• Plant Disease and Agriculture
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1999

The grain rot of caused by Bukholderia glumae was fist reported in japan in 1955 and then reported in other countries as well as in Korea in 1986. The pathogen causes both seedling and grain rot of rice but it cannot attack any other parts of adult rice plant. Bacterial colonies grow slowly, and are circular and greyish white. The causal bacterium is Gram-negative and rod shape with 1-3 polar flagella, and produce a diffusible yellow-greenish nonfluorescent pigment on King's medium B. Biochemical characteristics such as negative in arginine dehydrolase, oxidase reaction and nitrate reduction and positive in lecithinase, and the utilization of L-arginine and inositol are useful in differentiation of this from other nonfluorescent bacteria pathogenic to rice. This pathogenic bacterium had belonged to the genus of Pseudomonas but recently was transferred to the new genus Burkholderia on the basis of physiological characteristics and DNA-DNA hybridization data. However, other characteristics such as colony heterogenicity or colonial variation after subcultures, phytotoxin, secreting antibiotics, and relationship between yellow greenish pigment production and pathogenicity need to be clarified more. To develop an effective control strategy for this disease, understanding of detailed life cycle of the disease and critical environmental factors affecting disease development is prerequisite. Although 5,435 ha of rice paddy in Korea was infested during 1998, there is no exact estimation of yield losses and distribution of the pathogen. The review will focus on recent progress on the understanding of the bacteriological and ecological characteristics of the causal bacterium and control means of the disease.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.393-397
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• 2016

Low parasitemic condition in malaria remains a diagnostic challenge; as the available diagnostic methods failed to detect. Currently, hemozoin (Hz) pigment is gaining attention in the diagnosis of malaria. The major drawback is ease of detection of Hz in routine practice. A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the role of Hz pigment and to compare the performance of quantitative buffy coat assay (QBC) and PCR in such conditions. Clinically suspected cases of malaria were examined by both Giemsa stain and immunochromatographic test (ICT). Samples positive by ICT and negative by Giemsa stain were further examined by nested PCR targeting 18S rRNA and QBC for the presence of malaria parasites and pigments. Thirty blood samples fulfilled the inclusion criteria out of which 23 were Plasmodium vivax (Pv), 4 Plasmodium falciparum (Pf), and 3 mixed (Pv and Pf) by immunochromatographic test. Twenty-one out of 30 (70%) were positive by nested PCR in comparison to 25/30 (83%) by QBC. Samples containing both malaria parasites and Hz pigment by QBC completely showed concordance with the PCR result. However, 61% of total samples containing only Hz pigment were observed positive by PCR. Hz pigment remains an important tool for malaria diagnosis. Identification of leukocytes containing pigments by QBC not only indicates recent malarial infections but also puts light on severity of the disease. QBC assay is a rapid, highly sensitive, and cost-effective method to detect malaria parasites and Hz pigment especially in low parasitemic conditions.

• ALGAE
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.83-88
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• 2003

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.231-240
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• 2023

Fabry disease is a lysosomal storage disorder characterized by the lysosomal accumulations of glycosphingolipids in a variety of cytotypes, which include endothelial cells. The disease is inherited and originates from an error in glycosphingolipid catabolism caused by insufficient α-galactosidase A activity, which causes uncontrolled progressive storage of intracellular globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) in the vasculature and extracellular accumulation of lyso-Gb3 (a deacetylated soluble form of Gb3). Necrosis can lead to inflammation, which exacerbates necrosis and creates a positive feedback loop that triggers necroinflammation. However, the role played by necroptosis, a form of programmed necrotic cell death, in the cell-to-cell inflammatory reaction between epithelial and endothelial cells is unclear. Thus, the present study was undertaken to determine whether lyso-Gb3 induces necroptosis and whether necroptosis inhibition protects endothelial dysfunction against lyso-Gb3 inflamed retinal pigment epithelial cells. We found lyso-Gb3 induced necroptosis of a retinal pigment epithelial cell line (ARPE-19) in an autophagy-dependent manner and that conditioned media (CM) from ARPE-19 cells treated with lyso-Gb3 induced the necroptosis, inflammation, and senescence of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In addition, a pharmacological study showed CM from lyso-Gb3 treated ARPE-19 cells induced endothelial necroptosis, inflammation, and senescence were significantly inhibited by an autophagy inhibitor (3-MA) and by two necroptosis inhibitors (necrostatin and GSK-872), respectively. These results demonstrate lyso-Gb3 induces necroptosis via autophagy and suggest that lyso-Gb3 inflamed retinal pigment epithelial cells trigger endothelial dysfunction via the autophagy-dependent necroptosis pathway. This study suggests the involvement of a novel autophagy-dependent necroptosis pathway in the regulation of endothelial dysfunction in Fabry disease.

