• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.1249-1254
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• 2021

UV induce oxidative stress and increase matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression, resulting in skin aging. Thus, preventing skin damage from ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced skin damage can attenuate skin aging. Spirulina is comprised of prokaryotes a powerful antioxidant. This study aimed to investigate the photoprotective effects of spirulina-derived phycocyanin (PC) against UVB radiation using human skin fibroblast. As a results, PC showed no toxicity at concentrations of 5-40 ㎍/mL in terms of fibroblast viability. Survival rate of UVB-irradiated fibroblast incresased to 73.5% from 50.5% with PC treatment. UVB treatment increased MMP-1 and MMP-9 expression whereas PC treatment decreased it. The results indicate that PC might reduce or prevent skin aging by reducing UVB irradiation-induced skin wrinkles and free radicals.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.31-43
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• 2021

To understand the temporal variation of prokaryotic communities in a temperate coastal area, prokaryotic abundance, activity, and community composition were investigated every week for over a year at a coastal monitoring station of Yeong-do, Busan. The prokaryotic abundances fluctuated about 10 times, ranging from 2.0 to 20.1 × 10⁵ cells mL^-1 and tended to be high in spring when phytoplankton bloom occurred. The prokaryotic thymidine incorporation rates (TTI) varied in a low range between 0.2 and 11.5 pmol L^-1 h^-1 in winter. However, in summer, TTI were increased up to a range of 8.3 to 17.4 pmol L^-1 h^-1, showing an increasing pattern in summer. During the study period, Alphaproteobacteria was the most dominant class for most of the year, followed by Flavobacteria. While the seasonal variation of prokaryotic composition was not apparent at the class level, many prokaryotic species showed a distinct temporal or seasonal variation for the year. In the coastal site, prokaryotic biomass and activity did not show significant correlations with temperature and chlorophyll-a, which are well known to regulate prokaryotic growth in marine environments, suggesting that the study area may be affected by diverse sources of organic matter for their growth.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.873-878
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• 2024

We collected rat feces by group period after oral administration of fructooligosaccharides and fruit and vegetable complex extracts for 2 weeks in the Sprague-Dawley rat model of loperamide-induced constipation and analyzed trends in changes in the intestinal microbiome. Microbial composition analysis was performed on Fractoologosaccharide and fruit and vegetable complex extracs(FVCE), by 16S rDNA cloning and pyrosequencing to obtain basic data for the standardization and systematization of the FVCE manufacturing process. Microbial analysis of the prokaryotic community revealed a slight difference in microbial verrucomicrobiota was dominant at the phylum level. At the genus level, prevotella and muribaculaceae showed further differences at the species level. These results suggest that the microbial community used affects the quality of fruit and vegetable complex extracs(FVCE) produced. Thus, a stable microbial community must be maintained for the production of fruit and vegetable complex extracs(FVCE) with consistent quality.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.235-240
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• 2002

Streptomycetes is a group of Gram-positive soil bacteria that growas a branching vegetative mycelium leading to the formation of spores, and display a physiological differenti-ation related to the synthesis of many secondary metabolites including antibiotics. Their complex life cycle and multicellular differentiation require various levels of regulation and types of signal transduction systems including eukaryotic-type serine/threonine protein kinases and prokaryotic-type histidine/aspartic acid protein kinases. Akt kinase that was found in cells is a sorine/threonine kinase controlling signal pathway for multi-tude of important cellular events. The activation or inactivation of Akt kinase in the cell is one of the critical regulatory points to deliver cell proliferation, differentiation, survival or apoptosis signal. To find the regula-tory protein homologous to Akt in Streptomyces, the fluorescien-labeled synthetic peptide (FITC-TRRSR-TESIT) was designed from the consensus sequence of target proteins for Akt kinase. From the difference of the mobility between the nonphosphorylated and phosphorylated synthetic peptides on Agarose gel electro-phoresis, the Akt-phosphorylating activity was monitored. The cell-free extract prepared from Streptomyces griseus IFO 13350 and the Akt homologous protein was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and many steps of column chromatographies such as, DEAE-Sepharose, Mono Q, Resource Phenyl-Soporose and Gel permeation column chromatographies. As a result, the protein phosphorylating the fluorescien-labeled Akt substrate was identified and it's molecular weight was estimated as 39 kDa on SDS-PAGE.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.723-731
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• 2003

