• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.19-24
• /
• 1999

Plants have been shown to contains $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin-stimulated GAD and NAD kinase. To test how calmodulin and calmodulin methylation affect the activation of GAD and NAD kinase, GAD and NAD kinase were partially purified from tobacco plants. GAD was also partially purified from E. coli transformed with a plasmid carrying a cloned tobacco GAD gene. We find that GAD from the transformed E. coli showed 60-fold $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin-dependent activation. However, GAD from tobacco plants was stimulated only about 3.8-fold by the addition of calmodulin in the presence of calcium, suggesting high background activity of the enzyme was possibly due to bound endogenous tobacco calmodulin. There were no significant differences in the tobacco GAD activator properties between calmodulins. A monoclonal antibody against petunia GAD interacted strongly with both GAD from tobacco plants and GAD from cloned gene. NAD kinase from tobacco plants showed a complete $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin dependency for activity. Unmethylated calmodulins activated GAD in a manner similar to methylated calmodulin. However, the maximum level of NAD kinase activation obtained with unmethylated calmodulins is approximately 4-fold higher than methylated calmodutins. These data suggested that endogenous tobacco calmodulin may interact more tightly with GAD than NAD kinase and that calmodulin methylation affects the activator properties of calmodulins for tobacco NAD kinase but not for GAD.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.12-17
• /
• 2001

Aspergil-lus coreanus NR-15 and Aspergilus oryzae NR-2-5 from traditional Korean Nuruk were selected as parental strains producing starch hydrolysis enzyme. Xll(Arginine-) mutant from A. coreanus NR 15-1 showed high glu-doamylase activity and total acid productivity. Z6(Adenine-) mutant from A. oryzae NR2-5 showed the highest $\alpha$-amylase activity. Therefore, both XII and Z6 mutants were selected and investigated for the optimal conditions of protoplast formation for protoplast fusion. Mixture of equal amount of cellulase and driselase(10mg/ml each) was the most effective as lytic enzymes. The optimal pH and temperature for protoplast formation were 5.0 and $30^{\circ}C$, respectively. The most effective reaction for protoplast formation time was 4 hours. The maximum of protoplst for- mation of Xll mutant and Z6 mutant were $6.54$\times$10^{7}$ protoplasts/ ml and $3.04$\times$10^{ 7}$ protoplasts/ml, and the regen-eration frequencies of the protoplasts were 11.3% and 11.6%, respectively. The size of the protoplasts from X11 and Z6 mutants were 3~6 $\mu\textrm{m}$ and 4~9$\mu\textrm{m}$, respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.597-605
• /
• 2018

Acyl-CoA oxidases (ACOXs) play important roles in lipid metabolism, including peroxisomal fatty acid ${\beta}$-oxidation by the conversion of acyl-CoAs to 2-trans-enoyl-CoAs. The yeast Yarrowia lipolytica can utilize fatty acids as a carbon source and thus has extensive biotechnological applications. The crystal structure of ACOX3 from Y. lipolytica (YlACOX3) was determined at a resolution of $2.5{\AA}$. It contained two molecules per asymmetric unit, and the monomeric structure was folded into four domains; $N{\alpha}$, $N{\beta}$, $C{\alpha}1$, and $C{\alpha}2$ domains. The cofactor flavin adenine dinucleotide was bound in the dimer interface. The substrate-binding pocket was located near the cofactor, and formed at the interface between the $N{\alpha}$, $N{\beta}$, and $C{\alpha}1$ domains. Comparisons with other ACOX structures provided structural insights into how YlACOX has a substrate preference for short-chain acyl-CoA. In addition, the structure of YlACOX3 was compared with those of medium- and long-chain ACOXs, and the structural basis for their differences in substrate specificity was discussed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.30 no.7
• /
• pp.1037-1043
• /
• 2020

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) is a causative agent of porcine pleuropneumonia. Therefore, the development of an effective vaccine for APP is necessary. Here, we optimized the culture medium and conditions to enhance the production yields of Apx toxins in APP serotype 1, 2, and 5 cultures. The use of Mycoplasma Broth Base (PPLO) medium improved both the quantity and quality of the harvested Apx toxins compared with Columbia Broth medium. Calcium chloride (CaCl₂) was first demonstrated as a stimulation factor for the production of Apx toxins in APP serotype 2 cultures. Cultivation of APP serotype 2 in PPLO medium supplemented with 10 ㎍/ml of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and 20 mM CaCl₂ yielded the highest levels of Apx toxins. These findings suggest that the optimization of the culture medium and conditions increases the concentration of Apx toxins in the supernatants of APP serotype 1, 2, and 5 cultures and may be applied for the development of vaccines against APP infection.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.311-318
• /
• 2000

We cultured the rabbit inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cells as monolayers on collagen-coated membrane filters, and investigated distribution of the P2Y receptors by analyzing nucleotide-induced short circuit current $(I_{sc})$ responses. Exposure to different nucleotides of either the apical or basolateral surface of cell monolayers stimulated $I_{sc}.$ Dose-response relationship and cross-desensitization studies suggested that at least 3 distinct P2Y receptors are expressed asymmetrically on the apical and basolateral membranes. A $P2Y_2-like$ receptor, which responds to UTP and ATP, is expressed on both the apical and basolateral membranes. In addition, a uracil nucleotide receptor, which responds to UDP and UTP, but not ATP, is expressed predominantly on the apical membrane. In contrast, a $P2Y_1-like$ receptor, which responds to ADP and 2-methylthio-ATP, is expressed predominantly on the basolateral membrane. These nucleotides stimulated intracellular cAMP production with an asymmetrical profile, which was comparable to that in the stimulation of $I_{sc}.$ Our results suggest that the adenine and uracil nucleotides can interact with different P2Y nucleotide receptors that are expressed asymmetrically on the apical and basolateral membranes of the rabbit IMCD cells, and that both cAMP- and $Ca^{2+}-dependent$ signaling mechanisms underlie the stimulation of $I_{sc}$.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.24-32
• /
• 1977

