in Hep3B hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Hong, G. E.,Lee, H. J.,Kim, J. A.,Yumnam, S.,Raha, S.,Saralamma, V. Venkatarame Gowda,Heo, J. D.,Lee, S. J.,Kim, E. H.,Won, C. K. Lychnia 2017 International journal of oncology Vol.50 No.2

<P>Citrus platymamma Hort.et Tanaka is an indigenous fruit of Jeju island in Korea. In this study the bioactivity of C. platymamma flavonoids were evaluated on human hepatoma Hep3B cell lines. Eleven flavonoids were identified from the peels of C. platymamma Hort.et Tanaka through high-performance liquid chromatography-Tandem mass spectrometry and the anticancer effect of these C. platymamma flavonoids on human hepatoma Hep3B were studied. Chromatin condensation was observed in Hep3B cells treated with C. platymamma flavonoids. DNA fragmentation was confirmed through agarose gel electrophoresis and TUNEL assay. An increase in the total apoptotic cells and G2/M cell cycle arrest with decreased protein expression of CDC25C, CDK1, cycl in B1 and p21 were observed in Hep3B cells treated with flavonoids of C. platymamma. Further, protein expression of Bcl-XL, Bax, caspase-3 and -9 were also modulated by C. platymamma flavonoids treatment indicating that cell death is through intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Moreover, C. platymamma flavonoids also regulated the phosphorylation of MAPKs, PI3K, and Akt in Hep3B cells. Relevant to inhibiting metastasis, C. platymamma treatment reduced wound closure of Hep3B cells and the protein expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 were reduced in C. platymamma treated cells. The results show that C. platymamma flavonoids induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis following activation of MAPKs and suppression of PI3K/Akt pathway which eventually inhibits cell migration in Hep3B cells. The finding provides evidence on biochemical activities of C. platymamma Hort.et Tanaka, which would be an essential agent for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment.</P>

Holocene environmental change at the southern coast of Korea based on organic carbon isotope (δ¹³C) and C/S ratios

Lim, J.,Lee, J.Y.,Kim, J.C.,Hong, S.S.,Yang, D.Y. Pergamon Press 2015 QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL Vol.384 No.-

<P>To trace the environmental change that occurred at a coastal area during the Holocene, we performed radiocarbon dating and geochemical analyses using sedimentary cores recovered from the Beolgyo tidal flats on the south coast of Korea. The delta C-13 values of total organic carbon (TOC), which represent relative inputs of terrestrial (or freshwater) and marine organic sources, revealed a long-term increasing trend from -27.5 to -21.7 parts per thousand during the period between 10,000 and 3000 cal BP, suggesting an evolutionary series of fluvial-dominant to marine-dominant environments, coupled with weakened summer monsoon intensity. From 3000 cal BP to the present, the delta C-13(TOC) decreased gradually from -21.7 to -24 parts per thousand, indicating enhancement of freshwater input during this time. The observed long-term environmental change was divided into six stages based on the averages of the total sulfur content (TS%) and the organic carbon to sulfur ratio (C/S), proxies for paleosalinity. On multi-centennial to millennial timescales, higher C/S ratios and lower TS% were linked to higher delta C-13(TOC) values, indicating strong freshwater input at Stage 2 (similar to 8300-7400 cal BP), Stage 4 (similar to 4500-3300 cal BP), and Stage 6 (similar to 1100 cal BP to present). Strong freshwater discharge events synchronously occurred at 4300 cal BP and 3600 cal BP along the south coast of Korea. Further testing should be carried out in other East Asian coastal areas. This study suggests that sedimentary delta C-13(TOC) values and C/S ratios can be used in Asian coastal regions to trace past freshwater input events and summer monsoon intensity during relatively stable sea level periods (e.g., the middle to late Holocene). (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.</P>

Production of soluble truncated spike protein of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus from inclusion bodies of Escherichia coli through refolding

Piao, D.C.,Lee, Y.S.,Bok, J.D.,Cho, C.S.,Hong, Z.S.,Kang, S.K.,Choi, Y.J. Academic Press 2016 Protein expression and purification Vol.126 No.-