For the investigation of conserved regions in lipase genes, 132 and 24 sequences were obtained from LED (Lipase Engineering Database) and COG (Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins), respectively. There was high diversity in lipase genes and peculiar amino acid sequences were conserved for each homologous family of LED. Similar conserved amino acid sequences were detected from COG0657 and Moraxella lipase 1 homologous group of LED. Although many studies have attempted to detect new lipase genes in procaryotes, they have been limited culturable bacteria. The importance of metagenome, including DNA from non-culturable bacteria, is known. Due to the high diversity, we assumed it might be possible to detect new lipase gene from metagenome. Due to the high diversity of nucleotide sequences in lipase genes, 10 primer sets were designed. Designed primer sets were inspected in BLAST of NCBI and they could amplify a part of the lipase gene from 222 to 713 bp. They can amplify 16.7%∼60.0% of each lipase homologous group which was 3.6 fold higher than each sets. They might offer a high probability of detecting new lipase genes, owing to high efficiency and the diversity of lipase genes.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1652-1657
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• 2011

The production of blood cells is regulated by more than 20 different growth factors, called hematopoitic growth factors. These factors have been produced in prokaryotic and mammalian systems for their clinical use. Glranulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) is an important therapeutic factor for cancer patients as well as patients with congenital conditions. These patients do not have enough neutrophils and have a high risk of infection. Two groups of recombinant G-CSF have been used to specially treat cancer patients after chemotherapy because chemotherapy induces neutropenia, a major side effect of chemotherapy drugs. Here, structural and biological characteristics of G-CSF are presented. In addition, the relationship between chemotherapy and neutropenia, which is a severe reduction of neutrophils in the blood, and clinical application of G-CSF is discussed. Recombinant G-CSFs are grouped in two forms. Non-glycosylated G-CSF, filgrastim, is produced in Escherichia coli and glycosylated G-CSF, lenograstim, is produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Differences in structure and biological activity are compared and challenges for biosimilar production are also highlighted.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.635-641
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• 1998

The purpose of this study was to suggest a new direction of learning method in botany based on the analysis of a classification system and concepts in Science(Biology) textbooks of elementary and secondary school. Elementary and secondary school textbooks of Biology have been analyzed for plant classification system and concepts. Findings are summarized as belows. 1. In textbook of elementary school, the organization of life is grouped into Plantae and Animalia. Learning contents of plant are divided by the size and habitat. However, this system of classification might cause false concepts. Therefore, learning contents should be organized as whether they are flowering plants or not. 2. In a textbook of middle school, the organization of life is grouped into Plantae and Animalia. For a textbook of high school, it is grouped into three kingdoms; Plantae, Animalia and Prorista. With the idea of new age of Life Science, we should change the standards to 5 kingdoms; Plantae, Animalia, Proristae, Fungi and Monera. Moreover, it would be desirable if the concept of plant classification could be explained with a general outline, not by an individual interpretation focusing on characters of species only. In addition to the above indications, a learning course should provide present a standard classification according to a cognitive developemental level. It also has to teach students how to classify plant, in secondary school. Learning materials focusing on algae of the present system, but should be organized based on Seed plants.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.535-543
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• 2020

In addition to the ubiquitous roles of cellular RNA in genetic regulations, gene expression and phenotypic variations in response to environmental cues and chemotactic signals, the regulatory roles of a new type of RNA called extracellular RNAs (exRNAs) are an up-and-coming area of research interest. exRNA is transported outside the cell through membrane blebs known as membrane vesicles or extracellular vesicles (EVs). EV formation is predominant and conserved among all microbial forms, including prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and archaea. This review will focus on the three major topics concerning bacterially derived exRNAs, i.e., 1) the discovery of exRNA and influence of extraneous RNA over bacterial gene regulations, 2) the known secretion mechanism for the release of exRNA, and 3) the possible applications that can be devised with these exRNA secreted by different gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Further, this review will also provide an opinion on exRNA- and EV-derived applications such as the species-specific exRNA markers for diagnostics and the possible roles of exRNA in probiotics and the epigenetic regulations of the gut microbiome.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.127-143
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• 2024

In this study, we investigated the effects of dietary microalgae (Mychonastes pushpae, MP) supplementation on the changes of egg production and quality, intestinal immunity, composition of the gut microbiota in laying hens. Mychonastes pushpae (MP) supplementation increased egg weight and egg mass in laying hens. It was observed that by MP supplementation changed the population of CD8-TCR γδ+ T cells, one of the subsets of CD3+ T cells, and MHC II+ antigen presenting cells in the small intestine of the laying hens. Besides, composition of beneficial gut microbe like Lactobacillus and Faecalibacterium increased by MP supplementation. Gene enrichment analysis on gut microbiota revealed that genes associated with biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids increased, while bacterial chemotaxis and biofilm formation of E. coli was reduced by MP treatment. This study proposed the possibility that the supplementation of MP for laying hens affect the egg productivity, the gut immune cell population and the microbiota. Thus, this can be used as a dietary supplement to improve productivity and gut health in laying hens.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.119-135
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• 2021

