• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.159-164
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• 2011

Microbial whole-cell biosensors can be excellent analytical tools for monitoring environmental pollutants. They are constructed by fusing reporter genes (e.g., lux, gfp or lacZ) to inducible regulatory genes which are responsive to the relevant pollutants, such as aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. A large spectrum of microbial biosensors has been developed using recombinant DNA technology and applied in fields as diverse as environmental monitoring, medicine, food processing, agriculture, and defense. Furthermore, their sensitivity and target range could be improved by modification of regulatory genes. Recently, microbial biosensor cells have been immobilized on chips, optic fibers, and other platforms of high-throughput cell arrays. This paper reviews recent advances and future trends of genetically modified microbial biosensors used for monitoring of specific environmental pollutants.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 1997

In order to reduce energy input in direct ethanol production from raw starch by co-immobilized Aspergillus awamori(A) and Zymomonas mobilis(Z), A-Z 36 culture system which was changed to anaerobic after 36 h of aerobic fermentation without sterilization was investigated. This immobilized cell system can not be carried out under unsterile conditions because of growth of microbial contaminants from original medium. Among some food additives such as sorbic acid, benzoic acid, dehydroacetic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, Vantocil IB and Neupectin-L, Vantocil IB and Neupectin-L were a potent antibacterial agent in A-Z 36 culture cell system and were not affected in hydrolysis of substrate as compared with the case of control. Ethanol yield(6.9 g/l) in system of addition of 0.1% Neupectin-L was slightly higher than that in control(6.4 g/l). When 2% starch was fed five times in fed-batch culture with 0.1% Neupectin-L, ethanol yield and productivity were 34 g/l and 2.0 g/l/day, respectively.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.531-536
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• 2002

In this study, we attempted to increase the survivability of bifidobacteria in simulated gastric juices and bile salts after cell entrapment with alginate and various food additives, such as erythritol, isomalt, palatinose, skim milk, xanthan gum, isomalto-oligosaccharide, fructo-oligosaccharide, galacto-oligosaccharide, pectin, and mono-sodium glutamate. Additionaly, the stability of bifidobacteria during storage was investigated by measuring survival rate at different temperatures, i.e. at 4$^{\circ}C$, 25$^{\circ}C$ and -20$^{\circ}C$. Bifidobacteria were immobilized in alginate beads and the survival rate was monitored. It was found that bifidobacieria entrapped with 2.5％, alginate showed the highest survival rate at 12%. After addition of the various protective agents, erythritol(1％) showed the best protective efficiency with a survival rate of 56.0% among the additives tested when exposed to simulated gastric juices for 3 h. Immobilized cells suspended in 5% skim milk and stored at 4$^{\circ}C$ survived significantly more than cells stored at 25$^{\circ}C$ and -20$^{\circ}C$. Consequently, the study shows that the survival rate of bifidobacteria immobilized in combination with 2.5% alginate beads and 1% erythritol may be signifcantly increased in simulated gastric juices and bile salts.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1164-1168
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• 2015

Previous research showed that chlorphenesin galactoside (CPN-Gal), a preservative in cosmetics, was safer than CPN against human skin cells [9]. To establish a stable and long-term process for CPN-Gal production, we investigated the repeated-batch process. In this process, β-gal-producing recombinant Escherichia coli cells were immobilized in calcium alginate beads, and CPN was converted to CPN-Gal by the transgalactosylation reaction. The process was conducted in a 300 ml flask, which contained E. coli cell-immobilized alginate beads, 33.8 mM of CPN, and 400 g/l of lactose. The pH and temperature were 7.0 and 40℃, respectively. During the repeated-batch operation, four consecutive batch operations were conducted successfully until 192 hr. The conversion yield of CPN to CPN-Gal was 64% during 192 hr, which was higher than the values in previous reports [3, 13]. Thereafter, however, the conversion yield gradually decreased until the operation was finished at 336 hr. Western blotting of immobilized E. coli cells revealed that β-gal gradually decreased after 192 hr. In addition, alginate beads were cracked when the operation was finished. It is probable that, including this loss of E. coli cells by cracks, deactivation, and product inhibition of E. coli β-gal might lead to a gradual decrease in the production of CPN-Gal after 192 hr. However, as the purification of β-gal is not necessary with β-gal-producing recombinant E. coli cells, β-gal-producing E. coli cells might be a practical and cost-effective approach for enzymatically synthesizing CPN-Gal. It is expected that this process will be extended to long-term production process of CPN-Gal for commercialization.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.438-445
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• 2015

The production of GABA was optimized by co-cultivation of immobilized Lactobacillus plantarum K154 (ILK) with Ceriporia lacerata cultures. The mycelial culture of C. lacerata was performed in a defined medium containing 3% glucose, 3% soybean flour, and 0.15% $MgSO_4$ in a submerged condition for 7 days at $25^{\circ}C$, resulting in the production of 29.7 g/L mycelia, 3.1 g/L exopolysaccharides, 2% (w/w) ${\beta}$-glucan, 68.96 unit/mL protease, and 10.37 unit/mL ${\alpha}$-amylase. ILK in C. lacerata culture showed viable cell counts of $3.13{\time}10^9CFU/mL$ for immobilized cells and $1.48{\time}10^8CFU/mL$ for free cells after 1 day. GABA production in the free and immobilized cells was 9.96 mg/mL and 6.30 mg/mL, respectively, after 7 days. A recycling test of ILK in the co-fermentation was consequently performed five times at $30^{\circ}C$ for 15 days, resulting in the highest production of GABA. GABA could also be efficiently overproduced by co-cultivation with the produced polysaccharides, ${\beta}$-glucan, peptides, and probiotics.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.1317-1322
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• 2005

