• The Zoological Society Korea : Newsletter
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.113.1-113
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• 1995

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1995.10b
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• pp.249.1-249
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• 1995

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.199-205
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• 2004

The six lumbrokinase fractions (F1 to F6) with fibrinolytic activities were purified from earthworm Lumbricus rubellus lysates using the procedures of autolysis, ammonium sulfate fractionation, and column chromatography. The proteolytic activities on the casein substrate of the six iso-enzymes ranged from 11.3 to 167.5 unit/mg with the rank activity orders of F2 > F1 > F5 > F6 > F3 > F4. The fibrinolytic activities of the six fractions on the fibrin plates ranged from 20.8 to 207.2 unit/mg with rank orders of F6 > F2 > F5 > F3 > F1 > F4. The molecular weights of each iso-enzyme, as estimated by SDS-PAGE, were 24.6 (F1), 26.8 (F2), 28.2 (F3), 25.4 (F4), 33.1 (F5), and 33.0 kDa (F6), respectively. The plasminogen was activated into plasmin by the enzymes. The optimal temperature of the six iso-enzymes was $50^{\circ}C$, and the optimal pH ranged from pH 4-12. The four iso-enzymes (F1-F4) were completely inhibited by PMSF. The two enzymes (F5 and F6) were completely inhibited by aprotinin, TLCK, TPCK, SBTI, LBTI, and leupeptin. The N-terminal amino acid (aa) sequences of the first 20 to 22 residues of each fraction had high homology. All six isoenzymes had identical aa residues 2-3 and 13-15. The N-terminal 21-22 aa sequences of the F2, F3, and F4 isoenzymes were almost the same. The N-terminal aa sequences of F5 and F6 were identical.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.108-113
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• 2006

To compensate the problems of chemical assay in detoxification of recalcitrant and a practical approach in selection of bioremediation bacteria, a simple and rapid toxicity evaluation system was constructed based on Lumbricus rubellus. Long term-culture and specific equipment are not necessary, and semi-quantitative analysis of toxicity at sub-lethal concentration is possible by measuring of dose-dependent increased yellowish secreted compounds. When the toxicity of endosulfan, its metabolites and structurally related chemicals were measured for 24 h, the results were coincided with previous reports. Toxicity was found in endosulfan, endosulfan sulfate, aldrin, and dieldrin, respectively. Rapid and economic selection of endosulfan-detoxifying bacteria was possible using our system. Klebsiella pneumoniae KE-1, K. oxytoca KE-8 and Pseudomonas sp. KS-2P, reported endosulfan degrading bacteria, ameliorated the endosulfan toxicity, whereas E. coli, B. subtilis and other bacteria failed to protect the toxicity of endosulfan in L. rubellus. Our results suggest that the constructed system is useful to selection of microorganism as well as toxicity evaluation against toxic recalcitrants.

• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.398-401
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• 1995

Two fibrinolytic enzymes from the autolysate of Lumbricus rubellus were purified in homogeneous form. Their molecular sizes were 31,000 (Enz1) and 35,000 (Enz2) Da. respectively. However, the N-Terminal amino acid sequences of Enz1 and Enz2 were exactly the same: Ile-Val-Gly-Gly-Ile-Glu-Ala-Arg-Pro-Tyr-Glu-Phe-Pro-Trp-Gln-. These results indicate that Enz1 is a shortened form of Enz2 formed during autolysis. When a synthetic substrate, Ile-Pro-Arg-pNA, was used, the catalytic activity were observed in the pH range of 5-10 and the kinetic parameters including $K_m$ (1.6 ${\mu}m$) and $V_{max}$ (40 nmol/jmin/mg) were almost identical between the two enzymes. However, the fibrinolytic activity of Enz2 was at least 1.25 times higher than that of Enz1, suggesting that the C-terminal region of Enz2 is important in fibrinolysis but not in amidolysis. Furtheimore. fibrinolytic activity of the enzymes was increased by the addition of the lipid extracted from L. rubellus in the presence of $MgCl_2$ or $CaCl_2$. The stimulatary effect of lipid on Enz2 was higher compared to Enz1.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.36-46
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• 1996

An endogenous phenoloxidase (EPO) from earthworm, Lumbricus rubellus, has been purified and characterized. The purified EPO using ammonium sulfate fractionation, Blue-2, Phenyl-, and Q-sepharose chromatography steps was revealed in SDS-PAGE as a single protein banri with Mr. of 59 kl)a. A native strudure of the enzyme was examined with an in situ staining of a nondenatudng-PAGE using DL-dopa as a substrate. The result showed that a single band due to the EPO activity was located siighdy above a standard polypeptide with Mr. of 210 kl)a. These fads indicate that the EPO is an oligomeric enzyme. The presence of a monophenolase activity of the purified EPO, which hydroxylates tyrosine to dopa, was confirmed by observing dopachrome accumulation at 475 nm at PH 8.0 with a typical lag phase during 60 mm. of meausrement. A series of inhibition study has been performed for the enzyme with several divalent cation chelators such as phenyithiourea (Flu), 1, lO-phenanthroline, EDTA, and EGTA. Among them, only V'flj inhibited the enzyme with 1C0.5 of 65 MM, which indicated that copper was critical for the catalysis of EPO. The enzyme was maximally active at 35'C and pH 8.0 when L-dopa to dopachrome conversion was spectrophotometricaily monitored at 475 nm. The apparent Km values of P0 for L-opa were obtained as 1.86 mM and 13.8 mM at pH 6.5 and 8.0, respectively. The catalytic efficiencies at both pH were almost identical [(kat/Km)pH8.0/(kcat/Km)pH6.5 = O.92] while the Vmax at p11 8.0 was 6.6-fold higher than that at pH 6.5. This fact may indicate that pH affeds the catalysis at substrate and/or enzyme-substrate complex level rather than the enzyme itself. Taken together, the EPO was an oligomeric enzyme which did not require proteolysis for its activation. These results also indicated that the enzyme can exist, at least, in part as a latent form In vivo, which might be distinct from the prophenoloxidase activating system. Therefore, it is pertinent to consider that there must be certain regulatory molecules or phenomena in L. rubellus which make the 1,0 in a latent form in vivo before the foreign invasions.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.20-30
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• 1991