Korea has stepped up efforts to investigate and catalog its flora and fauna to conserve the biodiversity of the Korean Peninsula and secure biological resources since the ratification of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992 and the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits (ABS) in 2010. Thus, after its establishment in 2007, the National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR) of the Ministry of Environment of Korea initiated a project called the Korean Indigenous Species Investigation Project to investigate indigenous species on the Korean Peninsula. For 15 years since its beginning in 2006, this project has been carried out in five phases, Phase 1 from 2006-2008, Phase 2 from 2009-2011, Phase 3 from 2012-2014, Phase 4 from 2015-2017, and Phase 5 from 2018-2020. Before this project, in 2006, the number of indigenous species surveyed was 29,916. The figure was cumulatively aggregated at the end of each phase as 33,253 species for Phase 1 (2008), 38,011 species for Phase 2 (2011), 42,756 species for Phase 3 (2014), 49,027 species for Phase 4 (2017), and 54,428 species for Phase 5(2020). The number of indigenous species surveyed grew rapidly, showing an approximately 1.8-fold increase as the project progressed. These statistics showed an annual average of 2,320 newly recorded species during the project period. Among the recorded species, a total of 5,242 new species were reported in scientific publications, a great scientific achievement. During this project period, newly recorded species on the Korean Peninsula were identified using the recent taxonomic classifications as follows: 4,440 insect species (including 988 new species), 4,333 invertebrate species except for insects (including 1,492 new species), 98 vertebrate species (fish) (including nine new species), 309 plant species (including 176 vascular plant species, 133 bryophyte species, and 39 new species), 1,916 algae species (including 178 new species), 1,716 fungi and lichen species(including 309 new species), and 4,812 prokaryotic species (including 2,226 new species). The number of collected biological specimens in each phase was aggregated as follows: 247,226 for Phase 1 (2008), 207,827 for Phase 2 (2011), 287,133 for Phase 3 (2014), 244,920 for Phase 4(2017), and 144,333 for Phase 5(2020). A total of 1,131,439 specimens were obtained with an annual average of 75,429. More specifically, 281,054 insect specimens, 194,667 invertebrate specimens (except for insects), 40,100 fish specimens, 378,251 plant specimens, 140,490 algae specimens, 61,695 fungi specimens, and 35,182 prokaryotic specimens were collected. The cumulative number of researchers, which were nearly all professional taxonomists and graduate students majoring in taxonomy across the country, involved in this project was around 5,000, with an annual average of 395. The number of researchers/assistant researchers or mainly graduate students participating in Phase 1 was 597/268; 522/191 in Phase 2; 939/292 in Phase 3; 575/852 in Phase 4; and 601/1,097 in Phase 5. During this project period, 3,488 papers were published in major scientific journals. Of these, 2,320 papers were published in domestic journals and 1,168 papers were published in Science Citation Index(SCI) journals. During the project period, a total of 83.3 billion won (annual average of 5.5 billion won) or approximately US $75 million (annual average of US $5 million) was invested in investigating indigenous species and collecting specimens. This project was a large-scale research study led by the Korean government. It is considered to be a successful example of Korea's compressed development as it attracted almost all of the taxonomists in Korea and made remarkable achievements with a massive budget in a short time. The results from this project led to the National List of Species of Korea, where all species were organized by taxonomic classification. Information regarding the National List of Species of Korea is available to experts, students, and the general public (https://species.nibr.go.kr/index.do). The information, including descriptions, DNA sequences, habitats, distributions, ecological aspects, images, and multimedia, has been digitized, making contributions to scientific advancement in research fields such as phylogenetics and evolution. The species information also serves as a basis for projects aimed at species distribution and biological monitoring such as climate-sensitive biological indicator species. Moreover, the species information helps bio-industries search for useful biological resources. The most meaningful achievement of this project can be in providing support for nurturing young taxonomists like graduate students. This project has continued for the past 15 years and is still ongoing. Efforts to address issues, including species misidentification and invalid synonyms, still have to be made to enhance taxonomic research. Research needs to be conducted to investigate another 50,000 species out of the estimated 100,000 indigenous species on the Korean Peninsula.