The emergence of highly pathogenic variant porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) strains, from 2013 to 2014, in North American and Asian countries have greatly threatened global swine industry. Therefore, development of effective vaccines against PEDV variant strains is urgently needed. Recently, it has been reported that the N-terminal domain (NTD) of S1 domain of PEDV spike protein is responsible for binding to the 5-N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac), a possible sugar co-receptor. Therefore, the NTD of S1 domain could be an attractive target for the development of subunit vaccines. In this study, the NTD spanning amino acid residues 25-229 (S25-229) of S1 domain of PEDV variant strain was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) in the form of inclusion bodies (IBs). S25-229 IBs were solubilized in 20 mM sodium acetate (pH 4.5) buffer containing 8 M urea and 1 mM dithiothreitol with 95% yield. Solubilized S25-229 IBs were refolded by 10-fold flash dilution and purified by one-step cation exchange chromatography with >95% purity and 20% yield. The CD spectrum of S25-229 showed the characteristic pattern of alpha helical structure. In an indirect ELISA, purified S25-229 showed strong reactivity with mouse anti-PEDV sera. In addition, immunization of mice with 20 μg of purified S25-229 elicited highly potent serum IgG titers. Finally, mouse antisera against S25-229 showed immune reactivity with native PEDV S protein in an immunofluorescence assay. These results suggest that purified S25-229 may have potential to be used as a subunit vaccine against PEDV variant strains.

Projections of high resolution climate changes for South Korea using multiple-regional climate models based on four RCP scenarios. Part 1: surface air temperature

Suh, M. S.,Oh, S. G.,Lee, Y. S.,Ahn, J. B.,Cha, D. H.,Lee, D. K.,Hong, S. Y.,Min, S. K.,Park, S. C.,Kang, H. S. SPRINGER SCIENCE AND BUSINESS MEDIA 2016 Asia-Pacific Journal of Atmospheric Sciences Vol.52 No.2

<P>We projected surface air temperature changes over South Korea during the mid (2026-2050) and late (2076-2100) 21st century against the current climate (1981-2005) using the simulation results from five regional climate models (RCMs) driven by Hadley Centre Global Environmental Model, version 2, coupled with the Atmosphere- Ocean (HadGEM2-AO), and two ensemble methods (equal weighted averaging, weighted averaging based on Taylor's skill score) under four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenarios. In general, the five RCM ensembles captured the spatial and seasonal variations, and probability distribution of temperature over South Korea reasonably compared to observation. They particularly showed a good performance in simulating annual temperature range compared to HadGEM2-AO. In future simulation, the temperature over South Korea will increase significantly for all scenarios and seasons. Stronger warming trends are projected in the late 21st century than in the mid-21st century, in particular under RCP8.5. The five RCM ensembles projected that temperature changes for the mid/late 21st century relative to the current climate are +1.54A degrees C/+1.92A degrees C for RCP2.6, +1.68A degrees C/+2.91A degrees C for RCP4.5, +1.17A degrees C/+3.11A degrees C for RCP6.0, and +1.75A degrees C/+4.73A degrees C for RCP8.5. Compared to the temperature projection of HadGEM2-AO, the five RCM ensembles projected smaller increases in temperature for all RCP scenarios and seasons. The inter-RCM spread is proportional to the simulation period (i.e., larger in the late-21st than mid-21st century) and significantly greater (about four times) in winter than summer for all RCP scenarios. Therefore, the modeled predictions of temperature increases during the late 21st century, particularly for winter temperatures, should be used with caution.</P>

산란계 사료내 CLA 함유 Oil (CLAzen 80) 첨가가 난황내 지방산 조성에 미치는 영향

황보종,장종수,정일병,이병석,김동운,조성백,김희도,배해득,손진혁,홍의철,최낙진,Hwangbo J.,Chang J. S.,Chung I. B.,Lee B. S.,Kim D. U.,Cho S. B.,Kim H. D.,Bae H. D.,Son J. H.,Hong U. C.,Choi N. J. 한국가금학회 2005 韓國家禽學會誌 Vol.32 No.1

