• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.117-120
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• 2014

Several studies have reported that the citrus red mites Panonychus citri were an important allergen of citrus-cultivating farmers in Jeju Island. The aim of the present study was to purify and assess properties of a cysteine protease from the mites acting as a potentially pathogenic factor to citrus-cultivating farmers. A cysteine protease was purified using column chromatography of Mono Q anion exchanger and Superdex 200 HR gel filtration. It was estimated to be 46 kDa by gel filtration column chromatography and consisted of 2 polypeptides, at least. Cysteine protease inhibitors, such as trans poxy-succinyl-L-leucyl-amido (4-guanidino) butane (E-64) and iodoacetic acid (IAA) totally inhibited the enzyme activities, whereas serine or metalloprotease inhibitors did not affect the activities. In addition, the purified enzyme degraded human IgG, collagen, and fibronectin, but not egg albumin. From these results, the cysteine protease of the mites might be involved in the pathogenesis such as tissue destruction and penetration instead of nutrient digestion.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.84-94
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• 1976

Cellulase components, CMCase(Cx) and Avicelase$(C_1)$, were partially prueified, from the culture extract of a strain of Trichoderma koningii by column chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-50 and the step of gel filtration through Sphadex G-150, Optimum pH of CMCase was 5.2 and Avicelase showed the highest activity at pH 5.6 in acetate buffer. Optimal temperatures for activities of CMCase and Avicelase were $50^{\circ}C\;and\;60^{\circ}C, $ respectively. More than 70% of the activities of two enzymes were remained after heating at $60^{\circ}C$ for 30 min and Avicelase is more stable than any other fungal enzymes. The Michaelis constants, Km, of CMCase and Avicelase were 0.116% of CMC and 0.281% of avicel. And also the values of maximum velocity, Vmax, of CMCase and Avicelase were $23.20{\mu}g\;and\;2.54{\mu}g$ of reducing sugar per min. Of the metal ions tested against the activites of CMCase and Avicelase, $Cu^{++}, \; Hg^{++}, \;and\;Pb^{{++}$ are remarkably effective inhibitors. The molecular weights of Cx and $C_1$ component were estimated to be about 47, 000 and 61, 000 by gel filtration method.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.360-367
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• 1994

The effect of various nutrients for the production of the anti-complementary polysaccha- ride by Flammulina velutipes, was examined and the partial purification of the polysaccharide was carried out. The culture conditions and medium compositions considerably influenced the anti-complementary activity of the polysaccharides. When a culture was carried out at 23$\circ$C and pH 5.5 for 6 days in the synthetic medium supplemented with galactose and NaNO$_{3}$, the production of the anti-complementary polysaccharide was maximized. The crude polysaccharide, FV-1 was isolated from the culture broth and partially purified into two fractions, FV-1-II and FV-1-III by gel filtration using Sephadex G-100. FV-1-II was mainly consisted of xylose, mannose, galactose and glucose, and rhamnose, mannose and galactose, for FV-1-III. Also, the anti-complementary activity of FV-1-III was reduced partially in the absence of the Ca ion. When crossed immunoelect- rophoresis using anti-human C3 serum was carried out after incubation of normal human serum with the FV-1-III in the Ca ion free condition, a cleavage of C3 precipitin line was observed. These results indicate that the mode of complement activation by polysaccharide from Flammulina velutipes is via not only the classical pathway but also the alternative pathway.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.540-544
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• 1996

Ferritins from germinated pumpkin seeds were isolated by ammonium sulfate precipitation (0.55 saturation), ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, and gel filtration chromatographies on Sephacryl S-300 and Sephadex G-100. Pumpkin ferritin contains less iron than soybean ferritin. Pumpkin ferritin cross-reacted with anti-soybean ferritin antiserum made in rabbit, and showed two distinct antibody reactive bands, both of equal intensity. The pumpkin ferritins corresponding to the two bands were separable by centrifugation in a sucrose gradient (20~50%). The molecular weights of the native pumpkin ferritins based on the estimation of sucrose gradient centrifugation, gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300 and non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis appeared to be: 530~580 KD (the large molecular weight pumpkin ferritin) and 330-360 KD (the small molecular weight pumpkin ferritin) The large molecular weight pumpkin ferritin contains less iron. Both pumpkin ferritins cross-reacted with anti-soybean ferritin antibody with a spur formation suggesting partial antigenic recognition.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.197-202
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• 1990

Early studies demonstrated that seminal plasma has a factor which inhibits fertilizing ability in a reversible manner. The factor can be precipitated by centrifugation at 104000g for 18 hr. The precipitate was applied to a CM cellulose column and eluted with high salt concentration. This fraction possessed antifertilizing activity was applied to a Sephacryl S-200 column according to a modification of the method of Reddy et al. Using such inhibition of in vitro fertilization ability as an assay, we have carried our experiments to purified the factor. When the factor was added to IVF medium, 70-80% of fertilization was inhibited.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.511-518
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• 2006

