• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.843-849
• /
• 2013

A dye-decolorizing bacterium was isolated from a soil sample and identified as Bacillus thuringiensis using 16S rRNA sequencing. The bacterium was able to decolorize three different textile dyes, namely, Reactive blue 13, Reactive red 58, and Reactive yellow 42, and a real dyehouse effluent up to 80-95% within 6 h. Some non-textile industrially important dyes were also decolorized to different extents. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometer analysis of the ethyl acetate extract of Congo red dye and its metabolites showed that the bacterium could degrade it by the asymmetric cleavage of the azo bonds to yield sodium (4-amino-3-diazenylnaphthalene-1-sulfonate) and phenylbenzene. Sodium (4-amino-3-diazenylnaphthalene-1-sulfonate) was further oxidized by the ortho-cleavage pathway to yield 2-(1-amino-2-diazenyl-2-formylvinyl) benzoic acid. There was induction of the activities of laccase and azoreductase during the decolorization of Congo red, which suggests their probable role in the biodegradation. B. thuringiensis was found to be versatile and could be used for industrial effluent biodegradation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.16 no.8
• /
• pp.1262-1268
• /
• 2006

In the search for a novel cytotoxic substance from medicinal plants, HY53 ($C_{17}H_{32}O_2N_2$; molecular weight 296) was isolated from the leaves of Pata de Vaca (Bauhinia forficata). The growth of the HepG2 cells was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner when treated with 0.07 to 0.40 mM HY53 for 24 h (IC$_{50}$: 0.13 mM). Furthermore, nuclear DAPI staining revealed the typical nuclear features of apoptosis in the HepG2 cells exposed to 0.27 mM HY53, whereas a flow cytometric analysis of the HepG2 cells using propidium iodide showed that the apoptotic cell population increased gradually from 8% at 0 mM to 23% at 0.14 mM and 45% at 0.40 mM after being exposed to each concentration of HY53 for 24 h. Moreover, a TUNEL assay also exhibited the apoptotic induction of the HepG2 cells treated with HY53. To obtain further information on the HY53-induced apoptosis, the expression level of certain apoptosis-associated proteins was examined using a Western blot analysis. Treatment of the HepG2 cells with HY53 resulted in the activation of caspase-3, and subsequent proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Consequently, the results confirmed that the apoptosis in the HepG2 cells was induced by HY53 and the involvement of caspase-3-mediated PARP cleavage in the apoptotic process.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.148-154
• /
• 2015

Background: Ginseng is known to have antiapoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. The present study investigated a possible role of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) in suppressing dopaminergic neuronal cell death and the cleavage of p35 to p25 in the substantia nigra (SN) and striatum (ST) using a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced Parkinson's disease mouse model. Methods: Ten-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were injected intraperitoneally with 30 mg/kg of MPTP at 24-h intervals for 5 d, and then administered KRG (1 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, or 100 mg/kg) once a day for 12 consecutive days from the first injection. Pole tests were performed to assess the motor function of the mice, dopaminergic neuronal survival in the SN and ST was evaluated using tyrosine hydroxylase-immunohistochemistry, and the expressions of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5), p35, and p25 in the SN and ST were measured using Western blotting. Results: MPTP administration caused behavioral impairment, dopaminergic neuronal death, increased Cdk5 and p25 expression, and decreased p35 expression in the nigrostriatal system of mice, whereas KRG dose-dependently alleviated these MPTP-induced changes. Conclusion: These results indicate that KRG can inhibit MPTP-induced dopaminergic neuronal death and suppress the cleavage of p35 to p25 in the SN and the ST, suggesting a possible role for KRG in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.17 no.11
• /
• pp.1501-1508
• /
• 2004

