• KSBB Journal
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.109-113
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• 2012

This research was to examine the effects of various cyclodextrins on the solubility and stability of prodigiosin in seawater. Among them, ${\beta}$-cyclodextrin was found to have the best efficiency and formation of the inclusion complex was saturated when prodigiosin and ${\beta}$-cyclodextrin were mixed in a ratio of 1:8 and shaken at $25^{\circ}C$ and pH 8.0 for 6 h. The maximum algicidal activity against Chattonella antiqua using the inclusion complex stored at $4^{\circ}C$ for 5 weeks of culture was obtained, $52.28{\pm}3.41%$, which was about 5.0 fold higher than that of control. Our results suggest that inclusion complexes of prodigiosin and ${\beta}$-cyclodextrin could serve as effective algicidal agents.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1903-1907
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• 2008

Prodigiosin is a natural red pigment with algicidal activity against Cochlodinium polykrikoides, a major harmful red-tide microalga. To increase the yield of prodigiosin production by Hahella chejuensis KCTC 2396, significant medium components were determined using a two-level Plackett-Burman statistical design technique. Among 12 components included in basal medium, $NaHCO_3$, ${Na}_{2}{SiO}_{3}$, ${NH_4}{NO_3}$, ${Na}_{2}{SO}_{4}$ and $CaCl_2$ were determined to be important for prodigiosin production. The medium formulation was finally optimized using a Box-Behnken design as follows: 1% sucrose; 0.4% peptone; 0.1 % yeast extract; and (g/l): NaCl, 20.0; ${Na}_{2}{SO}_{4}$, 9.0; $CaCl_2$, 1.71; KCl, 0.4; and (mg/l): ${H_3}{BO_3}$, 10.0; KBr, 50.0; NaF, 2.0; $NaHCO_3$, 45.0; ${Na}_{2}{SiO}_{3}$, 4.5; ${NH_4}{NO_3}$, 4.5. The predicted maximum yield of prodigiosin in the optimized medium was 1.198 g/l by the Box-Behnken design, whereas the practical production was 1.495 g/l, which was three times higher than the basal medium (0.492 g/l).

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17
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• pp.217-218
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• 2001

In a series of our screening for immunomodulating substances, we isolated prodigiosin from the culture broth qf Serratia marcescens B-1231. This compound inhibited the T cell-mediated immune responses such as concanavalin A-induced proliferation, mixed lymphocyte response, local graft versus host reaction and T-dependent antibody response at nontoxic concentrations. However. prodigiosin did not effect B cell-mediated immune functions such as lipopolysaccharide-induced proliferation and -activated polyclonal antibody production at the same concentrations. Prodigiosin did not cause death in vitro to lymphocytes at effective concentrations (＜100 nM) and also did not show toxicity in vivo to lymphoid organs at effective dos-ages (10 and 30 mg/kg). The pharmacological potencies were comparable to the activities of well-known T-cell specific immunosuppressants such as cyclosporin A. In our continuing study, mechanism of action of PDG is investigated with respect to the effect of PDG on IL-2/IL-2R pathway and transcription factor.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.49-52
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• 2007

Prodigiosin (1) is the parent member of a class of polypyrrole natural products that exhibit promising anticancer activities. They can facilitate copper-promoted oxidative DNA damage by binding to copper ions, and this activity is thought to represent their mechanism of cytotoxicity in the dark. They also possess photoinduced cytotoxicity, although 1 is too toxic in the dark to be used effectively for the treatment of cancer by photodynamic therapies. To circumvent dark toxicity by prodigiosins, the semi-synthetic analogue 2, in which the N-pyrrolic atoms of 1 are methylated to block copper coordination, and the synthetic phenyl analogues 3 and 4, which lack the copper-coordinating A-pyrrole ring of 1, were tested for their ability to inhibit colony formation of HL-60 cancer cells in the absence and presence of visible light (λ > 495 nm). Our results show that 2-4 lack cytotoxicity in the dark, but are able to inhibit colony formation of HL-60 cells following irradiation for 30 min. The synthetic derivative 4 exhibits photo-induced cytotoxicity similar to that of the natural product 1, demonstrating the potential use of prodigiosin-based compounds for treatment of cancers following irradiation with visible light.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.251-257
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• 2000

Chitin synthases are identified as key enzymes of chitin biosynthesis in most of the fungi. Among them, chitin synthase II has been reported to be and essential enzyme in chitin biosynthesis, and exists as a membrane-bound form. To search and screen new antifungal agents from natural resources to inhibit chitin synthase II, the assay conditions were established using the enzyme isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae ECY38-38A(pAS6) that overproduces only chitin synthase II. This enzyme was activated only by partial proteolysis with trypsin. Its actibity reached the maximum at $80{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml$ of trypsin and was strongly stimulated by 2.0 mM $Co^{2+}$, 1.0 nM UDP-[$^{14}C$]-GicNAc, and 32 mM free-GlcNAc. Under these assay conditions, the highest chitin synthase II activity was observed by incubation at $30^{\circ}C$ for 90 min. However, and extremely narrow range of organic solvents up to as much as 25% of DMSO and 25% of MeOH was useful for determining optimal assay conditions. After a search or potent inhibitors of chitin synthase II from natural resources, prodigiosin was isolated from Serratia marcescens and purified by solvent extration and silica gel column chromatographies. The structure of prodigiosin was determined by UV, IR, Mass spectral, and NMR spectral analyses. Its molecular weight and formula were found to be 323 and $C_{20}H_{25}N_{3}O$, respectively. Prodigiosin ingibited chitin synthase II by 50% at the concentration of $115{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml$.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.431-437
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• 1998

