Publications by authors named "Youni Kim"

The actin cytoskeleton plays fundamental roles in ciliogenesis and the actin depolymerizing factor destrin regulates actin dynamics by treadmilling actin filaments and increasing globular actin pools. However, the specific developmental roles of destrin in ciliogenesis have not been fully elucidated. Here, we investigated the function of destrin in ciliogenesis using and human retinal pigmented epithelial (hRPE1) cells.

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Article Synopsis
  • The actin-based cytoskeleton plays a crucial role in cell differentiation and development, with Destrin (Dstn) being key in regulating actin dynamics by influencing filament treadmilling and globular actin pools.
  • Research using Xenopus laevis embryos revealed that Dstn is active in areas critical for neural development and that its depletion leads to significant morphological defects such as shorter body axes and smaller heads.
  • Findings indicate that Dstn is essential for proper cell migration and distribution during neurulation, highlighting its importance in understanding actin dynamics in embryonic neural development and the challenges it poses for studying these complex processes.
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  • PFOS (Perfluorooctanesulfonate) is a widespread environmental pollutant linked to serious health and ecological risks, yet research on its toxic effects is limited due to variations among species and insufficient mechanistic understanding.
  • The study focused on Xenopus laevis embryos to explore the effects of PFOS exposure, revealing time- and dose-dependent teratogenic impacts such as skeletal deformities and altered gene expression.
  • Key findings included disruptions in ATP biosynthesis and cilia development, suggesting that impaired ciliary function and energy production contribute to PFOS-induced developmental toxicity, highlighting the need for further research on these biological connections.
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The specialized cell types of the mucociliary epithelium (MCE) lining the respiratory tract enable continuous airway clearing, with its defects leading to chronic respiratory diseases. The molecular mechanisms driving cell fate acquisition and temporal specialization during mucociliary epithelial development remain largely unknown. Here, we profile the developing MCE from pluripotent to mature stages by single-cell transcriptomics, identifying multipotent early epithelial progenitors that execute multilineage cues before specializing into late-stage ionocytes and goblet and basal cells.

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Pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) is an organochlorine fungicide commonly used to treat seeds against seedling infections and controlling snow mold on golf courses. PCNB has been demonstrated to be toxic to living organisms, including fish and several terrestrial organisms. However, only phenotypical deformities have been studied, and the effects of PCNB on early embryogenesis, where primary organogenesis occurs, have not been completely studied.

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Glutathione peroxidase 1 (Gpx1) and peroxiredoxin 2 (Prdx2) belong to the thiol peroxidase family of antioxidants, and have been studied for their antioxidant functions and roles in cancers. However, the physiological significance of Gpx1 and Prdx2 during vertebrate embryogenesis are lacking. Currently, we investigated the functional roles of Gpx1 and Prdx2 during vertebrate embryogenesis using as a vertebrate model.

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Glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3) belongs to the glutathione peroxidase family of selenoproteins and is a key antioxidant enzyme in multicellular organisms against oxidative damage. Downregulation of GPx3 affects tumor progression and metastasis and is associated with liver and heart disease. However, the physiological significance of GPx3 in vertebrate embryonic development remains poorly understood.

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Dachshund 1(Dach1) is a key component of the retinal determination gene network that plays significant roles in cell fate regulation. The vertebrate homolog of Drosophila dachshund has gained considerable importance as an essential regulator of development, but its functions during embryonic development remain elusive. We investigated the functional significance of dach1 during Xenopus embryogenesis using loss-of-function studies.

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Mitochondria are multifunctional cellular organelles that are major producers of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in eukaryotes; to maintain the redox balance, they are supplemented with different ROS scavengers, including mitochondrial peroxiredoxins (Prdxs). Mitochondrial Prdxs have physiological and pathological significance and are associated with the initiation and progression of various cancer types. In this review, we have focused on signaling involving ROS and mitochondrial Prdxs that is associated with cancer development and progression.

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Engineered aluminum oxide nanoparticles (Al O NPs) having high-grade thermal stability and water-dispersion properties are extensively used in different industries and personal care products. Toxicological response evaluation of these NPs is indispensable in assessing the health risks and exposure limits because of their industrial disposal into the aquatic environment. We assessed and compared the developmental toxicity of Al O NPs in Xenopus laevis and Danio rerio over a period of 96 h using the frog embryo teratogenic assay Xenopus and a fish embryo toxicity assay.

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Epigenetic modifier lysine demethylase 3a (Kdm3a) specifically demethylates mono‑ and di‑methylated ninth lysine of histone 3 and belongs to the Jumonji domain‑containing group of demethylases. Kdm3a serves roles during various biological and pathophysiological processes, including spermatogenesis and metabolism, determination of sex, androgen receptor‑mediated transcription and embryonic carcinoma cell differentiation. In the present study, physiological functions of Kdm3a were evaluated during embryogenesis of Xenopus laevis.

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Background: Lysine-specific histone demethylase 5C (KDM5C) belongs to the jumonji family of demethylases and is specific for the di- and tri-demethylation of lysine 4 residues on histone 3 (H3K4 me2/3). KDM5C is expressed in the brain and skeletal muscles of humans and is associated with various biologically significant processes. KDM5C is known to be associated with X-linked mental retardation and is also involved in the development of cancer.

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Aims: Peroxiredoxin5 (Prdx5), a thioredoxin peroxidase, is an antioxidant enzyme that is widely studied for its antioxidant properties and protective roles in neurological and cardiovascular disorders. This study is aimed at investigating the functional significance of Prdx5 in mitochondria and at analyzing its roles in ciliogenesis during the process of vertebrate development.

Results: We found that several Prdx genes were strongly expressed in multiciliated cells in developing Xenopus embryos, and their peroxidatic functions were crucial for normal cilia development.

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