• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.86-91
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• 1999

The sprT gene encoding Streptomyces griseus trypsin (SGT) was introduced into Streptomyces lividans TK24 and Streptomyces lividans 1326 to study which strain would be better to overexpress the extracellular proteinase. Various media with different compositions were also used to maximize the productivity of SGT in heterologous hosts. The SGT productivity was best when the transformants of S. lividans TK24 and 1326 were cultivated in R2YE medium, and their relative trypsin activity of the culture broth measured with an artificial chromogenic substrate, N-${\alpha}$-benzoyl-DL-arginine-${\rho}$-nitroanilide, were 382 units/ml and 221 units/ml, respectively. They produced high levels of SGT in GYE medium but relatively lower than those in R2YE medium, and negligible amount of SGT was produced in Ferm, RASF, LIVID, and NDSK media. Considering non-SGT associated activity in Pronase powder, it was estimated that the transformant of S. lividans TK24 can produce SGT in R2YE 3.5 times more than the amount by S. griseus 10137 from which the sprT gene had been originated. The growth of S. lividans reached the maximum level of cell mass at 5 d of culture, but SGT production started in the stationary phase of cell growth and kept increasing until the ninth day of culture in R2YE medium, but in GYE media the productivity reached at the maximum level at 7 d of cultivation.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.98-104
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• 2002

Objectives: Calpain, a calcium-dependent cysteine proteinase, may be one of the proteolytic enzymes that mediate cartilage degradation associated with rheumatoid arthritis. The object of this study is to ascertain immunohistochemically whether calpain is present in the inflamed joints of collagen-induced arthritis of rats, and examine the effect of Cortex Acanthopanacis Senticosi on the expression of calpain. Methods: Male Lewis rats, around 200g of body weight, were immunized with bovine type II collagen. After 3 weeks from first immunization, rats were divided into arthritic control (n=6) group and Cortex Acanthopanacis Senticosi-treated (n=6) group. Non-immunized rats served as the normal (n=6) group. All animals were sacrificed at 15 days post-treatment and tibiotarsal joints were removed. Calpain immunohistochemistry was performed on the midsagittal section of the tibiotarsal joint. Results: All animals of the control and treated groups showed ankylosing osteoarthritis. However, the animals of the treated group showed alleviation in the fibrous ankylosis, destruction of articular cartilage and destruction of subchondral bony tissue compared with the animals of the control group. Calpain was expressed in the chondrocyte lacunae of growing articular cartilage, in the skeletal muscle fibers, in the peripheral nerves, and in the vessel walls around the joints of all groups. In the control and treated groups, calpain was also expressed in proliferating synovial epithelia, subsynovial stroma cells, surface of articular cartilage, and fibrous pannus around destructive subchondral bony tissue. However, the expression density of calpain in the treated group was diminished compared with the control group, especially in surface of articular cartilage and fibrous pannus. Conclusions: These observations indicated that calpain plays an important role in the destruction of cartilage and bone in collagen-induced arthritis of rats, and also indicated that Cortex Acanthopanacis Senticosi inhibits the development of arthritis by decreasing the expression of calpain.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1581-1588
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• 2018

The growth of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) generates a high number of metabolites related to aromas and flavors in fermented dairy foods. These microbial proteases are involved in protein hydrolysis that produces necessary peptides for their growth and releases different molecules of interest, like bioactive peptides, during their activity. Each genus in particular has its own proteolytic system to hydrolyze the necessary proteins to meet its requirements. This review aims to highlight the differences between the proteolytic systems of Streptococcus thermophilus and other lactic acid bacteria (Lactococcus and Lactobacillus) since they are microorganisms that are frequently used in combination with other LAB in the elaboration of fermented dairy products. Based on genetic studies and in vitro and in vivo tests, the proteolytic system of Streptococcus thermophilus has been divided into three parts: 1) a serine proteinase linked to the cellular wall that is activated in the absence of glutamine and methionine; 2) the transport of peptides and oligopeptides, which are integrated in both the Dpp system and the Ami system, respectively; according to this, it is worth mentioning that the Ami system is able to transport peptides with up to 23 amino acids while the Opp system of Lactococcus or Lactobacillus transports chains with less than 13 amino acids; and finally, 3) peptide hydrolysis by intracellular peptidases, including a group of three exclusive of S. thermophilus capable of releasing either aromatic amino acids or peptides with aromatic amino acids.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.691-698
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• 2008

