• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제50권4호
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• pp.426-436
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• 2001

흡연은 만성 폐쇄성 폐질환의 가장 흔하고 중요한 원인이며 발생기전으로 단백분해효소 및 그 억제제의 불균형에 의한 폐조직 파괴가 중요한 역할을 한다고 알려져 있다. 생체내의 여러 단백분해효소 중 matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) 의 역할에 대한 연구가 최근 활발한데, 이들의 다수는 젤라틴 분해능을 보인다. 연구자들은 흡연에 의한 MMPs의 발현 및 폐기종 발생과의 관련성을 규명하기 위한 첫 단계로 기니픽에서 흡연에 의한 젤라틴 분해 단백분해효소의 발현 양상을 알아보고자 하였다. 방 법 : 500gm 가량의 건강한 기니핀 15마리를 대조군 5마리, 6주 흡연군 5마리, 12주 흡연군 5마리 씩 배정한 후, 하루에 5시간 씩, 담배 20개피를 간접 흡연시키는 과정을 일주일에 5회 반복하였다. 흡연력의 정도에 따른 폐조직 내 세포 침윤의 증가를 알아보기 위해, 폐조직을 H&E 염색한 후 400배 확대 시야에서 보이는 폐포벽의 세포 수를 계산하여 일반선형모델을 이용한 통계 분석법으로 처리하였다. 흡연에 의한 젤라틴 분해 단백분해효소의 발현 양상을 알아보기 위해 기관지폐포세척술을 시행하여 폐포내 세포를 얻은 다음 이를 배양접시에 $1{\times}10^6$개 씩 분주하였는데, 한 배양접시에는 아무 처치도 하지 않았고 다른 한쪽은 0.1mM의 EDTA를 첨가하였다. 48시간의 배 양 후 얻은 상층액으로 'gelatin zymography'를 시행하여 젤라틴 분해 단백분해효소의 발현 및 EDTA에 의한 억제 여부를 관찰하였다. 결 과 : 대조군의 혈중 평균 COHb 농도는 4.1g/dl인 반면, 흡연 노출군의 혈중 평균 COHb 농도는 5시간 노출 직후에는 24g/dl, 노출 후 30분에는 18g/dl, 노출 후 1 시간 후에는 15g/dl 로 측정되어 충분한 흡연노출이 이루어졌다. 400배 시야에서 보이는 폐포벽의 세포 수는 대조군은 $121.4{\pm}7.2$, 6주 흡연군은 $158.0{\pm}20.2$. 12주 흡연군은 $196.8{\pm}32.8$로 측정되어 선형회귀관계가 관찰되었다(p=0.001, $r^2=0.675$). 또한 침윤된 세포의 대부분은 염증 세포였다. 한편, 대조군에서는 젤라틴 분해 단백분해효소가 발현되지 않은 반면에, 6주 흡연군 및 12주 흡연군에서는 젤라틴분해 단백분해효소가 여러 개 관찰되었다. 또한 이 중의 일부는 EDTA에 의해 효소 활성도가 억제되었다. 결 론 : 흡연에 의해 기니픽의 폐조직에서 여러 젤라틴 분해 단백분해효소 발현이 증가하며 이 중의 일부는 MMPs의 억제제인 EDTA 에 의해 억제된다. 이는 흡연에 의해 MMPs의 발현이 증가할 가능성을 시사한다고 하겠다.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제41권3호
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• pp.165-169
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• 2003

