• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.983-989
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• 2008

Human insulin is a hormone well-known to regulate the blood glucose level. Recombinant preproinsulin, a precursor of authentic insulin, is typically produced in E. coli as an inactive inclusion body, the solubilization of which needs the addition of reducing agents such as $\beta$-mercaptoethanol. To make authentic insulin, recombinant preproinsulin is modified enzymatically by trypsin and carboxypeptidase B. The effects of $\beta$-mercaptoethanol on the formation of human insulin derivatives were investigated in the enzymatic modification by using commercially available human proinsulin as a substrate. Addition of 1 mM $\beta$-mercaptoethanol induced the formation of various insulin derivatives. Among them, the second major one, impurity 3, was found to be identical to the insulin B chain fragment from $Phe_1$ to $Glu_{21}$. Minimization of the formation of insulin derivatives and concomitant improvement of the production yield of human insulin were achieved by the addition of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide bound with $\beta$-mercaptoethanol and thereby reduced the negative effects of $\beta$-mercaptoethanol considerably. Elimination of the impurity 3 and other derivatives by the addition of over 10 mM hydrogen peroxide in the presence of $\beta$-mercaptoethanolled to a 1.3-fold increase in the recovery efficiency of insulin, compared with those for the case without hydrogen peroxide. The positive effects of hydrogen peroxide were also confirmed with recombinant human preproinsulin expressed in recombinant E. coli as an inclusion body.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2002.06a
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• pp.74-74
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• 2002

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of β-mercaptoethanol on lipid peroxidation and fertilization ability in vitro by xanthine (X)-xanthine oxidase (XO) system in boar spermatozoa frozen-thawed. When spermatozoa were inseminated in medium with X and/or XO, the penetration rates in all conditions were higher in medium with that than without β-mercaptoethanol. However, significant differences were not observed between medium with and without β-mercaptoethanol. The lipid peroxidation of sperm was evaluated on the basis of malondialdehyde (MDA) production. (omitted)

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 2009

This study was undertaken to evaluate how ${\beta}$-mercaptoethanol (bME), an exogenous antioxidant, interacts with preantral follicles cultured in vitro. Mouse primary or secondary follicles were cultured in glutathione (GSH)-free or GSH-containing medium supplemented with bME of various concentrations, and the growth of preantral follicles, the maturation of intrafollicular oocytes and preimplantation development after parthenogenesis were monitored. In experiment 1, 0, 25, 50 or 100 ${\mu}M$ bME was added to culture medium supplemented with 100 ${\mu}M$ GSH or not. When secondary follicles were cultured in GSH-free medium, no significant change in follicle growth was detected after bME addition. However, exposure to bME in the presence of GSH significantly inhibited both follicle growth and oocyte maturation. Such detrimental effect became prominent in primary follicles and bME strongly inhibited follicle growth in the absence of GSH. In conclusion, there are stage-dependent effects of bME on follicle growth and oocyte maturation, and selective use of antioxidants contributes to establishing an efficient follicle culture system.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.5-9
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• 1986

Partialy purified ginseng proteins were either treated with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and .betha.-mercaptoethanol to denature the proteins or not, and subjected to Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to compare the components of each fraction. Standard proteins of known molecular weights (MW) were also either treated with SDS and .betha.-mercaptoethanol or not, and subjected to HPLC to obtain regression lines for MW determination. From the retention times obtained from samples in eiether case by HPLC, the MW were estimated as following in SDS treated condition, Gl fraction showed three peaks each with MW of above 100, 000, 51, 000 and 19, 000. Gll showed one original peak with MW of 21, 000 and Gll, two peaks each with MW of 19, 000 and 14, 000. On the other hand, in non-SDS treated condition, GI fraction showed two peaks each with MW of above 200, 000 NA 52, 000. Gll showed one original peak with MW of 41, 000 and Gill, three peaks each with MW of 28, 000, 19, 000 and 14, 000.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2010

