• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.236-241
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• 2016

The Schizosaccharomyces pombe $sdu1^+$ gene, belonging to the PPPDE superfamily of deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) genes, was previously shown to encode a protein with ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase (UCH) activity and to participate in the response against oxidative and nitrosative stresses. This work focused on the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent regulation of the S. pombe $sdu1^+$ gene. UCH activities, encoded by the $sdu1^+$ gene, were attenuated in the S. pombe cells exposed to $H_2O_2$, superoxide radical-generating menadione (MD), and nitric oxide (NO)-generating sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Reduced glutathione (GSH) and its precursor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) were able to significantly enhance the UCH activities in the absence or presence of $H_2O_2$. However, the influences of both GSH and NAC on the ROS levels in the absence or presence of $H_2O_2$ were opposite to their effects on the UCH activities under the same conditions. The UCH activities in the Sdu1-overexpressing S. pombe cells were also diminished under exposure to $H_2O_2$, MD and SNP, but still remained to be higher than those in the vector control cells. In brief, it is proposed that the S. pombe $sdu1^+$ gene is regulated by ROS in a negative manner, the meaning of which largely remains elusive.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.97-108
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• 1997

The drugs or xenobiotics introduced to the body, are detoxified through the process of biotransformation in the body. In this process, most of the insoluble compounds become more polar, soluble and easily excretable. But, parts of introduced materials are metabolized to highly reactive electrophilic carcinogens through activation pathways. These metabolites are toxic and can react with DNA, RNA and proteins which are nucleophilic compounds. The objective of this study is to illustrate the aleactivation pathways of two highly reactive epoxide compounds, vinyl carbamate epoxide (VCO) and 2'-(4-nitrophenoxy)oxirane (NPO). They are the ultimate electrophilic carcinogens of ethyl carbamate(urethane) and 4-nitrophenyl vinyl ether, respectively. In this research, we studied the inhibition of the mutagenic activities of VCO or NPO by nuchieophiles [glutahione(GSH) and N-acetylcysteine(NAC)], detoxifying enzymes[epoxide hydrolase and glutathione-S-transferase(GST)] and intracellular organelles (microsomes and cytosol). In addition we also tested the suppression of DNA adducts formation by GSH and NAC. The results are summerized as follow. 1. The microsomes and cytosol which contain epoxide hydrolase and GST, respectively, decreased the mutagenicity of VCO (74% and 95%, respecfivel), and NPO (35% and 93%, respectively). The nucleophilic GSH and NAC decreased the mutagenicity by 86% (VCO) and 80% (NPO), 76% (VCO) and 40% (NPO), respectively. 2. The purified epoxide hydrolase decreased the mutagenicity of two epoxides in a dose-dependent manner, and GSH also decreased the mutagenicity in the presence of GST. 3. Formation of two DNA adducts, 7-(2'-oxoethyi)guanine (OEG) and N2,3-ethenoguanine(EG), were compared in the presence of calf thymus DNA and epoxide (VCO or NPO) in vitro system. The amounts of DNA adducts were decreased in the presence of GSH (25% and 29% in VCO, 32% and 29% in NPO), and NAC (14% and 16% in VCO, 21% and 11% in NPO), respectively. From these results, it is concluded that the ultimate carcinogenic metabolites, VCO and NPO, can be made in the body, but much of them may be inactivated and detoxified by the nucleophilic GSH, NAC and detoxifying enzymes (epoxide hydrolase and GST). Therefore, by these mechanism, the formation of DNA adducts and mutagenic activities of these two epoxides may be lowered in vivo.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.185-192
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• 1990

The present work was undertaken to investigate the protective effect of diallyl disulfide on the bromobenzene toxicity in mice. It was observed that the aniline hydroxylase and epoxide hydrolase activities were not changed by the treatment of diallyl disulfide for 5 days. But glutathione S-transferase activity was significantly increased. A striking enhancement of serum alanine aminotransferase activity and hepatic lipid peroxide content after bromobenzene administration was markedly decreased by diallyl disulfide pretreatment. These results indicate that the inducing effects of diallyl disulfide on the bromobenzene intermediate detoxifying enzyme such as glutathione S-transferase are believed to be a possible protective mechanism for the bromobenzene toxicity in mice.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1445-1452
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• 2008

An open reading frame (ORF) encoding a putative epoxide hydrolase (EHase) was identified by analyzing the genome sequence of Sphingophyxis alaskensis. The EHase gene (seh) was cloned and expressed in E. coli. To facilitate purification, the gene was fused in-frame to 6$\times$ histidine at the C-terminus. The recombinant EHase (rSEH) was highly soluble and could be purified to apparent homogeneity by one step of metal affinity chromatography. The purified SEH displayed hydrolyzing activities toward various epoxides such as styrene oxide, glycidyl phenyl ether, epoxyhexane, epoxybutane, epichlorohydrin, and epifluorohydrin. The optimum activity toward styrene oxide was observed at pH 6.5 and $35^{\circ}C$. The purified SEH showed a cold-adapted property, displaying more than 40% of activity at low temperature of $10^{\circ}C$ compared with the optimum activity. Despite the catalytic efficiency, the purified SEH did not hydrolyze various epoxides enantioselectively. $K_m$ and $k_{cat}$ of SEH toward (R)-styrene oxide were calculated as 4$\pm$0.3 mM and 7.42$s^{-1}$ respectively, whereas $K_m$ and $k_{cat}$ of SEH toward (S)-styrene oxide were 5.25$\pm$0.3 mM and 10.08$s^{-1}$ respectively.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.175-181
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• 1977

Lysosomal enzyme latency was demonstrated for hydrolases from porcine leukocyte by suspending sediment sfrom differential centrifugation in 0.125 to 0.250 M sucrose. Specific activities pH optima and activation energies were determined for hydrolases distributed in various sedimentation fractions and for enzymes solubilized by n-butyl alcohol extraction. Specific activities of the hydrolases revealed the heterogeneity of the Iysosomal fractions relative to enzyme content. pH optima identified the enzyme as acid hydrolases with optima for cathepsin D and aryl sulfatase also at pH 6.8. Activation energies of some hydrolases were low revealing that these enzymes could function efficiently during low temperature aging of meat.

