Natural killer (NK) cells have cytotoxic effects on tumor cells and viral pathogens. NK cell-derived exosomes (NK-exosomes) also express typical NK cell markers and cytotoxic molecules, therefore, exert anti-tumor and immune homeostatic activities. In this study, canine NK-exosomes separated from cytotoxic NK cell supernatant carried specific markers such as CD81, Alix, and Perforin 1. We examined the anti-tumor effects of NK-exosomes in an experimental murine model using the canine mammary carcinoma cells, REM134. REM134 cells were xenografted of mammary fat pad of mice. CD133, Bmi-1, MMP-3, IL-6, TNF-α, and PCNA are useful as a molecular marker for tumorigenesis and metastasis. The treatment of canine NK-exosomes inhibited tumor growth and significantly (p<0.01) downregulated the expression of Bmi-1, MMP-3, IL-6, TNF-α, and PCNA in REM134-treated mice. Also, the expression of CD133, potent cancer stem cell marker, was significantly downregulated in the canine NK-exosomes-treated mice compared with that of the tumor group. Collectively, these results suggested that canine NK-exosomes has a potential capacity for regulation of cancer progression and metastasis against canine mammary carcinoma.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells capable of replicating as undifferentiated cells, and thus hold therapeutic implications in field of regenerative medicine and reproductive biotechnology. In the present study, we compared the stem cell properties of bovine ear skin tissue (ESK)- and nasal mucosa (NM)-derived MSCs. Bovine ESK-MSCs and NM-MSCs were successfully isolated by collagenase digestion and maintained proliferative capacity during the 20 consecutive passages. Both ESK-MSCs and NM-MSCs showed similar morphology and expressed common cell surface markers (CD29, CD44, CD90, and CD105). Also, we compared differentiation potentials of bovine ESK-MSCs and NM-MSCs into osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic lineages through specific staining and quantitative real-time RT-PCR. As results, bovine ESK-MSCs and NM-MSCs could differentiate into mesodermal cell lineages. However, bovine ESK-MSCs and NM-MSCs exhibited difference in expression of differentiation-related specific markers. Specifically, NM-MSCs exhibited increased expression levels of osteocalcin, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, and aggrecan compared to ESK-MSCs. Also, ESK-MSCs exhibited increased expression levels of collagen type I, II, and lipoprotein lipase compared to NM-MSCs. We suggest that the nasal mucosa of bovine could be used as a source of bovine MSCs.

Canine mammary tumors account for ~30% of all tumors in the female dogs and approximately 50% of the tumors are malignant. Exosomes have been the focus of great interest, as they appear to be involved in numerous important cellular processes. In this study, we examined the anti-tumor effects of canine mesenchymal stem cells-derived exosomes (MSC-exosomes) in an experimental murine mammary tumor model using canine mammary carcinoma cells, REM134. The MSC-exosomes were injected tumor site and tail vein of REM134 xenografted mice. We found that tumor size of the MSC-exosomes-treated group decreased compared to those of the only tumor group in REM134-driven tumorigenic mouse model. In addition, the MSC-exosomes-treated tumor group showed meaningfully reduced expression levels of the MMP-3, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α compared to those in the tumor group. Specifically, we confirmed that the expression level of the CD133, potent cancer stem cell (CSC) markers, decreased in the MSC-exosomes-treated tumor group compared to the tumor group. This study suggests that the MSC-exosomes exhibited anti-tumor effects through downregulating CSC-related markers in the canine mammary tumor murine model. Further study is needed in the future, and we are conducting research on the detailed anti-tumor mechanism of the MSC-exosomes.

All aspects of hosts’ life are affected not only by symbiotic bacterial community but also endosymbionts, such as physiological function, mating preference and fitness. Wolbachia, one of the most common endosymbionts, known as a manipulator of host sex ratio, may also have a huge effects on other symbionts. Here, we assessed the effects of Wolbachia on the diversity and structure of other symbiotic microbial communities in six ant species by using next-generation sequencing. Our results show that the diversity of the symbiotic microbial communities between Wolbachia-positive species and negative species is not different. However, according to the Wolbachia infection, dominant symbiotic microbes of each host species were different as well as the composition of the overall symbiotic microbial community. Thus, this study suggests that, as Wolbachia have an important role in shaping microbiome of hosts, endosymbiont infection status deserves special consideration in studying microbiome.

Free-standing electrodes of CuO nanorods in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are developed by synthesizing porous CuO nanorods throughout CNT webs. The electrochemical performance of the free-standing electrodes is evaluated for their use in flexible lithium ion batteries (LIBs). The electrodes comprising CuO@CNT nanocomposites (NCs) were characterized by charge-discharge testing, cyclic voltammetry, and impedance measurement. These structures are capable of accommodating a high number of lithium ions as well as increasing stability; thus, an increase of capacity in long-term cycling and a good rate capability is achieved. We demonstrate a simple process of fabricating free-standing electrodes of CuO@ CNT NCs that can be utilized in flexible LIBs with high performance in terms of capacity and cycling stability.

The Acoptolabrus changeonleei Ishikawa et Kim, 1983 (Coleoptera: Carabidae), has been listed as an endangered insect in South Korea. The complete mitochondrial genome of the species was 16,831 bp with a typical set of genes (13 protein-coding genes [PCGs], 2 rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes) and one non-coding region, with the arrangement identical to that observed in most insect genomes. Phylogenetic analyses with concatenated sequences of the 13 PCGs and 2 rRNA genes, using the Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum-likelihood (ML) methods, placed A. changeonleei as a sister to the within-subfamilial species Damaster mirabilissimus in Carabinae, with the highest nodal support by both analyses.

