Cordyceps species are known to produce numerous active components and are used for diverse medicinal purposes because of their varied physiological activities, including their anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects. Cordycepin, one of adenosine analogues, differs from adenosine in that its ribose lacks an oxygen atom at the 3' position. Cordycepin has been reported to be a main effector molecule in Cordyceps extracts that executes antiviral activities against several viruses including influenza virus, plant viruses, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), murine leukemia virus, and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). In addition, adenosine and its deaminase inhibitor showed strong antiviral potentials that were about 4,000 times more potent than the activity of the direct inhibitory effect by adenine arabinoside on Herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1, suggesting adenosine itself plays an important role to produce antiviral activities. In this study, we show that cordycepin and adenosine possess antiviral and antitumor activities against EBV and EBVassociated gastric carcinoma, respectively. Furthermore, we report epigenetic mechanisms used by cordycepin and adenosine to exert their antiviral and antitumor effects.

Cordyceps has been used in traditional Chinese medicine more than 2000 year ago. In this study, the new Cordyceps militaris was founded and isolated from O-dae mountain in Korea, and was identified its genetic characteristics. The newly isolation strain HB8 was most closet to Cordyceps militaris W141449 (99.82%), Cordyceps militaris JLCY-LI819 (99.82%) and Cordyceps militaris 4642 (99.81%), respectively. the genotypic result was show that train HB8 was belonging to the Cordyceps militaris genus, therefore, Cordycep militaris HB8 proposed with accession number MT835161. This study we find the optimal condition for production of cordycepin from Cordyceps militaris HB8 was 8 ㎎ /g (200 g of pupa, 1 g of KH2PO4, 0.5 g of K2HPO4, 20 g of glucose, 1 g of MgSO4, 0.05 g of vitamin B1, and 1 ㎎ of NAA per liter; light condition 300-700 Lux and day/night was 14 h/10 h) and the optimum condition for the production of adenosine was 2.6 ㎎/g (15 g of skim milk powder, 1 g of KH2PO4, 0.5 g of K2HPO4, 20 g of glucose, 1 g of MgSO4, 0.05 g of vitamin B1, and 1 ㎎ of NAA per liter; light condition 300-700 Lux and day/night was 14 h/10 h).

Diagnosis of scrub typhus is difficult because of its unspecific symptoms. The authors studied the correlation between serum adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels and scrub typhus, with the aim of aiding diagnose of the disease. The medical records of 64 children, who visited Wonkwang University Hospital from 2005 to 2015 for fever of undetermined origin, were analyzed retrospectively. Serum ADA levels were measured and indirect immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) assays were conducted. The patients were divided into two groups based on diagnosis of scrub typhus. Of 64 febrile patients, 39 were confirmed to have scrub typhus. Mean serum ADA level in the scrub typhus group (58.54±2.82 IU/L) was significantly higher than that in the non-scrub typhus group (29.30±4.03 IU/L, p<0.05). In the 25 non-scrub typhus patients, mean serum ADA level was significantly higher (50.24±8.52 IU/L) in patients with Mycoplasma infection than that in those with other diseases (19.46±1.39 IU/L, p<0.05). The study shows that in patients with only fever who are difficult to diagnose, serum ADA levels substantially aid the diagnosis of scrub typhus. Ed:- please consider carefully

Purine metabolism is known factor for nuclear maturation of oocytes through both follicle cells and oocyte itself. However, it is largely unknown the roles of purine metabolism in the oocyte competence for fertilization and early development. In this study, the effects of adenosine in oocyte competence for development were examined using adenosine and its synthetic inhibitors. Adenosine treatment from GV intact stage for 18 hr (fGV) caused of decrease the fertilization rate but of increase the cleavage rate compared from the other stage treatment groups. Hadacidin did not effect on fertilization rate but increased cleavage rate without stage specificity. Adenosine did not block the effects of hadacidin with the exception of fGV group. By the inhibition of purine synthetic pathways the fertilization rate was decreased in the fGV and fGVB groups but increased in the fMII group. Exogenous adenosine caused of decrease fertilization rate in the fGVB group but increase in the fMII group. Cleavage rate was dramatically increased in the adenosine treatment with synthetic inhibitors. It means that the metabolism of purine has stage specific effects on fertilization and cleavage. Exogenous adenosine had only can improve oocyte developmental competence when it treated at GV intact stage. On the other hand, endogenous synthesis in all maturation stage caused of increase the cleavage rate without effects on fertilization. These data suggest that adenosine at GV stage as a paracrine fashion and inhibitions of endogenous adenosine in all stage improve oocyte developmental competence..

Keeping the intact germinal vesicle (GV) is essential for maintaining the capacity of mammals including human. It is maintained by very complex procedures along with folliculogenesis and is a critical step for getting competent oocyte. So far, a few mechanisms involved in folliculogenesis are known but GV arrest mechanisms are largely unrevealed. Cyclic AMP, a adenosine derived substance, have been used as inhibitor of germinal vesicle breakdown as a putative oocyte maturation inhibitor. In this study, we examined the potency of adenosine as GV maintainer and a possible signaling mediator for that. A1, A2b, and A3 were detected in cumulus cells of cumulus enclosed-oocyte (CEO). Intact of germinal vesicle was not kept like in follicle but the spontaneous maturation was inhibited by exogenous adenosine. It is inhibited with concentration dependent manners. Intracellular calcium level of cumulus was extensively increased after adenosine treatment. Based on these results it is suggested that one of the pathway for GV arrest by adenosine and its receptors is calcium mediated signaling pathway in CEO.

A Study was conducted to investigate comparison of in vitro tuberization between normal and transgenic potato plantlets harboring adenosine deaminase gene in potato cultivar of Desiree. In time course study of in vitro tuberization, the rate of tuberization in four lines were increased till 6 weeks. but maintained stil after 7 weeks. Microtuber initiation of transgenic lines, 43 and 39 were faster than other lines, but no difference was observed after 5 weeks compared with normal plantlets. In all transgenic lines, the majoirty of microtubers produced were small(less than 100 mg) and medium(100-200mg) size rather than large size(more than 200 mg). Among 4 lines , line 9 produced the highest number of microtubers per each culture vessel. The results of this experiment suggest that there is no significant difference in microtuber production efficiency between normal and transgenic potatoes.