• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.746-753
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• 2008

The hprK gene encoding bifunctional HPrK/P (kinase/phosphorylase) was cloned from L. mesenteroides SY1, a strain isolated from kimchi. hprK was transcribed as a monocistronic gene. His-tagged HPrH16A and HPrK/P were produced in E. coli BL21 (DE3) using pET26b(+) and purified. HPrK/P phosphorylation assay with purified proteins showed that the kinase activity of HPrK/P increased at slightly acidic pHs. Divalent cations such as $Mg^{2+}$ and $Mn^{2+}$ and glycolytic intermediates such as fructose-1, 6-bisphosphate (FBP) and phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) increased the kinase activity of HPrK/P, but inorganic phosphate strongly inhibited it. Kinetic studies for the kinase activity of HPrK/P showed that the apparent $K_m$ values were 0.18 and $14.57{\mu}M$ for ATP and HPr, respectively. The $K_m$ value for the phosphorylase activity of HPrK/P was $14.16{\mu}M$ for P-Ser-HPr (HPr phosphorylated at the serine residue).

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• 제59권3호
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• pp.173-178
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• 2016

Phenyllactic acid (PLA), which is a known antimicrobial compound, can be synthesized through the reduction of phenylpyruvic acid (PPA) by lactate dehydrogenase of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). PLA-producing LAB was isolated from coffee beans, and the isolated LAB was identified as Lactobacillus zeae Y44 by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Cell-free supernatant (CFS) from L. zeae Y44 was assessed for both its capability to produce the antimicrobial compound PLA and its antifungal activity against three fungal pathogens (Rhizoctonia solani, Botrytis cinerea, and Colletotrichum aculatum). PLA concentration was found to be 4.21 mM in CFS when L. zeae Y44 was grown in MRS broth containing 5 mM PPA for 12 h. PLA production could be promoted by the supplementation with PPA and phenylalanine (Phe) in the MRS broth, but not affected by 4-hydroxy-phenylpyruvic acid, and inhibited by tyrosine as precursors. Antifungal activity assessment demonstrated that all fungal pathogens were sensitive to 5 % CFS (v/v) of L. zeae Y44 with average growth inhibitions ranging from 27.8 to 50.0 % (p<0.005), in which R. solani was the most sensitive with an inhibition of 50.0 %, followed by B. cinerea and C. aculatum. However, pH modification of CFS to pH 6.5 caused an extreme reduction in their antifungal activity. These results may indicate that the antifungal activity of CFS was caused by acidic compounds like PLA or organic acids rather than proteins or peptides molecules.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.130-138
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• 2005

This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of Phellodendron amurense(PLDA) on the Alzheimer's disease. The effects of PLDA extract on $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, amyloid precursor proteins(APP), acetylcholinesterase(AChE), glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP) mRNA of PC-12 cell treated by $A{\beta}$ plus $rIL-1{\beta}$ and AChE activity of PC-12 cell lysate treated by $A{\beta}$ plus $rIL-1{\beta}$ and behavior of memory deficit mice induced by scopolamine and mice glucose, uric acid, AChE activity of memory deficit rats induced by scopolamine were investigated, respectively. PLDA extract suppressed $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, APP, AChE, GFAP mRNA in PC-12 cell treated by $A{\beta}$ plus $rIL-1{\beta}$ ; AChE activity in cell lysate of PC-12 cell treated by $A{\beta}$ plus $rIL-1{\beta}$. PLDA extract increased glucose, decreased uric acid and AChE significantly in the serum of the memory deficit rats induced by scopolamine. PLDA extract group showed significantly inhibitory effect on the memory deficit of mice induced by scopolamine in the experiment of Morris water maze. According to the above results, it is suggested that PLDA extract might be usefully applied for prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.1185-1193
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• 2007

Ginsing polysaccharide, known to have an immune regulating effect, was administered to 23 randomly selected healthy male subjects with a mean age of 23 years in accordance with an IRB approval. Then, these subjects underwent physico-chemical tests and serum proteome was analyzed from the blood sample taken from these subjects. Analyses of proteome involved image analysis, protein sections and protein identification in sequence after two-dimensional electrophoresis was carried out. During the physico-chemical test, 4 subjects were excluded from the study. In the proteome analysis, identified were 5 spots such as SP40, 40, Cytokeratin 9, hypothetical protein LOC544932, Apolipoprotein E ,similar to Human albumin, which showed differences in the amount of protein expression. In conclusion, changes of 5 proteins were remarkable before and after administration of ginsing polysaccharides. In certain cases, hepatic and renal slight injury occurred. Thus, further clinical study on dosage regimen would be necessary for securing the basis for concentration-dependent effectiveness and safety.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.26-35
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• 2017

