won do heo

Dendritic spines are structural correlates of excitatory synapses maintaining stable synaptic communications. However, this strong spine-synapse relationship was mainly characterized in excitatory pyramidal neurons (PyNs), raising a possibility that inferring synaptic density from dendritic spine number may not be universally applied to all neuronal types. Here we found that the ectopic expression of H-Ras increased dendritic spine numbers regardless of cortical cell types such as layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons (PyNs), parvalbumin (PV)- and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-positive interneurons (INs) in the primary motor cortex (M1)...

The foodborne bacterium Staphylococcus equorum strain KS1030 harbours plasmid pSELNU1, which encodes a lincomycin resistance gene. pSELNU1 undergoes horizontal transfer between bacterial strains, thus spreading antibiotic resistance. However, the genes required for horizontal plasmid transfer are not encoded in pSELNU1. Interestingly, a relaxase gene, a type of gene related to horizontal plasmid transfer, is encoded in another plasmid of S. equorum KS1030, pKS1030-3. The complete genome of pKS1030-3 is 13,583 bp long and encodes genes for plasmid replication, biofilm formation (the ica operon), and horizontal gene transfer...

RET (REarranged during Transfection) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that transduces various external stimuli into biological functions, such as survival and differentiation, in neurons. In the current study, we developed an optogenetic tool for modulating RET signaling, termed optoRET, combining the cytosolic region of human RET with a blue-light-inducible homo-oligomerizing protein. By varying the duration of photoactivation, we were able to dynamically modulate RET signaling. Activation of optoRET recruited Grb2 (growth factor receptor-bound protein 2) and stimulated AKT and ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) in cultured neurons, evoking robust and efficient ERK activation...

Bacillus velezensis DMB05, isolated from traditionally fermented soybean, meju, exhibited no protease activity on a TSA plate containing skim milk. To shed light on the genetic background behind this phenotypic non-protease activity, we analyzed the complete genome sequence of strain DMB05 and compared it with those of two B. velezensis strains which did exhibit protease activity. Comparative genome analyses showed no significant difference in the kind or number of proteases between the genomes of the three strains and that all strains possessed the degSU two-component system involved in the gene regulation of protease...

BACKGROUND: Field triage is critical in injury patients as the appropriate transport of patients to trauma centers is directly associated with clinical outcomes. Several prehospital triage scores have been developed in Western and European cohorts; however, their validity and applicability in Asia remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to develop and validate an interpretable field triage scoring systems based on a multinational trauma registry in Asia. METHODS: This retrospective and multinational cohort study included all adult transferred injury patients from Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan between 2016 and 2018...

Glutamate-weighted chemical exchange saturation transfer (GluCEST) is a useful imaging tool to detect glutamate signal alterations caused by neuroinflammation. This study aimed to visualize and quantitatively evaluate hippocampal glutamate alterations in a rat model of sepsis-induced brain injury using GluCEST and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1 H-MRS). Twenty-one Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups (sepsis-induced groups (SEP05, n = 7 and SEP10, n = 7) and controls ( n = 7)). Sepsis was induced through a single intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at a dose of 5 mg/kg (SEP05) or 10 mg/kg (SEP10)...

Aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AhRs) have been reported to be important mediators of ischemic injury in the brain. Furthermore, the pharmacological inhibition of AhR activation after ischemia has been shown to attenuate cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. Here, we investigated whether AhR antagonist administration after ischemia was also effective in ameliorating hepatic IR injury. A 70% partial hepatic IR (45-min ischemia and 24-h reperfusion) injury was induced in rats. We administered 6,2',4'-trimethoxyflavone (TMF, 5 mg/kg) intraperitoneally 10 min after ischemia...

BACKGROUND: The largest outbreak of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 occurred at a preschool in South Korea from June 12 to 29, 2020. This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of EHEC infection in this outbreak. METHODS: Epidemiological investigation was performed on all 184 children and 19 workers at the preschool using a standard questionnaire to assess symptoms, food intake, attendance, and special activity history...

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer patients suffer from lowered quality of life (QoL) after surgery. Breast conservancy surgery (BCS) such as partial mastectomy is being practiced and studied as an alternative to solve this problem. This study confirmed breast tissue reconstruction in a pig model by fabricating a 3-dimensional (3D) printed Polycaprolactone spherical scaffold (PCL ball) to fit the tissue resected after partial mastectomy. METHODS: A 3D printed Polycaprolactone spherical scaffold with a structure that can help adipose tissue regeneration was produced using computer-aided design (CAD)...

CRISPR-Cas13-mediated viral genome targeting is a novel strategy for defending against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants. Here, we generated mRNA-encoded Cas13b targeting the open reading frame 1b (ORF1b) region to effectively degrade the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene. Of the 12 designed CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs), those targeting the pseudoknot site upstream of ORF1b were found to be the most effective in suppressing SARS-CoV-2 propagation. Pseudoknot-targeting Cas13b reduced expression of the spike protein and attenuated viral replication by 99%...

