• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.190-198
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• 2018

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease caused by microbial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), destroying gingival tissues and alveolar bone in the periodontium. In the present study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory and anti-osteoclastic effects of panduratin A, a chalcone compound isolated from Boesenbergia pandurata, in human gingival fibroblast-1 (HGF-1) and RAW 264.7 cells. Treatment of panduratin A to LPS-stimulated HGF-1 significantly reduced the expression of interleukin-$1{\beta}$ and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$), subsequently leading to the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-8 compared with that in the LPS control ($^{**}p$ < 0.01). These anti-inflammatory responses were mediated by suppressing the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and activator protein-1 complex formation pathways. Moreover, receptor activator of NF-${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells treated with panduratin A showed significant inhibition of osteoclastic transcription factors such as nuclear factor of activated T-cells c1 and c-Fos as well as osteoclastic enzymes such as tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and cathepsin K compared with those in the RANKL control ($^{**}p$ < 0.01). Similar to HGF-1, panduratin A suppressed osteoclastogenesis by controlling MAPK signaling pathways. Taken together, these results suggest that panduratin A could be a potential candidate for development as a natural anti-periodontitis agent.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.855-859
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• 2011

The main pollutants from zirconium alloy tubing manufacturing process in nuclear industry are nitrate ($NO_3-N$) and fluoride (F-)Nitric acid, and hydrofluoric acid is used for acid pickling. The process for the removal of nitrate and fluoride is composed of 1st chemical coagulation, SOD (Sulfur Oxidation Denitrification) process using sulfur-oxidizing denitrification, and 2nd chemical coagulation. The characteristic of the wastewater treatment is an application of SOD process. The SOD Process is highly received attention because it is significantly different from existing processes for sulfur denitrification. A JSC (JeonTech-Sulfur- Calcium) Pellet is unification of sulfur and alkalinity material. According to result of SOD process in wastewater treatment plant, the removal efficiency of T-N was over 91% and the average concentration of T-N from influent was 147.55 mg T-N/L and that from effluent was 12.72 mg T-N/L. Therefore, SOD process is a useful to remove nitrogen from inorganic industrial wastewater and a new development of microbial activator was shown to be stable for activation of autotrophic bacteria.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.1322-1330
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• 2010

Three types of nuruk were made from rice, wheat, and a rice-glasswort (6:4) mixture. Nuruk, makgeolli, and vinegar were manufactured with rice nuruk (RN), wheat nuruk (WN), and rice-glasswort nuruk (RGN). The variable region of 18S or 16S rDNA amplified with genomic DNA extracted directly from nuruk-, makgeolli-, and vinegar-making cultures was analyzed via temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE). The sequence of the 18S rDNA variable region extracted from the TGGE gel for nuruk was 99% homologous with Aspergillus sp. and that for the makgeolli-making culture was 99% homologous with Saccharomyces sp. and Saccharomycodes sp. The sequence of the 16S rDNA variable region extracted from TGGE gel for the vinegar-making culture was 98% homologous, primarily with the Acetobacter sp. The eukaryotic and prokaryotic diversities in the nuruk-, makgeolli-, and vinegar-making cultures was not significantly altered by the addition of glasswort. Prokaryotic diversity was higher than eukaryotic diversity in the nuruk, but eukaryotic diversity was higher than prokaryotic diversity in the makgeolli-making culture, on the basis of the TGGE patterns. No 18S rDNA was amplified from the DNA extracted from the vinegar-making culture. The diversity of the microbial community in the process from nuruk to vinegar was slightly affected by the type of raw material utilized for nuruk-making. The saccharifying activity and ethanol productivity of nuruk, polyphenol content in makgeolli, and acetic acid and polyphenol content in the vinegar were increased as a result of the addition of glasswort. In conclusion, the glasswort may be not simply an activator for the growth of microorganisms during the fermentation of nuruk, makgeolli, or vinegar, but also a nutritional supplement that improves the quality of vinegar.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1456-1463
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• 2009

Vibrio parahaemolyticus possessing urease-positive property is relatively rare, but such strains consistently exhibit the TDH-related hemolysin (TRH) gene. In this study, we examined the effects of incubation temperature on urease activity expression, using the TH3996 and AQ4673 strains where the enzyme activity is known to be temperature-dependent and -independent, respectively. In the TH3996 strain, $\beta$-galactosidase activity was 4.4-fold lower after $30^{\circ}C$ cultivation than after $37^{\circ}C$ in a ureR-lacZ fusion strain, but temperature dependency was not found in ureD- or nikA-lacZ fusion strains. However, ureR-, ureD-, and nikA-lacZ fusions of the AQ4673 strain was not influenced by incubation temperature. We compared the promoter sequences of ureR between the above two strains. Intriguingly, we detected mismatches of two nucleotides between the two strains located at positions -66 and -108 upstream of the methionine initiation codon for UreR. Additionally, urease activity was not affected by culture temperature at either $30^{\circ}C$ or $37^{\circ}C$ by allelic introduction of the AQ4673 ureR gene into the TH3996 ureR deletion mutant. Taken together, our study demonstrates that the transcriptional factor UreR is involved in the temperature dependency of urease activity, and two nucleotides within the ureR promoter region are of particular importance for the urease activity dependency of V. parahaemolyticus.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2014