The hydrolysis of proteins constitutes an invaluable tool, granting access to a variety of peptide fragments with potentially interesting biological properties. Therefore, a hemoglobin (Hb) hydrolysate of Crocodylus siamensis was generated by digestion under acidic conditions. The antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the Hb hydrolysate were assessed in comparison with intact Hb. A disc diffusion assay revealed that the Hb hydrolysate exhibited antibacterial activity against eight strains of gram-positive bacteria and showed a higher efficacy than intact Hb. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of intact Hb and its hydrolysate was evaluated using ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging assays. The Hb hydrolysate exhibited free radical scavenging rates of 6-32%, whereas intact Hb showed a slightly higher activity. In addition, non-toxicity to human erythrocytes was observed after treatment with quantities of Hb hydrolysate up to $10{\mu}g$. Moreover, active fragmented Hb (P3) was obtained after purifying the Hb hydrolysate by reversed-phase HPLC. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated the induction of bacterial cell membrane abnormalities after exposure to P3. Antibacterial and antioxidant activities play crucial roles for supporting the wound healing activity. Consequently, an in vivo mice excisional skin wound healing assay was carried out to investigate the effects of intact Hb treatment on wound healing in more detail. The results clearly demonstrate that intact Hb is capable of promoting 75% wound closure within 6 days. These findings imply that intact Hb of C. siamensis and its acid hydrolysate may serve as valuable precursors for food supplementary products benefitting human health.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.33-40
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• 2012

In this study, we characterized the physical form of allergenic Cry j 1 in the urban atmosphere. Through an immunofluorescence antibody method, we showed that allergenic Cry j 1 exists as fine particles (${\leq}1.1{\mu}m$). To determine Cry j 1 concentrations and its particle size distribution, we used the ELISA method to confirm that most Cry j 1 exists as fine particles in the urban atmosphere and is found at high concentrations on fine day next to rainy day. Furthermore, we evaluated Cry j 1 denaturation by using the Biacore J system based on the surface plasmon resonence (SPR) principle and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). We showed that the dissociation constant ($K_D$) of Cry j 1 that has been exposed to urban polluted air is lower ($1.76{\times}10^{-14}$ M) than that of Cry j 1 ($1.32{\times}10^{-9}-3.37{\times}10^{-9}$ M) of original pollen grains that has not been exposed to air pollutants. Cry j 1 turns into low molecular weight proteins by reacting with various acidic solutions. In sum, we showed that allergenic Cry j 1 exists as fine particles that can deposit in the lower respiratory tract. This finding clarifies the relationship between Japanese cedar pollinosis and air pollutants.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.507-513
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• 2017

Bacillus subtilis spores can be used for protein display to engineer protein properties. This method overcomes viability and protein-folding concerns associated with traditional protein display methods. Spores remain viable under extreme conditions and the genotype/phenotype connection remains intact. In addition, the natural sporulation process eliminates protein-folding concerns that are coupled to the target protein traveling through cell membranes. Furthermore, ATP-dependent chaperones are present to assist in protein folding. CotA was optimized as a whole-cell biocatalyst immobilized in an inert matrix of the spore. In general, proteins that are immobilized have advantages in biocatalysis. For example, the protein can be easily removed from the reaction and it is more stable. The aim is to improve the pH stability using spore display. The maximum activity of CotA is between pH 4 and 5 for the substrate ABTS (ABTS = diammonium 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate). However, the activity dramatically decreases at pH 4. The activity is not significantly altered at pH 5. A library of approximately 3,000 clones was screened. A E498G variant was identified to have a half-life of inactivation ($t_{1/2}$) at pH 4 that was 24.8 times greater compared with wt-CotA. In a previous investigation, a CotA library was screened for organic solvent resistance and a T480A mutant was found. Consequently, T480A/E498G-CotA was constructed and the $t_{1/2}$ was 62.1 times greater than wt-CotA. Finally, E498G-CotA and T480A/E498G-CotA yielded 3.7- and 5.3-fold more product than did wt-CotA after recycling the biocatalyst seven times over 42 h.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제30권8호
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• pp.1261-1271
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• 2020