Optogenetic techniques permit non-invasive, spatiotemporal, and reversible modulation of cellular activities. Here, we report a novel optogenetic regulatory system for insulin secretion in human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived pancreatic islet-like organoids using monSTIM1 (monster-opto-Stromal interaction molecule 1). The monSTIM1 transgene was incorporated at the AAVS1 locus in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) by CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing. Not only were we able to elicit light-induced intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+ ]i ) transients from the resulting homozygous monSTIM1+/+ -hESCs, but we also successfully differentiated them into pancreatic islet-like organoids (PIOs)...

Three candidate starter strains- Aspergillus oryzae SNU-G, Mucor sp. KACC 46077, and Rhizopus oryzae KACC 40256-were inoculated into soybean, as individual strains or in combination, to assess their roles in fermentation. All the strains increased the pH, amino-type nitrogen, and moisture content of the soybean during fermentation, and decreased the lightness, redness, and yellowness. The inoculated strains increased to an average density of 1.37 × 108 spores/g (from the initial 5.0 × 107 spores/g) after 20 days of fermentation...

Two bacterial strains, designated 5GH9-11T and 5GH9-34T , were isolated from greenhouse soil sampled in Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea. Both strains formed yellow colonies and were aerobic, rod-shaped and flagellated. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between 5GH9-11T and 5GH9-34T was 98.6 %. Strain 5GH9-11T showed the highest sequence similarities to Dyella thiooxydans ATSB10T (98.1 %) and Frateuria aurantia DSM 6220T (97.7 %) while strain 5GH9-34T revealed the highest sequence similarity to F...

Bacillus subtilis, a valuable industrial microorganism used in starter cultures in soybean fermentation, is a species of bacteria with interspecies diversity. Here, four multilocus sequence typing (MLST) schemes developed to assess the diversity of B. subtilis or Bacillus spp. were applied and compared to confirm the interspecies diversity of B. subtilis. In addition, we analyzed correlations between amino acid biosynthesis genes and sequence types (STs); this is important because amino acids are key taste components in fermented foods...

Brewer's spent grain (BSG) is a waste product of the beer industry, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a physiologically active substance important for brain and neuron physiology. In this study, we used the bacterial strains Bacillus velezensis DMB06 and B. licheniformis 0DA23-1, respectively, to ferment BSG and produce GABA. The GABA biosynthesis pathways were identified through genomic analysis of the genomes of both strains. We then inoculated the strains into BSG to determine changes in pH, acidity, reducing sugar content, amino-type nitrogen content, and GABA production, which was approximately doubled in BSG inoculated with Bacillus compared to that in uninoculated BSG; however, no significant difference was observed in GABA production between the two bacterial strains...

A bacterial strain designated SC2-9T was isolated from the dust collector of a pigpen located in Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea. Cells were strictly aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, flagellated and rod-shaped. The strain was catalase- and oxidase-positive, and grew optimally 28-30 °C, pH 8.0 and 0 % NaCl (w/v). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed 99.1 and 98.3 % similarities to Melaminivora jejuensis KBB12T and Melaminivora alkalimesophila CY1T , and revealing less than 97 % similarity to other validly named species...

Strain C17-3T was isolated from blueberry fruits collected from a farmland located in Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-do, Republic of Korea. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences allocated strain C17-3T to the genus Acetobacter , where it occupied a rather isolated line of descent with Acetobacter ghanensis 430AT and Acetobacter lambici LMG 27439T as the nearest neighbours (98.9 % sequence similarity to both species). The highest average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values were 76...

Recent advances in passive radiative cooling systems describe a variety of strategies to enhance cooling efficiency, while the integration of such technology with a bioinspired design using biodegradable materials can offer a research opportunity to generate energy in a sustainable manner, favorable for the temperature/climate system of the planet. Here, we introduce stretchable and ecoresorbable radiative cooling/heating systems engineered with zebra stripe-like patterns that enable the generation of a large in-plane temperature gradient for thermoelectric generation...

29 Si silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) are promising magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probes that possess advantageous properties for in vivo applications, including suitable biocompatibility, tailorable properties, and high water dispersibility. Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is used to enhance 29 Si MR signals via enhanced nuclear spin alignment; to date, there has been limited success employing DNP for SiO2 NPs due to the lack of endogenous electronic defects that are required for the process. To create opportunities for SiO2 -based 29 Si MRI probes, we synthesized variously featured SiO2 NPs with selective 29 Si isotope enrichment on homogeneous and core@shell structures (shell thickness: 10 nm, core size: 40 nm), and identified the critical factors for optimal DNP signal enhancement as well as the effective hyperpolarization depth when using an exogenous radical...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.