Explore the vast range of titles available.

Olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4) is highly expressed in gastrointestinal cancers and has an anti-apoptotic function. The roles of OLFM4 in tumor growth and metastasis and how it functions in these processes remain elusive. We investigated the function of OLFM4 in tumor growth and metastasis using B16F10 mouse melanoma cells as an experimental system. Our results showed that OLFM4 had no positive effect on cell viability or cell cycle progression in B16F10 cells. However, it significantly suppressed the tumorigenicity of B16F10 cells, i.e., intradermal primary tumor growth and lung metastasis. OLFM4 also suppressed the migration and invasion of B16F10 cells in vitro. For further insight into the mechanisms underlying OLFM4-mediated suppression of tumor progression, we examined the effect of OLFM4 on the expression of integrin and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), both of which are involved in tumor progression. Overexpression of OLFM4 clearly reduced the expression levels of integrin α1, integrin α4, integrin α5, integrin α6, and MMP9. Moreover, forced expression of MMP9 attenuated the inhibitory activity of OLFM4 on migration and invasiveness. Our findings provide the experimental evidence that OLFM4 may function as a tumor suppressor and an anti-metastatic gene during tumor progression.

Perilla seed meal protein (PSMP) was extracted from perilla seed oil residue, and its composite films were developed using different amounts of red algae (RA) to prepare edible films. The PSMP composite film that contained 3 % RA had the highest tensile strength (11.52 MPa) and the lowest water vapor permeability (1.82 × 10−9 g m/m2 s Pa). The incorporation of clove oil into the PSMP composite film had the highest antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes. Pork sausages packaged with the composite films containing clove oil showed antimicrobial and antioxidative activities during storage at 4 °C. The composite film containing 1.2 % clove oil reduced the microbial growth by 1.24 log CFU/g compared to the control, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and peroxide values were reduced by 40 and 37 %, respectively. These results suggest that the PSMP/RA composite film containing 1.2 % clove oil can be utilized in sausage packaging.

The effects of a combined treatment of aqueous chlorine dioxide (ClO2) and ultraviolet-C (UV-C) on the sensory and microbiological qualities of Romaine lettuce and kale were examined. Samples of Romaine lettuce and kale were artificially inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium. The inoculated Romaine lettuce and kale, as well as fresh samples, were treated with 50 L L−1 aqueous ClO2, 10 kJ m−2 UV-C, and a combination of aqueous ClO2 and UV-C, and stored at 4 for 7 days. The combined treatment of aqueous ClO2 and UV-C reduced the initial populations of total aerobic bacteria in the Romaine lettuce and kale by 2.07 and 2.49 log CFU/g, compared to 6.36 and 6.07 log CFU/g for the control, respectively. The combined treatment also reduced the populations of yeast and mold in the samples by 1.85 and 4.25 log CFU/g, respectively. In particular, E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium inoculated in the Romaine lettuce and kale were eliminated by the combined treatment. The Hunter ‘L’, ‘a’, and ‘b’ values of Romaine lettuce and kale were not significantly different among the treatments. Sensory evaluation results indicated that the combined treatment provided better scores than did the control. Our results suggest that the combined treatment of 50 L L−1 aqueous ClO2 with 10 kJ m−2 UV-C can be useful for maintaining the microbial safety and sensory qualities of Romaine lettuce and kale.

In order to elucidate the precise phylogenetic relationships of Korean wild boar (Sus scrofa coreanus), a partial mtDNA D-loop region (1,274 bp, NC_000845 nucleotide positions 16576-1236) was sequenced among 56 Korean wild boars. In total, 25 haplotypes were identified and classified into four distinct subgroups (K1 to K4) based on Bayesian phylogenetic analysis using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. An extended analysis, adding 139 wild boars sampled worldwide, confirmed that Korean wild boars clearly belong to the Asian wild boar cluster. Unexpectedly, the Myanmarese/Thai wild boar population was detected on the same branch as Korean wild boar subgroups K3 and K4. A parsimonious median-joining network analysis including all Asian wild boar haplotypes again revealed four maternal lineages of Korean wild boars, which corresponded to the four Korean wild boar subgroups identified previously. In an additional analysis, we supplemented the Asian wild boar network with 34 Korean and Chinese domestic pig haplotypes. We found only one haplotype, C31, that was shared by Chinese wild, Chinese domestic and Korean domestic pigs. In contrast to our expectation that Korean wild boars contributed to the gene pool of Korean native pigs, these data clearly suggest that Korean native pigs would be introduced from China after domestication from Chinese wild boars.

The highly polymorphic porcine major histocompatibility complex (MHC), or the swine leukocyte antigens (SLA), has been repeatedly associated with variations in swine immune response to pathogens and vaccines as well as with production traits. The SLA antigens are also important targets for immunological recognition of foreign tissue grafts. We recently established a resource population of Korean native pigs as models for human transplantation and xenotransplantation research. In this study, 115 animals derived from three generations of the Korean native pigs were genotyped for three SLA class Ⅰ (SLA-2, SLA-3 and SLA-1) and three SLA class Ⅱ loci (DRB1, DQB1, DQA) using PCR with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) at the allele group resolution. A total of seven SLA haplotypes (Lr-5.34, Lr-7.23, Lr-31.13, Lr-56.23, Lr-56.30, Lr-59.1, Lr-65.34), comprising six unique class Ⅰ and five unique class Ⅱ haplotypes, were characterized in the founding animals. Class Ⅰ haplotype Lr-65.0 and class Ⅱ haplotype Lr-0.34 were novel; and together with Lr-56.0 these haplotypes appeared to be breed-specific. In the progeny population, Lr-7.23 and Lr-56.30 appeared to be the most prevalent haplotypes with frequencies of 34.7% and 31.6%, respectively; the overall homozygosity was 27.4%. This resource population of SLA-defined Korean native pigs will be useful as large animal models for various transplantation and xenotransplantation experiments, as well as for dissecting the roles of SLA proteins in swine disease resistance and production traits.

