The major innate immune pathways in Asian longhorned ticks, Haemaphysalis longicornis, include Toll, IMD, and JAK/STAT. In the field, H. longicornis can be infected with various pathogens including Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus (SFTS virus), Rickettsia, Babesia and Anaplasma species. One approach to identify whether ticks are infected with pathogens is by examining the expression levels of immune response genes. To evaluate whether upregulation of immune genes from H. longicornis can serve as an indicator for pathogen infection in ticks, we first designed primer sets for Dorsal, STAT, and Relish from the H. longicornis genome. We then conducted quantitative reverse transcription PCR(qRT-PCR) on cDNA of field-collected H. longicornis and identified individuals with high expression levels in immune response genes. Subsequently, we performed digital PCR assays to determine whether selected ticks were infected with SFTS virus. Using this approach, we evaluated correlation between pathogen infection and upregulation of immune response genes in ticks. Although more experiments are needed to draw conclusions, this study suggests immune response gene-based screening methods for pathogen infected ticks from the field.

Aphis gossypii is a representative pest that transmits plant viral diseases. It is difficult to control with chemical pesticides alone due to their high pesticide resistance. Entomopathogenic fungi are biological control agents that can replace chemical pesticides and have characteristics of high host specificity and safety to humans. Therefore, we investigated the immune pathways of aphids against initial infection by entomopathogenic fungus. We treated aphids with the Beauveria bassiana JEF 544 strain and examined the immune response in early infection by qPCR. furthermore, we also studied changes the molting time of nymphs and changes in adult nymphal production caused by entomopathogenic fungi.

본 연구는 사료내 비테인, 글라이신, 그리고 콜린의 혼합 첨가가 고온 스트레스 환경에서 노령 산란계의 생산성, 난품질, 면역 반응 및 혈액성상에 미치는 영향을 조사하고자 수행되었다. 총 336마리의 86주령 로만 갈색종 노령 산란계를 6처리 7반복, 반복당 8수씩 임의 배치하였다. 대조구는 모든 영양소 및 에너지 요구량을 충족하거나 초과하도록 배합하였다. 대조구를 제외한 사료 처리구는 0.2% 비테인, 0.62% 글라이신, 그리고 0.32% 콜린을 단독, 두 가지 혼합, 혹은 세 가지 혼합으로 사료내 첨가하였다. 실험은 8주 동안 진행되었으며, 모든 산란계는 매일 8시간 동안 평균 온도 31.7±1.7℃, 습도 57%의 고온 스트레스 조건에서 사양되었고, 이외 시간에는 평균 온도 27±1.3℃, 습도 57%에서 사양하였다. 실험 결과, 비테인, 글라이신 및 콜린의 첨가는 생산성, 난품질, 그리고 면역 반응에 유의적인 영향을 미치지 않았다. 그러나, 0.2% 비테인과 0.62% 글라이신을 혼합 첨가한 처리구에서 혈청 알라닌 아미노전이효소 농도가 유의적으로 감소했다. 하지만, 다른 혈청 지표들은 처리간 유의적인 차이가 관찰되지 않았다. 결론적으로, 현재 수준에서 사료내 비테인, 글라이신, 그리고 콜린의 혼합 첨가는 고온 스트레스 환경에서 사양되는 노령 산란계의 생산성, 난품질, 면역 반응 및 혈액 성상에 긍정적인 영향을 미치지 않는다고 판단된다.

Hongjam is a natural health food that has been shown to have various health-promoting effects, but studies on immunity enhancement have not been done so far. In this study, we investigated whether HongJam extracts could be enhancing innate immunity by protomoting proliferatin of macrophages and their phagocytic or pinocytic abilities to pathogens. (Grant No. PJ017024022023)

The objective of the present experiment was to investigate the effects of dietary vitamin C (VC), vitamin E (VE), and betaine (BT) supplementations on productive performance, egg quality, relative organ weights, liver visual characteristics, antioxidant status, immune response, and stress indicator in laying hens raised under heat stress conditions. A total of 280 47-wk-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were allotted to 1 of 4 dietary treatments with 7 replicates in a completely randomized design. Each replicate had 10 birds per cage. The basal diet was formulated to meet or exceed the requirement estimates for Hy-Line Brown laying hens. Three additional diets were prepared by adding 250 mg/kg VC, 250 mg/kg VE, or 3,000 mg/kg BT to the basal diet. The experimental diets and water were provided to hens on an ad libitum basis for 8 wk. Average daily room temperature and relative humidity were 30.7±1.41℃ and 72.5±11.61%, respectively. Results indicated that hens fed diets containing 250 mg/kg VE had a less (p<0.05) egg production rate than other dietary treatments. For egg quality, hens fed diets containing 3,000 mg/kg BT had a less (p<0.05) eggshell thickness than those fed the diets containing 250 mg/kg VC or 250 mg/kg VE. For antioxidant status, there was a tendency (p=0.09) for the least malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations in the liver for BT treatment. A tendency (p=0.05) was observed for less blood heterophil:lymphocyte ratio in BT treatment as compared to other treatments. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 250 mg/kg VC, 250 mg/kg VE, and 3,000 mg/kg BT has no beneficial effects on productive performance, egg quality, relative organ weights, liver visual characteristics, and immune responses of laying hens raised under the current heat stress conditions. However, dietary supplementation of 3,000 mg/kg BT alleviates antioxidant status and stress response of laying hens exposed to heat stress.