The aims of this study are to search herbal medicines that have anti-aging, anti-wrinkle, anti-oxidant and whitening effects. This is preliminary study as a finding for excellent and specific natural agents which inhibit the skin aging and whitening formation. In this study, the articles and the documents, which have been published in domestically or internationally, have been searched and analyzed. Articles were gathered by taking advantage of Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea's documents, Pub med database, Korean Medical Database and Korean Studies Information Service System. Among the many species of herbal medicines, we selected the herbal medicines showing superoxide scavenging activities, and 1.1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) scavenging effects. The herbal medicines were showed anti-wrinkle effects on Metrixmetallo proteinase (MMP-1) inhibition activity and elastase inhibition activity. Also we found herbal medicines that have highly effect of tyrosinase inhibition, L- DOPA inhibition and melanin synthesis inhibition.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.217-224
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• 2011

Non-heading Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. chinensis) is a popular vegetable in Asian countries. The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.), an insect with worldwide distribution, is a main pest of Brassicaceae crops and causes enormous crop losses. Transfer of the anti-insect gene into the plant genome by transgenic technology and subsequent breeding of insect-resistant varieties will be an effective approach to reducing the damage caused by this pest. We have produced transgenic non-heading Chinese cabbage plants expressing the potato proteinase inhibitor II gene (pinII) and tested the pest resistance of these transgenic plants. Non-heading Chinese cabbages grown for 45 days on which buds had formed were used as experimental materials for Agrobacterium-mediated vacuum infiltration transformation. Forty-one resistant plants were selected from 1166 g of seed harvested from the infiltrated plants based on the resistance of the young seedlings to the herbicide Basta. The transgenic traits were further confirmed by the Chlorophenol red test, PCR, and genomic Southern blotting. The results showed that the bar and pinII genes were co-integrated into the resistant plant genome. A bioassay of insect resistance in the second generation of individual lines of the transgenic plants showed that DBM larvae fed on transgenic leaves were severely stunted and had a higher mortality than those fed on the wild-type leaves.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.274-283
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• 1988

Aqualysin I is an alkaline serine protease which is secretet into the culture medium by Thermus aquaticus YT-1, an extreme thermophile. Aqualysin I was purified, and its partial amino acid sequence was determined. The gene encoding aqualysin I was cloned into E. coli using synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotides as hybridization probes. The nucleotide sequence of the cloned DNA was determined. The primary structure of aqualysin I, deduced from the nucleotide sequenc, agreed with the determid amino acid sequences, including the $NH_2-$ and COOH terminal sequence of the tryptides derived from aqualysin I. Aqualysin I comprised 281 amino acid residues and its molecular mass was determined to be 28350. On alignment of the whole amino acid sequence, aqualysin I showed high sequence homology with the subtilisin type serine protease, and 43% identity with proteinase K, 37-30% with subtilisins and 34% with thermitase. Extremely high sequence identity was observed in the regions containing the active-site residues, corresponding to Asp32, His64 and Ser221 of subtilisin BPN'. Aqualysin I contains two disulfide bonds, Cys67-Cys99 and Cys163-Cys194, and these disulfide bonds seem to contribute to the heat stability of the enzyme. The determined positions of the twe disulfide bonds of aqualysin I agreed with those predicted previously on the basis of computer graphics of the crystallographic data for subtilisin BPN'. Therefore, these findings sugests that the three-dimensional structure of aqualysin I is similar to that of subtilisin BPN' Aqualysin I is produced as a lage precursor, which contains $NH_2-$ and COOH- terminal portions besides the mature protease sequence.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1995.04a
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• pp.114-114
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• 1995

이 연구에서는 혈전증 치료에 사용되는 혈전 응해제를 국내 독사독으로부터 개발하기 위한 실험을 실시하였다. 그 내용을 요약하면 다음과 같다. 국내에 서식하는 독사인 Agkistrodon blomoffi brevicaudus, Agkistrodon caliginosus와 Agkistrodon saxatilis에서 각각 사독을 채취하여 fibrin plate 방법으로 fibrin 분해능을 조사하여 Agkistrodon blomoffi brevicaudus의 독이 분해능이 가장 우수함을 밝혔다. 이와 같은 사실에 기초하여 A. blomoffi brevicaudus의 독으로부터 p-Aminobenzamidine affinity chromatography와 DEAE ion-exchange chromatography를 이용하여 분자량이 50.8 kDa인 황성 단백질을 정제하였다. 위에서와 같은 방법으로 정제한 단백질은 fibrin 분해능이 우수하고 fibrinogen의 ${\gamma}$ chain은 분해하지 않으나 B$\beta$ chain을 $A\alpha$ chain에 비하여 보다 선택적으로 분해하는 단백분해 효소임을 증명하였다. 이 정제 효소의 Fibrin에 대한 분해능은 266$\mu\textrm{g}$/${\mu}\ell$의 농도에서 Plasmin 1.0 unit (=3.0 WHO unit)보다 높게 나타났다. 정제된 효소는 chromogenic substrate인 N-Benzoyl-Phe-Val-Arg-pNA와 N-p-Tosyl- Gly-Pro-Arg-pNA의 arginine carboxyl side를 분해하고 pH 7.5에서 최대 활성을 보이며, Vmax는 5.46 umo1/1ㆍmin이고, Km 값은 0.20mM이며, 그리고 Cu$^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, soybean trypsin inhibtor에 의해 25～50% 정도, serine proteinase inhibitor인 phenylmethylsulfonyl floride에 의해 80%정도 활성이 억제되는 특성이 있음을 규명하였다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.341-349
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• 1996