• Plant Resources
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.196-199
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• 2001

Medicinal plants were screened for the inhibitory effects on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 pretense. Of the extracts tested, the strong inhibitory effects were observed in the acetone extracts of the pericarp of Camellia japonica. Camelliatannin H from the pericarp of C. japonica showed a potent inhibitory activity on HIV-1 pretense. Effects of the extract and compound from leaves of Zanthoxylum piperitum on the enzyme activities were investigated in the liver of bromobenzene-treated rats. The methanol extract and protocatechuic acid isolated from Z. pipetitum reduced the activity of aniline hydroxylase that increased by bromobenzene, while did not affect the activities of aminopyrin N-demethylase and glutathione S-transferase. The extract and protocatechuic acid recovered significantly the activity of epoxide hydrolase decreased by bromobenzene.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.68-73
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• 2001

Medicinal plants were screened for the inhibitory effects on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 pretense Of the extracts tested, the strong inhibitory effects were observed in the acetone extracts of the pericarp of Camellia japonica. Camelliatannin H from the pericarp of C. japonica showed a potent inhibitory activity on HIV- 1 pretense. Effects of the extract and compound from leaves of Zanthoxylum piperitum on the enzyme activities were investigated in the liver of bromobenzene-treated rats. The methanol extract and protocatechuic acid isolated from Z. piperitum reduced the activity of aniline hydroxylase that increased by bromobenzene, while did not affect the activities of aminopyrin N-demethylase and glutathione S-transferase The extract and protocatechuic acid recovered significantly the activity of epoxide hydrolase decreased by bromobenzene.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.573-581
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• 2009

The complex enzyme pool secreted by the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum in response to glucose or hop cell wall material as sole carbon sources was analyzed. The biochemical characterization of the enzymes present in the supernatant of fungal cultures in the glucose medium revealed only 5 different glycosyl hydrolase activities; by contrast, when analyzing cultures in the cell wall medium, 17 different activities were detected. This dramatic increase reflects the adaptation of the fungus by the synthesis of enzymes targeting all layers of the cell wall. When the enzymes secreted in the presence of plant cell wall were used to hydrolyze pretreated crude plant material, high levels of monosaccharides were measured with yields approaching 50% of total sugars released by an acid hydrolysis process. This report is the first biochemical characterization of numerous cellulases, hemicellulases, and pectinases secreted by F. graminearum and demonstrates the usefulness of the described protein cocktail for efficient enzymatic degradation of plant cell wall.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.6-13
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• 2015

Phytochemical investigation of the aerial components of Ducrosia ismaelis Asch. led to the isolation of six known compounds, psoralen (1), isopsoralen (2), cnidioside A (3), (-)-syringaresinol-O-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranoside (4), (E)-plicatin B (5), trilinolein (6). The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated from spectroscopic data and by comparison of these data with previously published results. The antioxidant, anti-osteoporotic and cardiovascular related activities of the isolated compounds were assessed using oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), reducing capacity, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), and soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitory activity assays. Compounds (3-5) showed potent peroxyl radical-scavenging capacities with ORAC values of $11.06{\pm}0.39$, $7.98{\pm}0.10$, and $13.99{\pm}0.06$ Trolox equivalent (TE) at concentrations of $10{\mu}M$, respectively. Only compounds 4 and 5 was able to significantly reduce $Cu^{2+}$ ions, with a reduction value of $9.06{\pm}0.32$ and $4.61{\pm}0.00{\mu}M$ Trolox Equivalent (TE) at a concentration of $10{\mu}M$. Compound 5 at $10{\mu}M$ exhibited a potent inhibitory effect on osteoclastic TRAP activity with a TRAP value of $86.05{\pm}6.55%$ of the control. Compounds 1, 3 and 5 potently inhibited sEH activity with $IC_{50}$ values of 41.6 4.9, 16.0 1.1, and 49.0 $5.7{\mu}M$, respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1753-1759
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• 2006

Paenibacillus sp. HY-8 isolated from the digestive tracts of the longicorn beetle, Moechotypa diphysis, produced an extracellular endoxylanase with a molecular weight of 20 kDa estimated by SDS-PAGE. The xylanase was purified to near electrophoretic homogeneity from the culture supernatant after ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration, and ionexchange chromatography. The purified xylanase exhibited the highest activities at pH 6.0 and $50^{\circ}C$. The $K_m\;and\;V_{max}$ values were 7.2 mg/ml and 16.3 U/mg, respectively, for birchwood xylan as the substrate. Nucleotide sequence of the PCR-cloned gene was determined to have the open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 212 amino acids. The N-terminal amino acid sequence and the nucleotide sequence analyses predicted that the precursor xylanase contained a signal peptide composed of 28 amino acids and a catalytically active 19.9-kDa peptide fragment. The deduced amino acid sequence shared extensive similarity with those of the glycoside hydrolase family 11 of xylanases from other bacteria. The predicted amino acid sequence contained two glutamate residues, previously identified as essential and conserved for active sites in other xylanases of the glycoside hydrolase family 11.