• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.234-241
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• 2019

An intensive interaction between yeasts and insects has highlighted their relevance for attraction to food and for the insect's development and behavior. Yeast associated in the gut of insects secretes cellulase which aided in the food digestion (cellulose degradation). Three strains of cellulose-degrading yeast were isolated from the gut of adult grasshoppers collected in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The strains $ON22^T$, $G10^T$, and $G15^T$, showed positive cellulolytic activity in the carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-plate assay. The phylogenetic tree based on sequence analysis of D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions revealed that the strains $ON22^T$ (100 and 98.4% sequence similarities in D1/D2 domains and ITS) and $G10^T$ (99.8 and 99.5% in D1/D2 domain and ITS region) were most closely related to the species Moesziomyces aphidis JCM $10318^T$; $G15^T$ (100% in D1/D2 domains and ITS) belongs to the species Moesziomyces antarcticus JCM $10317^T$, respectively. Morphology and biochemical test results are provided in the species description. Cellulase with its massive applicability has been used in various industrial processes such as biofuels like bioethanol productions. Therefore, this is the first report of the cellulolytic yeast strains $ON22^T$, $G10^T$, and $G15^T$ related to the genus Moesziomyces in the family Ustilaginaceae (Ustilaginales), in Korea.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1173-1178
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to isolate an agar-degrading marine bacterium and characterize its agarase. Bacterium BK-1, from Gwanganri Beach at Busan, Korea, was isolated on Marine 2216 agar medium and identified as Agarivorans sp. BK-1 by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The extracellular agarase, characterized after dialysis of culture broth, showed maximum activity at pH 6.0 and $50^{\circ}C$ in 20 mM Tris-HCl buffer. Relative activities at 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and $70^{\circ}C$ were 67, 93, 97, 100, 58, and 52%, respectively. Relative activities at pH 5, 6, 7, and 8 were 59, 100, 95, and 91%, respectively. More than 90% of the activity remained after a 2 hr exposure to 20, 30, or $40^{\circ}C$; about 60% of the activity remained after a 2 hr exposure to $50^{\circ}C$. Almost all activity was lost after exposure to 60 or $70^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. Zymography revealed three agarases with molecular weights of 110, 90, and 55 kDa. Agarose was degraded to neoagarobiose (46.8%), neoagarotetraose (39.7%), and neoagarohexaose (13.5%), confirming the agarase of Agarivorans sp. BK-1 as a ${\beta}$-agarase. The neoagarooligosaccharides generated by this agarase could be used for moisturizing, bacterial growth inhibition, skin whitening, food treatments, cosmetics, and delaying starch degradation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.271-278
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• 2022

The detailed mechanism by which cancer upregulated gene 2 (CUG2) overexpression induces cancer stem cell-like phenotypes is not fully understood. The downregulation of FBXW7 E3 ligase, a tumor suppressor known for its proteolytic regulation of oncogenic proteins such as cyclin E, c-Myc, Notch, and Yap1, has been frequently reported in several types of tumor tissues, including those in the large intestine, cervix, and stomach. Therefore, we investigated whether FBXW7 is involved in CUG2-induced oncogenesis. In this study, the decreased expression of FBXW7 was examined in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 (A549-CUG2) and human bronchial BEAS-2B cells (BEAS-CUG2) overexpressing CUG2 and compared with control cells stably expressing an empty vector (A549-Vec or BEAS-Vec). Treatment with MG132 (a proteosome inhibitor) prevented the degradation of FBXW7 and Yap1 proteins, which are substrates of the FBXW7 E3 ligase. To address the role of Fbxw7 in the development of cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotypes, we suppressed Fbxw7 protein levels using its siRNA. We observed that decreased levels of FBXW7 enhanced cell migration, invasion, and spheroid size and number in A549-Vec and BEAS-Vec cells. The enforced expression of FBXW7 produced the opposite results in A549-CUG2 and BEAS-CUG2 cells. Furthermore, the downregulation of FBXW7 elevated the activities of EGFR, Akt, and ERK1/2 and upregulated β-catenin, Yap1, and NEK2, while the enforced expression of FBXW7 generated the opposite results. We thus propose that FBXW7 downregulation induced by CUG2 confers CSC-like phenotypes through the upregulation of both the EGFR-ERK1/2 and β-catenin-Yap1-NEK2 signaling pathways.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.357-362
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• 2023

