• Mycobiology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.91-96
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• 2007

In the present study we first report in Korea the identification and characterization of Fusarium oxysporum isolated from rotten stems and roots of paprika (Capsicum annuum var. grossum) at Masan, Kyungsangnamdo in 2006. The fungal species produced white aerial mycelia accompanying with dark violet pigment on PDA. The optimal temperature and pH for the growth of the species was $25^{\circ}C$ and pH 7, respectively. Microscopic observation of one of isolates of the species shows that its conidiophores are unbranched and monophialides, its microconidia have oval-ellipsoidal shape with no septate and are of $3.0{\sim}11{\times}1.5{\sim}3.5\;{\mu}m$ sizes, its macroconidia are of $15{\sim}20{\times}2.0{\sim}3.5\;{\mu}m$ sizes and have slightly curved or slender shape with $2{\sim}3$ septate. The results of molecular analysis show that the ITS rDNA of F. oxysporum from paprika shares 100% sequence identity with that of known F. oxysporum isolates. The identified species proved it's pathogenicity by causing rotting symptom when it was inoculated on paprika fruits. The growth of F. oxysporum from paprika was suppressed on PDA by agrochemicals such as benomyl, tebuconazole and azoxystrobin. The identified species has the ability of producing extracelluar enzymes that degrade cellobiose and pectin.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.485-491
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• 2007

The effects of biological pretreatment on the Japanese red pine Pinus densiflora, was evaluated after exposure to three white rot fungi Ceriporia lacerata, Stereum hirsutum, and Polyporus brumalis. Change in chemical composition, structural modification, and their susceptibility to enzymatic saccharification in the degraded wood were analyzed. Of the three white rot fungi tested, S. hirsutum selectively degraded the lignin of this sortwood rather than the holocellulose component. After eight weeks of pretreatment with S. hirsutum, total weight loss was 10.7%, while lignin loss was the highest at 14.52% among the tested samples. However, holocellulose loss was lower at 7.81 % compared to those of C. lacerata and P. brumalis. Extracelluar enzymes from S. hirsutum showed higher activity of ligninase and lower activity of cellulase than those from other white rot fungi. Thus, total weight loss and changes in chemical composition of the Japanese red pine was well correlated with the enzyme activities related with lignin- and cellulose degradation in these fungi. Based on the data obtained from analysis of physical characterization of degraded wood by X-ray Diffractometry (XRD) and pore size distribution, S. hirsutum was considered as an effective potential fungus for biological pretreatment. In particular, the increase of available pore size of over 120 nm in pretreated wood powder with S. hirsutum made enzymes accessible for further enzymatic saccharification. When Japanese red pine chips treated with S. hirsutum were enzymatically saccharified using commercial enzymes (Cellulclast 1.5 L and Novozyme 188), sugar yield was greatly increased (21.01 %) compared to non-pre treated control samples, indicating that white rot fungus S. hirsutum provides an effective process in increasing sugar yield from woody biomass.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.263-268
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate anti-melanogenesis effects of mulberry seed extracts (MSE). MSE inhibited melanogenesis in melan-a cells at $10{\mu}g/mL$ without cytotoxicity. Also, MSE decreased tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1) protein expression in the melan-a cells. To identify the signaling pathway of MSE, the ability of MSE to influence extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) activation was investigated. MSE induced ERK protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, MSE presented inhibition of the body pigmentation in vivo zebrafish model. These results suggest that MSE may be an effective anti-melanogenesis agent regulating the expression of ERK protein and melanogenic enzymes.

• The Korean Journal of Soil Zoology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 1999

Fibrinolytic enzyme is thought to be involved in extracellular matrix remodeling during regeneration. We investigated the expression and characterization fibrinolytic enzyme activity during earthworm tail regeneration. Electrophoretic analysis of fibrinolytic enzymes induced during regeneration revealed that at least seven types of fibrinolytic enzymes were expressed, which had molecular weight of 12, 19, 23, 27, 32, 45 and 58 kDa, respectively. These fibrinolytic enzyme activities were dramatically increased within 1 day after amputation. These activities were maintained by 7 days postamputation, followed by decrease to control level from 14 days after amputation. Alltypes of fibrinolytic enzyme activities were inhibited by treatment of PMSF and aprotinin, and were insensitive to EDTA and exogenous Ca$^{2+}$. These results indicate that the fibrinolytic enzymes are serineproteinase. Other characteristics including specificities for extracellular matrix proteins are under investigation. Based on these results, we are trying to find out the relationship among expression of proteinases, extracellular matrix remodeling, and dedifferentiation, which are believed to be essential processes during regeneration.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.222-228
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• 2001

Vibrio metschnikovii strain RH530 is a non-pathogenic, industrially-important alkaline protease producer which has been isolated from wastewater. In this paper, we report on the transformation of this strain by using the method of electroporation. A field strength of $7.5\;kVcm^{-1}$ and $25\;{\mu}F$, and using a 0.2-cm cuvette, appeared to be the optimal conditions for electroporation of the cells with the recombinant pSBCm plasmid carrying the vapK alkaline protease gene and the ColE1 replicon. Cells were subjected to osmotic shock in order to remove extracelluar DNase, and adding 200 mM of sucrose to electroporation buffer cells showed an increased transformation efficiency. Maximum efficiency of transformation was obtained at an early exponential growth phase. Using all of the conditions mentioned above, we routinely obtained a transformation efficiency of more than $10^4{({\mu}g\;plasmid\;DNA)}^{-1}$. The stability of the plasmid pSBCm in V. metschnikovii RH530 was 25% after 18h of growth (27 generations) in the medium without antibiotic selection. The insertion of the par locus to the pSBCm increased the stability of the plasmid up to 42% without selective pressure. The increase in plasmid stability was accompanied by the increase in the productivity of alkaline protease in the recombinant V. metschnikovii strain RH530. Determining optimal conditions for the transformation of the industrially-important, nonpathogenic Vibrio strain, and the improvement of plasmid stability by introducing the par locus into the high copy number plasmid vector, will allow the development of procedures involved in the genetic manipulation of this strain, particularly for its use in the production of industrial enzymes such as alkaline protease.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.85-90
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• 2002

In an artificial pH-gradient batch culture system, the author analyzed the effects of acidification on the species composition of heterotrophic bacteria. As the result of this study, it was found that the numbers of total bacteria were not affected by acidification and that the population size of heterotrophic bacteria decreased as pH became lower. The heterotrophic bacteria isolated from all of the pH gradient were 12 genera and 22 species, and among them, gram negative and gram positive bacteria were 04% and 30%, respectively. As pH decreased, the distribution rate of gram negative bacteria increased while that of gram positive bacteria decreased. Regarding to distribution rate of genuses in each pH gradient, 13 genuses appeared at pH 7 while only 5 genuses appeared at pH 3, which means that the diversity of genera decrease as pH decreased. The activities of extracellular enzyme showed the ranges of $0.008-0.292\;\mu{M}\ell^{-1}\;hr^{-1}$ in bioreactor system. The enzymatic activities decreased rapidly below pH 5 and then sustained 5-38% at the lower pH values.