This study describes the characterization of 80 kDa pretense showing gelationlytic property among three pretenses in the excretory/secretory proteins (ESP) from Toxoplasma gondii. The pretense activity was detected in the ESP but not in the somatic extract of RH tachyzoites. This pretense was active only in the presence of calcium ion but not other divalent cationic ions such as $Cu^{2+},{\;}Zn^{2+},{\;}Mg^{2+},{\;}and{\;}$Mn^{2+}$, implying that $Ca^{2+}$ is critical factor for the activation of the protease. The 80 kDa pretense was optimally active at pH 7.5. Its gelatinolytic activity was maximal at $37^{\circ}C$, and significant level of enzyme activity of the pretense remained after heat treatment at $56^{\circ}C$ for 30 min or $100^{\circ}C$ for 10 min, This thermostable enzyme was strongly inhibited by metal chelators, i.e., EDTA, EGTA, and 11 10-phenanthroline. Thus, the 80 kDa pretense in the ESP secreted by T. gondii was classified as a calcium dependent neutral metalloprotease.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제48권2호
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• pp.151-155
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• 2010

Allergen extracts from dust mites and cockroaches commonly found in Korean homes were used to evaluate their enzymatic activity as they are believed to influence allergenicity. Allergen extracts were prepared from 3 dust mite species (Dermatophagoides farinae, D. pteronyssinus, and Tyrophagus putrescentiae) and 3 cockroach species (Blattella germanica, Periplaneta americana, and P. fuliginosa) maintained in the Korea National Arthropods of Medical Importance Resource Bank. Proteins were extracted in PBS after homogenization using liquid nitrogen. The activities of various enzymes were investigated using the API Zym system. No significant difference in phosphatase, lipase, or glycosidase activity was observed among the 6 allergen extracts, but much difference was observed in protease activity. Protease activity was assessed in more detail by gelatin zymography and the EnzChek assay. Extract from T. putrescentiae showed the highest protease activity, followed by those of the cockroach extracts. Extracts from D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus showed only weak protease activity. Gelatinolytic activity was detected mainly in a 30-kDa protein in D. farinae, a 28-kDa protein in D. pteronyssinus, a > 26-kDa protein in T. putrescentiae, a > 20-kDa protein in B. germanica, and a > 23-kDa protein in P. americana and P. fuliginosa. The information on various enzymatic activities obtained in this study may be useful for future studies. In particular, the strong protease activity found in cockroach extracts could contribute to sensitization to cockroach allergens, which is known to be associated with the development of asthma.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.289-294
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• 2003

Gelatinase is a proteolytic enzyme that hydrolyzes gelatin. Gelatinolytic activity was detected from culture broths of Streptomyces griseus IFO13350 and HH1 by paper disc assays on 0.5% agar plates containing 1% gelatin. The concentrated extracellular protein from the S. griseus was analyzed by SDS polyacrylamide gel, and two proteins, with molecular weights of 30 and 28 kDa, respectively, were identified to have gelatinase activity by gelatin zymography. The protein with a molecular weight of 28 kDa was confirmed to be S. griseus trypsin (SGT). The effects of metal ions and metal chelators on the protease activity of the SGT were studied. Of the metal ions tested, only manganese was found to enhance the protease activity, 2.6 times, however, $Co^{2+},\;Cu^{2+},\;and\;Zn^{2+}$, and metal chelators, such as EDTA and EGTA, inhibited the SGT activity. When the protease activity of the SGT was measured at various pHs, in the presence of 5 mM $MnCl_2$, its highest activity was at pH 11.0, whereas only 60% of the maximum activity was observed between pHs 4.0 and pH 6.0, and almost 80% activity between pHs 7.0 to pH 10.0. The protease activity was measured at various temperatures in the presence of 5 mM $MnCl_2$. The SGT was found to be stable up to $60^{\circ}C$ for 30 min, while only 16% of the enzyme activity remained at $60^{\circ}C$, and at $80^{\circ}C$ almost all the activity was lost. The optimal temperature for the protease activity was $50^{\circ}C$.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.83-93
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• 2011

