• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.190-193
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• 2014

CMP-Neu5Ac synthetase is a key enzyme for the synthesis of CMP-Neu5Ac, which is an essential precursor of sialylated glycoconjugates. For the soluble expression of the CMP-Neu5Ac synthetase gene (neuA) from Escherichia coli K1, various heat shock proteins were co-expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) Star. In order to do this, a pG-KJE8 plasmid, encoding genes for GroEL-ES and DnaK-DnaJ-GrpE, was co-transformed with neuA and was expressed at $20^{\circ}C$ by the addition of 0.01 mM IPTG and 0.005 mg/ml L-arabinose. The co-expression of a variety of heat shock proteins resulted in the remarkably improved production of soluble CMP-Neu5Ac synthetase in E. coli.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.48-57
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• 2021

Background: Ginsenoside Rh2 is well known for many pharmacological activities, such as anticancer, antidiabetes, antiinflammatory, and antiobesity properties. Glycosyltransferases (GTs) are ubiquitous enzymes present in nature and are widely used for the synthesis of oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, glycoconjugates, and novel derivatives. We aimed to synthesize new ginsenosides from Rh2 using the recombinant GT enzyme and investigate its cytotoxicity with diverse cell lines. Methods: We have used a GT gene with 1,224-bp gene sequence cloned from Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LRGT) and then expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The recombinant GT protein was purified and demonstrated to transform Rh2 into two novel ginsenosides, and they were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques and evaluated by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2-5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Results: Two novel ginsenosides with an additional glucopyranosyl (6→1) and two additional glucopyranosyl (6→1) linked with the C-3 position of the substrate Rh2 were synthesized, respectively. Cell viability assay in the lung cancer (A549) cell line showed that glucosyl ginsenoside Rh2 inhibited cell viability more potently than ginsenoside Rg3 and Rh2 at a concentration of 10 μM. Furthermore, glucosyl ginsenoside Rh2 did not exhibit any cytotoxic effect in murine macrophage cells (RAW264.7), mouse embryo fibroblasts cells (3T3-L1), and skin cells (B16BL6) at a concentration of 10 μM compared with ginsenoside Rh2 and Rg3. Conclusion: This is the first report on the synthesis of two novel ginsenosides, namely, glucosyl ginsenoside Rh2 and diglucosyl ginsenoside Rh2 from Rh2 by using recombinant GT isolated from L. rhamnosus. Moreover, diglucosyl ginsenoside Rh2 might be a new candidate for treatment of inflammation, obesity, and skin whiting, and especially for anticancer.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.582-594
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• 2001

This experiment was performed to investigate the effects of sulfur dioxide on the histological changes, properties of mucosubstances and glycoconjugates of the nasal respiratory mucosa in the rat. Sprague-Dawley male rats weighing about 200~250g were divided into a control group and SO$_2$ exposed groups. Again SO$_2$ exposed groups were divided into 10 ppm, 25 ppm, 50 ppm, 100 ppm, and 200 ppm subgroups, according to concentrations of SO$_2$ and each SO$_2$exposed groups were divided into 1, 3 and 6 hours groups. For the histological changes, hematoxylin-eosin(H-E) and periodic acid Schiff's(PAS) stainings were used, and for the properties of mucosubstances, PAS, alcian blue (AB) pH 2.5, pH 2.5-PAS, AB pH 1.0 and aldehyde fuchsin (AF) pH1.7-AB pH 2.5 were used. In all the SO$_2$ exposed groups, loss of cilia and detachment of epithelial cells, vacuolation of goblet cells were observed in the respiratory epithelium while epithelial squamous metaplasia and intraepthelial mucous cells were observed in the higher concentration of SO$_2$ and the degree of the loss cilia was higher according as concentration was higher and exposed time was longer. The intraepitheial mucous cells appeared most remarkable in the 50 ppm SO$_2$ exposed group. The numbers of goblet cells and acini of nasal septal gland were varied according to concentration of SO$_2$ and exposed time, but the numbers in the 25 ppm and 50 ppm, SO$_2$ exposed increased remarkably. However, the numbers in the 100 ppm and 200 ppm SO$_2$ exposed group had a tendency to decrease noticeably, or disappeared.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.80-90
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• 2003

Background : Goblet cell hyperplasia is a critical pathological feature in hypersecretory diseases of the airways. A bacterial infection of the lung is also known to induce inflammatory responses, which can lead to the overproduction of mucus. Recently, mucin synthesis in the airways has been reported to be regulated by neutrophilic inflammation-induced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression and activation. In addition, it was reported that migration of the activated neutrophils is dependent on the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), especially MMP-9. In this study, bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced goblet cell hyperplasia and mucus hypersecretion by EGFR cascade, resulting from the MMPs-dependent neutrophilic inflammation were investigated in the rat airways. Methods : Pathogen-free Sprague-Dawley rats were studied in vivo. Various concentrations of LPS were instilled into the trachea in $300{\mu}{\ell}$ PBS (LPS group). Sterile PBS ($300{\mu}{\ell}$) was instilled into the trachea of the control animals (control group). The airways were examined on different days after instilling LPS. For an examination of the relationship between the LPS-induced goblet cell hyperplasia and MMPs, the animals were pretreated 3 days prior to the LPS instillation and daily thereafter with the matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor (MMPI; 20 mg/Kg/day of CMT-3; Collagenex Pharmaceuticals, USA). The neutrophilic infiltration was quantified as a number in five high power fields (HPF). The alcian blue/periodic acid-Schiff (AB/PAS) stain were performed for the mucus glycoconjugates and the immunohistochemical stains were performed for MUC5AC, EGFR and MMP-9. Their expressions were quantified by an image analysis program and were expressed by the percentage of the total bronchial epithelial area. Results : The instillation of LPS induced AB/PAS and MUC5AC staining in the airway epithelium in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Treatment with the MMPI prevented the LPS-induced goblet cell hyperplasia significantly. The instillation of LPS into the trachea induced also EGFR expression in the airway epithelium. The control airway epithelium contained few leukocytes, but the intratracheal instillation of LPS resulted in a neutrophilic recruitment. A pretreatment with MMPI prevented neutrophilic recruitment, EGFR expression, and goblet cell hyperplasia in the LPS-instilled airway epithelium. Conclusion : Matrix metalloproteinase is involved in LPS-induced mucus hypersecretion, resulting from a neutrophilic inflammation and EGFR cascade. These results suggest a potential therapeutic role of MMPI in the treatment of mucus hypersecretion that were associated with a bacterial infection of the airways.