The purpose of this study was to enrich α-linolenic acid (ALA) on the triacylglycerol (TAG) molecules of the selected vegetable oils (soybean and corn oil) in order to synthesized structural lipid (SL) with low ω6 to ω3 ratio. SLs were synthesized by lipase-catalyzed interesterification of soybean (SO) and corn oil (CO) with perilla oil (PO). Lipozyme RM IM from Rhizomucor miehei (5% by weight of total substrate) was used for the reaction. The reaction was performed during 24 hr at 55°C in the stirred-batch type reactor with solvent free system. After 24 hr reaction the ratio of ω6 to ω3 in SL products dramatically decreased comparing to that of substrates (SO and CO) before the reaction. At sn-2 position, the contents of ALA were 25.99% in soybean-SL and 23.25% in corn-SL, respectively. According to the equivalent carbon number (ECN) of TAG profile, newly produced SLs were separated by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). These results indicated that lipase-catalyzed interesterification is effective to produce SL with low ω6 to ω3 ratio which might be used as health beneficial oil.

Trans fatty acids (t-FA) contents were analyzed in 26 food items that were collected from Korean grocery stores in 2005 and 2008. Lipid was extracted through Soxhlet and Mojonnier methods. Fatty acid profile, including t-FA and positional fatty acid composition was analyzed by gas chromatography. The comparative study of fatty acids composition including t-FA was employed in 2005 and 2008. Among the analyzed food items, most of the food items showed higher lipid content in 2005 than in 2008. Some food items such as biscuits (0.4–7.2 g/100 g of food), fried snacks (0.1–3.6 g/100 g of food), and cookies (0.4–2.4 g/100 g of food) contained relatively higher level of t-FA than other food groups (cracker, processed chocolate, and ice cream) in 2005. Comparing t-FA content in 2005, it was considerably decreased up to 91.5% in 2008 whereas saturated fatty acids (SFA) were increased up to 43.3% in the analyzed food items.

In this study, mesoporous silicate was applied as a matrix for the analysis of various molecules from small molecules to medium sized peptides in laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. In contrast with conventional matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS), the proposed approach, desorption/ionization on mesoporous silicate mass spectrometry (DIOM-MS), significantly reduces the problem of matrix interference in low mass region and can be applied to the analysis of versatile chemicals including amino acids, synthetic drugs, peptides and others.

The roan coat color is characterized by white hairs intermingled with colored hairs. Candidate genes based on comparative phenotypes in horses and cattle involve the KIT and KIT ligand (MGF) genes. Here, we report the result of the whole genome scanning to detect genomic regions responsible for the roan coat color, using a three-generation pedigree of 62 pigs in an intercross between Landrace and Korean native pig. These pigs were genotyped using the PorcineSNP 60 BeadChip (Illumina, USA). The whole genome scan indicated that three genomic regions, 35∼36 Mb, 38∼39 Mb, and 58∼59 Mb on SSC8, were commonly and highly associated/linked with the roan phenotype in the case/control, sib-pair, and linkage test, respectively. The porcine KIT was selected as a candidate gene, because it is located in one of the three significant regions and its function is related to coat color formation. SNPs and Indels within coding sequence (CDS), promoter, and 3′-UTR of KIT were surveyed. Twenty-two SNPs in the CDS reported previously, as well as nine variations in promoter (2 SNPs) and 3′-UTR (5 SNPs and 2 Indels) were detected. Although no causative mutations were identified, these results will help to elucidate the genetic mechanisms involved in the expression of the roan phenotype and will aid in identifying key mutations responsible for the roan phenotype in further studies.

Using a partial D-loop sequence of mtDNA, an intensive analysis was conducted of the maternal lineages of Jeju native pigs (JNPs) from Korea. In total, 100 mtDNA sequences were obtained from Asian wild boars (AWBs), European wild boars (EWBs), Asian domestic pigs (ADPs), European domestic pigs (EDPs), and JNPs and were used for phylogeny and network analyses. Two distinct JNP groups — one (JNPA) in the Asian cluster and the other (JNPE) in the European cluster — were identified in the estimated phylogenetic tree and network. The maternal lineage of JNPE was the closest to that of EWB and a clear haplogroup was identified that shared an identical haplotype (hap04) among 15 individuals of JNPE and 2 individuals of EWB. A Landrace and an EWB shared hap03 with a JNPE. EWB, Landrace, Large White, and Duroc formed two clear haplogroups with JNPE in a parsimonious median-joining network analysis, suggesting that an obvious maternal contribution of EDP has occurred in JNPE in recent years. A pair-wise mismatch analysis also indicated that JNPE may have experienced a sudden population expansion, suggesting a more recent establishment compared with the gradual population expansion of JNPA. The JNPE group therefore should be further evaluated in order to decide whether this group should be culled or accepted into further programs for maintenance of the JNP population as a pure breed.