Biochemical and enzymatic characterization for extracellular protease isolated from Cordyceps militaris cultivated on rice bran medium was investigated. C militaris produced proteolytic enzymes from 10 days after inoculation, maximum enzyme production was found at 25 days. The optimum temperature and pH of proteases production was at $25^{\circ}C$ and pH 7.0, respectively. The protease activity was observed in the four peaks (Pro-I, Pro-II, Pro-III, and Pro-IV) separated through Sephadex G-100 column chromatography. The separated protease was optimally active at $25^{\circ}C$. Optimum pH of the protease was between 7 and 8. Enzyme was also stable over at $30-80^{\circ}C$. The enzyme was highly stable in a pH range of 4-9. Protease activity was found to be slightly decreased by the addition of $Mg^{2+}$, $Mn^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, $Fe^{2+}$ and $Cu^{2+}$, whereas inhibited by the addition of $Ca^{2+}$ and $Co^{2+}$ Protease activity was inhibited by protease inhibitor PMSF. On the other hand, the partially purified protease was investigated on proteolytic protease activity by zymogram gel electrophoresis using three substances (casein, gelatin and fibrin). Four active bands (F-I, FII, F-III, and F-IV) of fibrin degradation were revealed on fibrin zymogram gels. Both of F-II and FIII showed caseinolytic, fibrinolytic and gelatinolytic activities in three gels. Thermostability, pH stability, and pH-thermostability of the enzyme determined the residual fibrinolytic activity also displayed on fibrin zymogram gel. The only one enzyme (F-II) displayed over a broad range of temperature at $30-90^{\circ}C$. The FII displayed fibrinolytic activity in the pH range 3-5, but was inactivated in the range of pH 6-11. The F-I and F-III showed enzyme activity in the pH range of 6-11. In the pH-thermostability, the F-II only kept fibrinolytic activity after heating at $100^{\circ}C$ for 10, 20 and 30 min at pH 3 and pH 7, respectively. On the other hand, the F-II was retained activity until heating for 10 min under pH 11 condition. By using fibrin zymogram gel electrophoresis, extracellular fibrinolytic enzyme F-II from C. militaris showed unusual thermostable under acid and neutral conditions.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• 제13권3호
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• pp.196-203
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• 2008

Hwangtae, dried Alaska pollack, is a major storage product in the fish processing industry. Hwangtae is prepared by removing the internal organs and drying outdoors during the cold witner months by allowing it to thaw during the daytime and re-freeze at night under sub-zero ($-10^{\circ}C$) conditions and gradually dry from December until the next April for around 5 months from Myungtae. In this study, ground Hwangtae was hydrolyzed using two proteolytic enzymes (pepsin and alcalase) which produced five soluble active peptides from Hwangtae (yellowish dried Pollack, Theragra chalcogramma) protein. Two different peptides with strong antioxidative activity were isolated from the hydrolysate using consecutive chromatographic methods of Sephadex G-25 gel, ion-exchange chromatography on a Sepharose-Sephadex C-25 gel, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The isolated peptides, APO1 and APO2, were composed of 16 and 13 amino acid residues, respectively. Both peptides contained a Gly residue at the C-terminus and the repeating motif Gly-Pro-Hyp. The peptide with a molecular weight less than 1,000 Daltons (APACE) obtained from enzymatic hydrolysates of Hwangtae exhibited the highest ACE inhibitory activity. The APACE peptides was composed of 4 amino acid residues (Gly-Leu-Leu-Pro). These results suggest that Hwangtae hydrolysates could be a good source of peptides with ACE inhibitory activity. Biochemical analysis indicated that two 70 kDa peptides (APG1 and APG2) isolated from the hydrolysate had gelatinoytic activity, which was shown to be a calcium dependent protease type as showed by gelatin SDS PAGE.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제42권4호
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• pp.183-190
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• 2017

