• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.1119-1124
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• 2012

Background: The effect and possible mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine, baicalin, on the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in drug-resistant human myeloid leukemia HL-60/ADR cells have been investigated in this current study. Methods: HL-60/ADR cells were treated by 20, 40, $80\;{\mu}mol/L$ baicalin followed by cell cycle analysis at 24h. The mRNA expression level of the apoptosis related gene, Bcl-2 and bad, were measured by RT-PCR on cells treated with $80\;{\mu}mol/L$ baicalin at 12, 24 and 48hr. Western blot was performed to detect the changes in the expression of the proteins related to HL-60/ADR cell apoptosis and the signaling pathway before and after baicalin treatment, including Bcl-2, PARP, Bad, Caspase 3, Akt, p-Akt, NF-${\kappa}B$, p-NF-${\kappa}B$, mTOR and p-mTOR. Results: Sub-G1 peak of HL-60/ADR cells appeared 24 h after $20\;{\mu}mol/L$ baicalin treatment, and the ratio increased as baicalin concentration increased. Cell cycle analysis showed 44.9% G0/G1 phase cells 24 h after baicalin treatment compared to 39.6% in the control group. Cells treated with $80\;{\mu}mol/L$ baicalin displayed a trend in decreasing of Bcl-2 mRNA expression over time. Expression level of the Bcl-2 and PARP proteins decreased significantly while that of the PARP, Caspase-3, and Bad proteins gradually increased. No significant difference in Akt expression was observed between treated and the control groups. However, the expression levels of p-Akt, NF-${\kappa}B$, p-NF-${\kappa}B$, mTOR and p-mTOR decreased significantly in a time-dependent manner. Conclusions: We conclude that baicalin may induce HL-60/ADR cell apoptosis through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.1457-1461
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• 2012

Purpose: Non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading worldwide source of cancer-related deaths. Although some drugs targeting EGFR mutations have been developed, most advanced cases are still incurable. New targets for anticancer drugs are demanded. The kringle 1 domain of hepatocellular growth factor alpha chain (HGFK1) is a potent anti-angiogenesis factor. It has also emerged as a potential anticancer factor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The expression of HGFK1 protein in patients with NSCLC has not been reported to date. Method: Here, we assessed HGFK1 expression by Western blotting in 103 cases with advanced NSCLC to investigate the impact of HGFK1 on survival. Results: Results revealed 33 (30.1%) patients were classified as high expressors, this being significantly associated with less remote metastasis (P = 0.002) but not with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.062). There was also a significant association between HGFK1 expression and tumor size (P = 0.025) as well as clinical stage (P = 0.012). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that both overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) of patients with HGFK1 expression were longer than those of patients without HGFK1 expression (P = 0.004 and P = 0.001 respectively). HGFK1 reversed gefitinib inhibition in the resistent NSCLC cell line A431/GR but did not inhibit the proliferation of NSCLC cells A431 and A431/GR directly. Reversion of gefitinib inhibition in A431/GR cells by HGFK1 was related to decreased phosphorylation of ERK and STAT5. Conclusions: HGFK1 may be a useful prognostic factor of advanced NSCLC patients and a potential drug for gefitinib resistant patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• 제43권6호
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• pp.909-915
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• 2014

This study was carried out to evaluate the genotoxicity of imported oranges irradiated with ionizing energy (0.5 and 1 kGy). In bacterial reversion assays with Salmonella Typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA1535, and TA1537, imported oranges irradiated with ionizing energy (0.5 and 1 kGy) showed no significant increase in the number of revertant colonies in both the absence and presence of the S9 metabolic activation system. In chromosomal aberration tests with Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, imported oranges irradiated with ionizing energy (0.5 and 1 kGy) showed no increase in the frequency of chromosomal aberrations. In in vivo mouse micronucleus assay, imported oranges irradiated with ionizing energy (0.5 and 1 kGy) showed no increase in the frequency of polychromatic erythrocytes with micronucleus. These results indicate that imported oranges irradiated with ionizing energy (0.5 and 1 kGy) showed no genotoxic effects under these experimental conditions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.501-509
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• 2012