This work describes neo-fructooligosaccharides (neo-FOSs) production using the immobilized mycelia of Penicillium citrinum. Some critical factors were evaluated to optimize maximal production of neo-FOS. Optimal alginate and cell concentrations were determined to be $1.96\%$ alginate and $7.17\%$ cell, respectively, by statistical analysis. The optimal concentration of $CaCl_{2}$, which is related to bead stability, was determined to be 2 M. It was possible to increase the neo-FOS production by adding 15 units of glucose oxidase to the batch reaction. By co-immobilizing cells and glucose oxidase, neoFOS productivity increased $123\%$ compared with the whole-cell immobilization process. Based on the results above, a co-immobilization technique was developed and it can be utilized for large-scale production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.1234-1241
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• 2016

Methanol is a versatile compound that can be biologically synthesized from methane (CH₄) by methanotrophs using a low energy-consuming and environment-friendly process. Methylocella tundrae is a type II methanotroph that can utilize CH₄ as a carbon and energy source. Methanol is produced in the first step of the metabolic pathway of methanotrophs and is further oxidized into formaldehyde. Several parameters must be optimized to achieve high methanol production. In this study, we optimized the production conditions and process parameters for methanol production. The optimum incubation time, substrate, pH, agitation rate, temperature, phosphate buffer and sodium formate concentration, and cell concentration were determined to be 24 h, 50% CH₄, pH 7, 150 rpm, 30℃, 100 mM and 50 mM, and 18 mg/ml, respectively. The optimization of these parameters significantly improved methanol production from 0.66 to 5.18 mM. The use of alginate-encapsulated cells resulted in enhanced methanol production stability and reusability of cells after five cycles of reuse under batch culture conditions.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.365-371
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• 1989

Microbiological conversion of sterols to 17-ketosteroids has been recognized as a source for commercial preparation of steroidal drugs. In order to develop bacterial strains and process with Brevibacterium lipolyticum IAM 1398 capable of converting cholesterol to 1,4-Androstadiene-3,17-dione (ADD) at about 27% yield, we studied on strain improvement, fermentation condition and whole cell immobilization. By using UV and/or NTG as mutagens, a mutant to convert cholesterol to ADD with higher yield than 60% was selected. Better production of ADD was manifested in the case of maltose used as a supplemental carbon source, and yeast extract or soytone as a nitrogen source. Addition of tween 80 (0.05%) as a surfactant beneficial for increasing the productivity. The optimal initial pH of the medium was 6.5 and optimal culture temperature was $30^{\circ}C$. Whole cell immobilization by using carrageenan, agar, alginate and acrylamide was carried out and the activity of conversion was tested. In the case of carrageenan and agar, immobilized cells were active for at least two cycles of fermentation.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2003

Background: CD30 is a member of TNF receptor family and expressed on lymphocytes and other hematopoietic cells following activation as well as Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells in Hodgkin's lymphoma. In this study, CD30-mediated regulation of cell adhesion molecule expression on normal activated mouse T cells was investigated. Methods: Mouse T cells were activated with anti-CD3 antibody for induction of CD30, which was cross-linked by immobilized anti-CD30 antibody. Results: High level of CD30 expression on T cells was observed on day 5, but only little on day 3 even under culture condition resulting in an identical T cell proliferation, indicating that CD30 expression requires a prolonged stimulation up to 5 days. Cross-linking of CD30 alone altered neither proliferation nor apoptosis of normal activated T cells. Instead, CD30 appeared to promote cell adherence to culture substrate, and considerably upregulated ICAM-1 and, to a lesser extent, ICAM-2 expression on activated T cells, whereas CD2 and CD18 (LFA-1) expression was not affected. None of cytokines known as main regulators of ICAM-1 expression on tissue cells (IL 4, $IFN{\gamma}$ and $IFN{\alpha}$) enhanced ICAM-1 expression in the absence of CD30 signals. On the other hand, addition of $NF-{\kappa}B$ inhibitor, PDTC (0.1 mM) completely abrogated the CD30-mediated upregulation of ICAM-1 expression, but not CD2 and ICAM-2 expression. Conclusion: This results support that CD30 upregulates ICAM-1 expression of T cell and such regulation is not mediated by higher cytokine production but $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation. Therefore, CD30 may play important roles in T-T or T-B cell interaction through regulation of ICAM-1, and -2 expression.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.145-152
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• 2008

A cell-based in vitro exposure system was developed to determine whether oxidative stress plays a role in the cytotoxic effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, toluene, xylene, and chlorobenzene, using human epithelial HeLa cells. Thin films based on cysteine-terminated synthetic oligopeptides were fabricated for immobilization of the HeLa cells on a gold (Au) substrate. In addition, an immobilized cell-based sensor was applied to the electrochemical detection of the VOCs. Layer formation and immobilization of the cells were investigated with surface plasmon resonance (SPR), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The adhered living cells were exposed to VOCs; this caused a change in the SPR angle and the VOC-specific electrochemical signal. In addition, VOC toxicity was found to correlate with the degree of nitric oxide (NO) generation and EIS. The primary reason for the marked increase in impedance was the change of aqueous electrolyte composition as a result of cell responses. The p53 and NF-${\kappa}B $ downregulation were closely related to the magnitude of growth inhibition associated with increasing concentrations of each VOC. Therefore, the proposed cell immobilization method, using a self-assembly technique and VOC-specific electrochemical signals, can be applied to construct a cell microarray for onsite VOC monitoring.