Cytochrome c_L (Cytc_L) is an essential protein in the process of methanol oxidation in methylotrophs. It receives an electron from the pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) cofactor of methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) to produce formaldehyde. The direct electron transfer mechanism between Cytc_L and MDH remains unknown due to the lack of structural information. To help gain a better understanding of the mechanism, we determined the first crystal structure of heme c containing Cytc_L from the aquatic methylotrophic bacterium Methylophaga aminisulfidivorans MP^T at 2.13 Å resolution. The crystal structure of Ma-Cytc_L revealed its unique features compared to those of the terrestrial homologues. Apart from Fe in heme, three additional metal ion binding sites for Na⁺, Ca⁺, and Fe²⁺ were found, wherein the ions mostly formed coordination bonds with the amino acid residues on the loop (G93-Y111) that interacts with heme. Therefore, these ions seemed to enhance the stability of heme insertion by increasing the loop's steadiness. The basic N-terminal end, together with helix α4 and loop (G126 to Y136), contributed positive charge to the region. In contrast, the acidic C-terminal end provided a negatively charged surface, yielding several electrostatic contact points with partner proteins for electron transfer. These exceptional features of Ma-Cytc_L, along with the structural information of MDH, led us to hypothesize the need for an adapter protein bridging MDH to Cytc_L within appropriate proximity for electron transfer. With this knowledge in mind, the methanol oxidation complex reconstitution in vitro could be utilized to produce metabolic intermediates at the industry level.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제23권11호
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• pp.1560-1568
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• 2013

Salmonella, a main cause of foodborne diseases, encounters a variety of environmental stresses and overcomes the stresses by multiple resistance strategies. One of the general responses to hyperosmotic stress is to import or produce compatible solutes so that cells maintain fluid balance and protect proteins and lipids from denaturation. The ProP and ProU systems are the main transport systems for compatible solutes. The OsmU system, recently identified as a third osmoprotectant transport system, debilitates excessive growth as well by reducing production of trehalose. We studied a fourth putative osmoprotectant transport system, YehZYXW, with high sequence similarity with the OsmU system. A Salmonella strain lacking YehZ, a predicted substrate-binding protein, did not suffer from hyperosmolarity but rather grew more rapidly than the wild type regardless of glycine betaine, an osmoprotectant, suggesting that the YehZYXW system controls bacterial growth irrespective of transporting glycine betaine. However, the growth advantage of ${\Delta}yehZ$ was not attributable to an increase in OtsBA-mediated trehalose production, which is responsible for the outcompetition of the ${\Delta}osmU$ strain. Overexpressed YehZ in trans was capable of deaccelerating bacterial growth vice versa, supporting a role of YehZ in dampening growth. The expression of yehZ was increased in response to nutrient starvation, acidic pH, and the presence of glycine betaine under hyperosmotic stress. Identifying substrates for YehZ will help decipher the role of the YehZYXW system in regulating bacterial growth in response to environmental cues.

• 동의신경정신과학회지
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.75-89
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• 2006

Objective : This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of Rhododendron simsii Planch(RSP) on the Alzheimer's disease. Method : The effects of RSP on amyloid precursor proteins(APP), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP) mRNA of PC-12 cell treated by amyloid ${\beta}$ protein$(A{\beta})$ and $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, $TNF-{\alpha}$ mRNA of THP-1 cell treated by lipopolysaccharide(LPS), AChE activity of PC-12 cell lysate treated by $A{\beta}$ and behavior of the memory deficit mice induced by scopolamine, and glucose, AChE in serum of the memory deficit mice induced by scopolamine were investigated, respectively. Result : 1. RSP suppressed APP, AChE, GFAP mRNA in PC-12 celt treated by $A{\beta}$. 2. RSP suppressed $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, $TNF-{\alpha}$ mRNA in THP-1 cell treated by LPS. 3. RSP suppressed AChE activity in cell lysate of PC-12 cell treated by $A{\beta}$. 4. RSP increased glucose and decreased AChE significantly in the serum of the memory deficit mice induced by scopolamine. 5. RSP group showed significantly inhibitory effect on the scopolamine-induced impairment of teaming and. memory in the experiment of Morris water maze. Conclusion : According to the above results, it is suggested that RSP might be usefully applied for prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and memory deficit symptom.