• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.68-74
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• 2002

Studies of the relationship between the composition of serum fatty acids and blood pressure are complex and controversial. Fatty acids, important constituents of biological membranes, could potentially affect vasoreactivities including blood pressure. In this study the compositions of fatty acids in serum phospholipids were compared between three types of hypertensive subjects (men, pre-menopausal women, and post-menopausal women) and their respective nrmotensive controls. Serum lipids were extracted and phospholipids were separated by thin layer chromatography. The percentage of palmitic acid (16 : 0) in serum phospholipids was significantly higher and the percentage of stearic acid (18 : 0) was significantly lower in all three hypertensive groups, compared with their corresponding control groups. Only in the group of post-menopausal women, palmitic acid was closely associated wish increases in both systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), while stearic acid was associated with decreases in both SBP and DBP. The polyunsaturated fatty acids in serum phospholipids behaved differently from saturated fatty acids. The ratios of products / precursor fatty acids, such as $\sumLCPUFA\omega6/18 : 2\omega$6, 20 : 4$\omega$6/18 : 2$\omega$6, ∑LCPUFA$\omega$3/18 : 3$\omega$3 and 22 : 6$\omega$3/20 : 5$\omega$3, were all clearly associated with both SBP and DBP in hypertensive, post-menopausal women. Desaturation and elongation in fatty acid metabolism could affect the bioavailability of eicosanoid precursors. Changes in the constituent fatty acids of phospholipids and eicosanoid precursors may also influence fluidity, ionic transport, hormone receptors and enzyme activities in biological membranes. In conclusion, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in post-menopausal women was positively associated with the level of palmitic acid, and negatively associated with the level of stearic acid, in serum phospholipids. The relationships between serum phospholipid-$\omega$6 and $\omega$3 series fatty acids and blood pressure in women, especially in post-menopausal women, require further investigation by taking into consideration hormonal status and eicosanoid metabolism. Funker study is needed to determine the value of dietary manipulation of fatty acid constituents of serum phospholipids, relating to hypertension in women.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.26 no.4 s.87
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• pp.466-477
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• 1998

Twenty-two Phellinus strains were characterized using colony morphologies and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to divide into Phellinus linteus. There were some differences in mycelial growth and colony shapes among the strains when they were grown on various media such as PDA, MCM, MEA and YM. Phellinus linteus was slowly growing, formed golden-yellow colony, and produced blue pigment on PDA media. When the regions of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) were amplified from ribosomal RNA (rRNA) coding genes of P. igniarius and P. linteus strains by means of PCR, two types of band (700 bp and 800 bp) were appeared, respectively. For the amplified intergenic region I (IGRI), P. igniarius strains showed a different band among 500, 600, 700 and 800 bp according to the strains, whereas P. linteus strains did one specific band of 700 bp. By polymorphism analysis after digesting the amplified products with 6 different restriction enzymes, a band specific to P. linteus was generated when the products for ITS region were digested with HaeIII, suggesting that the enzyme digestion could provide effective method to distinguish between P. igniarius and P. linteus. And also, the analysis of genetic relationship showed that the genetic similarities were 89% and 95% in P. igniarius and P. linteus strains, respectively. Random amplification polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis using multiple primer sets and arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR) with ITS3 primer could also result in a reproducible way to identify P. linteus strains.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.1054-1062
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• 2010

Oxidative coupling reactions of humic substances (HS) can be catalyzed by a variety of natural extracellular enzymes and metal oxides. In this study, property changes of HS induced by a natural enzyme, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), and the effect of it to microfiltration (MF) were investigated. PAHA was transformed by oxidative coupling reaction with HRP and hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$), verifying the catalytic effects of the HRP. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) revealed that weight-average molecular weight (MWw) of PAHA was proportionally increased with the dosages of HRP and $H_2O_2$, indicating the transform action of HS into larger and complex molecules. An increase in the conformational stability of HS was achieved through the promotion of intermolecular covalent bondings between heterogeneous humic molecules. Spectroscopic analysis (fluorescence and infrared spectroscopy) proved that functional groups were transformed by the reaction. Additionally, HS and transformed products were undergone microfiltration (MF) to examine the treatment potential of them in a water treatment facility. Original HS could not be removed by MF but larger molecules of transformed products could be removed. Meanwhile, transformed products caused more fouling on the filtration than original HS. This results proved that natural organic matter (NOM) can be removed by MF after its increase in molecular size by oxidative coupling reaction.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 1993