• Mycobiology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.189-194
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• 2012

Four Cladobotryum isolates were collected from four different commercially grown mushroom types infected with cobweb disease in Cheongdo-gun and Chilgok-gun of Gyeongbuk Province, Korea in 2010. The isolates were identified as C. mycophilum from Agaricus bisporus and Pleurotus eryngii, C. varium from Flammulina velutipes and Hypsizygus marmoreus. The cultural characteristics of the four isolates were investigated using potato dextrose agar (PDA) media under nine different temperatures ranging from $5{\sim}32^{\circ}C$. Rapid growth of the isolates to colony diameters of 47~82 mm was observed at conditions of $18{\sim}22^{\circ}C$. No growth was observed at $32^{\circ}C$. C. mycophilum produced a yellowish red pigment while C. varium produced a cream colored pigment after cultivation for 25 days on PDA. Phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region and partial 28S rDNA from the four isolates confirmed they were C. mycophilum and C. varium. Cross pathogenicity tests revealed that the two isolates of C. mycophilum were highly pathogenic toward three mushroom types, but not toward H. marmoreus. The two isolates of C. varium were less pathogenic than those of C. mycophilum, but were pathogenic toward all mushroom types evaluated.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.38-44
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• 2021

Background: Dental caries and periodontal disease are bacterial infectious disease, mainly caused by plaque, a bacterial colony deposited on the tooth surface and gum tissue. Dental plaque disclosants easily stain the dental plaque, making them effective for scaling and tooth brushing education. As the erythrosine typically contained in dental plaque disclosants is highly cytotoxic, a low toxicity additive is needed. In this study, we aimed to examine the natural pigments with negligible cytotoxicity but can effectively stain the dental plaques for use in dental plaque disclosants. Methods: The pigmentation of eight types of natural pigments was tested on bovine tongue and teeth, as well as on head and neck tissue sections of experimental ICR mice. The cytotoxicity of gingival epithelial cells was measured via MTT assay. Pigmentation was performed on the bovine tongue and tooth surface. Pigmentation in the oral environment was observed in four mandibular incisors. A 2 Tone was used as a control. Results: Of the eight types of natural pigments, purple and blue pigments were effective in coloring dental plaques on the enamel surface as well as in the head and neck tissue sections. Additionally, purple and blue pigments were visible on the surface of the bovine tongue. Red, pink, orange, green, purple, and yellow pigments showed strong cytotoxicity, whereas brown and blue pigments had relatively low cytotoxicity. Blue pigment was effective in staining the dental plaque of four mandibular incisors. Conclusion: We suggest that the blue pigment derived from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis (Rubiaceae), which is effective for coloring dental plaques and has low cytotoxicity, is useful as a naturally derived dental disclosant.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.9
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• pp.525-530
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• 2015

Activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays a pathogenic role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and is thus a potential target for the development of therapeutics for this disease. Here, we demonstrated that Wnt5a antagonized β-catenin response transcription (CRT) induced with Wnt3a by promoting β-catenin phosphorylation at Ser33/Ser37/Thr41 and its subsequent degradation in human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Wnt5a decreased the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), which was up-regulated by Wnt3a. Furthermore, Wnt5a increased E-cadherin expression and decreased cell migration by down-regulating Snail expression, thereby abrogating the Wnt3a-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human RPE cells. Our findings suggest that Wnt5a suppresses the pathogenic effects of canonical Wnt signaling in human RPE cells by promoting β-catenin phosphorylation and degradation. Therefore, Wnt5a has significant therapeutic potential for the treatment of AMD. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(9): 525-530]

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.185-191
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• 1996

Metastatic melanoma is often difficult to diagnose morphologically. However, the prognostic and therapeutic decision in cases of metastatic melanoma depends upon the morphologic documentation of the metastatic disease, which may rapidly and accurately be done by cytologic methods such as aspiration cytology of clinically suspicious lesion. Cytological features of 12 metastatic melanoma are described. Evaluation for melanin pigment, background composition, cytoplasmic vacuoles, intranuclear inclusions, bi- or multinucleated cells, eccentric nuclei, nucleoli, and degree of cellular cohesion were made. the presence of melanin pigment, prominent nucleoli, intranuclear cytoplasmic inclusions, lack of cell cohesion, and eccentric nuclei are the important and useful cytologic features in the diagnosis of metastatic melanoma. Bi or multinucleated cells, cytoplasmic vacuoles, and bloody background are also frequently found in smears from metastatic melanoma.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.216-221
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• 2011

Objective: To differentiate the human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in the defined culture condition and determine its therapeutic potential for the treatment of retinal degenerative diseases. Methods: The embryoid bodies were formed from hESCs and attached on the matrigel coated culture dishes. The neural structures consisting neural precursors were selected and expanded to form rosette structures. The mechanically isolated neural rosettes were differentiated into pigmented cells in the media comprised of N2 and B27. Expression profiles of markers related to RPE development were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunostaining. Dissociated putative RPE cells ($10^5$ cells/5 ${\mu}L$) were transplanted into the subretinal space of rat retinal degeneration model induced by intravenous sodium iodate injection. Animals were sacrificed at 1, 2, and 4 weeks after transplantation, and immnohistochemistry study was performed to verify the survival of the transplanted cells. Results: The putative RPE cells derived from hESC showed characteristics of the human RPE cells morphologically and expressed molecular markers and associated with RPE fate. Grafted RPE cells were found to survive in the subretinal space up to 4 weeks after transplantation, and the expression of RPE markers was confirmed with immunohistochemistry. Conclusion: Transplanted RPE cells derived from hESC in the defined culture condition successfully survived and migrated within subretinal space of rat retinal degeneration model. These results support the feasibility of the hESC derived RPE cells for cell-based therapies for retinal degenerative disease.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.199-206
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• 2010

Stem-cell therapy has the potential to improve vision in patients with untreatable retinal disease. Various types of cell source including fetal, embryonic and adult stem cells, intrinsic and extrinsic factors for differentiation into retinal progenitors and transplantation mode were discussed in this review. Experimental approaches have successfully induced photoreceptor precursor cells and retinal pigment epithelium. Stem-cell-based therapy is a promising treatment to restore vision in patients with retinal disease, in spite of the challenges.