IKK-γ is an essential protein to form IKK complex which regulate NF-κB. We identified TmIKK-γ (or TmKenny) gene which has 1,521 bp of nucleotides encoding 506 amino acid residues. Domain analysis of TmIKK-γ shows that there are one NF-κB essential modulator (NEMO) domain and a leucine zipper domain. Expression of TmIKK-γ gene was gradually increased from egg to 2-day-old pupal stage, dramatically decreased until 7 day-old pupal stage, and then it was gradually increased. TmIKK-γ transcripts were highly expressed in fat body and hemocytes in late instar larvae and integuments, fat body and Malpighian tubules in 5 day-old adult. TmIKK-γ was drastically induced by E. coli after 3 h challenges and by S. aureus at 3 and 12 h-post injection in hemocytes. TmIKK-γ was not induced by C. albicans although it was significantly induced by E. coli (at 3, 6 and 24 h) and S. aureus (at 9 h) in gut. In fat body, expression of TmIKK-γ was drastically induced by E. coli at 3 and 24 h-post injection while it was not significantly induced by S. aureus and C. albicans. To understand the immunological role of TmIKK-γ, gene specific RNAi and mortality assay was performed. larval mortality against microbial challenge was dramatically increased by TmIKK-γ RNAi. Furthermore, we investigate the tissue specific induction patterns of fourteen AMP genes in response TmIKK-γ dsRNA-treatment. In fat body, ten AMP genes out of fourteen was not significantly induced by microbial challenge in TmIKK-γ dsRNA-treated group. Based on these results, TmIKK-γ might play an important role in antimicrobial innate immune responses in Tenebrio molitor.

국내 판매되고 있는 사슴벌레종[넓적사슴벌레(Dorcus titanus), 참넓적사슴벌레(Serrognathus consentaneus), 남방넓적사슴벌레(D. titanus jejuensis, 가칭), 애사슴벌레(D. rectus) 및 왕사슴벌레(D. hopei)]과 부산 지역에서 채집한 넓적사슴벌레 12개체와 경남 의령군에서 채집한 1개체의 미토콘드리아 DNA 중 cytochrome oxidase I(COI) 를 이용하여 계통을 비교분석하였다. 아울러 NCBI에 기등록된 북한, 일본, 대만, 필리핀, 인도네시아 및 태국의 넓적사슴벌레의 COI 서열을 이용하여 추가 분석하였다. 먼저 판매되고 있는 사슴벌레종은 넓적사슴벌레, 남방넓적사슴벌레 및 참넓적사슴벌레의 group I과 애사슴벌레 및 왕사슴벌레의 group II로 구분되었다. 부산지역 및 의령에서 채집한 넓적사슴벌레의 경우 COI 및 COII로 분석 결과 북한에서 기보고 된 3개체를 포함해 유전적 변이에 있어 큰 차이가 나타내지 않았다. 또한 한반도와 일본 일부지역에서 높은 상동성을 확인하였는데 그 외 아시아 지역에 서식하는 넓적사슴벌레와는 다른 그룹을 형성함을 확인하였다. 이러한 결과들은 국내 서식 사슴벌레 종의 유전적 분석과 함께 외래 유입종을 판별하는 근거자료로 활용될 수 있을 것이다.

방충포장 상용화 연구를 위하여 선정된 천연기피물질을 이용한 방충포장 소재를 개발하고 이들의 저장해충에 대한 방충효과를 시험하였다. ㈜농심의 라면포장 박스의 접착제로 사용되는 핫멜트에 0, 2%의 기피물질을 처리하고 화랑곡나방에 대한 방충효과를 시험한 결과, 2% 기피물질이 처리된 방충 핫멜트 처리구와 무처리구 간 화랑곡나방 개체수는 박스외부에서는 차이가 없었으나(df=30, t=0.56, P>0.05), 박스의 골판지 틈새(df=30, t=6.78, P<0.05)와 박스내 부(df=30, t=2.45, P<0.05)에서는 처리구에서 유의하게 적게 나타났으며, 무처리구와 처리구 박스내부 전체(박스내부+ 골판지 틈새)와 박스 전체에서 발견된 화랑곡나방 개체수도 처리구에서 유의하게 적은 것으로 조사되었다 (내부전체: df=30, t=13.58, P<0.05, 박스전체: df=30, t=13.60, P<0.05). 화랑곡나방 유충이 발견된 위치는 무처리구와 처리구 모두에서 박스외부가 가장 적었으며, 박스내부와 골판지 틈새의 순으로 조사되었으며 전체적으로 처리구에서 유의하 게 적게 발견되었다.

