• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 1999

To find the latent effect of paper mill sludges (PMS) with and without alum, and alum paper mill sludge compost(PMSC) on aluminum toxicity of crops, the pH buffer capacity and the acidification resistance index (ARI) for PMSs and PMSC were investigated, comparing to upland soil. Buffer capacities of PMS with and without alum, and PMSC were significantly higher than $2.5cmol^+kg^{-1}$ of check soil as 137, 250, and $147cmol^+kg^{-1}$, respectively. Owing to such high buffer capacity of PMS and PMSC, they showed to be well-resisted to acidification.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
• /
• v.15 no.5
• /
• pp.145-153
• /
• 2012

To obtain basic information for evaluating resistance of soil acidification for growth, net photosynthesis, $N_2$ fixation rate and nutrient status of Alnus firma and Alnus hirsuta seedlings grown in brown forest soil acidified with $H_2SO_4$ or $HNO_3$ solution were investigated (control (pH=5.9), LN (pH=5.0; Low levels of Nitric acid), HN (pH=4.0; High levels of Nitric acid), LS (pH=5.0; Low levels of Sulfuric acid), and HS (pH=4.0; High levels of Sulfuric acid)). The shoot dry weight of Alnus firma and Alnus hirsuta and the root dry weight of Alnus hirsuta seedlings grown in the HN, LS and HS were significantly less than that of the seedlings grown in the control. The Chlorophyll a/b ratio in leaves of Alnus firma at LN, LS and HS was significantly lower than that of control. The concentration of N in leaves of Alnus hirsuta at HS was significantly higher than that of control. The net photosynthetic rate of Alnus firma and Alnus hirsuta seedlings at LN and HN was higher than that of control. Based on the results, we concluded that the negative effects of soil acidification due to sulfate deposition are greater than those of soil acidification due to nitrate deposition on growth, net photosynthesis and $N_2$ fixation rate of Alnus firma more than Alnus hirsuta.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.37.1-37.15
• /
• 2020

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is an etiologic pathogen of human tuberculosis (TB), a serious infectious disease with high morbidity and mortality. In addition, the threat of drug resistance in anti-TB therapy is of global concern. Despite this, it remains urgent to research for understanding the molecular nature of dynamic interactions between host and pathogens during TB infection. While Mtb evasion from phagolysosomal acidification is a well-known virulence mechanism, the molecular events to promote intracellular parasitism remains elusive. To combat intracellular Mtb infection, several defensive processes, including autophagy and apoptosis, are activated. In addition, Mtb-ingested phagocytes trigger inflammation, and undergo necrotic cell death, potentially harmful responses in case of uncontrolled pathological condition. In this review, we focus on Mtb evasion from phagosomal acidification, and Mtb interaction with host autophagy, apoptosis, and necrosis. Elucidation of the molecular dialogue will shed light on Mtb pathogenesis, host defense, and development of new paradigms of therapeutics.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.90-98
• /
• 2003

In vivo $^31p$ Nuclear Magnetic Resonance ($^31p$NMR) and metabolic studies were carried out on an acetic acid tolerant mutant, Zymomonas mobilis $ZM4/Ac^R$, and compared to those of the parent strain, Z. mobilis ZM4, to evaluate possible mechanisms of acetic acid resistance. This investigation was initiated to determine whether or not the mutant strain might be used as a suitable recombinant host far ethanol production from lignocellulose hydrolysates containing various inhibitory compounds. $ZM4/Ac^R$ showed multiple resistance to other lignocellulosic toxic compounds such as syringaldehyde, furfural, hydroxymethyl furfural, vanillin, and vanillic acid. The mutant strain was resistant to higher concentrations of ethanol or lower pH in the presence of sodium acetate, compared to ZM4 which showed more additive inhibition. in vivo $^31p$ NMR studies revealed that intracellular acidification and de-energization were two mechanisms by which acetic acid exerted its inhibitory effect. For $ZM4/Ac^R$, the internal pH and the energy status were less affected by sodium acetate compared to the parent strain. This resistance to pH change and de-energization caused by acetic acid is a possible explanation for the development of resistance by this strain.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.265-269
• /
• 2003