This study was performed to test the hypothesis that Brucella abortus strain RB51 (SRB51) might protect Korean indigenous mongrel dog against challenge with either virulent B. abortus biotype 1 or B. canis. A total of 12 Korean mongrel dogs were divided into four groups (Group A, B, C and D). Dogs belonging to Group A and C were inoculated subcutaneously with $1{\times}10^9$ CFU of SRB51 in 1ml of sterile phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Dogs of Group B and D were inoculated subcutaneously with 1ml of sterile PBS as control. At 12 weeks post vaccination, dogs of Group A and B were challenged by oral inoculation of virulent strain of B. canis ($5.0{\times}10^9$ CFU) and dogs of Group C and D were challenged by oral inoculation of virulent strain of B. abortus biotype 1 ($4.4{\times}10^{10}$ CFU). The serum antibodies titers in all dogs were monitored at regular interval for eight weeks after challenge (AC) by standard tube agglutination test, plate agglutination test, rose bengal test, 2-mercaptoethanol rapid slide agglutination test and 2-mercaptoethanol tube agglutination test. No antibody titers in Group A and C was detected. Also, the challenge strains were not found from blood of all dogs of Group A and C from 1 week AC till the end of the experiment by culture and modified AMOS-PCR, whereas B. canis and B. abortus challenge strains were detected from blood of Group B and D, respectively. In addition, neither of two challenge bacteria was recovered from liver, spleen, kidneys, lymph nodes and reproductive tracts of Group A and C dogs after postmortem. However, B. canis and B. abortus challenge strains were isolated from these tissues of Group B and D, respectively. These data suggest that SRB51 could be a promising vaccine candidate for immunizing dogs to control canine brucellosis caused by B. canis or B. abortus.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.560-563
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• 2004

The study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of naked neck gene on mortality, cell mediated and humoral immune response in white plumage broiler population. The mortality of homozygous naked neck (Na/Na) broilers (11.71%) was comparatively lower than that of heterozygous naked neck (Na/na) (12.28%) and normally feathered (na/na) (13.59%) broilers. The humoral immune response was measured against (1% v/v) sheep red blood cells (SRBC) for total haemagglutinin (HA) antibody, 2-mercaptoethanol resistance (MER) or (IgG) antibody and 2-mercaptoethanol sensitive (MES) or (IgM) antibody titre on 7 days post-immunization. The titre was expressed as log2 of the highest dilution which shows complete haemagglutination. Total HA titers of Na/Na and Na/na (11.05$\pm$0.53 and 11.09$\pm$0.38) were comparatively higher than that of na/na (10.26$\pm$0.42). The MES antibody titre of Na/Na (8.50$\pm$0.53) and Na/na (7.63$\pm$0.45) broilers were significantly higher as compared to na/na (6.11$\pm$0.32) broilers. The MER titre of na/na genetic group (4.15$\pm$0.42) was significantly higher than Na/Na (2.55$\pm$0.37) and comparatively higher than Na/na (3.45$\pm$0.38) broilers. In vivo cell response to phytohaemagglutinin-P (PHA-P), measured as Foot Index (FI) in mm expressed significantly higher response in Na/na (0.473$\pm$0.05) and Na/Na (0.413$\pm$0.04) broilers as compared to na/na (0.304$\pm$0.03) broilers. The result of present study suggested that white plumage naked neck broilers had better immune response as compared to normally feathered broilers.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.67-75
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• 2003

