• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.1092-1097
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• 2004

The objective of the current study was to determine the effects of the crude polysaccharide isolated from fruit body of Pleurotus eryngii on mouse splenocytes, B cells, and macrophages in vitro. The crude polysaccharides directly induced the proliferation of spleen cells in a dose-dependent manner and increased IL-6 and IFN-${\gamma}$ synthesis. The crude polysaccharides also increased the proliferation of B cells in a dose-dependent manner. The production of immunoglobulin Gl, G2a and IgG3 in the presence of the crude polysaccharides was increased progressively in the culture supernatant. When the crude polysaccharide were used in macrophage cell line (RA W264.7) stimulation, there were marked induction of NO synthesis in a dose-dependent manner and IL-6, TNF- r and GM-CSF synthesis. These results suggest that the crude polysaccharide isolated from fruit body of Pleurotus eryngii seem to act as a potent immunomodulator causing augmentation of immune cell activity, and thus could be used as a biological response modifier having possible therapeutic effects against immunological disorders, without any side effects.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.30 no.4 s.48
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• pp.457-462
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• 2004

Anti-wrinkle effect of N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine (NAG) was evaluated by collagen synthesis and proliferation of normal human fibroblast. NAG was obtained by purifying deacetylated chitin which can be derived from chitin-rich crab shell. We studied in in-vitro cultures of human normal fibroblast, whether synthesis of collagens and fibroblast growth activation in these cells can be enhanced in the presence of NAG. It 야d not show any adverse effects in human shin irritation patch test. In in-vivo mouse test, it showed anti-wrinkle effect in hairless mouse (6W/F). From the HPLC analysis, the stability of NAG in the cosmetics product could be maintained for a long time. These results demonstrated that NAS can be useful anti-wrinkle cosmetic ingredient.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.446-452
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• 2009

The behavior of a one-step fixed bed reactor which directly synthesizes dimethyl ether(DME) from Natural Gas was simulated. In the reactor, the prevention of the occurrence of hot spots which can cause deactivation of catalysts is pivotal, since methanol synthesis and dehydration reaction involved in the synthesis of DME are highly exothermic. Therefore, we simulated and compared performance of the reactor with counter-current cooling and pool boiling system that can be applied to a commercial plant. As a result, we found that counter-current cooling system is more effective in terms of CO conversion and DME productivity. However, pool boiling system can operate in a small temperature gradient that can decrease problems caused by hot spot. And, the system can operate in a safer range.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.194-203
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• 2014

Yam (Dioscorea batatas) is widely consumed as functional food for health promotion mainly in East Asia countries. We assessed whether yam root (tuber) or bark (peel) extracts stimulated the activity of osteoblasts for osteogenesis. MC3T3-E1 cells (mouse osteoblasts) were treated with yam root extracts (water or methanol) (study I) or bark extracts (water or hexane) (study II) within $0{\sim}10{\mu}g/mL$ during the periods of osteoblast proliferation (5~10 day), matrix maturation (11~15 day) and mineralization (16~20 day) as appropriate. In study I, both yam root water and methanol extracts increased cell proliferation as concentration-dependent manner. Cellular collagen synthesis and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, both the indicators of bone matrix protein and inorganic phosphate production for calcification respectively, were also increased by yam root water and methanol extract. Osteoblast calcification as cell matrix Ca and P accumulation was also increased by the addition of yam root extracts. In study II, yam bark extracts (water and hexane) increased osteoblast proliferation and differentiation, as collagen synthesis and ALP activity and osteoblast matrix Ca and P deposition. The study results suggested that both yam root and bark extracts stimulate osteogenic function in osteoblasts by stimulating bone matrix maturation by increasing collagen synthesis, ALP activity, and matrix mineralization.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.279-287
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• 2009

Fisher-Tropsch synthesis for the production of hydrocarbon from syngas was investigated on 20% cobalt-based catalysts (20% Co/HSA, 20% Co/Si-MMS), which were prepared by home-made supports with high surface areas such as high surface alumina (HSA) and silica mesopores molecular sieve (Si-MMS). In the gas phase reaction by syngas only, 20% Co/Si-MMS catalyst was shown in higher CO conversion and lower carbon dioxide formation than 20% Co/HSA, whereas the olefin selectivity was higher in 20% Co/HSA than in 20% Co/Si-MMS. In the effect of n-hexane added in syngas, the selectivities of $C_{5+}$ and olefin were increased by comparing the supercritical phase reaction with the gas phase reaction in addition to reduce unexpected methane and carbon dioxide.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1785-1790
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• 2013

The synthetic machinery of ATF4 (activating transcription factor 4) is activated in response to various stress conditions involved in nutrient restriction, endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis, and oxidation. Stress-induced inhibition of proteasome activity triggers the unfolded protein response and endoplasmic reticulum stress, where ATF4 is crucial for consequent biological events. In the current study, we showed that the $NAD^+$-dependent deacetylase, SIRT1, suppresses ATF4 synthesis during proteasome inhibition. SIRT1 depletion via transfection of specific siRNA into HeLa cells resulted in a significant increase in ATF4 protein, which was observed specifically in the presence of the proteasome inhibitor MG132. Consistent with SIRT1 depletion data, transient transfection of cells with SIRT1-overexpressing plasmid induced a decrease in the ATF4 protein level in the presence of MG132. Interestingly, however, ATF4 mRNA was not affected by SIRT1, even in the presence of MG132, indicating that SIRT1-induced suppression of ATF4 synthesis occurs under post-transcriptional control. Accordingly, we propose that SIRT1 serves as a negative regulator of ATF4 protein synthesis at the post-transcriptional level, which is observed during stress conditions, such as proteasome inhibition.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.198-198
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• 2011