Aromatic hydrocarbons are toxic environmental pollutants that are detrimental to the ecosystem and human health. Among them, chlorotoluene and nitrotoluene are toxic to hydrobios and irritate the skin, eyes, and respiratory organs of humans. We herein report the development of recombinant microbial biosensors for cheap and rapid monitoring of chlorotoluene and nitrotoluene compounds. Plasmids were constructed by inserting the xylR regulatory gene for BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) degradation into upstream of Po' (the DmpR activator promoter Po with the deletion of its own upstream activating sequences) or Pu (the cognate promoter of XylR)::lacZ (the ${\beta}$-galactosidase gene) and transformed into Escherichia coli $DH5{\alpha}$. In the presence of inducers, the biosensor cells immobilized in agarose developed a red color in 1-2 h due to the hydrolysis of chlorophenol red ${\beta}$-D-galactopyranoside (CPRG), a substrate of ${\beta}$-galactosidase that was expressed by the inducers. Among BTEX, high responses were specifically observed with o-, m-, p-chlorotoluene ($0.1{\mu}M-100 mM$) and o-, m-, p-nitrotoluene (0.1 mM-100 mM). Po' demonstrated higher responses than those with Pu. The biosensors immobilized in agarose showed good stability after 21 days' storage at $4^{\circ}C$, and responses in untreated wastewater spiked with chlorotoluene and nitrotoluene, suggesting they can be used to detect compounds in wastewater.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1644-1649
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• 2009

This study investigates the buffering effects of calcium salts in kimchi on the total acidity, microbial population, and dextransucrase activity. Calcium chloride or calcium carbonate was added to dongchimi-kimchi, a watery radish kimchi, and the effects on various biochemical attributes were analyzed. The addition of 0.1% calcium chloride produced a milder decrease in the pH after 24 days of incubation, which allowed the lactic acid bacteria to survive longer than in the control. In particular, the heterofermentative Leuconostoc genus population was 10-fold higher than that in the control. When sucrose and maltose were also added along with the calcium salts, the dextransucrase activity in the kimchi was elevated and a higher concentration of isomaltooligosaccharides was synthesized when compared with the control. Calcium chloride was determined as a better activator compound of dextransucrase than calcium carbonate, probably because of its higher solubility. Therefore, the results of this study confirm the ability of the proposed approach to modulate the kimchi fermentation process and possibly enhance the quality of kimchi based on the addition of dietary calcium salts.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.253-257
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• 2008

Acrolein is a highly electrophilic ${\alpha},{\beta}$-unsaturated aldehyde present in a number of environmental sources, especially cigarette smoke. It reacts strongly with the thiol groups of cysteine residues by Michael addition and has been reported to inhibit nuclear $factor-{\kappa}B$ ($NF-{\kappa}B$) activation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The mechanism by which it inhibits $NF-{\kappa}B$ is not clear. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a key role in sensing microbial components and inducing innate immune responses, and LPS-induced dimerization of TLR4 is required for activation of downstream signaling pathways. Thus, dimerization of TLR4 may be one of the first events involved in activating TLR4-mediated signaling pathways. Stimulation of TLR4 by LPS activates both myeloid differential factor 88 (MyD88)- and TIR domain-containing adapter inducing $IFN{\beta}$ (TRIF)-dependent signaling pathways leading to activation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ and IFN-regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). Acrolein inhibited $NF-{\kappa}B$ and IRF3 activation by LPS, but it did not inhibit $NF-{\kappa}B$ or IRF3 activation by MyD88, inhibitor ${\kappa}B$ kinase $(IKK){\beta}$, TRIF, or TNF-receptor-associated factor family member-associated $NF-{\kappa}B$ activator (TANK)-binding kinase 1 (TBK1). Acrolein inhibited LPS-induced dimerization of TLR4, which resulted in the down-regulation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ and IRF3 activation. These results suggest that activation of TLRs and subsequent immune/inflammatory responses induced by endogenous molecules or chronic infection can be modulated by certain chemicals with a structural motif that enables Michael addition.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2016