A total of 260 dogs were randomly selected from two different treed kennels that brucellosis has occurred (group 1, 126 dogs), and random selected breed kennel (group 2, 134 dogs), and monitored for Brucella canis (B. canis) by 2-mercaptoethanol rapid slide agglutination test (2ME-RSAT) and bacterial culture method. For the differentiation, PCR-RFLP using omp-31, wbkA and per genes used for 52 of B canis strains (strain I) isolated in this study and 3 of B. canis strains (strain II) isolated in 1994 in Korea. 2ME-RSAT revealed that 63/126 dogs (50.0%) and 12/134 dogs (9.0%) were positive in group I and group II, respectively. Bacterial culture revealed that 47/126 dogs (37.3%) and 5/134 dogs (3.7%) were positive in group I and group II, respectively. As the results of PCR-RFLP, $\underline{omp}-31$ was amplified from all Brucella spp, except B. abortus. All B. canis isolates showed unique PCR-RFLP pattern following digestion with Bmel8I. However, all Brucella spp. showed the same PCR-RFLP pattern following digestion with SalI. PCR-RFLP analysis of wbkA revealed that all Brucella spp. showed the same pattern following digestion with HindIII. PCR-RFLP analysis of per revealed that B. abortus 544 and B. melitensis 63/9 showed the same pattern, but different from B. suis and B. canis following digestion with HindIII.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.177-181
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• 2005

Effects of common electrophoretic reagents, reducing agents ($\beta$-mercaptoethanol [BME] and DTT), denaturants (SDS and urea), and non-ionic detergent (Triton X-100), on the activity and stability of bovine plasmin (b-pln) and human plasmin (h-pln) were compared. In the presence of 0.1% SDS (w/v), all reagents completely inhibited two plns, whereas SDS (1%) and urea (1 M) denatured plns recovered their activities after removal of SDS by treatment of 2.5% Triton X-100 (v/v). However, reducing agents (0.1 M of BME and DTT) treated plns did not restore their activities. Based on a fibrin zymogram gel, five (from b-pln) and four (from h-pln) active fragments were resolved. Two plns exhibited unusual stability in concentrated SDS and Triton X-100 (final 10%) and urea (final 6 M) solutions. Two bands, heavy chain-2 (HC-2) and cleaved heavy chain-2 (CHC-2), of b-pln were completely inhibited in 0.5% SDS or 3 M urea, whereas no significant difference was found in h-pln. Interestingly, 50 kDa (cleaved heavy chain-1, CHC-1) of b-pln and two fragments, 26 kDa (light chain, LC) and 29 kDa (microplasmin, MP), of h-pln were increased by SDS in a concentration dependent manner. We also found that the inhibition of SDS against both plns was reversible.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.497-503
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• 1998

Cyclodextrinase from B. stearothemophilus KJ16 that can produce both cyclodextrin(CD) glucanotransferase and cyclodextrinase was purified 87.6-fold with 7% yield by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose chromatog-raphy, Sephadex G-100 chromatography, and FPLC. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was about 68,000 dalton by SDS-PAGE. The optimal pH and temperature were 6.0 and 55$^{\circ}C$, respectively. The enzyme was stable at 5$0^{\circ}C$ for 2 hr in the pH range of 5.5 and 8.5. The enzyme activity was inhibited strongly by mercaptoethanol, di-thiothreitol, p-chloromercuribenzoate, N-bromosuccinimide, $Cu^{+2}$and $Hg^{+2}$. The purified enzyme hydrolyzed CDs with$\gamma$-CD>$\beta$-CD>$\alpha$-CD. The enzyme also hydrolyzed linear maltodextrins and polysaccharides, but the rates of hyd-rolysis for such substrates were slow as compared to that for $\gamma$-CD. The final degradation products with all substrates were maltose and glucose. Maltose was not further hydrolyzed.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.393-399
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• 1996

A zero-Iength croessinking procedure for studying protein-protein interactlons in preinitiation complex has heen developed. Preinltiadon complexes were assembled with immobilized DNA templates coupled to metal beads. Pudfied complexes were dIrectly crosslinked by 1-ethyl-3.(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodlimide (EDC). The reaction was stopped by addition of $\beta$-mercaptoethanol, and the complexes were isolated from EDC immedIately. An appllcatlion of this method with a preinltlation complex assembled with TBP, TFIIB, and GAL4-AH demonstrated that ThP dIrectly interacts with GAL4-AH and TFIIB in the prelnitlatlon complex. However, croeslinked produd between GAL4-AH and ThilB was not observed. These resutts lndlcate that GAL4-AH does not stably Interact with TFIIB In the GAL4-AH-TFIIB-TBP-DNA prelnitlatlon complex.