Organocatalysis is a relatively new and popular area within the field of chiral molecule synthesis. It is one of the main branches of enantioselective synthesis with enzymatic and organometallic catalysis. In recent years, immense high quality studies on catalysis by chiral secondary amines were reported. These progresses instantly led to different organocatalytic activation concepts, so thousands of researchers from academia and the chemical industry are currently involved in this field and new ideas, new approaches, and creative thinking have been rapidly emerged. Organocatalysts, some of which are natural products, appear to solve the problems of metal catalysts. Compared to metal-based catalysis, they have many advantages including savings in cost, time, and energy, easier experimental procedure, and reduction of chemical waste. These benefits originate from the following factors. First, organocatalysts are generally stable in oxygen and water in the atmosphere, there is no need for special equipments or experimental techniques to operate under anhydrous or anaerobic conditions. Second, organic reagents are naturally available from biological materials as single enantiomers that they are easy and cheap to prepare which makes them suitable for small-scale to industrial-scale reactions. Third, in terms of safety related catalysis, small organic molecules are non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to develop novel synthetic methods and design for various organocatalyst. Furthermore, it is expected that these organocatalysts can be applied to a variety of asymmetric reactions and study the transition state of these reactions using a metal sulface. Here, we report the synthesis of unprecedented organocatalysts, proline and pyrrolidine derivatives with quaternary carbon center.

• Mycobiology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.102-107
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• 2010

We identified a gene for $\beta$-1,3-glucan synthesis (GBG1), a nonessential gene whose disruption alters cell wall synthesis enzyme activities and cell wall composition. This gene was cloned by functional complementation of defects in $\beta$-1,3-glucan synthase activity of the the previously isolated Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant LP0353, which displays a number of cell wall defects at restrictive temperature. Disruption of the GBG1 gene did not affect cell viability or growth rate, but did cause alterations in cell wall synthesis enzyme activities: reduction of $\beta$-1,3-glucan synthase and chitin synthase III activities as well as increased chitin synthase I and II activities. GBG1 disruption also showed altered cell wall composition as well as susceptibility toward cell wall inhibitors such as Zymolyase, Calcofluor white, and Nikkomycin Z. These results indicate that GBG1 plays a role in cell wall biogenesis in S. cerevisiae.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.1446-1451
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• 2012

Levodopa or L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) is the precursor of the neurotransmitter dopamine. L-DOPA is a famous treatment for Parkinson's disease symptoms. In this study, electroenzymatic synthesis of L-DOPA was performed in a three-electrode cell, comprising a Ag/AgCl reference electrode, a platinum wire auxiliary electrode, and a glassy carbon working electrode. L-DOPA had an oxidation peak at 376 mV and a reduction peak at -550 mV. The optimum conditions of pH, temperature, and amount of free tyrosinase enzyme were pH 7, $30^{\circ}C$, and 250 IU, respectively. The kinetic constant of the free tyrosinase enzyme was found for both cresolase and catacholase activity to be 0.25 and 0.4 mM, respectively. A cyclic voltammogram was used to investigate the electron transfer rate constant. The mean heterogeneous electron transfer rate ($k_e$) was $5.8{\times}10^{-4}$ cm/s. The results suggest that the electroenzymatic method could be an alternative way to produce L-DOPA without the use of a reducing agent such as ascorbic acid.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.225-241
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• 2009

We investigated the transcriptional profiles of Japanese indigenous grape cultivar 'Koshu' (Vitis vinifera) leaf and berry skin during ripening. In leaf, 64 genes were abundantly transcribed at the end of $v{\acute{e}}raison$ (14 weeks post-flowering), whereas the expression of 61 genes was upregulated at the end of ripening (20 weeks post-flowering). In berry skin, 67 genes were abundantly transcribed at the end of $v{\acute{e}}raison$, whereas the expression of 86 genes was upregulated at the end of ripening. Gene expression associated with biological processes was activated in both tissues at the end of ripening. The expression of genes associated with photosynthesis, sugar synthesis, anthocyanin synthesis, cinnamic acid synthesis, and amino acid metabolism was observed in leaf and berry skin during ripening, together with the accumulation of sugars, anthocyanins, cinnamic acids, and amino acids. Transcripts of AUX/IAA family proteins that repress the activities of auxin-induced proteins were expressed in berry skin at the end of $v{\acute{e}}raison$. Transcripts of genes related to the ubiquitin-proteasome system that degrades AUX/IAA family proteins were abundantly expressed in berry skin at the end of ripening, suggesting that the expansion of skin cells at $v{\acute{e}}raison$ is suppressed by AUX/IAA family proteins, and that the ubiquitin-proteasome system induces the expansion of skin cells during ripening by degrading AUX/IAA family proteins. These transcriptional profiles, which provide new information on the characteristics of 'Koshu' grapevine during ripening, may explain the unique characteristics of 'Koshu' grape in comparison with those of European grapes used for winemaking, and may contribute to the improvement of 'Koshu' grape quality.