By definition, endosymbionts reside in the hosts' cells and are maternally inheritted to offspring as the mitochondriondoes. Recent progresses reveal that some endosymbionts have evolved their manipulabilities of hosts' reproduction. Inthis nature, once an endosymbiont shares its host with others, their association may last long unless their evolutionaryinterest or hosts' fitness is undermined.We tested whether the association existed among the endosymbionts; Wolbachia, Spiroplasma, Cardinium and Rickettsia.The results show that there are some multiple infection cases but there is no obvious pattern in their association.

In order to understand evolutionary characteristics of gene rearrangement in Lepidoptera, we collected all available complete mitogenome (mitogenome) sequences registered in GenBank (274 mitogenomes from 44 families in 23 superfamilies as of August 6, 2015). It turned up six rearrangements that differ from the arrangement of ancestral insects, including that of the gelechioid Mesophleps albilinella that we sequenced in this study. The M. albilinella mitogenome has a unique gene arrangement among the Gelechioidea: ARNESF (the underline signifies an inverted gene) at the ND3 and ND5 junction, as opposed to the ARNSEF that is found in ancestral insects. Most of the rearrangements can be explained by the tandem duplication-random loss model, but inversion, which requires recombination, is also found in two cases, including M. albilinella. Excluding the MIQ rearrangement at the A+T-rich region and ND2 junction, which is found in nearly all Ditrysia, most of the remaining rearrangements found in Lepidoptera appear to be independently derived in that they are automorphic at several taxonomic scales. Current mitogenomic data are limited, particularly for congeneric data. Thus, future research focused on congenerics could clarify evolutionary independency at the generic level also.

Insect and natural enemy fauna were surveyed at conventional (CV) and organic-farming persimmon orchards (OF) at Jinju, Korea, using sweeping net and naked eyes in 2013 and 2014. Using sweeping net, 49 species at an OF and 18 species at a CV were observed in 2013. In 2014 too, more species were observed at OF (66 species, 33 families, 7 orders) than at a CV (25 species, 15 families, 5 orders). During both the years, dominant species were all hemipteran insects like Nysius plebejus (Lygaeidae) and Cletus punctiger (Coreidae) in both types of orchards, followed by Rhopalus maculatus (Rhopalidae), Riptortus pedestris (Alydidae). Similarly, naked eye inspection also found more species at OF (192 species, 72 families, 11 orders) than at CV (104 species, 52 families, 10 orders) in 2014. Dominant species in naked eye inspection were Lycorma emelianovi (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae), Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Uroleucon cephalonopli (Hemiptera: Aphididae) at OF, and A. mellifera and R. maculatus at CV in 2014. Using naked eye inspection or sweeping net in 2014, more species of natural enemies were observed at OF (31 and 9 species, respectively) than at CV (18 and 5 species, respectively).

We have used bulked segregant analysis to screen the strain-specific DNA marker associated thermophilic strain of Pleurotus eryngii. Bulked genomic DNAs of Pleurotus eryngii were amplified by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) using OP-A, OP-B, OP-L, OP-P, OP-R and OP-S primers to screen the strain-specific DNA marker. A unique DNA fragment of 550 bp was amplified with OP-S07 primer from the thermophilic strain and sequenced. A sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker was designed on the basis of the determined sequence and named as OP-S07-1. The PCR analysis with the OP-S07-1 primer showed that this SCAR marker clearly distinguish the thermophilic strains from the control strains.

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is an important pathogen in the development of localized aggressive periodontitis. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a virulent factor of periodontal pathogens that contributes to alveolar bone loss and connective tissue degradation in periodontal disease. Our present study was designed to investigate the cytokine expression and signaling pathways regulated by A. actinomycetemcomitans LPS (Aa LPS). Cytokine gene expression profiling in RAW 264.7 cells was performed by microarray analyses. The cytokine mRNA and protein levels and related signaling pathways induced by Aa LPS were measured by RT-PCR, ELISA and western blotting. Microarray results showed that Aa LPS strongly induced the expression of NF-κB, NF-κB-related genes, inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-1β in RAW 264.7 cells. NF-κB inhibitor pretreatment significantly reduced the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA and protein. In addition, the Aa LPS-induced TNF-α and IL-1β expression was inhibited by p38/JNK MAP kinase inhibitor pretreatment. These results show that Aa LPS stimulates TNF-α and IL-1β expression through NF-κB and p38/JNK activation in RAW 264.7 cells, suggesting the essential role of this pathway in the pathogenesis of localized aggressive periodontitis.

This study was performed to investigate the growth characteristics and inorganic components of Codonopsis lanceolata regarding regional differences. The plant height of Japanese Codonopsis lanceolata was 373.6 cm, so it’s revealed that it has more vigorous growth than Korean won. The flowering time of Korean Codonopsis lanceolata was 2 weeks faster than Japanese one. Total fresh weight of root was 41.0 g and 39.0 g for Korean and Japanese respectively, thus, no significance difference was found. However, regarding fresh weight, Korean one had a more fresh weight (35.4 g) of main root parts, but Japanese one had a more fresh weight (9.6 g) of the lateral root part. Each inorganic component was found more in the aboveground parts, regardless of the region and the content of K was the largest. Regarding the content of macroelements for each part of Codonopsis lanceolata, the content of Na, Mg, P, S, and Ca in Korean Codonopsis lanceolata was found the highest on the leaf, followed by stem and root. In the case of Japanese Codonopsis lanceolata, same result was found on the content of Mg and Ca, however, the highest content of Na and P was found in the stem.