• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.78-83
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• 2005

The optimum conditions of Cordyceps militaris mycelial growth, purification and characteristics of branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase [BCAT(EC 2.6.1.42)] in this mycelium were studied. Optimum pH, temperature and medium of culture of mycelia were 5.5, $22.5^{\circ}C$ and Hamada medium (HM), respectively. BCAT in homogenate of this mycelia was precipitated by 20-40% saturated solution of ammonium sulfate and then purified by DEAE (diethylaminoethyl)-Sephadex A-50 column chromatography with linear concentration gradient and Sephadex G-200 gel filtration. A single band of purified enzyme was detected on SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis). Optimum pH and temperature of BCAT were found to be 7.8 and $29^{\circ}C$, respectively. It showed activity toward L-leucine, L-isoleucine and L-valine as a substrate. The Km values of this enzyme for L-leucine were determined to be 5.88 mM for L-leucine.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.243-248
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• 2015

Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are the most common cause of familial Parkinson's disease (PD). As such, functions and dysfunctions of LRRK2 in PD have been the subject of extensive investigation. In addition to PD, increasing evidence is suggesting that LRRK2 is associated with a wide range of diseases. Genome-wide association studies have implicated LRRK2 in Crohn's disease (CD) and leprosy, and the carriers with pathogenic mutations of LRRK2 show increased risk to develop particular types of cancer. LRRK2 mutations are rarely found in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but LRRK2 might play a part in tauopathies. The association of LRRK2 with the pathogenesis of apparently unrelated diseases remains enigmatic, but it might be related to the yet unknown diverse functions of LRRK2. Here, we reviewed current knowledge on the link between LRRK2 and several diseases, including PD, AD, CD, leprosy, and cancer, and discussed the possibility of targeting LRRK2 in such diseases. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(5): 243-248]

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.157-167
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• 2001

Purpose : This study was 1) to determine the relationship between endogenous opioid-peptides and hope 2) to evaluate the availability of the opioid- peptides, known as biochemicals of emotion in psychoneuroimmunology, as a variable to explain hope. Method : blood sampling for 20 cancer patients' (age range 18-73, 13 men and 7 women, having mild pain or no pain, can do ADL) were made under approval from the doctors in a university hospital at 8 A.M. and quantitative analysis of opioid peptides were done by the internal standard method. In 10min after blood sampling, hope was measured using Kim and Lee's hope scale which had acceptable reliabilities and validity after making consent about interviewing. Blood was sampled from the seven normal adults for comparing the degrees of the opioids. None-parametric statistical analysis was used. Results : There was a significant difference in leucine enkephalin between normal adults and cancer patients. And significant positive relationship existed between chemotherapy and leucine enkephalin. So, the relationships between hope and the endogenous opioids in the patients before chemotherapy were re-tested, excluding the effect of chemotherapy on opioids. As a result, a significant negative relationship between hope and beta- endorphin(r=-.841<.05) showed. And there were highly negative relationships between leucine enkephalin and methionine enkephalin and hope, but not significant statistically. Conclusions : This results implies endogenous opioids can be used as a biological variable to explain hope. More researches in sophisticated design would be needed ,especially in human model.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.17-28
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• 2010

A substantial body of evidence has emerged over the last decade in support of the novel concept that dietary calcium and dairy foods play an important role in regulating energy metabolism and thereby promote healthy weight management and reduce obesity risk. This concept has been demonstrated in experimental animals studies, cross-sectional and prospective population studies and a number of randomized clinical trials. Notably, the effects of dairy foods in weight management are more consistent than the effects of supplemental calcium across clinical trials, and calcium per se is responsible for approximately 40-50% of the effects of dairy. The calcium component is only effective in individuals with chronically low calcium intake, as it serves to prevent the endocrine response to low calcium diets which otherwise favors adipocyte energy storage; calcium also serves to promote energy loss via formation of calcium soaps in the gastrointestinal tract and thereby reduce fat absorption. The calcium-independent anti-obesity bioactivity of dairy resides primarily in whey. The key components identified to date are leucine and bioactive peptides resulting from whey protein digestion. The high concentration of leucine in whey stimulates a repartitioning of dietary energy from adipose tissue to skeletal muscle where it provides the energy required for leucine-stimulated protein synthesis, resulting in increased loss of adipose tissue and preservation of skeletal muscle mass during weight loss. Finally, dairy rich diets suppress the oxidative and inflammatory responses to obesity and thereby attenuate the diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk associated with obesity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.1682-1687
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• 2007

The differences in the nonvolatile metabolites of pine-mushrooms (Tricholoma matsutake Sing.) according to different parts and heating times were analyzed by applying principal component analysis (PCA) to $^1H$ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy data. The $^1H$ NMR spectra and PCA enabled the differences of nonvolatile metabolites among mushroom samples to be clearly observed. The two parts of mushrooms could be easily discriminated based on PC 1, and could be separated according to different heattreated times based on PC 3. The major peaks in the $^1H$ NMR spectra that contributed to differences among mushroom samples were assigned to trehalose, succinic acid, choline, leucine/isoleucine, and alanine. The content of trehalose was higher in the pileus than in the stipe of all mushroom samples, whereas succinic acid, choline, and leucine/isoleucine were the main components in the stipe. Heating resulted in significant losses of alanine and leucine/isoleucine, whereas succinic acid, choline, and trehalose were the most abundant components in mushrooms heat-treated for 3 min and 5 min, respectively.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.1090-1094
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• 2007