This study investigated various levels of sodium nitrite and probiotics (SNPro) combination as an alternative to zinc oxide on the growth performance, immune response, intestinal microflora, and morphology of weaned pigs. One hundred and ninety-two weaned pigs (Landrace×Yorkshire×Duroc) with an average body weight of 6.51±0.15 kg were randomly assigned to four treatments(n=6) on the basis of their initial body weight. Experimental period was divided into phase 1 and 2 (each 14 days). The dietary treatments were: 1) Basal diet (control), 2) SNPro1 (control+0.01% SNPro), 3) SNPro2 (control+0.02% SNPro), 4) SNPro3 (control+0.03% SNPro). The average daily gain when SNPro was added to the diet was 288, 309, 319, 324 g in phase 1, 355, 387, 410, 407 g in phase 2 and 321, 348, 364, 366 g in the overall. The concentration of interleukin-8 and interleukin-10 in serum when SNPro was added to the diet were 15, 13.5, 13, 12.8 ng/ml and 165, 162, 155, 145 ng/ml (p<0.05) but toll-like receptor 4 and immunoglobulin G levels in serum were no significantly different. The colonization of Escherichia coli in the ileum and Salmonella spp. in the caecum were significantly decreased as SNPro level increased (p<0.05). However, the population of Lactobacillus spp. did not differ among the groups. Although villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio were not significantly affected by the treatments, crypt depth in the jejunum was 599, 586, 615, 599 ㎛ as SNPro level increased (p<0.05). In conclusion, SNPro had beneficial effects on growth performance, immune response, intestinal microflora and morphology weaned pigs. Therefore, SNPro not only can be considered as an alternative for the pharmacological level of zinc oxide in weaning pigs but also ideal dietary SNPro level was 0.02%.

Probiotics improve the immune system. However, the effects of its lactic acid bacteria on atopic dermatitis relief and inflammation improvement is not fully understood. Recently, one of the probiotics, Lactobacillus helveticus HY7801 (HY7801), was found to have an anti-inflammatory effect. In this study, we investigated the effects of HY7801 on atopic dermatitis-induced animal models. After four weeks of oral administration, the group treated with HY7801 showed amelioration of the atopic dermatitis compared to the group receiving placebo. In the HY7801 treated group, the epidermal hyper-proliferation and collagen deposition were inhibited compared to the placebo group, and the secretion amount of the inflammatory factors, such as TNF-α, IL-4 were reduced. In conclusion, these results suggest that HY7801 acts as a functional probiotic via amelioration of the atopic dermatitis such as a decrease of epidermal hyper-proliferation, and collagen deposition and anti-inflammatory effects.

The use of non-therapeutic antibiotics as animal feed additives has raised public health concerns due to the increasing resistance of pathogens to antibiotics. It is therefore required to develop safe and effective alternative feed additives to replace non-therapeutic antibiotics. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of the multiherbal compound, KIOM-C, on growth performance and immune response of growing-to-finishing pigs under farm conditions. The experimental trials were performed in a Korean commercial swine growing-to-finishing complex, and a total of 70-day-old 160 pigs were selected. Eighty pigs were treated with KIOM-C at the level of 2 kg/tonne until slaughter age (KT group), while another 80 pigs were not treated with KIOM-C (NT group). All animals were vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) at 60 and 110 days of age. During the trial period, average daily weight gain (ADWG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), survival rates, and average slaughter ages were measured. The serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and IgA were also evaluated. In order to evaluate specific humoral immune responses, the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) serotype O-specific antibody was measured. The ADWG, ADFI, and FCR of the KT group were significantly greater than those of the NT group (p<0.05). Serum concentrations of IgA in the KT group was statistically higher than the NT group. The antibody levels of the KT group against FMDV serotype O was higher than the NT group, and 86.67% of the KT group tested positive for anti-FMDV antibodies. Overall, these findings suggest that KIOM-C improves growth performance and immune response of pigs under growing-to-finishing farm conditions, and implies that the herbal compound may be used as a suitable alternative feed additive.

Until now, problems related to shortage of organ for transplantation have been continuing. Pigs are the most suitable animal for xenotransplantation. Although primates are most similar to humans, they are not suitable because they have low productivity. Pigs are more productive than primates, and their organ size and physiological characteristics are similar to humans, with the exception of primates. In this study, we breeding the transgenic minipigs using natural mating to produce transgenic pigs. And, transgenic pigs has transmission rate that follow mendel’s rule. There are 20% hDAF gene, 20% US11 gene and 50% both hDAF and US11 gene in transgenic offsprings. Furthermore, transgenic pigs followed normal litter size, and piglets also has normal sex ratio. To suppress the immune function, experiments were performed using porcine ear fibroblast that transfected with hDAF and US11gene. In Cytotoxicity experiment against human complement, hDAF gene and double transgenic cell with both hDAF and US11 gene showed effect to reduce cytotoxicity rate in all of human complement condition. US11 gene and double transgenic cell were significantly reduce the cytotoxicity ratio in human NK cell. Besides, hDAF gene transgenic cell also reduce immune response in 10:1 concentration of human NK cell. In conclusion, natural mating was efficient method for breeding transgenic pigs. And, hDAF and US11 genes has effect for reduce cytotoxicity against human NK cell and human complement conditions.