본 연구는 oil 형태의 conjugated linoleic acid(CLAzen 80)를 산란계 사료에 수준별로 첨가 급여하였을 때 산란율과 난황내 지방산 조성의 변화를 조사하기 위하여 수행하였다. 59주령의 산란계 72수를 완전임의배치법으로 4개 처리구에 6주간 공시하였다. 처리구는 CLAzen 80를 첨가하지 않은 대조구와 각각 1, 2 및 $3\%$를 첨가구를 두었다. 연구 결과를 살펴보면 산란율은 처리구별 통계적 유의차가 없었지만, 난황내 지방산 조성은 CLAzen 80 첨가에 의하게 크게 영향을 받았다. 난황내 C16:0과 C18:0과 같은 포화 지방산 함량은 CLAzen 80 첨가에 의하여 증가하였으나, 일가불포화지방산인 C18:1 함량은 오히려 감소하였다. 한편, 난황내 C18:2와 C18:3와 같은 다가불포화지방산은 CLAzen 80 급여 2$\~$4주사이에는 모든처리구들에 있어서 그 함량이 일정하게 유지되었다. 그러나, 대조구와 비교하여 CLAzen 80 급여 6주 째에는 난황내 C18:2 함량이 감소하였다. 불포화지방산:포화지방산 비율과 n-6:n-3 불포화지방산 비율은 2$\~$4주 사이에는 처리구별간에 통계적 유의차가 없었고, 6주째 불포화지방산:포화지방산 비율이 CLAzen 80 첨가에 의하여 감소하였다. 한편, 난황내 CLA 함량은 CLAzen 80 첨가수준에 비례하여 증가하였다. 따라서, 산란계 사료 내 CLAzen 80 첨가는 난황내 CLA 함량을 증진시키는 것으로 요약할 수 있다. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the effects of varying levels of dietary oil containing conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on the egg production and fatty acid composition of egg yolk. Seventy-two 59-wk-old ISA Brown laying hens were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments, each consisting of three replicates with six birds per replicate. There were four treatments that consist of diets containing 0, 1, 2, or $3\%$ commercial CLA-containing oil. Egg production was not significantly different among the dietary treatments at 0, 2, 4, and 6 week. The proportion of saturated fatty acids such as C16:0 and C18:0 in egg yolk were increased, but that of monounsaturated fatty acid C18:1 was decreased by feeding CLA-containing oil supplementation. However, the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as C18:2 and C18:3 in egg yolk were not different among dietary treatments at 2 and 4 wk of the experiment. At 6 week, the proportion of C18:2 in egg yolk was decreased by feeding CLA-containing oil compared with the control. Polyunsaturated fatty acid:saturated fatty acid (P:S) ratio and n-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio were similar across the treatments between 2 and 4 week. The P:S ratio was decreased by dietary CLA-containing oil supplementation at 6 week. The proportion of CLA in egg yolk was linearly increased with increasing levels of CLA-containing oil supplementation. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of CLA-containing oil to laying hens increased beneficially increased CLA content in their egg yolk.

Wall teichoic acid is an essential component of Staphylococcus aureus for the induction of human dendritic cell maturation

Hong, S.J.,Kim, S.K.,Ko, E.B.,Yun, C.H.,Han, S.H. Pergamon Press 2017 Molecular immunology Vol.81 No.-

<P>Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive pathogen that can cause chronic skin inflammation, pneumonia, and septic shock. The immunomodulatory functions of wall teichoic acid (WTA), a glycopolymer abundantly expressed on the Gram-positive bacterial cell wall, are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of WTA in the phenotypic and functional activation of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) treated with ethanol-killed S. aureus. WTA-deficient S. aureus mutant (Delta tagO) exhibited attenuated binding and internalization to DCs compared to the wild-type. Delta tagO induced lower expression of maturation markers on and cytokines in DCs than the wild-type S. aureus. Furthermore, autologous human peripheral blood mononuclear cells cocultured with Delta tagO-treated DCs exhibited a marked reduction in T cell proliferative activity, the expression of activation markers, and the production of cytokines compared to the wild-type S. aureus-stimulated DCs. Collectively, these results suggest that WTA is an important cell wall component of S. aureus for the induction of DC maturation and activation. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.</P>