Gamma irradiation treatment was performed at the early and mid-fermentation stages of Kimchi preparation. Changes in fermentative microorganisms and lactate dehydrogenase activity during the fermentation periods were investigated to determine proper irradiation point for extending the shelf life of Kimchi. Initial levels of acid producing bacteria and yeast in Kimchi were 10$^4$ CFU g$^{-1}$ and 10$^1$ CFU g$^{-1}$ , and reached up to 10$^{9}$ CFU g$^{-1}$ after 15 days and 10$^{7}$ CFU g$^{-1}$ after fermentation for 30 days at 1$0^{\circ}C$, respectively. The radiation resistance of acid producing bacteria in the earlier stage (D$_{10}$ value was 0.87 kGy) was higher than at the midfermentation stage (after 10 days at 1$0^{\circ}C$, D$_{10}$ value was 0.69 kGy). Microbial growth and lactate dehydrogenase activity were inhibited significantly by gamma irradiation at the early fermentation stage of Kimchi and acidification was effectively delayed during the subsequent storage period. Although the growth of fermentative microorganisms was inhibited by gamma irradiation at the mid-fermentation stage of Kimchi, lactate dehydrogenase activity was maintained and acidification continued during the storage period.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.16 no.7
• /
• pp.1125-1131
• /
• 2006

A kan'::luxCDABE fusion strain that was both highly bioluminescent and responsive to benzoic acid was constructed by transforming E. coli strain W3110 with the plasmid pUCDK, which was constructed by digesting and removing the 7-kb KpnI fragment from the promoterless luxCDABE plasmid pUCD615. Experiments using buffered media showed that this induction was dependent on the pH of the media, which influences the degree of benzoic acid protonation, and the expression levels seen are likely due to acidification of the cytoplasm by uncoupling of benzoic acid. Consequently, the sensitivity of this strain for benzoic acid was increased by nearly 20-fold when the pH was shifted from 8.0 to 6.5. Benzoic acid derivatives and several phenolics also resulted in significantly increased bioluminescent signals. Although these compounds are known to damage membranes and induce the heat-shock response within E. coli, bacterial strains harboring mutations in the fadR and rpoH genes, which are responsible for fatty acid biosynthesis during membrane stress and induction of the heat-shock response, respectively, showed that these mutations had no effect on the responses observed.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.34 no.11
• /
• pp.3405-3409
• /
• 2013

The activation of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) can be induced by the changes in environmental pH, but the mechanism of HSF1 activation by acidification is not completely understood. This paper reports that a low pH (pH~6.0) can trigger human HSF1 activation. Considering the involvement of the imidazole group of histidine residues under acid pH stress, an in vitro EMSA experiment, Trp-fluorescence spectroscopy, and protein structural analysis showed that the residue, His83, is the essential for pH-dependent human HSF1-activation. To determine the roles of His83 in the HSF1-mediated stress response affecting the cellular acid resistance, mouse embryo fibroblasts with normal wild-type or mutant mouse HSF1 expression were preconditioned by heating or pH stress. The results suggest that His83 is essential for HSF1 activation or the HSF1-mediated transcription of heat shock proteins, in protecting cells from acid pH stress.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.143-150
• /
• 2003

Korea has plentiful precipitation but rainfall events concentrate on several months of rainy season in her weather condition. Korea, therefore, experiences drought for a given period every year. Moreover the soil has usually low water holding capacity, as it is composed coarse particles originated from the granite. Response of several oaks and the Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora) on water stress showed that water budget was significant factor determining vegetation distribution. In addition, dehydration level due to cold resistance mechanism of several evergreen plants during the winter season was closely related to their distribution in natural condition. Experimental result under water stress showed that the Korean red pine was very tolerant to desiccation but the seedlings showed high mortality during the dry season. The mortality tended to proportionate to soil moisture content of each site. A comparison between soil moisture content during June when it is severe dry season and moisture content of the culture soil when the pine seedlings reached the permanent wilting point due to water withheld proved that high mortality during the dry season was due to water deficit. Water potential of sample plants measured during the exposure experiment to the air pollutant showed a probability that water related factors would dominate the occurrence of visible damage and the tolerance level of sample plants. In both field survey and laboratory experiment, plants exposed to air pollution showed more rapid transpiration than those grown in the unpolluted condition. The result would due to injury of leaf surface by air pollutants. Aluminum (Al/sup 3+/) increased in the acid soil not only inhibits root growth but also leads to abnormal distribution of root system and thereby caused water stress. The water stresses due to air pollution and soil acidification showed a possibility that they play dominating roles in inducing forest decline additionally to the existing water deficit due to weather and soil conditions in Korea. Sludge, which can contribute to improve field capacity, as it is almost composed of organic matter, showed an effect ameliorating the retarded growth of plant in the acidified soil. The effect was not less than that of dolomite known in widely as such a soil ameliorator. Litter extract contributed also to mitigate the water stress due to toxic Al/sup 3+/. We prepared a model showing the potential interaction of multiple stresses, which can cause forest decline in Korea by synthesizing those results. Furthermore, we suggested restoration plans, which can mitigate such forest decline in terms of soil amelioration and vegetation restoration.