A 990 bp full-length gene (xynAHJ2) encoding a 329-residue polypeptide (XynAHJ2) with a calculated mass of 38.4 kDa was cloned from Bacillus sp. HJ2 harbored in a saline soil. XynAHJ2 showed no signal peptide, distinct amino acid stretches of glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 10 intracellular endoxylanases, and the highest amino acid sequence identity of 65.3% with the identified GH 10 intracellular mesophilic endoxylanase iM-KRICT PX1-Ps from Paenibacillus sp. HPL-001 (ACJ06666). The recombinant enzyme (rXynAHJ2) was expressed in Escherichia coli and displayed the typical characteristics of low-temperature-active enzyme (exhibiting optimum activity at $35^{\circ}C$, 62% at $20^{\circ}C$, and 38% at $10^{\circ}C$; thermolability at ${\geq}45^{\circ}C$). Compared with the reported GH 10 low-temperature-active endoxylanases, which are all extracellular, rXynAHJ2 showed low amino acid sequence identities (<45%), low homology (different phylogenetic cluster), and difference of structure (decreased amount of total accessible surface area and exposed nonpolar accessible surface area). Compared with the reported GH 10 intracellular endoxylanases, which are all mesophilic and thermophilic, rXynAHJ2 has decreased numbers of arginine residues and salt bridges, and showed resistance to $Ni^{2+}$, $Ca^{2+}$, or EDTA at 10 mM final concentration. The above mechanism of structural adaptation for low-temperature activity of intracellular endoxylanase rXynAHJ2 is different from that of GH 10 extracellular low-temperature-active endoxylanases. This is the first report of the molecular and biochemical characterizations of a novel intracellular low-temperature-active xylanase.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.518-524
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• 2010

A mannanase gene (man26B) was obtained from a sea bacterium, Paenibacillus sp. BME-14, through the constructed genomic library and inverse PCR. The gene of man26B had an open reading frame of 1,428 bp that encoded a peptide of 475- amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 53 kDa. Man26B possessed two domains, a carbohydrate binding module (CBM) belonging to family 6 and a family 26 catalytic domain (CD) of glycosyl hydrolases, which showed the highest homology to Cel44C of P. polymyxa (60% identity). The optimum pH and temperature for enzymatic activity of Man26B were 4.5 and $60^{\circ}C$, respectively. The activity of Man26B was not affected by $Mg^{2+}$ and $Co^{2+}$, but was inhibited by $Hg^{2+},\;Ca^{2+},\;Cu^{2+},\;Mn^{2+},\;K^+,\;Na^+$, and $\beta$-mercaptoethanol, and slightly enhanced by $Pb^{2+}$ and $Zn^{2+}$. EDTA did not affect the activity of Man26B, which indicates that it does not require divalent ions to function. Man26B showed a high specific activity for LBG and konjac glucomannan, with $K_m,\;V_{max}$, and $k_{cat}$ values of 3.80 mg/ml, 91.70 ${\mu}mol$/min/mg protein, and 77.08/s, respectively, being observed when LBG was the substrate. Furthermore, deletion of the CBM6 domain increased the enzyme stability while enabling it to retain 80% and 60% of its initial activity after treatment at $80^{\circ}C$ and $90^{\circ}C$ for 30 min, respectively. This finding will be useful in industrial applications of Man26B, because of the harsh circumstances associated with such processes.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.616-623
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• 2010