Specific antibody test in serum and cerebrosinal fluid (CSF) is still the main mode of serological diagnosis of cystiercosis. Of different techniques of artibody test, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (micro-ELISA) has widely been applied. This study was undertaken to observe whether diagnostic capability can be Improved by applying more sensitive techniques such as Protein A-ELISA and avidin biotin complex ELISA (ABC-ELISA). When evaluated using 115 sera of human cysticercosis, the antibody positive rates were not significantly improved in Protein A-ELISA (82.6%) and in ABC-ELISA (86.1%) than in micro-ELISA (81.7%). The specificities, evaluated in 165 sera from other diseases and normal controls, were significantly improved (88.5% by micro-ELISA, 93.3% by Protein A-ELISA and 93.8% by ABC-ELISA). Antibody levels (absorbance, abs.) in individual serum were correlated well (r : 0.83∼0.86) each other. An actual benefit of Protein A-ELISA and ABC-ELISA was that they needed smaller amount of test sample.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.409-415
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• 2015

Low-barrier hydrogen bonds (LBHBs) have been proposed to have important influences on the enormous reaction rate increases achieved by many enzymes. ${\Delta}^5$-3-ketosteroi isomerase (KSI) catalyzes the allylic isomerization of ${\Delta}^5$-3-ketosteroid to its conjugated ${\Delta}^4$-isomers at a rate that approache the diffusion limit. Tyr14, a catalytic residue of KSI, has been hypothesized to form an LBHB with the oxyanion of a dienolate steroid intermediate generated during the catalysis. The unusual chemical shift of a proton at 16.8 ppm in the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum has been attributed to an LBHB between Tyr14 $O{\eta}$ and C3-O of equilenin an intermediate analogue, in the active site of D38N KSI. This shift in the spectrum was not observed in Y30F/Y55F/D38N and Y30F/Y55F/Y115F/D38N mutant KSIs when each mutant was complexed with equilenin, suggesting that Tyr14 could not form LBHB with the intermediate analogue in these mutant KSIs. The crystal structure of Y30F/Y55F/Y115F/D38N-equilenin complex revealed that the distance between Tyr14 $O{\eta}$ and C3-O of the bound steroi was within a direct hydrogen bond. The conversion of LBHB to an ordinary hydrogen bond in the mutant KSI reduced the binding affinity for the steroid inhibitors by a factor of 8.1-11. In addition, the absence of LBHB reduced the catalytic activity by only a factor of 1.7-2. These results suggest that the amount of stabilization energy of the reaction intermediate provided by LBHB is small compared with that provided by an ordinary hydrogen bond in KSI.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.159-166
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• 2013

We have previously investigated the proteome changes of rice leaves under heat stress (Lee et al. in Proteomics 2007a, 7:3369-3383), wherein a group of antioxidant proteins and heat shock proteins (HSPs) were found to be regulated differently. The present study focuses on the biochemical changes and gene expression profiles of heat shock protein and antioxidant genes in rice leaves in response to heat stress ($42^{\circ}C$) during a wide range of exposure times. The results show that hydrogen peroxide and proline contents increased significantly, suggesting an oxidative burst and osmotic imbalance under heat stress. The mRNA levels of chaperone 60, HSP70, HSP100, chloroplastic HSP26, and mitochondrial small HSP responded rapidly and showed maximum expression after 0.5 or 2 h under heat stress. Transcript levels of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) and Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn SOD) showed a rapid and marked accumulation upon heat stress. While prolonged exposure to heat stress resulted in increased transcript levels of monodehydroascorbate reductase, peroxidase, glyoxalase 1, glutathione reductase, thioredoxin peroxidase, 2-Cysteine peroxiredoxin, and nucleoside diphosphate kinase 1, while the transcription of catalase was suppressed. Consistent with their changes in gene expression, the enzyme activities of APX and DHAR also increased significantly following exposure to heat stress. These results suggest that oxidative stress is usually caused by heat stress, and plants apply complex HSP- and antioxidant-mediated defense mechanisms to cope with heat stress.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.2 s.82
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• pp.230-234
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• 2007

Oxygen is required for many important aerobic cellular reactions, it may undergo electrontransfer reactions, which generate highly reactive membrane-toxic intermediates (reactive oxygen species, ROS), such as hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen, superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical, hydroperoxyl radical, hydroxy ion. Various mechanisms are available to protect cells against damage caused by oxidative free radicals, including scavenging enzyme systems such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). This antioxidant defense system is a very complex and finely tuned system consisting of enzymes capable of detoxifying oxygen radicals as well as low molecular weight antioxidants. In addition, repair and turnover processes help to minimize subcellular damage resulting from free radical attack. $H_2O_2$,one of the major ROS, is produced at a high rate as a product of normal aerobic metabolism. The primary cellular enzymatic defense systems against $H_2O_2$ are the glutathione redox cycle and catalase. From Northern blot analysis of total RNAs from cultured cell with $H_2O_2$ treatment, various results were obtained. Expression of Cu/Zn SOD decreased when cell passage increased, but the level of the Cu/Zn SOD was scarcely expressed in 35 passage.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.101-110
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• 2015