초기배의 성판정은 대상가축의 성을 선발하는 수단으로써 뿐만아니라 인간의 유전적 질병의 조기진단법으로서 매우 가치가 크다. 체외수정 소 초기배의 성을 결정하기 위해 PCR과 PRINS를 이용하였으며 성판정에 이용된 8 세포${\sim)$배반포기 초기배는 체외수정후 난관상피세포와의 공배양에 의해 생산되었다. 초기배 의 DNA는 $200{\mu}g/ml$ proteinase K가 함유된 PCR lysis buffer에 하나의 초기배를 부유한 후 $50^{\circ}C$에서 1시간동안 처리하여 준비하였다. 중기 염색체 spreads는 초기배를 nocodazole로 처리한 후 air-drying 방법을 이용하여 준비하였다. 가능한 false positive signals을 배제하기 위해 소특이 및 Y 염색체 특이 primers를 이용하여 PCR을 수행한 결과, 웅성 초기배에서는 두 개의 증폭산물 (소특이 및 Y 염색체 특이)이 합성된 반면 자성 초기배에서는 하나의 증폭산물만 합성되었다. 한편 중기염색체상의 Y 염색체를 동정하기 위해 FISH와 PRINS를 수행한 결과, FISH에서보다 PRINS에서 더 강한 Y 염색체 특이 형광 signals이 탐지되었다. 이러한 결과는 PCR에 의한 체외생산 소 초기배의 신속정확하고 효율적인 성판정이 가능함을 보여주었다. 또한 PRINS를 통해 PCR 에 이용된 Y 특이 probe의 신뢰성이 염색체 수준에서 확인되었다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.167-176
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• 2013

A novel bioactive molecule produced by Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki Bn1 (Bt-Bn1), isolated from a common pest of hazelnut, Balaninus nucum L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), was determined, purified, and characterized in this study. The Bt-Bn1 strain was investigated for antibacterial activity with an agar spot assay and well diffusion assay against B. cereus, B. weinhenstephenensis, L. monocytogenes, P. savastanoi, P. syringae, P. lemoignei, and many other B. thuringiensis strains. The production of bioactive molecule was determined at the early logarithmic phase in the growth cycle of strain Bt-Bn1 and its production continued until the beginning of the stationary phase. The mode of action of this molecule displayed bacteriocidal or bacteriolytic effect depending on the concentration. The bioactive molecule was purified 78-fold from the bacteria supernatant with ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis, ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography, and HPLC, respectively. The molecular mass of this molecule was estimated via SDS-PAGE and confirmed by the ESI-TOFMS as 3,139 Da. The bioactive molecule was also determined to be a heat-stable, pH-stable (range 6-8), and proteinase K sensitive antibacterial peptide, similar to bacteriocins. Based on all characteristics determined in this study, the purified bacteriocin was named as thuricin Bn1 because of the similarities to the previously identified thuricin-like bacteriocin produced by the various B. thuringiensis strains. Plasmid elution studies showed that gene responsible for the production of thuricin Bn1 is located on the chromosome of Bt-Bn1. Therefore, it is a novel bacteriocin and the first recorded one produced by an insect originated bacterium. It has potential usage for the control of many different pathogenic and spoilage bacteria in the food industry, agriculture, and various other areas.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.72 no.1
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• pp.93-97
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• 2012

Propylthiouracil (PTU) is one of the most common drugs used in the treatment of Graves' disease. There are a number of side effects found with PTU use including fever, rash, arthralgia, and flu-like symptoms. Recently antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) positive vasculitis after PTU treatment was reported as a rare side effect, which can cause diffuse alveolar hemorrhage and glomerulonephritis. A 45-year-old woman with Graves' disease had been treated with PTU for five months, complained of hemoptysis due to pulmonary alveolar hemorrhage causing anemia, and also had hematuria. Simple chest X-ray and HRCT showed bilateral consolidation and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid revealed alveolar hemorrhage. A serologic test was positive for ANCA against myeloperoxidase and proteinase-3. Such findings suggested that the presence of PTU induced ANCA positive vasculitis. Cessation of PTU and the administration of high dose steroids improved the clinical manifestation, radiologic and serologic findings. We observed ANCA titer serially for 6 years. During the follow up period, ANCA titer decreased slowly and stayed within the acceptable upper normal limit.