It was attempted in this study to assess the vitamin $B_{1},\;B_{2}$, and $B_6$ status in tissue by determination of erythrocyte transketolase (TK), glutathione reductase (GR), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities, and their activation by their respective coenzymes, thiamine pyrophosphate, flavin-adenine dinucleotide, and pyridoxal-5-phosphate. The activities of erythrocyte enzymes were stable for more than 30 days when erythrocyte had been stored at $-20^{\circ}C$ and affirmed that the enzyme activities were more stable in the case of deep frozen sotrage of erythrocytes rather than hemolysates. The assay procedures involving ultraviolet kinetic analysis with continuous monitoring for each of enzymes have good within-batch and between-batch precisions and will be avalable in the routine laboratories for the nutritional and clinical surveys. Activity coefficient of TK, GR, and AST was studied in healthy medical students (fifteen men and twelve women, between 21 and 30 years old) on an unrestricted diet. The mean activity coefficient of TK, GR, and AST were 1.18, 1.35, and 2.01 for men, and 1.14, 1.33, and 1.83 for women, respectively. And the upper limit of normal (mean+2SD) were 1.52, 1.69, and 2.61 for men, and 1.50, 1.61, and 2.37 for women, respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.22 no.11
• /
• pp.1518-1522
• /
• 2012

Leuconostoc mesenteroides is a heterofermentative Grampositive bacterium that plays key roles in fermentation of foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, and milk, leading to the production of various organic acids and aromatic compounds. To study the microbiological and genomic characteristics of L. mesenteroides, we have developed a new chemically defined minimal medium by using the single omission technique. During the exponential cell growth, this species required glutamine, methionine, valine, and nicotinic acid as essential nutrients and 8 amino acids (arginine, cysteine, histidine, leucine, phenylalanine, proline, threonine, and tryptophan), 5 vitamins (ascorbic acid, folic acid, inosine, calcium panthothenate, and thiamine), and others (manganese, magnesium, adenine, uracil, and Tween 80) as supplemental nutrients. This medium is useful to study the metabolic characteristics of L. mesenteroides and to explain its role in food fermentation.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.243-250
• /
• 2008

A calmodulin-dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) sandwich fusion protein was generated by insertion of calmodulin into the $\beta$-bulge region of DHFR to observe the effects of structurally constraining the calmodulin structure. The calcium binding properties of the sandwich protein were almost identical to calmodulin. Similar to calmodulin ($10.7 {\mu}M$), the sandwich protein bound four equivalents of calcium, with half saturation ($K_{0.5}$) observed at a [$Ca^{2+}$] of $8{\mu}M$. However, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) kinase activation property of the sandwich protein was lower than that of calmodulin. The sandwich protein activated NAD kinase, but to only half of the level obtained with calmodulin. The K 0.5 for both calmodulin and the sandwich protein were approximately the same (1-2 nM). Methylation analyses of the sandwich protein show that insertion of calmodulin into DHFR results in a large decrease in methylation. The $V_{max}$ observed with the sandwich protein (95 nmole/min/ml) was only 22% of the value observed with calmodulin (436 nmol/min/ml) in the presence of calcium. Addition of trimethoprim to the reaction significantly inhibited the observed methylation rate. Overall, the data suggest that the insertion of calmodulin into the DHFR structure has little effect on calcium binding by the individual lobes of calmodulin, but may constrain the lobes in a manner that results in altered interaction with the calmodulin-dependent proteins, and severely perturbed the methyltransferase recognition site.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.364-369
• /
• 1986

A procedure for the preparation, regeneration and fusion of protoplasts of Streptomyces tubercidicus was confirmed. Also, protoplast releasingprocesses from mycelia were observed by scanning electron microscope. Three types of protoplasts releasing processes-from the hyphal tip, hyphal end regions and lateral regions of the hyphae-were observed. More than 17% regeneration efficiency was obtained by regeneration medium that is composed of tryptone-yeast extract-sodium acetate-$MgCl_2-CaCl_2$-sucrose. Optimal concentrations of $Ca^{++},\;Mg^{++}$ and sucrose in the regeneration medium were 50mM, 0.4-0.5M respectively. Above 30% of fusion frequency of the protoplasts derived from two auxotrophic strains of S. tubercidicus was induced by polyethylene glycol 4000(60% w/v).

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.8
• /
• pp.3829-3833
• /
• 2016

Inhibition of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) may improve the efficacy of cancer therapy. Polysaccharide extracted from polygonatum can selectively inhibit the growth of prostate-CAFs (p<0.001) without inhibiting the growth of normal fibroblasts (NAFs). Polysaccharides from polygonatum stimulate autophagy of prostate-CAFs. 3-methyl-adenine(3-MA) is an autophagy inhibitor. 3-MA was added to prostate-CAFs with polysaccharide from polygonatum to determine whether autophagy plays an important role in the restrained effect. Finally, polysaccharide from polygonatum treatment significantly increased the activation of Beclin-1 and LC3, key autophagy proteins. Polysaccharide from polygonatum stimulates autophagy of prostate-CAFs and inhibits prostate-CAF growth, indicating that a novel anti-cancer strategy involves inhibiting the growth of prostate-CAFs.