본 연구는 열 스트레스 (heat stress, HS)에 노출된 브로일러에서 혼합 생균제의 급여가 혈 액 생체지표, 면역반응, 맹장 미생물 및 생산성에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. 총 400마리의 브로일러 수 컷 (Ross 308)을 각각 100마리씩 4그룹, C (대조군, 실온 25℃), HS (열 스트레스 33℃), HSP (HS플 러스 혼합 생균제 500, 750 mg/kg) 그룹으로 배치하였다. 브로일러의 증체량, 사료섭취, 사료요구율 및 면역기관 무게는 HSP 그룹에서 HS 그룹과 비교했을 때 증가하였다. 혈액 IgG, lymphocytes 농도는 HS 그룹에서 HSP그룹과 비교했을 때 증가하였고, heterophil과 lymphocyte(H:L)비율, 코르티코스테론 농도 및 폐사율은 낮았다. 맹장의 Lactobacillus는 HS 그룹과 비교했을 때 HSP 그룹에서 증가하였으나 Escherichia coli (E. coli), coliform bacteria, aerobic bacteria는 낮아졌다. 본 연구결과는 열 스트레스 에 노출된 브로일러에게 B. subtilis, S. galilaeus 및 Sphingobacteriaceae등 3가지 균주가 포함된 혼합 생균제를 급여해주면 면역반응 증진, 미생물 균형을 유지해줌으로써 폐사율을 낮추고 생산성을 개선할 수 있음을 시사해준다.

본 연구는 열 스트레스 (heat stress, HS)에 노출된 산란계에서 혼합 생균제의 급여가 생산성, 계란품질, 면역반응, 맹장 미생물 및 분 암모니아에 미치는 효과를 조사하였다. 총 400마리의 50주령 Hy-Line brown 산란계를 무작위로 각각 100마리씩 4 그룹, C (대조군, 실온 25℃), HS (열 스트레스 33℃), HSP (HS 플러스 혼합 생균제 500, 750 mg/kg)로 배치하였다. 산란계의 생산성, 계란품질, 비장 무게, 혈액 IgG 및 lymphocyte 농도는 HSP 그룹에서 HS 그룹과 비교했을 때 증가하였고, 코르티코스테론, heterophil과 lymphocyte의 비율 (H:L) 및 폐사율은 유의하게 낮았다. Lactobacillus는 HSP 그룹에서 HS 그룹과 비교했을 때 증가하였으나 Escherichiacoli (E. coli), coliform bacteria 및 aerobic bacteria는 유의하게 낮았다. 분에서 암모니아 발생은 HS 그룹이 HSP 그룹에 비해서 유의하게 증가하였다. 결론적으로, 이러한 혼합 생균제가 여름철 산란계의 더위 피해를 방해주고 면역반응, 맹장 미생물 균형을 경유하여 생산성, 계란품질 및 계분으로부터 악취 발생을 줄이는 데 효율적인 영양전략이 될 수 있음을 나타낸다.

곤충의 면역반응에 대한 연구는 곤충 체내 침입한 미생물들과 직접 반응하는 기작들을 중심으로 연구되었다. 그러나 미생물들이 곤충 체내에 침입 한 후 발생되는 다양한 미생물 분비물질에 의한 곤충 면역반응의 시작여부 등에 대한 연구는 거의 없는 실정이다. 이를 위하여 흰점박이 꽃무지(Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis) 유충의 장내에 존재하는 공생균과 체외 병원균을 동일한 조건에서 배양 하고 다양한 분비물질들이 존재 할 거라 예상되는 배양액만을 분리, 유충에 주사하여 면역반응 여부를 조사하였다. 공생균 배양액을 주입한 유충들은 비교적 건강하고 면역반응도 발생하지 않았으나 병원균 배양액을 주입한 유충의 경우 150시간 후 60% 이상 사망하였고 주사된 자리도 짙은 갈색의 멜라닌화가 관찰 되었다. 이러한 면역반응은 과립혈구세포의 리소좀(Lysosomes) 활성화 여부로 재확인 하였다. 병원균 배양액이 주입된 유충들의 경우 12시간 후 리소좀 이 ~50% 이상 활성화 되었으나 공생균 배양액이 주입된 유충들의 경우 ~5% 미만으로 활성화 되는 것으로 나타났다. 따라서 공생균 배양액내에 는 기주면역반응을 유도하는 물질들이 없거나 량이 매우 적게 존재하는 것을 추측 할 수 있었다.