지렁이(L. rubelIus) 체액내의 적혈구용혈능깍 단백질분해능을 확인하였다. 지렁이의 체액 0. 33 $\mu$l속에 있는 용혈인자는 9 $\times$ 1011 rat RBCs를 2분만에 완전히 용혈시켰으며, 다른 포유류들의 적혈구에도 약간의 차이는 있으나 비슷한 용혈능을 보였고, 이 용혈인자는 지렁이의 혈구가 아닌 몸체조직에서 분비되는 것으로 생각되었다. 용혈인자는 pH 6.5-7.5사이에서 활성이 가장 강하였고, 63'c로 30분 열처리할 경우 활성이 완전히 없어졌으며, 2-mercaptoethanol은 용혈인자의 활성을 증가시켰다. 이 인자의 활성도는 여러가지의 당류, LPS, cholesterol, prosphatidyl Choline, Ch10ropromazine, Sphin90myelin 및 FG2+, Fe3+, CU2+, ZR2+ 등의 금속이온에 의하여 활성이 저해되었다. 한편 지렁이 체액내의 단백질 분해인자는 BSA와 19G를 여러 조각으로 분해시켰으며 이 분해인자는 PMSF및 TLCK에 의하여 활성이 억제되지 않았다. 지렁이의 체강에는 용혈소를 분비하는 박테리아들이 존재하였으나 이들 박테리아들의 용혈소는 지렁이의 용혈인자와는 전기영동이동도에서 차이가 있었다.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.567-572
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• 1999

We have previously shown that a DNA fragment is responsible for the anticoagulatory effect of an earthworm, Lumbricus rubellus. The anticoagluant increased the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and also inhibited the thrombin activity observed with either N-${\alpha}$-p-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester (TAME) or H-D-phenyl-alanyl-L-pipecoil-L-arginine-p-nitroanilide (S-2238). Since trypsin digestion of the anticoagulant further increased the APTT, the possible presence of a regulatory protein for the anticoagulatory DNA was investigated by digesting the anticoagulant with trypsin and isolating the DNA fragment with C4-reversed phase HPLC. The DNA fragment lacking a regulatory protein was eluted in the flow-through fraction, and analyzed with thrombin and activated factor X. Activated factor X activity was more strongly inhibited than thrombin activity. For DNA digestion, we treated the anticoagulant with DNase and purified the DNA-binding protein with a FPLC Resource-S cation exchange column. The regulatory protein, with an $M_r$ of 55.0 kDa, reduced the anticoagulatory effect of the DNA fragment.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 1997

A saline suspension of Lumbricus rubellus earthworm powder (EWP) was administered to rats (1 g/kg/day) orally for 15 days to evaluate an oral effectiveness for thrombotic disorders. Blood was drawn at 2-day interval after the administration. Several parameters for antithrombotic, anticoagulant and fibrinolytic activities were measured, including platelet aggregation, clotting time, plasmin activity and the levels of FDP (fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products), D-dimer, and t-PA antigen. It did not affect platelet aggregation induced by ADP and collagen but anticoagulant activity (aPTT and TT) was gradually increased to two-folds for the first 5 days of administration and back to normal. Fibrinolytic activity of euglobulin fraction was highest on the 11 th day after the administration. The level of FDP was elevated to be comparable to the positve control$ (5-10 {\mu}g/ml)$ after 9-day treatment. Oral administration of the EWP could also reduce the formation of venous thrombus induced with viper venom. Complete blood count (CBC) profiles were within normal ranges except for a slight increase in white blood cells after the oral administration for 15 days. These results suggested that the EWP may be valuable for the prevention and/or treatment of thrombotic diseases.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.214-219
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• 1990

This study was conducted to characterize red worm(Lumbricus rubellus) and its cast reared six months using with pulp sludge, mixture of pulp sludge and methane sludge, and cow manure and methane sludge. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The optimum growth temperature ranged from $16^{\circ}C$ to $25^{\circ}C$ and monthly weight increase was about one kilogram per square meter. 2. The weight of red worm increased 9 to 11 percent reared with mixture of cow manure and methane sludge compared to pulp sludge. 3. Red worm contained large amount of amino acid, including. Lycine, which, might be a good source for a feed additive. 4. Yields of red worm cast ranged from 90 to 95 ton/10a/year on dry weight base. 5. CEC of red worm cast varied from 19.4 to 49.9 meg/100g and O.M content ranged from 26.4 to 35.1 percent. It contained lots of nutrients resulting in a good fertilizer source.