In this study the effect of extenders and temperatures on sperm viability and fertilizing capacity of boar sperm during long-term storage was investigated. Acrosomal integrity, membrane integrity, motility and hypo-osmotic resistance were evaluated by fluorescence and light microscopy. An in vitro fertilization test was performed to assess the fertilizing capacity of stored spermatozoa. The five diluents tested were ranked according to their ability to maintain sperm functional parameters and Zorlesco (ZO) extender with BSA or with PVA instead of BSA produced the best results. Zorlesco extender substituted with PVA (ZO+PVA) was found to maintain motility both at 15 and 20$^{\circ}C$. within 5 days of storage, but the quality of semen stored at 15$^{\circ}C$ decreased thereafter as compared to semen stored at 20$^{\circ}C$ Semen stored at 5$^{\circ}C$ demonstrated rapid loss of motility already within 24 h. Both fertilization and cleavage of semen stored at 20$^{\circ}C$ in ZO substituted with PVA instead of BSA did not change significantly until day 8 of storage. It is therefore concluded that PVA can be used to substitute for BSA and 20$^{\circ}C$ was more suitable than 15$^{\circ}C$ for boar semen storage, and in vitro fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa was maintained for at least 8 days in ZO+PVA at 20$^{\circ}C$.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.35-40
• /
• 2009

The objectives of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of the bacteria eliminated sperm by percoll gradient method on sperm quality and embryo cleavage in vitro in pig. The semen of miniature pig collected by gloved-hand method pre-warmed ($37^{\circ}C$) in thermos bottle, and separated by 65% percoll. Analysis of sperm ability was estimated by examining viability, capacitation and acrosome reaction using chlortetracycline (CTC) and the abnormality. Also, fertility of sperm was monitored with cleavage rate of embryo after IVF using separated and un-separated sperm by percoll. The result, viability of separated sperm was significantly(p<0.05) higher($83.6{\pm}$2.0 vs $59.0{\pm}4.4%$) than un-separated sperm. The results of CTC analysis showed the percentage of F- and B-patterned separated sperm was higher in separated that than un-separated sperm. On the contrary, the percentage of AR-patterned form unseparaed sperm was significantly(p<0.05) higher($13.6{\pm}0.8$ vs $8.1{\pm}0.6%$) than separated sperm. Also, abnormality of un-separated sperm was significantly(p<0.05) higher($2.2{\pm}0.4$ vs $16.8{\pm}2.8%$) than separated sperm. However, the cleavage rates of embryo using separated sperm by percoll and un-separated sperm had not significantly difference on 2 cell stage(9.25 vs 11.88%), 4 cell stage(26.76 vs 24.51%) and >4 cell stage(63.99 vs 63.61%) at 48h of IVF. Therefore, the sperm separated by percoll method showed improvement in sperm quality than un-separated sperm in miniature pig.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.1039-1042
• /
• 2009

RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain phosphatase 1 containing ubiquitin like domain (UBLCP1) has been identified as a regulatory molecule of RNA polymerase II. UBLCP1 consists of ubiquitin like domain (UBL) and phosphatase domain homologous with UDP and CTD phosphatase. UBLCP1 was cloned into the E.coli expression vectors, pET32a and pGEX 4T-1 with TEV protease cleavage site and purified using both affinity and gel-filtration chromatography. Domains of UBLCP1 protein were successfully purified as 7 mg/500 mL (UBLCP1, 36.78 KDa), 32 mg/500 mL (UBL, 9 KDa) and 8 mg/500 mL (phosphatase domain, 25 KDa) yielded in LB medium, respectively. Isotope-labeled samples including triple-labeled ($^2H/^{15}N/^{13}C$) UBLCP1 were also prepared for hetero-nuclear NMR experiments. $^{15}N-^{1}H$ 2D-HSQC spectra of UBLCP1 suggest that both UBL and phosphatase domain are properly folded and structurally independent each other. These data will promise us further structural investigation of UBLCP1 by NMR spectroscopy and/or X-ray crystallography.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.154-158
• /
• 2001