Colletotrichum acutatum J. H. Simmonds is an important fungal pathogen that causes anthracnose disease in crops. In this study, 59 C. acutatum isolates from regions in South Korea were collected and phenotypically compared. The average colony diameters of isolates from Gyeongsangbuk-do, Chungcheongbuk-do, and Gangwon-do were 4.36 cm, 4.24 cm, and 4.38 cm, respectively, following 6 days of growth on V8 juice agar. The average conidium concentrations of the isolates from each province were 14.43, 12.83, and 10.17 × 104/mL after 7 days of growth on V8A. Amplified fragment length polymorphism(AFLP) analysis using three primer pairs identified 5 polymorphic bands and 56 monomorphic bands. Two polymorphic bands were identified using the E-ACC/M-CTT primer pair, one polymorphic band was identified using the E-ACG/M-CTG primer pair, and two polymorphic bands were identified using the E-ACG/M-CTT primer pair. A dendrogram was constructed using the AFLP data, and four clusters were identified.

A recent study reported that Pleurotus ostreatus has the potential to be used as a β-glucan-based cream for supportive complementary therapy of atopic dermatitis. KH054 is a new herbal prescription consisting of P. ostreatus and Panax ginseng. The effects of atopic dermatitis-induced materials on the expression of cytokine genes in human monocytes (THP-1, EoL- 1) have been examined. Some reports demonstrated that P. ginseng augments the activity of natural killer cells, which plays an important role in innate immunity against infection and tumor development. Monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-8 have important roles in mediating the infiltration of various cells into the skin of atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. The present study investigated whether KH054 on induced IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 secretion by house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronissinus) in THP-1 (human acute monocytic leukemia) and EoL-1(Human eosinophilic leukemia) cell. D. pteronissinus functions in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases, including atopic dermatitis and asthma. The inhibitory effect of KH054 on the induction of IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 secretion by D. pteronissinus extract in THP-1 and EoL-1 cells was examined. KH054 potently suppressed the elevated production of IL-6 and IL-8 induced by D. pteronissinus treatment in THP-1 and EoL-1 cells. Based on the present results, KH054 may be useful for developing functional foods to treat atopic dermatitis.

It has been reported that collagen and elastin inhibit skin wrinkle formation. Skin elasticity is closely associated with the formation of wrinkles induced by UV exposure. In this study, we investigated the protective effects Pleurotus ostreatus (P. ostreatus) on UVB irradiation induced wrinkle in hairless mice. We evaluated for their free radical-scavenging activities against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), the anti-elastase activities, and for their anti-matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) activity in human skin fibroblast cells. In the wrinkle measurement and image analysis of skin replicas, the results showed that P. ostreatus significantly inhibited wrinkle formation caused by chronic UVB irradiation. These results suggest that P. ostreatus has anti-wrinkle activity.

A nematode, which showed entomopathogenicity, was isolated from Exomala orientalis in Korea, and then identified as Rhabditis blumi. Pathogenicity of R. blumi was evaluated against major cruciferous insect pests, including Artogeia rapae, Mamestra brassicae, and Plutella xylostella. In Petri-dish tests, insect mortality was dose and time dependent, which increased with dose (0–80 dauer juveniles/larva) and time increments. In greenhouse tests, P. xylostella larvae were most susceptible to nematodes, with insect reduction rate of 88.0 %. The rate varied with vegetable species and persistence time of live nematodes on vegetable leaves after spraying. The aeration rate was an important parameter for cultivation of the nematode R. blumi. A sufficient DOT level in the culture using an air-lift bioreactor should be maintained. The nematode growth rate increased with an increasing DOT level and/or bacteria uptake rate. The maximum nematode yield of 1.75 x 105 per ml was obtained under an aeration rate of 6 vvm.

