• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.310-317
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• 2017

Mammalian cells control cellular homeostasis using a variety of defensive enzymes in order to combat against environmental oxidants and electrophiles. NF-E2-related factor-2 (NRF2) is a transcription factor that, in response to an exposure to oxidative stress, translocates into the nucleus and modulates the inducible expression of various phase II cytoprotective enzymes by binding to the antioxidant response element (ARE). In the present study, we have acquired 400 ethanol extracts of traditional medicinal plants and attempted to find out possible extract(s) that can increase the NRF2/ARE-dependent gene expression in human keratinocytes. As a result, we have identified that ethanol extracts of Rheum undulatum and Inula japonica strongly activated the ARE-dependent luciferase activity in HaCaT- ARE-luciferase cells. Exposure of ethanol extracts of Rheum undulatum and Inula japonica increased the viability and activated transcription and translation of NRF2-dependent phase II cytoprotective enzymes in HaCaT cells, such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD[P]H:quinone oxidorecutase-1 (NQO1). In addition, ethanol extracts of Rheum undulatum and Inula japonica suppressed 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby inhibiting the formation of 8-hydroxyguanosine (8-OHG) and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) in HaCaT cells. Together, our results demonstrate that ethanol extracts of Rheum undulatum and Inula japonica exert anti-oxidant effects via the induction of NRF2/ARE-dependent gene expression in human keratinocytes.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.134-141
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• 2015

An agarolytic marine bacterium (H9) was isolated from the coastal seawater of the West Sea, South Korea. The isolate, H9, was gram-negative and rod-shaped with a smooth surface and polar flagellum. Cells grew at 20-30℃, between pH 5.0 and 9.0, and in ASW-YP (Artificial Sea Water-Yeast extract, Peptone) media containing 1-5% (w/v) NaCl. The G+C content was 41.56 mol%. The predominant isoprenoid quinone in strain H9 was ubiquinone-8. The major fatty acids (>10%) were C_16:1ω7c (34.3%), C_16:0 (23.72%), and C_18:1ω7c (13.64%). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and biochemical and chemotaxonomic characterization, the strain was designated as Pseudoalteromonas sp. H9 (=KCTC23887). In liquid culture supplemented with 0.2% agar, the cell density and agarase activity reached a maximum level of OD = 4.32 (48 h) and OD = 3.87 (24 h), respectively. The optimum pH and temperature for the extracellular crude agarases of H9 were 7.0 and 40℃, respectively. Thin-layer chromatography analysis of the agarase hydrolysis products revealed that the crude agarases hydrolyze agarose into neoagarotetraose and neoagarohexaose. Therefore, the new agar-degrading strain, H9, can be applicable for the production of valuable neoagarooligosaccharides and for the complete degradation of agar in bio-industries.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.43-53
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• 2001

a, a parameter that describes how effectively photoinactivated PS II units protect their functional neighbours; car, carotenoids; ΔpH, transthylakoid pH difference; D1 protein, psbA gene product in the PS II reaction centre; f, functional fraction of PS II: F$\_$v//F$\_$m/, the ratio of variable to maximum chlorophyll a fluorescence; k$\_$d/, rate coefficient for degradation of D1 protein; k$\_$i/ and k$\_$r/, rate coefficient for photoinactivation and repair of PS II, respectively; NADP+, oxidized nicontinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate; P680, the primary electron donor in the PSII reaction centre; Ph, pheophytin; PS, photosystem; Q$\_$A/, first quinone acceptor of an electron in PS II; R$\_$s/, the gross rate of D1 protein synthesis.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.571-576
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• 1994

One strain of cellulose-producing Acetobacter was isolated from the traditionally fermen- ted grape vinegar in Korea. The isolated strain, designated as KI strain was identified as the Acetobacter xylinum with respect to physiological and biochemical characteristics. KI produced acetic acid from ethanol, and then decomposed acetate to CO$_{2}$ and H$_{2}$O. When the isolated strain was cultivated statically in broth culture, a thick cellulose pellicle was formed. KI was tolerance of 8% ethanol and 30% glucose, and the isolate was positive in ketogenesis from glycerol, $\gamma$-pyrone from glucose and fructose, and 2-ketogluconic acid from glucose. KI strain possessed straight-chain C$_{18:1}$, C$_{16:0}$, and C$_{14:0}$ fatty acid, and contained ubiquinone Q$_{9}$ and Q$_{10}$ as isoprenoid quinone. DNA base composition of KI strain was 57.6% G+C.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.2381-2386
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• 2009

The tetrakis(thio)-substituted-1,4-benzoquinone products 4a-e, 6, 7, and the mono(alkoxy)-tris(thio)-substituted-1,4- benzoquinone products 5a-e and 8a-e were synthesized from the reactions of p-chloranil with some thiols and mixture of two different thiol compounds in alcohol in the presence of $Na_2CO_3$ at room temperature. The structures of the novel S,S,S,S- and S,S,S,O- substituted products, which were obtained by the reactions of p-chloranil as a starting compound with n-propanethiol, n-pentanethiol, n-decanethiol, n-dodecanethiol, 2-methyl-2-propanethiol, and mixture of n-decanethiol and n-cyclohexanethiol as S-nucleophiles, were characterized by spectroscopic methods.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.8 no.3_4
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• pp.13-21
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• 1993