The steps for the generation of very thin GaN films on ultrathin AlN/6H-SiC surface by alternating a pulsative supply (APS) of trimethyl gallium and NH3 gases have been examined by ASED-MO calculations. We postulate that the gallium cul ster was formed with the evaporation of CH4 gases via the decomposition of trimethyl gallium (TMG), dimethyl gallium (DMG), and monomethyl galluim (MMG). During the injection of NH3 gas into the reactor, the atomic hydrogens were produced from the thermal decomposition of NH3 molecule. These hydrogen gases activated the Ga-C bond cleavage. An energetically stable GaN nucleation site was formed via nitrogen incorporation into the layer of gallium cluster. The nitrogen atoms produced from the thermal degradation of NH3 were expected to incorporate into the edge of the gallium cluster since the galliums bind weakly to each other (0.19 eV). The structure was stabilized by 2.08 eV, as an adsorbed N atom incorporated into a tetrahedral site of the Ga cluster. This suggests that the adhesion of the initial layer can be reinforced by the incorporation of nitrogen atom through the formation of large grain boundary GaN crystals at the early stage of GaN film growth.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.599-604
• /
• 2011

In typical proteomic analysis, trypsin digestion is one of the most time-consuming steps. Conventional proteomic sample preparation methods use an overnight trypsin digestion method. In this study, we compared high-pressure cycling technology (PCT) during enzyme digestion for proteome analysis to the conventional method. We examined the effect of PCT on enzyme activity at temperatures of 25, 37, and $50^{\circ}C$. Although a fast digestion (1 h) was used for the standard protein mixture analysis, the PCT-assisted method with urea showed better results for protein sequence coverage and the number of peptides identified compared with the conventional method. There was no significant difference between temperatures for PCT-assisted digestion; however, we selected PCT-assisted digestion with urea at $25^{\circ}C$ as an optimized method for fast enzyme digestion, based on peptide carbamylation at these conditions. The optimized method was used for stem cell proteome analysis. We identified 233, 264 and 137 proteins using the conventional method with urea at $37^{\circ}C$ for 16h, the PCT-assisted digestion with urea at $25^{\circ}C$ for 1 h, and the non-PCT-assisted digestion with urea at $25^{\circ}C$ for 1 h, respectively. A comparison of these results suggests that PCT enhanced the enzyme digestion by permitting better access to cleavage sites on the proteins.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.278-283
• /
• 2010

Black plaice, Pleuronectes obscurus (Herzenstein), were collected and fertilized to observe egg development, temperature-related cleavage rates, and mitotic intervals (${\tau}_0$). Fertilized egg was demersal, adhesive, and did not contain oil globules. After 1.75 h, the blastodisc formed, and hatching took place 121 h after fertilization at $14^{\circ}C$. The hatched larvae were $3.5{\pm}0.16\;mm$ in total length. At higher temperatures, eggs developed faster and underwent further identical developmental processes. Additionally, ${\tau}_0$ and water temperature were strongly negatively correlated at all temperatures (Y=-2.6981X+98.767, $R^2$=0.9831, where Y is ${\tau}_0$, and X is temperature) for black plaice.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.296-301
• /
• 1990

Irradiation of the berberinephenolbetaine in a stream of argon produced the 8,14-cycloberberines [1]. On treatment with ethylchloroformate $C_8-N$ bond cleavage of the compound [1] occurred, accompanied with dehydrochlorination to give 7-ethylcarboxyisoquinoline [3], and the product [3] treated with strong alkali solution to give the 13-oxonorotensane [4] in 64% yield. Irradiation of the compound [4] converted easily to dihydro-8H-dibenzo[a, g] quinolizine-8-one [5]. and then the compound [5] was treated with methyliodide to give the 8-oxo-quinolizinium methiode. The intermediate colume chromatography on IRA-400 afforded the benzo[c, g]azecine-5-one[6] in 63% yield. The results of biological activities for these compounds are also presented.