Three herbal formulas (Bangpungtongsung-san, Ohyaksungi-san, and Ojeok-san) for wind-cold and heat pain symptom were applied to investigate the immunological activities on antigen (Ag)-specific or Ag-non-specific immune responses in murine macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) and ovalbumin (OVA)-immunized mice. This study was carried out in nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in RAW 264.7 cells and cellular proliferation in mouse splenocytes according to three herbal formulas. C57BL/6 mice were immunized intraperitonially with OVA/aluminium ($100\;{\mu}g/200\;{\mu}g$/mouse) on day 1, 8, and 15. Three herbal formulas were administrated to mice orally for 3 weeks from day 1. On day 22, OVA-, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-, and concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated splenocyte proliferation and antibodies (OVA-specific antibodies of the IgG, lgG1, and total IgM classes) in plasma were measured. Ohyaksungi-san increased NO synthesis in RAW 264.7 cells. Ojeok-san and Ohyaksungi-san significantly enhanced cellular proliferation by LPS and Con A in splenocytes from OVA-immunized mice (p<0.001). Three herbal formulas for wind-cold and heat pain symptom also significantly enhanced plasma OVA-specific IgG, IgG1, and total IgM levels compared with the OVA/Alum group. These results suggested that three herbal formulas for wind-cold and heat pain symptom could be used as stimulator of immune response.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.101-111
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• 2010

Purpose: To provide the information of efficacy for herbal formulas of high frequency, it was evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect. In many studies, plantderived anti-inflammatory efficacies have been investigated for their potential inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages. This study was performed to examine the anti-inflammatory effects of herbal formulas of high frequency on LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Methods: Anti-inflammatory activity was investigated in 25 herbal formula extracts in vitro and in vivo. To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect in vitro model, using LPS-stimulated macrophages, RAW 264.7 cell line. The productions of nitric oxide(NO), prostaglandin(PG)$E_2$, interleukin(IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-$\alpha$ were examined in RAW 264.7 cells, in the presence of the herbal formulas. RAW 264.7 cells were incubated with LPS $1\;{\mu}g/mL$ and herbal formulas for 18 hours. As an in vivo, using a rat model of carrageenin-induced paw edema. The paw volume was measured at 2 and 4 hours following carrageenin-induced paw edema in rats. Results: 8 kinds of herbal formula inhibited NO production by LPS-stimulated in some concentration, but the effect of NO inhibition is weak. 12 kinds of herbal formula inhibited $PGE_2$ production by LPS-stimulated over the 30%. Among them Gumiganghwal-tang, Sagunja-tang, Samchulkunbi-tang, Insampaedok-san and Hwangryunhaedok-tang inhibited IL-6 production by LPS-stimulated but TNF-$\alpha$ was not inhibited. 12 kinds of herbal formula reduced the carrageenin-induced paw edema in rats. Particularly, 3 kinds of herbal formula(Gumiganghwal-tang, Ssanghwa-tang and Soshiho-tang) were better than indomethacin. Conclusion: These results suggest that Gumiganghwal-tang, Sangunja-tang, Samchulkunbi-tang, Insampaedok-san and Hwangryunhaedok-tang have antiinflammatory activity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.390-399
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• 2012

Endoglucanase gene egIV was cloned from Trichoderma viride AS 3.3711, an important cellulose-producing fungus, by using an RT-PCR protocol. The egIV cDNA is 1,297 bp in length and contains a 1,035 bp open reading frame encoding a 344 amino acid protein with an estimated molecular mass of 35.5 kDa and isoelectronic point (pI) of 5.29. The expression of gene egIV in T. viride AS 3.3711 could be induced by sucrose, corn straw, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), or microcrystalline cellulose, but especially by CMC. The transcripts of egIV were regulated under these substrates, but the expression level of the egIV gene could be inhibited by glucose and fructose. Three recombinant vectors, pYES2-xegIV, $pYES2M{\alpha}$-egIV, and $pYES2M{\alpha}$-xegIV, were constructed to express the egIV gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae H158. The CMCase activity of yeast transformants $IpYES2M{\alpha}$-xegIV was higher than that of transformant IpYES2-xegIV or $IpYES2M{\alpha}$-egIV, with the highest activity of 0.13 U/ml at induction for 48 h, illustrating that the modified egIV gene could enhance CMCase activity and that $MF{\alpha}$ signal peptide from S. cerevisiae could regulate exogenous gene expression more effectively in S. cerevisiae. The recombinant EGIV enzyme was stable at pH 3.5 to 7.5 and temperature of $35^{\circ}C$ to $65^{\circ}C$. The optimal reaction condition for EGIV enzyme activity was at the temperature of $55^{\circ}C$, pH of 5.0, 0.75 mM $Ba^{2+}$, and using CMC as substrate. Under these conditions, the highest activity of EGIV enzyme in transformant $IpYES2M{\alpha}$-xegIV was 0.18 U/ml. These properties would provide technical parameters for utilizing cellulose in industrial bioethanol production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제26권11호
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• pp.1881-1890
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• 2016

Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) is a vital enzyme that protects cells from free radicals through eliminating superoxide radicals ($O^{2-}$). Hirudin, a kind of small active peptide molecule, is one of the strongest anticoagulants that can effectively cure thrombus diseases. In this study, we fused Hirudin to the C terminus of human MnSOD with the GGGGS linker to generate a novel dual-feature fusion protein, denoted as hMnSOD-Hirudin. The hMnSOD-Hirudin gene fragment was cloned into the pET15b (SmaI, CIAP) vector, forming a recombinant pET15b-hMnSOD-Hirudin plasmid, and then was transferred into Escherichia coli strain Rosetta-gami for expression. SDS-PAGE was used to detect the fusion protein, which was expected to be about 30 kDa upon IPTG induction. Furthermore, the hMnSOD-Hirudin protein was heavily detected as a soluble form in the supernatant. The purification rate observed after Ni NTA affinity chromatography was above 95%. The hMnSOD-Hirudin protein yield reached 67.25 mg per liter of bacterial culture. The identity of the purified protein was confirmed by western blotting. The hMnSOD-Hirudin protein activity assay evinced that the antioxidation activity of the hMnSOD-Hirudin protein obtained was $2,444.0{\pm}96.0U/mg$, and the anticoagulant activity of the hMnSOD-Hirudin protein was $599.0{\pm}35.0ATU/mg$. In addition, in vitro bioactivity assay showed that the hMnSOD-Hirudin protein had no or little cytotoxicity in H9c2, HK-2, and H9 (human $CD_4{^+}$, T cell) cell lines. Transwell migration assay and invasion assay showed that the hMnSOD-Hirudin protein could suppress human lung cancer 95-D cell metastasis and invasion in vitro.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제25권8호
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• pp.1195-1204
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• 2015

Increasing evidence suggests that gut microbiota underpin the development of health and longevity. However, our understanding of what influences the composition of this community of the longevous has not been adequately described. Therefore, illumina sequencing analysis was performed on the gut microbiota of centenarians (aged 100-108 years; RC) and younger elderlies (aged 85-99 years; RE) living in Bama County, Guangxi, China and the elderlies (aged 80-92 years; CE) living in Nanning City, Guangxi, China. In addition, their diet was monitored using a semiquantitative dietary questionary (FFQ 23). The results revealed the abundance of Roseburia and Escherichia was significantly greater, whereas that of Lactobacillus, Faecalibacterium, Parabacteroides, Butyricimonas, Coprococcus, Megamonas, Mitsuokella, Sutterella, and Akkermansia was significantly less in centenarians at the genus level. Both clustering analysis and UniFraq distance analysis showed structural segregation with age and diet among the three populations. Using partial least square discriminate analysis and redundancy analysis, we identified 33 and 34 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) as key OTUs that were significantly associated with age and diet, respectively. Age-related OTUs were characterized as Ruminococcaceae, Clostridiaceae, and Lachnospiraceae, and the former two were increased in the centenarians; diet-related OTUs were classified as Bacteroidales, Lachnospiraceae, and Ruminococcaceae. The former two were deceased, whereas the later one was increased, in the high-fiber diet. The age and high-fiber diet were concomitant with changes in the gut microbiota of centenarians, suggesting that age and high-fiber diet can establish a new structurally balanced architecture of gut microbiota that may benefit the health of centenarians.