Ficus carica L. (common fig), one of the first plants cultivated by humans, originated in the Mediterranean basin and currently grows worldwide, including southwest Asia and South Korea. It has been used as a traditional medicine for treatment of metabolic, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases as well as hemorrhoids and skin infections. Its pharmacological properties have recently been studied in detail, but research on the anti-cancer effect of its latex has been only been studied on a limited basis on several cell lines, such prostate cancer, breast cancer, and leukemia. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer activity of the latex of Ficus carica L.and its underlying mechanism in FaDu human hypopharynx squamous carcinoma cells. (See Ed. note above) We confirmed through SDS-PAGE analysis and gelatinolytic activity analysis that the latex of Ficus carica contains cysteine protease ficin. Our data showed that the latex inhibited cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the latex treatment markedly induced apoptosis in FaDu cells as determined by FACS analysis, elevated expression level of cleaved caspase-9, -3 and PARP (poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase), and. increased the expression of Bax (pro-apoptotic factor) while decreasing the expression of Bcl-2 (anti-apoptotic factor). Taken together, these results suggested that latex containing the ficin inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis by caspase and the Bcl-2 family signaling pathway in FaDu human hypopharynx squamous carcinoma cells. These findings point to the potential of latex of Ficus carica to provide a novel chemotherapeutic drug due to its growth inhibition effects and induction of apoptosis in human oral cancer cells.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.148-161
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• 2008

본 연구는 상아질 혼성층의 교원섬유를 가수분해하는 효소인 MMPs (Matrix metalloproteinses)의 억제제로 알려진 chlorhexidine (CHX)을 적용 후 결합강도를 측정하였으며, 이를 각각 열순환 처리 후 결합강도를 측정하였다. 또한 주사전자현미경으로 접착계면에서의 파괴 양상을 비교 분석하였다. 우식이 없는 발거한 32개의 제3대구치의 교합면 상아질을 노출시키고 GI그룹에서는 dentin conditioner를 처리 후 2% chlorhexidine을 적용시키고, 산부식 접착제 그룹에서는 인산 산부식을 시행하고 2% chlorhexidine을 적용 후 3단계 산부식형 상아질 접착제 (Scotchbond Multipurpose, SM), 2단계 산부식형 상아질 접착제 (Single Bond, SB)를 도포하고, 자가부식 접착제 그룹에서는 2% chlorhexidine 적용 후 자가부식 상아질 접착제 (Clearfil Tri-S, TS)를 도포한다. 이후 복합 레진 (Z-250)과 GI (Fuji-II LC)를 충전한 시편을 $1\;mm^2$의 단면을 갖는 beam으로 제작하여 열순환 하지 않거나, 10,000회 열순환 ($5\;{\sim}\;55^{\circ}C$)하였다. Universal testing machine (EZ-test; Shimadzu, Japan)에서 cross head speed 1 mm/min로 인장력을 가하여, 미세인장결합강도를 측정하였다. 실험 결과는 유의수준 0.05 level에서 two-way ANOVA를 이용하여 통계분석하였다. 그 후 파절된 시편의 파괴 양상을 현미경 (SEM)으로 관찰하여 다음과 같은 결론을 얻었다; 1. 2% CHX을 적용한 모든 실험군에서 상아질과의 미세인장결합강도가 증가하였고, 열순환은 상아질과의 미세인장결합강도를 감소시켰다 (P > 0.05). 2. CHX 적용 후 열순환 한 군은 CHX을 적용하지 않고 열순환한 군에 비하여 상아질과의 미세인장결합강도가 높았으며, 특히 GI와 TS군에서 유의한 차이를 나타내었다 (P < 0.05). 3. 파괴 양상 분석 결과, 혼성층에서의 접착성 파괴를 보이며, CHX을 적용하면 혼성층 기저부에서 상부로 파괴 부위가 옮겨가는 양상을 나타내었다. 이상의 연구 결과를 토대로, MMPs 억제제인 2% CHX은 글래스 아이오노머 시멘트와 상아질 접착제의 초기 미세인장결합강도에는 영향을 미치지 않으며, CHX 적용이 접착내구성을 유지하는데 도움이 되었다.