Optimal media and cultural conditions for the production of prodigiosin-like pigment were established using Serratia sp. KH-95. Glucose and phosphate(K2PO4) stimulated the cell growth, but inhibited the production of pigment at concentration levels of above 10 g/L and 2.0 g/L, respectively. Addition of soy been oil or rice oil to the production medium accelerated cell growth up to more than 2-3 times, but the production of prodigiosin increased about 15-20% in spite of the good cell growth. The effect of pH on the production of pigment was investigated in a 5 liter-bioreactor. When the pH of culture broth was maintained below 8.0, most of pigment was attached to the surface of cells. When the pH of culture broth was above 8.5, however, about 70% of total pigment was suspended in the supernatant of the broth. The cell growth and production of pigment were inhibited at dissolved oxygen concentration of below 10% of air-saturation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.1621-1629
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• 2008

Harmful algal blooms (HABs), commonly called red tides, are caused by some toxic phytoplanktons, and have made massive economic losses as well as marine environmental disturbances. As an effective and environment-friendly strategy to control HAB outbreaks, biological methods using marine bacteria capable of killing the harmful algae or algicidal extracellular compounds from them have been given attention. A new member of the $\gamma$-Proteobacteria, Hahella chejuensis KCTC 2396, was originally isolated from the Korean seashore for its ability to secrete industrially useful polysaccharides, and was characterized to produce a red pigment. This pigment later was identified as an alkaloid compound, prodigiosin. During the past several decades, prodigiosin has been extensively studied for its medical potential as immunosuppressants and antitumor agents, owing to its antibiotic and cytotoxic activities. The lytic activity of this marvelous molecule against Cochlodinium polykrikoides cells at very low concentrations ($\sim$l ppb) was serendipitously detected, making H. chejuensis a strong candidate among the biological agents for HAB control. This review provides a brief overview of algicidal marine bacteria and their products, and describes in detail the algicidal characteristics, biosynthetic process, and genetic regulation of prodigiosin as a model among the compounds active against red-tide organisms from the biochemical and genetic viewpoints.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.283-289
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• 1998

A bacterial strain KH-95 producing a high concentration of red pigment was isolated from the soil. The strain KH-95 was identified as a strain of Serratia sp. based on morphological and physiological characteristics. The optimal temperature and initial pH range for the production of pigment were 28$^{\circ}C$ and 7.0-8.0, respectively. The red pigment was purified through solvent extraction and silica gel column chromatography. Analyzing the structure of this pigment by instrumental analysis, it was identified as prodigiosin-like compound. In optimization of carbon and nitrogen sources, all carbon sources tested in this work inhibited the production of pigment except oils. Casein fumed out to be the most suitable nitrogen source for pigment production. Other nitrogen sources such as yeast extract, beef extract and peptone showed good cell growth but potently inhibited the production of pigment.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.355-361
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• 2019

The red pigment extracted from Serratia marcescens 2354 (ATCC 25419) was prodigiosin (PG), which was dissolved in methanol and measured for ultraviolet and visible light absorption spectra. It was the typical absorption spectrum of PG in an acid solution with ${\lambda}_{max}=537nm$. When the concentration of PG was increased from $1.0{\times}10-5M$ to $9.0{\times}10-5M$ in the methanol solution, the absorption intensity at 537 nm was increased, the absorption intensity at 467 nm was decreased, and the isosbestic point at 500 nm was observed. This phenomenon can be regarded as a result of reversible acid-base equilibrium reaction considering 537 nm and 467 nm of PG absorption band in acid and base solution respectively and isosbestic point of 500 nm. On the other hand, when the concentration of PG was reduced from $6.0{\times}10-4$ to $1.0{\times}10-4M$ in acetic acid buffer solution at pH 4.75, a new absorption band with ${\lambda}$ max at 500 nm appeared. This absorption band appears only in the aqueous solution of pH 4.75 and does not appear in the pure methanol solution of the same pH. This is due to the conversion of the PG molecule from the ${\alpha}$-isomer to the ${\beta}$-isomer by $H_2O$. In other words, it was confirmed that the color change of the PG can be caused by the concentration of the solution and the characteristics of the solvent.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.227-232
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• 1990

S. marcescens cultured at $30^{\circ}C$ with vigorous shaking was shown to produce red-pigment, prodigiosin, in the senescent phase of growth. Also, it showed many hydrophobic characteristrics, which were tested by the adherence to noncharged surfaces of polystyrene dishes, a typical agent for the binding of hydrophobic cells and molecules. However, when the cell was cultured at $37^{\circ}C$, it no longer produced either red pigment or hydrophobic materials. Therefore, the bacteria cultured at $37^{\circ}C$ was completely washed-out from the polystyrene dishes at the copious washing step with tap water, in contrast to the cell cultured at $30^{\circ}C$ which was sticked onto the polystyrene dishes very tightly. The lipid compositions extracted from the S. marcescens cultured at $30^{\circ}C$ or $37^{\circ}C$ were very different from each other; the phospholipids, glycolipids and unidentified lipids were produced from the cell cultured at $30^{\circ}C$, whereas large amounts of serratamolide, amphipathic compound, were produced from the cell cultured at $37^{\circ}C$. The data suggest that the pronounced cell surface hydrophobicity of the S. marcescens is mediated by a combination of several surface factors that were affected by cultivation time and temperatures.