Melittin (ME), a linear 26-residue non-cell-selective antimicrobial peptide, displays strong lytic activity against bacterial and human red blood cells. To design ME analogue with improved cell selectivity, we synthesized a melittin diastereomer (ME-D) with D-amino acid in the leucine zipper sequence (Leu-6, Lue-13 and Ile-20). Compared to ME, ME-D exhibited the same or 2-fold higher antibacterial activity but 8-fold less hemolytic activity. Circular dichroism analysis revealed that ME-D has much less $\alpha$-helical content in $\alpha$-helical content in the presence of zwitterionic EYPC/cholesterol (10 : 1, w/w) liposomes compared to negatively charged EYPE/EYPG (7 : 3, w/w) liposomes. The blue shift of the fluorescence emission maximum of ME-D in zwitterionic EYPC/cholesterol (10 : 1, w/w) liposomes was much smaller than in negatively charged EYPE/EYPG (7 : 3, w/w) liposomes. These results suggested that the improvement in therapeutic index/cell selectivity of ME-D is correlated with its less permeability to zwitterionic membranes.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1291-1294
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• 2002

Various racemic N-protected ${\alpha}-amino$ acids such as N-t-BOC-(tert-butoxycarbonyl), N-CBZ-(benzyloxycarbonyl) and N-FMOC-(9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl) ${\alpha}-amino$ acids were resolved as their anilide and 3,5-dimethylanilde derivatives on an HPLC chira l stationary phase (CSP) developed by modifying a commercial (S)-leucine CSP. The chromatographic resolution results were compared to those on the commercial (S)-leucine CSP. The resolutions were greater on the modified CSP than those on the commercial CSP with only one exception, the resolution of N-t-BOC-phenylglycine anilide. In addition, the chromatographic resolution behaviors were quite consistent except for the resolution of N-protected phenylglycine derivatives, the (S)-enantiomers being retained longer. Based on the chromatographic resolution behaviors and with the aid of CPK molecular model studies, we proposed a chiral recognition mechanism for the resolution of N-protected ${\alpha}-amino$ acid derivatives. However, for the resolution of N-protected phenylglycine derivatives, a second chiral recognition mechanism, which competes in the opposite sense with the first chiral recognition mechanism, was proposed. The two competing chiral recognition mechanisms were successfully used in the rationalization of the chromatographic behaviors for the resolution of N-protected phenylglycine derivatives.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.959-963
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• 2015

Purpose: To find parameters that can increase alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) sensitivity and so help in accurate diagnosis and rapid management of hepatocullular carcinoma (HCC), as AFP has limited utility of distinguishing HCC from benign hepatic disorders for its high false-positive and false negative rates. Materials and Methods: Serum levels of AFP, 5'-nucleotidase enzyme activity (5-NU) and leucine aminopeptidase enzyme (LAP) activity were measured in 40 individuals. Results: LAP and 5'NU were elevated in HCC at p<0.001. Pearson correlation coefficients showed that changes in AFP exhibited positive correlation with both 5'-NU and LAP at (p<0.001). The complementary use of LAP only with AFP resulted in an increase in sensitivity of AFP from 75% to 90% in detecting HCC. The complementary use of both LAP and 5-NU with AFP resulted in an increased sensitivity of AFP in detecting HCC from 75% to 95%. Conclusions: LAP and 5-FU can be determined in HCC patients in combination with AFP to improve its sensitivity and decrease false negative results.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 1988

Isozyme band patterns were investigated by isoeletric focusing Esterase and Leucine amino peptidase of Pleurotus spp. in Korea. Esterase patterns of mycelia and fruitbody were distinquished. However, those of primordia, cap and stem were similar. Interspecies differences of Pleurotus ostreatus, P. cornucopiae and P. florida of Esterase zymogram were found. Species identification by electrophoretic zymogram may be a role as an additional taxonomic tool.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.131-139
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• 2000

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is an etiological agent of chronic diseases in cows worldwide. The BLV is one of retroviruses that contain a multi-functional enzyme, reverse transcriptase produced from the pol gene in its genome. We have sequenced some regions in the pol gene of BLV proviruses found in the Southern province of Korea from samples that turned out to be BL V positives by a PCR analysis. On the 5' side of the BLV pol gene (polymerase region), it was found that there were four leucines located at every 7 amino acids. They can form a leucine zipper motif that was not same as the pol gene of Japanese BLV isolate. The sequencing result of the proviral pol gene in Korean-type BLV also revealed some mutations leading to amino acid changes such as $CCT(Pro){\to}CTC(Leu)$, $AAT(Asn){\to}AAA(Lys)$, and non-sensible variations i.e., $TCT(Ser){\to}TCC(Ser)$, $ATT(Ile){\to}ATC(I1e)$ and $ACG(Thr){\to}ACA(Thr)$. On the 3' side of the pol gene (integrase region), some nucleotide sequences were mutated and led to amino acid changes. Among them, a mutation, $GAA(Glu){\to}GAC(Asp)$ occurred in many Korean-type BLV proviruses was very interesting because the amino acid was regarded as one of the most conserved amino acids in the retroviral integrase. It was also notable that the mutation on any leucine residue did not occur, in spite of its frequent appearance.