Thrombin-induced platelet microbicidal proteins (tPMP) are antibacterial proteins released when platelets are stimulated by thrombin. It has been reported that tPMP has antibacterial activity against various bacterial species including causative agents of infective endocarditis. Most of the oral streptococci have resistance to the killing by tPMP and this fact may play an important role as a virulence factor in infective endocarditis. However, the susceptibility and resistance mechanism of oral streptococci for tPMP have not been revealed yet. In this study, the killing mechanism of tPMP for oral streptococci has been investigated. Streptococcus rattus BHT, a susceptible strain, and Streptococcus gordonii DL1, a resistant strain, have been used in this study. tPMP was isolated from platelet after stimulation with thrombin. Cell membrane depolarization was examined with 3,3'-dipropylthiodicarbocyanine iodide (DiSC₃), membrane potential-sensitive cyanine dye, by fluorescence spectrophotometry. The permeabilization of cell membrane by tPMP was investigated with propidium iodide (PI) by flow cytometry. tPMP susceptible S. rattus BHT showed the increase of the DiSC₃fluorescence level meaning depolarization of cell membrane and increase of the uptake of PI which means permeabilization of cell membrane. However, tPMP resistant S. gordonii DLI did not show depolarization and permeabilization. These results indicate that the increasing depolarization and permeabilization of oral streptococcal cell membrane are associated with the bactericidal activity of tPMP.

This study aimed to produce fermented soy-powder milk (FSPM) with Lactobacillus plantarum P1201 and to evaluate its anti-obesity activity. Isoflavone and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) of unfermented soy-powder milk (UFSPM) and FSPM and were analyzed via high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC). Their inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and pancreatic lipase were assayed. Their anti-obesity activities were evaluated on the basis of their inhibitory effects on adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells, and the expression of mRNAs associated with adipogenesis and lipid metabolism were analyzed via real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitative PCR (qPCR). FSPM with L. plantarum P1201 increased the isoflavone aglycones (daidzein, glycitein, and genistein) content and produced CLA in soy-powder milk (SPM), both of which possessed bio-activity. Both UFSPM and FSPM showed dose-dependent inhibitory activity for α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and pancreatic lipase. FSPM, but not UFSPM, suppressed adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells and reduced their triglyceride content by 23.1% after treatment with 1,000 μg/mL of FSPM, compared with the control group. The anti-obesity effect of FSPM can be attributed to CLA and isoflavone aglycones, which targeted CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBP-α) and down-regulated lipoprotein lipase (LPL), adiponectin, adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (aP2), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) mRNA. Furthermore, FSPM enhanced the inhibitory activity of glucosidase and pancreatic enzymes and anti-obesity activity. Further studies are required to investigate whether the anti-obesity effect of FSPM persists in an in vivo mouse model of diet-induced obesity.

This study investigated the nutritional properties and biological activities of Ganoderma lucidum (GL). The round type of GL contained higher carbohydrate content, while the Nokgak type of GL contained higher crude ash, crude fat, and crude protein content. The most abundant amino acid, fatty acid, mineral, and soluble vitamin observed were valine (round type: 11.90 mg/g and Nokgak type: 17.18 mg/g), linoleic acid (round type: 47.56% and Nokgak type: 75.68%), potassium (round type: 116.50 mg/100 g and Nokgak type: 184.36 mg/100 g), and vitamin B3 (round type: 1.78 mg/100 g and Nokgak type: 1.81 mg/100 g), respectively. In addition, the β-glucan content were 34.15 g/100 g (round type) and 30.07 g/100 g (Nokgak type). The GL 70% ethanol extract at 40℃ showed higher radical scavenging as well as carbohydrate and lipid enzyme inhibition than other conditions. At 1 mg/mL of treatment with the 70% ethanol extract at 40℃ of round type GL, the DPPH, ABTS, hydroxyl radical scavenging, and α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and pancreatic lipase inhibition activities obtained were approximately 92.85, 99.74, 58.09, 89.68, 44.68, and 67.56%, respectively.

Fas ligand (FasL) and its receptor Fas have been implicated in granulosa cell apoptosis during follicular atresia. Although interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is believed to be involved in the regulation Fas expression in differentiated granulosa or granulosa-luteal cells, the expression of this cytokine and its role in the regulation of the granulosa cell Fas/FasL system and apoptosis during follicular maturation have not been thoroughly investigated. In the present study, we have examined the presence of IFN-γ in ovarian follicles at different stage of development by immunohistochemistry and related their relative intensities with follicular expression of Fas and FasL, and with differences in granulosa cell sensitivity to Fas activation by exogenous agonistic Anti-Fas monoclonal antibody (Fas mAb). Although IFN-γ immunostaining was detectable in oocyte and granulosa cells in antral follicles, most intense immunoreactivity for the cytokine was observed in these cells of preantral follicles. Intense immunoreactivity for IFN-γ was most evident in granulosa cells of atretic early antral follicles where increased Fas and FasL expression and apoptosis were also observed. Whereas low concentrations of IFN-γ (10-100 U/mL) significantly increased Fas expression in undifferentiated granulosa cells (from preantral or very early antral follicles) in vitro, very higher concentrations (≥ 1,000 U/mL) were required to up-regulate of Fas in differentiated cells isolated from eCGprimed (antral) follicles. Addition of agonistic Fas mAb to cultures of granulosa cells at the two stages of differentiation and pretreated with IFN-γ (100 U/mL) elicited morphological and biochemical apoptotic features which were more prominent in cells not previously exposed to the gonadotropin in vivo. These findings suggested that IFN-γ is an important physiologic intra-ovarian regulator of follicular atresia and plays a pivotal role in regulation of expression of Fas receptor and subsequent apoptotic response in undifferentiated (or poorly differentiated) granulosa cells at an early (penultimate) stage of follicular development.