A gene cluster for cyclohexanone oxidation was cloned from Rhodococcus sp. TK6, which is capable of growth on cyclohexanone as the sole carbon source. The 9,185-bp DNA sequence analysis revealed seven potential open reading frames (ORFs), designated as ssd-chnR-chnD-chnC-chnB-chnE-partial pcd. The chnBCDE genes encode enzymes for the four-step conversion of cyclohexanone to adipic acid, catalyzed by cyclohexanone monooxygenase (ChnB), $\varepsilon-caprolactone$ hydrolase (ChnC), 6-hydroxyhexanoate dehydrogenase (ChnD), and 6-oxohexanoate dehydrogenase (ChnE). Furthermore, the presence of a regulatory element in the downstream region of the chnD gene supports the notion that chnR is a putative regulatory gene. Among them, the activity of ChnB was confirmed and characterized, following their expression and purification in Escherichia coli harboring the modified chnB gene (chnB gene with 6 successive codons for His at the 3' terminus).

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.344-351
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• 1990

An alkalophilic microoganism producing a detergent-resistant alkaline protease was isolated from soil and identified as Baeiltus sp. The alkaline protease has been partially purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-Cellulose, CM-Cellulose and Sephdex G-100 column chromatography. The purified alkaline protease was highly active at pH 12-13 toward casein and stable at pH values from 6 to ll. The optimum temperature for the enzyme reaction was $55^{\circ}C$. The enzyme was completely inactivated by diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) indicating that the enzyme was serine protease, but considerabiy stable in the presence of surface active agents.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.37-42
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• 1997

A bacterial strain L1 producing a thermostable esterase was isolated from soil taken near a hot spring and identified as Bacillus stearothermophilus by its microbiological properties. The isolated thermostable esterase was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, ion .exchange and hydrophobic interaction chromatographies. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 50,000 by SDS-PAGE. Its optimum temperature and pH for hydrolytic activity against PNP caprylate were $85^{\circ}C$ and 9.0, respectively. The purified enzyme was stable up to $70^{\circ}C$ and at a broad pH range of 4.0-11.5 in the presence of bovine serum albumin. The enzyme was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and diethyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate, indicating the enzyme is a serine esterase. The enzyme obeyed Michaelis-Menten kinetics in the hydrolysis of PNPEs and had maximum activity for PNP caproate ($C_6$) among PNPEs ($C_2-C_12$) tested.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.149-154
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• 1994

Anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory actions of the water extract from Cimicifuga heracleifolia were evaluated in mice and rats. Several criteria were employed to assess the anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory actions of Cimicifuga heracleifolia, such as hyaluronidase activity, mediators-induced vascular permeability changes, 48 hour homologous passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) histamine release from mast cells, and the carrageenan-induced rat paw edema. To further characterize the active components, the water extract was either extracted with organic solvent or fractionated according to molecular weight, and each fraction was tested for some of anti-allergic parameters. Hyaluronidase activities, both in activating and in activated states, were significantly inhibited by the water extract of Cimicifuga heracleifolia and by some of its subfractions, molecular weight less than 1,000. The water extracts (50~400 mg/kg) significantly inhibited 48 hr homologous PCA and vascular permeability changes induced by chemical mediators (histamine, serotonin, and leukotriene $C_4$) in mice. In the case of histamine-induced vascular permeability changes, more extensive studies were conducted; water extract was either fractionated according to molecular weight or extracted with butanol. Anti-histamine actions were observed only from the water layer, and these active components were of the molecular weight less than 1,000. These anti-allergic actions were observed mainly from mice than from rats. On the other hand, anti-inflammatory actions of the water extract from Cimicifuga heracleifolia were significant in rats.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.183-186
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• 2008

Helminthic cysteine proteases are well known to play critical roles in tissue invasion, nutrient uptake, and immune evasion of the parasites. In the same manner, the sparganum, the plerocercoid of Spirometra mansoni, is also known to secrete a large amount of cysteine proteases. However, cysteine protease inhibitors regulating the proteolytic activities of the cysteine protease are poorly illustrated. In this regard, we partially purified an endogenous cysteine protease inhibitor from spargana and characterized its biochemical properties. The cysteine protease inhibitor was purified by sequential chromatographies using Resource Q anion exchanger and Superdex 200 HR gel filtration from crude extracts of spargana. The molecular weight of the purified protein was estimated to be about 11 kD on SDS-PAGE. It was able to inhibit papain and 27 kDa cysteine protease of spargana with the ratio of 25.7% and 49.1%, respectively, while did not inhibit chymotrypsin. This finding suggests that the cysteine protease inhibitor of spargana may be involved in regulation of endogenous cysteine proteases of the parasite, rather than interact with cysteine proteases from their hosts.