This study is focused on the evaluation of growth parameters, total polyphenol content (TPC), chlorophyll content as well as the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl) free radical scavenging activity of young barley seedling (YBS) affected by elicitation. Salicylic acid (SA), methyl jasmonate (MJ), amino acid liquid fertilizer (ALF) and microbial metabolism activator (MMA) were used. Elicitation was conducted for two times and various concentrations were used in this study. The result revealed that, MJ 1 ml/L treated-YBS gave the longest seedling length of 1.33 cm, followed by the ones treated with SA 1.38 mg/L and ALF 2 ml/L, respectively. ALF 3 ml/L treatment gave the highest fresh weight of 10 seedlings, followed by MJ 5 ml/L and SA 13.8 mg/L treatment with 1.56 g, 1.55 g and 1.53 g respectively. SA 138.12 mg/L elicitor treated-YBS gave the highest Chl a, Chl b content of $8.57{\mu}g/mg$ and $3.83{\mu}g/mg$, respectively while the highest carotenoid content was found in MJ ml/L treatment with $1.62{\mu}g/mg$. Among elicitor treated-YBS, SA showed better TPC. The highest TPC was found in SA 1.38 mg/L treatment with 18.82 mg/g TAE. Likewise, SA 1.38 mg/L showed the highest DPPH free radical scavenging activity among all the treatments. However, the lowest TPC was found in ALF 1ml/L treated-YBS with 9.46 mg/g TAE, which was even lower than the control (14.31 mg/g TAE).

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.111-129
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• 1970

As a series of studies on the nucleic acids and their related substances 210 samples were collected from 76 places such as farm soil, compost of heap, nuruk and meju to obtain microbial strains which produce 5'-phosphodiesterase. From these samples total of 758 strains were isolated by the use of dilution pour plate method. For all isolated strains primary screening of the productivity of RNA depolymerase was performed and useful strains with regard to 5'-phosphodiesterase productivities were identified. For these useful strains optimum condition, the effect of various compounds on the activity of 5'-phosphodiesterase, and the optimum condition for enzyme reaction were discussed. The quantitative of 5'-mononucleotides produced by the action of 5'-phosphodiesterase was performed using anion-exchange column chromatography and their identified was done by paper chromatography, thinlayer chromatography, ultra violet spectrophotometry, and characteristic color reaction using carbazole and schiff's reagent. (1) Penicillium citreo-viride PO 2-11 and Streptomyces aureus SOA 4-21 from soil were identified as a potent 5'-phosphodiesterase producing strains. (2) Optimum culture conditions for Penicillium citreo-viride PO 2-11 strain isolated were found to be pH 5.0 and $30^{\circ}C$, and the optimum conditions for enzyme action of 5'-phosphodiesterase were pH 4.2 and $60^{\circ}C$. Best carbon source for the production of 5'-phosphodiesterase was found to be sucrose and ammonium nitrate for nitrogen source. Addition of 0.01% corn steep liquor or yeast extract exhibited 20% increase in the amount of 5'-phosphodiesterase production compared to the control. 5'-phosphodiesterase produced by this strain was activated by $Mg^{++},\;Ca^{++},\;Zn^{++},\;Mn^{++}$ and was inhibited by EDTA, citrate, $Cu^{++},\;CO^{++}$. 5'-phosphodiesterase produced 5'-mononucleotide from RNA at a rate of 65.81%, and among the 5'-mononucleotides accumulated 5'-GMP only was found to have flavorous and the strain was also found lack of 5'-AMP deaminase. Productivity of flavorous 5'-GMP was found to be 186.7mg per gram of RNA. (3) Optimum culture canditions for the isolated Streptomyces aureus SOA 4-21 strain were pH 7.0 and $28^{\circ}C$, and the optimum conditions for the action of 5'-phosphodiesterase were pH 7.3 and $50^{\circ}C$. The best carbon source for 5'-phosphodiesterase production was found to be glucose and that of nitrogen was asparagine. Addition of 0.01% yeast extract exhibited increased productivity of 5'-phosphodiesterase by 40% compared to the non-added control. 5'-phosphodiesterase produced by this strain was activated by $Ca^{++},\;Zn^{++},\;Mn^{++}$ and was inhibited by citrate, EDTA, $Cu^{++}$. It was also found that the strain produce 5'-AMP deaminase in addition to 5'-phosphodiesterase. For this reason although decomposition rate was 63.58% the accumulation of 5'-AMP, 5'-CMP, 5'-GMP and 5'-UMP occurred by the breakdown of RNA. In the course of these reaction 5'-AMP deaminase converted 60% of 5'-AMP thus produced into 5'-IMP and flavorous 5'-mono nucleotide production was significantly increased by this strain over the above mentioned one. Production rates were found to be 171.8mg per grain of RNA for 5'-IMP and 148.2mg per gram of RNA for 5'-GMP, respectively.