Background : Acanthopanax sessiliflorus (Rupr. et Maxim) Seem, belonging to the Araliaceae family, is widely distributed in Korea, China, and Japan. The plants belonging to Acanthopanax species are traditionally used in Korea as anti-rheumatoid arthritis, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic drugs and are recognized to have ginseng-like activities. A simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed and validated for independent analysis of major compounds and chlorogenic acid in A. sessiliflorus fruits. Chlorogenic acid was reported that prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease in vivo. Also, it has antioxidant effect in vitro test. In the previous experiment, chlorogenic acid were found in A. sessiliflorus fruits. This study was performed to identification of the major compounds and investigate the method validation for the determination of chlorogenic acid in A. sessiliflorus fruits. Methods and Results : Three major compounds were recorded on a Varian Unity Inova AS-400 FT-NMR spectrometer and analyzed by the new HPLC analysis method. HPLC analysis was carried out using an Waters e2695 and PDA detector. The new analyasis method was validated by the measurement of intra-day, inter-day precision, accuracy, limit of detection (LOD, S/N=3), and limit of quantification (LOQ, S/N=10) of chlorogenic acid. The results showed that the correlation coefficient (R2) for the calibration curves of chlorogenic acid was 0.997 in terms of linearity. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.565 ㎍/ml and 2.88 ㎍/ml, respectively. There was no interfering peak observed each other and HPLC system was suitable for analysis showing goodness of peak and high precision. Conclusion : This method is suitable to detect and quantify major compounds in A. sessiliflorus fruits. Furthermore, the result will be applied to establish chlorogenic acid as an standard compound for A. sessiliflorus fruits.

Genetically modified (GM) papaya (Carica papaya L.) line 55-1 (55-1), which is resistant to papaya ringspot virus infection, has been marketed internationally. Many countries such as the European Union, Japan, and Korea have a mandatory safety assessment, approval and labeling regulations for GM foods. Thus, there is a need for specific methods for detecting 55-1. In this study, we established a real-time PCR detection method applicable to 55-1 for a variety of papaya products. The limit of detection was possible for fresh papaya fruit up to dilutions of 0.005% and 0.01% (weight per weight [w/w]) for homozygous SunUp and heterozygous Rainbow cultivars, respectively, in non-GM papaya. The 55-1 event-specific detection method observed parallelism (r2>0.99) between the concentration of line 55-1 cultivars and Ct values obtained in amplification plots at concentrations of 0.005-10% for SunUp DNA and 0.01-10% for Rainbow DNA. The method was applicable to the qualitative detection in various types of processed products (cocktail fruit, dried fruit, juice, etc.) containing papaya as a main ingredient. Monitoring papaya products for the presence of GM papaya were demonstrated using a P35S and T-nos real-time PCR detection method but no amplification signals were detected.

Mungbean (Vigna radiata) is a fast-growing, warm-season legume crop that is primarily cultivated in developing countries of Asia. We constructed a draft genome sequence of mungbean to facilitate genome research into the subgenus Ceratotropis and to enable a better understanding of the evolution of leguminous species. The draft genome sequence covers 80% of the estimated genome, of which 50.1% consists of repetitive sequences. In total, 22,427 high confidence protein-coding genes were predicted. Based on the de novo assembly of additional wild mungbean species, the divergence of what was eventually domesticated and the sampled wild mungbean species appears to have predated domestication. Moreover, the de novo assembly of a tetraploid Vigna species (Vigna reflexo-pilosa var. glabra) provided genomic evidence of a recent allopolyploid event. To further study speciation, we compared de novo RNA-seq assemblies of 22 accessions of 18 Vigna species and protein sets of Glycine max and Cajanus cajan. The species tree was constructed by a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo method using highly confident orthologs shared by all 24 accessions. The present assembly of V. radiata var. radiata will facilitate genome research and accelerate molecular breeding of the subgenus Ceratotropis.

Molecular genetic markers have been widely used as powerful tools for analyzing the genome. In particular, SSR markers have practical applications in breeding systems because they can be used in high-throughput analyses for genetic mapping, heritable diversity testing, purity analysis, and marker-assisted selection. Currently, due to technical advances in DNA sequencing, large sequence databases are available for large-scale SSR mining and marker development. Here, we describe an automated method, the SSR Finder program, for SSR discovery in the onion sequence database, and primer design for amplifying the detected SSRs. A total of 1,049 SSR primers were obtained for genetic purity testing, and 100 SSR sets were analyzed in 14 bulb onion breeding lines using clustering analysis. A total of 20 selected markers from screening of all 1,049 SSR primers, were finally applied for genetic purity testing in three breeding lines, NW1, NW9, and NW10. The initial tests showed that 15%, 71%, and 97% of individuals within NW1, NW9, and NW10, respectively, were genetically homogeneous. These markers produced using the SSR Finder will be useful for investigating the genetic purity of onion breeding lines.

Shinnamjag is a round, smooth, white-skinned, and fleshed potato cultivar with erect plant shape and early maturity. It has excellent table quality. Its yields are high, especially with prominent marketable yield compared to Superior, a leading potato cul