Purpose: Sclerostin, an inhibitor of Wnt/${\beta}$-catenin signaling, exerts negative effects on bone formation and contributes to periodontitis-induced alveolar bone loss. Recent studies have demonstrated that serum sclerostin levels are increased in diabetic patients and that sclerostin expression in alveolar bone is enhanced in a diabetic periodontitis model. However, the molecular mechanism of how sclerostin expression is enhanced in diabetic patients remains elusive. Therefore, in this study, the effect of hyperglycemia on the expression of sclerostin in osteoblast lineage cells was examined. Methods: C2C12 and MLO-Y4 cells were used in this study. In order to examine the effect of hyperglycemia, the glucose concentration in the culture medium was adjusted to a range of levels between 40 and 100 mM. Gene expression levels were examined by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot assays. Top-Flash reporter was used to examine the transcriptional activity of the ${\beta}$-catenin/lymphoid enhanced factor/T-cell factor complex. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha ($TNF{\alpha}$) protein levels were examined with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The effect of reactive oxygen species on sclerostin expression was examined by treating cells with 1 mM $H_2O_2$ or 20 mM N-acetylcysteine. Results: The high glucose treatment increased the mRNA and protein levels of sclerostin. High glucose suppressed Wnt3a-induced Top-Flash reporter activity and the expression levels of osteoblast marker genes. High glucose increased reactive oxygen species production and $TNF{\alpha}$ expression levels. Treatment of cells with $H_2O_2$ also enhanced the expression levels of $TNF{\alpha}$ and sclerostin. In addition, N-acetylcysteine treatment or knockdown of $TNF{\alpha}$ attenuated high glucose-induced sclerostin expression. Conclusions: These results suggest that hyperglycemia increases sclerostin expression via the enhanced production of reactive oxygen species and $TNF{\alpha}$.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.38 no.sup2
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• pp.317-324
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• 2008

Purpose: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans was associated with localized aggressive periodontitis, endocarditis, meningitis, and osteomyelitis. The cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) of A. actinomycetemcomitans was considered as a key factor of these diseases is composed of five open reading frames (ORFs). Among of them, An enzymatic subunit of the CDT, CdtB has been known to be internalized into the host cell in order to induce its genotoxic effect. However, CdtB can not be localized in host cytoplasm without the help of a heterodimeric complex consisting of CdtA and CdtC. So, some studies suggested that CdtC functions as a ligand to interact with GM3 ganglioside of host cell surface. The precise role of the CdtC protein in the mechanism of action of the holotoxin is unknown at the present time. The aim of this study was to generate recombinant CdtC proteins expression from A. actinomycetemcomitans, through gene cloning and protein used to investigate the function of Cdt C protein in the bacterial pathogenesis. Materials and Methods: The genomic DNA of A. actinomycetemcomitans Y4 (ATCC29522) was isolated using the genomic DNA extraction kit and used as template to yield cdtC genes by PCR. The amplifed cdtC genes were cloned into T-vector and cloned cdt C gene was then subcloned to pET28a expression vector. The pET28a-cdtC plasmid expressed in BL21 (DE3) Escherichia coli system. Diverse conditons were tested to opitimize the expression and purification of functional CdtC protein in E. coli. Results: In this study we reconstructed CdtC subunit of A. actinomycetemcomitans Y4 and comfirmed the recombinant CdtC expression by SDS-PAGE and Western Blotting. The expression level of the recombinant CdtC was about 2% of total bacterial proteins. Conclusion: The lab condition of procedure for the purification of functionally active recombinant CdtC protein is established. The active recombinant CdtC protein will serve to examine the role of CdtC proteins in the host recognition and enzyme activity of CDT and investigate the pathological process of A. actinomycetemcomitans in periodontal disease.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.122-126
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• 2010

RAD53 functions as an effector kinase of checkpoint pathways in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which plays a central role to regulate many downstream cellular processes in response to DNA damage. It also involves in transcriptional activation of various genes including RNR genes which encode the key enzyme required for dNTP synthesis. In this study, we identified CYC8 as a suppressor for the hydroxyurea sensitivity of $rad53{\Delta}$ mutation. $Rad53{\Delta}$ mutant transformed with a multi-copy plasmid containing CYC8 showed increased hydroxyurea resistance. In contrast, TUP1 which forms a complex with CYC8 did not function as a suppressor. In the case of mutations, both $cyc8{\Delta}$ and $tup1{\Delta}$ suppressed hydroxyurea sensitivity of $rad53{\Delta}$. Since CYC8 can propagate as a prion in yeast, overexpression of CYC8 induced misfolding of the normal CYC8 proteins, resulting in dominant cyc8-phenotype. Therefore, it is suggested that CYC8 can act as a multi-copy suppressor due to its prion property. It was observed that the levels of RNR transcription were increased in the yeast strains containing either multi-copies of CYC8 gene or $cyc8{\Delta}$ mutation, suggesting that the increased level of RNR will elevate the intracellular pools of dNTPs, which, in turn, suppress the phenotype of $rad53{\Delta}$ mutation.