Caliber persistent artery (CPA) is a vascular anomaly presenting as a bluish and pulsatile artery in the subepithelial tissue. Although the incidence of CPA was debated, many CPAs occurred in the perioral and facial tissues at which the embryonal strapedial artery networks were distributed. The present study demonstrated a case of CPA occurred in the retromolar buccal mucosa in a 37 years old male. The lesion showed many pinkish granular spots, but was asymptomatic except biting irritation during mastication. It had slowly increased in size up to 20 × 25 mm for 3 years, and recently became hemorrhagic due to the biting injury between left upper and lower second molars. With the fear of oral cancer an incisional biopsy was performed, and followed by histological and immunohistochemical study. Histologically the lesion showed many tortuous artery localized at the submucosa area, and the arterial wall was thick and its lumen was narrowed and shrunken. In the immunochemistry α-SMA was positive for thick smooth muscle layer of artery and arterioles, TGase 2 was weakly positive for the luminal surface of arterial intima, and bFGF was consistently positive for the perivascular fibrous tissue. But PCNA, VEGF, CD31, CMG2, TGF-β1, HSP-70, and 14-3-3 were almost negative for the vascular tissue. Therefore, it was presumed that the lesion was not actively proliferative nor degenerative but still retained its cellular stability and slow growing potential. It was finally diagnosed as CPA differentially from arterio-venous malformation, hemangioma, lymphangioma, and squamous cell carcinoma. The retromolar buccal mucosa CPA is first reported in this study and may present usual clinical findings depending on its size and location. This asymptomatic lesion could be severely hemorrhagic by minor biting injury, therefore, precise differential diagnosis should be made through biopsy, and careful therapy be followed.

This study was conducted to assess the environmental risk of CMV resistant GM pepper and to evaluate the effects of the transgenic pepper (Line: H15) with CMV resistant gene and non-transgenic peppers (Line: P2377, PM Singang, Berota) without gene introduction on the insect community in the three pepper cultivation areas. Sampling was conducted using yellow sticky traps in Deokso, Anseong and Ochang fields, respectively. The total number of insect individuals caught by sticky trap was not shown significant differences between GM and non-GM pepper at Deokso, Anseong and Ochang fields, respectively. Also, there were no significant differences in density of aphids caught on sticky traps between GM and non-GM pepper, and the species richness and species diversity was no statistical difference between the types of crops, GM and non-GM at three experimental pepper fields.

Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) are family of innate immune molecules that recognize bacterial peptidoglycan. PGRP-LE, a member of the PGRP family, selectively binds to diaminopimelic acid (DAP)-type peptidoglycan to activate both the immune deficiency (IMD) and proPhenoloxidase (proPO) pathways in insects. A PGRP-LE-dependent induction of autophagy to control Listeria monocytogenes has also been reported. We identified and partially characterized a novel PGRP-LE homologue, from Tenebrio molitor and analyzed its functional role in the survival of the insect against infection by a DAP-type PGN containing intracellular pathogen, L. monocytogenes. The cDNA is comprised of an open reading frame (ORF) of 990 bp and encodes a polypeptide of 329 residues. TmPGRP-LE contains one PGRP domain, but lacks critical residues for amidase activity. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed a broad constitutive expression of the transcript at various stages of development spanning from larva to adult. RNAi mediated knockdown of the transcripts followed by a challenge with L. monocytogenes showed a significant reduction in survival rate of the larvae, suggesting a putative role of TmPGRP-LE in sensing and control of L. monocytogenes infections in T. molitor. These results implicate PGRP-LE as a defense protein necessary for survival of T. molitor against infection by L. monocytogenes.