In order to evaluate the anticancer activity of 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives, several 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives were newly synthesized and subjected to mouse leukemia p-388 cell line by MTT cytotoxicity assay. Among the several 1,4-naphtho-quinone derivatives, YC-001 has showed the most potent anticancer activity. To determine the safety of YC-001, hematotoxicity was tested. YC-001 induced hemolysis increased with both concentration and time dependent manner. The mechanism of hemolysis considered to be the generation of oxygen free radicals and lipid peroxydation of erythrocyte membrane which composed of phospholipids. Also methemoglobin, oxidized form of hemoglobin, was formed by YC-001.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.298.1-298.1
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• 2002

Tyrosinase (monophenol. 3.4-${\beta}$-dihydroxyphenylalanin oxygen oxidoreductase. EC 1.14.18.1 J. which plays a pivotal role in melanogenesis. It is single chain glycoprotein catalyzing the hydroxylation of tyrosine to ${\beta$\mid$$-3.4-dihydroxyphenylalanin (DOPA) and the oxidation of DOPA to DOPA quinone. To investigate whitening effect of chitosan oligosaccharide. we obtained chitosan oligosaccharide ［(glucosamine)2-6］ by NaNO2 oxidation and measured the effect of chitosan oligosaccharide on tyrosinase activity. Chitosan oligosaccharide dose-dependently inhibited tyrosinase (2 unit) activity and inhibited by 18.8% at dose of 100${\mu}$g/ml. Vitamin C. arbutin and kojic acid that are well known to be inhibitor of melanin production dose-dependently inhibited tyrosinase (2unit) activity. These results suggest that chitosan oligosaccharide may be used as inhibitor of melanin production in melanocyte. which will be further studied.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.731-739
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• 2006

A bacterial strain HJ-14 was isolated as a producer of antioxidants from the coast of Jinhae in Korea. The isolate showed 43.4mol% of G+C content, and contained dihydrogenated ubiquinone with Q8 as a major quinone. Chemotaxonomic analysis as well as phylogenetic analysis, based on the 16S rDNA sequence, identified the isolate as a member of Alteromonas macleodii. For antioxidant production, the optimum medium composition was determined to be 3% dextrin, 0.5% ammonium sulfate, and 2-6% sodium chloride. Optimum culture conditions for production of antioxidant materials with strain HJ-14 were at pH 6.0-8.0 and $25-37^{\circ}C$. The chloroform extract of strain HJ-14 broth showed 1.96-17.5-fold higher antioxidant activity than other organic solvents in term of electron donating ability.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.121-127
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• 1968

In the oligomerization of p-aminophenol under the catalytic action of the metallic complexes, the effects of the ligands are studied. When the initial velocity of $O_2$ uptake at pH 8 using Fe(Ⅲ) as the central metal and N-hydroxylethylethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEDTA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), 1,2-cyclohexanediaminetetraacetic acid(CyDTA) as the ligands respectively are compared, the velocities are as the following order: HEDTA > EDTA > DTPA > CyDTA. Further when the effect of the ligands, nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), HEDTA, EDTA, and DTPA, on the yields of oligomers are compared, the result shows as the following order: NTA > HEDTA > EDTA > DTPA. These are nearly reverse order of the stability constants of the complexes. In order to determine the composition of the mixed complexes at the initial step, the method of continuous variation is used, and it is found that the composition ratio of Fe-EDTA complex to monomer in the mixed complexes is one at pH 5-8 range. It is also found that at pH 9 or in the more alkaline range, side reactions occur to form water soluble dimer of quinone type and the catalytic action of the metallic complex markedly decreases on account of the hydrolysis of the central metal by the $OH^-$ ion.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.870-872
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• 1999

The ubiquinone and G+C contents of the bioflocculant-producing fungus, a new Aspergillus strain, were detennined using high-perfonnance liquid chromatography. The internal transcribed spacers 1 and 2 (ITS1 and ITS2), and the 5.8S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of the strain were amplified and sequenced. The strain contained ubiquinone-l0($H_2$)as a major quinone and the G+C content was 49 mol%. A phylogenetic analysis of the ITS regions indicated that the strain belonged to the genus Aspergillus according to its previously classified morphological characteristics. Based on a sequence homology search, the strain was most closely related to Petromyces muricatus (anamorph, A. muricatus; accession number, AJ005674). The sequence of a new Aspergillus strain in ITS1 and ITS2, and 5.8S rDNA showed 97% homology to P. muricatus. Therefore, the strain is believed to be a new bioflocculant-producing Aspergillus strain.