This report looks at an agar-degrading marine bacterium and characterization of its agarase. Agar-degrading marine bacterium JS-1 was isolated with Marine agar 2216 media from seawater from the seashore of Sojuk-do, Changwon in Gyeongnam Province, Korea. The agar-degrading bacterium was named as Agarivorans sp. JS-1 by phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The extracellular agarase was prepared from the culture media of Agarivorans sp. JS-1 and used for characterization. Relative activities at 20℃, 30℃, 35℃, 40℃, 45℃, 50℃, 55℃, and 60℃ were 70%, 74%, 78%, 83%, 87%, 100%, 74%, and 66%, respectively. Relative activities at pH 5, 6, 7, and 8 were 91%, 100%, 90%, and 89%, respectively. Its extracellular agarase showed maximum activity (207 units/l) at pH 6.0 and 50℃ in 20 mM Tris-HCl buffer. The residual activity after heat treatment at 20℃, 30℃, and 50℃ for 30 minutes was 90%, 70%, and 50% or more, respectively. After a 2-hour heat treatment at 20℃, 30℃, 35℃, 40℃, and 45℃, the residual activity was 80%, 68%, 65%, 63%, and 57%, respectively. At 50℃ and above, after heat treatment for 30 minutes, the residual activity was below 60%. Thin layer chromatography analysis suggested that Agarivorans sp. JS-1 produces extracellular β-agarases as they hydrolyze agarose to produce neoagarooligosaccharides such as neoagarohexaose (20.6%), neoagarotetraose (58.5%), and neoagarobiose (20.9%). Agarivorans sp. JS-1 and its thermotolerant β-agarase would be useful in the production of neoagarooligosaccharides, showing functional activity such as inhibition of bacterial growth and delay of starch degradation.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.113-118
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• 2016

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), is a protein mainly secreted by a liver. The PCSK9 plays an important role in low density lipoprotein (LDL) metabolism acting as a repressor of LDL receptor through transportation of the LDLR to the lysosome for degradation. Thus, the PCSK9 inhibitor suppresses PCSK9-regulated degradation of the LDL receptor as a LDL-lowering medicine. However, little is known about the role of PCSK9 in the reproductive system. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated Pcsk9 expression in male reproductive tracts including penises, prostates and testes using rats in response to their diets between a normal diet and a high-fat diet with cholesterol. Based on our previous study, the high-fat diet elevates concentration of total cholesterol and LDL in serum whereas it reduces the concentration of plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL). In addition, it dramatically affects to morphological changes of the male reproductive organs. Consistent with these results, the expression of Pcsk9 was substantially decreased in the penile tissues (P < 0.001) from rats fed a high fat diet as compared to a normal diet. Moreover, it slightly reduced in the prostate and testes (P < 0.05) of rats in response to a high fat diet. Localization of Pcsk9 was predominantly detected in urethral epithelium of penises, cylinder-shaped cells of prostate glands, and spermatogonia, spermatocytes and spermatid of testes of rats. Collectively, results of current study provide invaluable insights into the Pcsk9 gene with respect to its tissue- and cell-specific expression by a high fat diet with cholesterol.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.987-994
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• 2021

Our previous studies have reported that antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) derived from the larvae of white-spotted flower chafer (Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis) exert anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities. This study explored the anti-inflammatory effects of protaetiamycine 9 (CVLKKAYFLTNLKLRG-NH₂), a novel AMP, derived from P. b. seulensis against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated inflammatory response in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Protaetiamycine 9 (25, 50, 75, and 100 ㎍/ml) did not cause cytotoxic effects against RAW264.7 cells. The RAW264.7 cells were pre-treated with various concentrations of protaetiamycine 9 (25-100 ㎍/ml) for 1 hr and then exposed to LPS (100 ng/ml) for 24 hr. Protaetiamycine 9 treatments decreased the LPS-induced secretion of inflammatory mediators, such as nitric oxide (NO), in a dose-dependent manner. Protaetiamycine 9 (25-100 ㎍/ml) effectively downregulated the LPS-induced increase in mRNA and the protein expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which are involved in the production of inflammatory mediators. Protaetiamycine 9 also suppressed the production and gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β, compared to the presence of LPS alone. Furthermore, protaetiamycine 9 inhibited the degradation of inhibitory kappa B alpha (IκB-α) and the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38. In conclusion, these results suggest that protaetiamycine 9 exhibits LPS-mediated inflammatory responses by blocking IκB-α degradation and MAPK phosphorylation.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.27
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• pp.29-46
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• 1984