Bioaccessibility of AhR-active PAHs in sediments contaminated by the Hebei Spirit oil spill: Application of Tenax extraction in effect-directed analysis

Hong, S.,Yim, U.H.,Ha, S.Y.,Shim, W.J.,Jeon, S.,Lee, S.,Kim, C.,Choi, K.,Jung, J.,Giesy, J.P.,Khim, J.S. Pergamon Press 2016 CHEMOSPHERE - Vol.144 No.-

Bioaccessibility of toxic substances in sedimentary residual oil is a crucial factor that needs to be considered for accurate risk assessments posed by oil spills. However, information on oil weathering processes and bioaccessibility of residual oil is often not sufficient and clear. In the present study, bioaccessibility of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-active polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in coastal sediments near the site of the Hebei Spirit oil spill (Korea, 2007) was assessed by Tenax extraction in effect-directed analysis (EDA). Sediment samples collected 6 years after the oil spill were extracted using Soxhlet or Tenax, and EDA was performed using a battery of H4IIE-luc bioassay and GC/MSD analysis. Concentrations of PAHs and alkyl-PAHs in Soxhlet extracts ranged from 210 to 53,000 μg kg<SUP>-1</SUP> dry mass. However, concentrations of PAHs and alkyl-PAHs in Tenax extracts were approximately 20-fold less compared to those in Soxhlet extracts. In Soxhlet and Tenax extracts, the major AhR-active PAHs were identified as C1-chrysene, C3-chrysene, and C4-phenanthrene. Concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) equivalents (TEQ<SUB>PAHs</SUB>) explained 31% and 60% of the bioassay-derived TCDD-EQ concentrations in Soxhlet and Tenax extracts, respectively. Overall, bioaccessibility of PAHs and alkyl-PAHs in sedimentary residual oils depended on hydrophobicity (log K<SUB>ow</SUB>) and degree of weathering of crude oil. The results of the present study provide further evidence in support of the biological and ecological recoveries of oil spill sites.

The C₃H-type zinc finger protein GDS1/C3H42 is a nuclear-speckle-localized protein that is essential for normal growth and development in Arabidopsis

Kim, D.W.,Jeon, S.J.,Hwang, S.M.,Hong, J.C.,Bahk, J.D. Elsevier Scientific Publishers Ireland Ltd 2016 Plant science Vol.250 No.-

<P>Eukaryotic C3H-type zinc finger proteins (Znfs) comprise a large family of regulatory proteins involved in many aspects of plant stress response, growth and development. However, compared to mammalian, only a few plant Znfs have been functionally characterized. Here, T-DNA inserted gdsl (growth, development and splicing 1) mutant, displayed abnormal growth throughout the lifecycle owing to the reduction of cell size and number. Inverse PCR analysis revealed that the abnormal growth was caused by the disruption of At3g47120, which encodes a C3H42 protein belonging to the C-X-7-C-X-5-C-X-3-H class of the Znf family. GDS1 was ubiquitously transcribed, but shows high levels of expression in young seedling and unexpanded new leaves. In gdsl, the transcripts of many growth- and development-related genes were down-regulated, and the auxin response was dramatically reduced. A fluorescence-based assay revealed that the GDS1 protein was localized to the nucleus, prominently in the speckle compartments. Its arginine/serine dipeptide-rich-like (RS-like) domain was essential for nuclear localization. In addition, the SRI, SRm102 and U1-70K components of the U1 spliceosome interacted with GDS1 in the nuclear speckle compartments. Taken together, these suggest that GDS1, a nuclear-speckle-associated Znf, might play a significant role in splicing during plant growth and development. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.</P>