• Macromolecular Research
• /
• v.17 no.5
• /
• pp.332-338
• /
• 2009

Rheological behavior of natural hydrogel produced from seeds of three Salvia spp. (S. miltiorrhiza (SM), S. sclarea (SS), S. viridis (SV)) was investigated by using a Rheometer equipped with a cone and plate geometry measuring system under never-dried condition. Different chemical contents of such hydrogels give significant effects on their rheological properties. Because of incomplete penetration of water inside the hydrogels after drying before-dried hydrogels were used for rheological analysis. To know molecular interactions which predominated in the gel formation, some constituents were externally added to the 1.0% (w/w) hydrogel. Addition of urea to disrupt hydrogen bonds reduced 3.4-67% viscosity of the untreated hydrogels and changed viscoelastic properties from gel to liquid-like behavior. Neutral salts added to the hydrogel solution at 0.1 M also lowered the viscosity in a manner related with increase in size of cations and temperature. Changing from gel state to liquid-like state was also easily confirmed by oscillation measurement (storage, G', and loss, G", modulii) typically observed in the cases of potassium sulfate and potassium thiocyanate. Influence of pH variation on the viscosity explained that weak alkaline condition (pH 8-9) creates a higher resistance to flow due to increasingly electrostatic repulsions between negative charges ($COO^-$) Importance of calcium bridges was also demonstrated by recovery of viscosity of the hydrogels by addition of calcium after acidification. The summarized results indicate that electrostatic repulsion is a major contributor for production of hydrogel structure.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.16 no.12
• /
• pp.1822-1829
• /
• 2003

Porcine colostrum and milk were separated into the acid-soluble and casein fractions by acidification followed by centrifuge. The acid-soluble fraction of porcine colostrum was further separated by liquid chromatography and anisotropic membrane filtration. Trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory capacity in porcine colostrum, milk and their components was determined by incubating bovine trypsin or chymotrypsin in a medium containing their corresponding substrates with or without addition of various amounts of porcine colostrum, porcine milk or their components. The inhibition of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) degradation in pig small intestinal contents by porcine colostrum was measured by incubating iodinated IGF-I or EGF with the intestinal contents with or without addition of porcine colostrum. Degradation of labeled IGF-I or EGF was determined by monitoring the generation of radioactivity soluble in 30% trichloroacetic acid (TCA). The results showed that porcine colostrum had high levels of trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory activity and increased the stability of IGF-I and EGF in pig intestinal contents. The inhibitory activity declined rapidly during lactation. It was also found that trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory activity and the inhibition on IGF-I and EGF degradation in the acid-soluble fraction were higher than that in the casein fraction. Heat-resistance study indicated that trypsin inhibitors in porcine colostrum survived heat treatments of $100^{\circ}C$ water bath for up to 10 min, but exposure to boiling water bath for 30 min significantly decreased the inhibitory activity. Compared with the trypsin inhibitors, the chymotrypsin inhibitors were more heatsensitive. Separation of the acid-soluble fraction of porcine colostrum by liquid chromatography and anisotropic membrane filtration revealed that the trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory capacity was mainly due to a group of small proteins with molecular weight of 10,000-50,000. In conclusion, the present study confirmed the existence of high levels of protease inhibitors in porcine colostrum, and the inhibition of porcine colostrum on degradation of milk-borne growth factors in the pig small intestinal tract was demonstrated for the first time.