Ha-Jung Park
Kyung Hee University · 生化学・遺伝学・分子生物学
研究室紹介
Professor Ha-Jung Park's research lab focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neurological and psychiatric disorders, with a particular emphasis on the roles of cellular stress responses, ion transporters, and gut-brain axis regulation. The lab investigates how disruptions in pH homeostasis, mitochondrial dysfunction, and gut microbiota alterations contribute to neuropsychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia and stress-related disorders. Key research directions include the function of sodium-bicarbonate cotransporters in brain pH regulation, the impact of early-life stress on neuroinflammation and tryptophan metabolism, and the neuroprotective effects of molecules like melatonin and TRBP in modulating immune and apoptotic pathways. The lab employs a multidisciplinary approach integrating molecular biology, cDNA microarray, RT-PCR, and high-throughput sequencing to dissect disease mechanisms at the gene and protein level.
Research Overview
Research Output Trend
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Selected Papers
15A cDNA encoding a double-stranded-RNA (dsRNA)-binding protein was isolated by screening a HeLa cell cDNA expression library for proteins that bind the HIV-1 Rev-responsive-element RNA. The cDNA encoded a protein that was identical to TRBP, the previously reported cellular protein that binds the transactivation response element (TAR) RNA of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. TRBP inhibited phosphorylation of the interferon-induced ribosome-associated protein kinase PKR and of the eukaryotic tra
AIM: The genes were divided into seven categories according to biological function; apoptosis-related, immune response-related, signal transduction-related, cell cycle-related, cell growth-related, stress response-related and transcription-related genes. METHODS: We compared the gene expression profiles of SNU-C4 cells between amygdalin-treated (5 mg/mL, 24 h) and non-treated groups using cDNA microarray analysis. We selected genes downregulated in cDNA microarray and investigated mRNA levels of
Recent studies have reported that changes in gut microbiota composition could induce neuropsychiatric problems. In this study, we investigated alterations in gut microbiota induced by early-life stress (ELS) in rats subjected to maternal separation (MS; 6 h a day, postnatal days (PNDs) 1–21), along with changes in inflammatory cytokines and tryptophan-kynurenine (TRP-KYN) metabolism, and assessed the differences between sexes. High-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene showed that
The sodium-bicarbonate cotransporter NBCn1 (SLC4A7) is an acid-base transporter that normally moves Na(+) and HCO(3)(-) into the cell. This membrane protein is sensitive to cellular and systemic pH changes. We examined NBCn1 expression and localization in the brain and its response to chronic metabolic acidosis. Two new NBCn1 antibodies were generated by immunizing a rabbit and a guinea pig. The antibodies stained neurons in a variety of rat brain regions, including hippocampal pyramidal neurons
Postmortem studies reveal that the brain pH in schizophrenia patients is lower than normal. The exact cause of this low pH is unclear, but increased lactate levels due to abnormal energy metabolism appear to be involved. Schizophrenia patients display distinct changes in mitochondria number, morphology, and function, and such changes promote anaerobic glycolysis, elevating lactate levels. pH can affect neuronal activity as H+ binds to numerous proteins in the nervous system and alters the struct
Melatonin possesses a number of important biologic activities including oncostatic, anti-oxidant, and immunostimulatory actions. This study was designed to assess the effects of melatonin on inflammation-related gene expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), using CombiMatrix 2K Human Inflammation chip. After pretreatment with melatonin (100 microm) for 4 hr, cells were incubated with LPS (1 microg/mL) for 24 hr. We compared gene expressi
Label-free detection of DNA methylation could be achieved using Raman spectroscopy with discriminant analysis.
These results suggest that FOSL1 may be related to IgAN severity.
We investigated the effects of an essential oil from Chamaecyparis obtusa (EOCO) on early life stress, using maternal separation (MS) rats and a microarray method to analyze the changes in gene expressions caused by EOCO in the hippocampus of MS rats. Rats in the MS groups were separated from their respective mothers from postnatal day (pnd) 14 to 28. Rats in the EOCO-treated groups were exposed to EOCO for 1 or 2 h by inhalation from pnd 21 to 28. The EOCO-treated MS rats showed decreased anxie