Phenological growth stages of <i>Brachypodium distachyon</i>: codification and description

HONG, S‐,Y,PARK, J‐,H,CHO, S‐,H,YANG, M‐,S,PARK, C‐,M Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011 Weed research Vol.51 No.6

<P>H<SMALL>ong</SMALL> S‐Y, P<SMALL>ark</SMALL> J‐H, C<SMALL>ho</SMALL> S‐H, Y<SMALL>ang</SMALL> M‐S & P<SMALL>ark</SMALL> C‐M (2011). Phenological growth stages of <I>Brachypodium distachyon</I>: codification and description. <I>Weed Research</I><B>51</B>, 612–620.</P><P><B>Summary</B></P><P><I>Brachypodium distachyon</I> is being used as a new model monocotyledon for grass crop research and bioenergy grass biotechnology. With the recent completion of the full genome sequencing project, one of the next major challenges is to determine the functional activities of many genes. In an attempt to aid the rapid determination of gene function in crop plants, a high throughput phenotypic analysis system has been established through phenological analyses of a series of defined growth stages. The codification follows the BBCH (Biologische Bundesantalt, Bundessortenamt and CHemische Industrie) scale, a numerical system that differentiates between principal and secondary growth stages from seed germination to flower head emergence and seed ripening. We present here analyses of the phenological development stages of <I>B.?distachyon</I> to illustrate a methodological framework that can be used to identify and interpret phenotypic differences derived from genetic variations and environmental stress responses in this plant species. This scale may greatly contribute to the <I>B.?distachyon</I> research in the future, particularly to functional determination of genes that mediate biomass productivity. It may also serve as a suitable tool for defining the growth stages of other grass species.</P>

Distant metastatic lesions in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma : Clinical implications of radioiodine and FDG uptake

Hong, C. M.,Ahn, B.-C.,Jeong, S. Y.,Lee, S.-W.,Lee, J. Thieme (NuklearMedizin/NuclearMedicine) 2013 Nuklearmedizin. Nuclear medicine Vol.52 No.4

<B>Summary</B><P> Aim: Many investigators have reported an inverse relationship between iodine and glucose utilization of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) according to its degree of differentiation; however, not every DTC is compatible with this phenomenon. This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical implication of iodine and glucose uptake at distant metastatic lesions in DTC patients. Patients, methods: 64 DTC patients (women 47; mean age 49.9 ± 16.4 years) with distant metastasis who underwent post 131I treatment whole-body scan (RxWBS) and FDG PET/CT were included in the study. Radioiodine (RAI) and FDG uptake of metastatic lesions were evaluated. TSH stimulated serum thyroglobulin (s-Tg) were obtained. Results: 53 of 64 patients (82.8%) were RAI(+) group, and 37 patients (57.8%) were FDG(+) group. Patients in the RAI(-) group showed a higher rate of FDG uptake than RAI(+) group (100.0% vs. 49.1%, p = 0.002). Patients in the FDG(-) group showed a higher rate of RAI uptake than FDG(+) group (100.0% vs. 70.3%, p = 0.002). Patients with s-Tg < 100 ng/ml were frequently observed in the FDG(-)/RAI(+) group and the FDG(+)/ RAI(-) group (p = 0.023). And patients with s-Tg ≥ 500 ng/ml were more frequently observed in the FDG(+)/RAI(+) group, compared with the FDG(+)/RAI(-) group (p = 0.036). Reduced disease-specific survival (DSS) was observed in patients with RAI(-) (p = 0.003), FDG(+) (p = 0.006), SUVmax > 3.6 (p<0.001), and s-Tg > 75.8 ng/ml (p = 0.009). In multivariate analysis, only a SUVmax > 3.6 was significantly predictive of DSS (p = 0.006). Conclusion: An inverse relationship between RAI and FDG uptake, flip-flop phenomenon, was observed in patients with metastatic lesions of DTC. Reduced disease-specific survival was observed in patients with FDG(+), RAI(-) in metastatic lesions, or high s-Tg value.</P>