To utilize several species of hard wood as raw materials of feed products, fermentation characteristics of cellulosic substrates to single cell protein was investigated, and results were summarized as follows. Among the microorganisms investigated, Tricoderma viride was selected as one of the most cellulolytic. Mixed culture of fungi did not show a synergistic effect on cellulose degradation. When the fungi were cultured at $28^{\circ}C$ for 7 days in a medium containing wheat bran 25 g, cellulose 0.25 g, proteose peptone 0.025 g and tween 800.025 g, cellulotic activities on carboxy methyl cellulose and filter paper reached maximum at 12 hr. The alkali treatment resulted in increased degradation of substrate from 13 to 18% when treated with enzymes for 12h, and reducing sugar formation increased with decreased size of substrates. Glucose was a very good feedback inhibitor of the enzyme from T.viride than that of xylose. When the substrate was rehydrolyzed, hydrolysis rate was 31% to reducing sugars within 12 hr. Quantative anlysis with HPLC showed the ratio of glucose to xylose in sugar syrups as 1.77 to 1. For the purpose of producing cellulosic-single cell protein from the sawdust of mulberry tree, 15 strains of xylose-assimilating yeast were isolated from 42 samples of rotten woods and compost soils and examined for their ability to utilize xylose. Then three strains were selected by their strong xylose-assimilating activities. The cultivative condition, the growth characteristics, and protein and nucleic acid productivities of three strains were investigated. The results obtained were, 1. Wood hydrolysate of mulberry tree was assimilated by 5 strains of CHS-2, CHS-3, ST-40, CHS-12 and CHS-13. 2. The optimum initial pH and temperature for the growth of strain CHS-13 were 4.4 and $30^{\circ}C$. 3. The specific growth rate of strain CHS-13 was $0.23h^{-1}$ and generation time was 3.01 hrs at the optimum condition. 4. CHS-13 strain assimilated 81 % of sugar in wood hydrolysate. 5. CHS-13 strain was identified as Candida guilliermondii var. guilliermondii 6. When the CHS-13 strain was cultured in the wood hydrolysate containing yeast extract, L-protein content was increased with yeast extract concentration. 7. The L-protein and nucleic acid yields from wood hydrolysate were 0.73 mg/ml and $4.92{\times}10^{-2}\;mg/ml$ respectively. 8. An optimal nucleic acid content of CHS-13 strain was observed in the medium containing 0.2% of yeast extract.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.665-676
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• 2016

As high temperature during citrus growing season has caused a serious problems including inferior coloration in production of mandarins in Korea, we were to investigate the expression pattern of several genes related with coloration during the ripening in high temperature condition of citrus fruits. The expression of genes related with sugar metabolism, cell wall degradation, and flavonoid synthesis in high temperature conditions was investigated in fruits of 'Haryejosaeng' (Citrus unshiu) and 'Shiranuhi' mandarin (C. reticulata). While the expression of beta-amylase (BMY), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), chalcone synthase (CHS), and flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H) was differently induced, expression of polygalacturonase (PG) decreased dependently on temperature conditions. In 'Haryejosaeng' mandarin, while the expression of genes related to the skin coloration, such as CHS and F3H genes increased at $25^{\circ}C$, the expression of PAL and stilbene synthase (STS) genes were induced at $30-35^{\circ}C$ in all ripening stages. In 'Shiranuhi' mandarin, the expression of the BMY gene decreased at early time point in all temperature condition and then increased at $30-35^{\circ}C$ than at $25^{\circ}C$ in the ripening stage 2 to 3 of fruits. F3H and STS genes also showed the tendency to decrease at $30-35^{\circ}C$. Although the expression levels of genes in ripening stage 1 and stage 2 of fruits showed similar patterns in both 'Haryejosaeng' and 'Shiranuhi', the expression levels of genes were down-regulated in late ripening stage of 'Shiranuhi' fruits compared to 'Haryejosaeng'. In general, the mRNA levels of seven tested genes were higher in 'Haryejosaeng' than in 'Shiranuhi' mandarin, and expression of genes by high temperature was regulated sensitively in 'Haryejosaeng' compared to 'Shiranuhi' mandarin. Further investigations of expression of various genes based on transcriptome analysis in early ripening stage can provide valuable information about the responses to climatic changes in ripening citrus fruits.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.1221-1229
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• 2010

Nerium indicum, an India-Pakistan-originated shrub belonging to the oleander family, is reported to possess many pharmacological activities including cardiac muscle stimulation, and anti-diabetes, anti-angiogenesis, anti-cancer and neuro-protective activities. However, the anti-inflammatory properties of N. indicum were unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of ethanol extract of the N. indicum leaf and stem (ENIL and ENIS) on the expression of anti-inflammatory mediators in U937 human pre-monocytic cell models. In U937 cells stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), pre-treatment with ENIS significantly inhibited the expression of both cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA and protein, which are associated with inhibition of the release of prostaglandin $E_2\;(PGE_2)$, whereas the inhibitory effects appeared weakly in ENIL. Moreover, ENIS significantly attenuated PMA-induced IkappaB ($I{\kappa}B$) degradation and suppressed elevated nuclear factor kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) nuclear translocation. Taken together, these findings provide important new insights that N. indicum exhibits anti-inflammatory properties by suppressing the transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes through the NF-kB signaling pathway.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.697-704
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• 2013

The inhibitory effect of ethanol extracts from Curdrania tricuspidata leaves (CTL) on osteoarthritis was investigated in primary cultured rat cartilage cells and a monosodium-iodoacetate (MIA)-induced arthritis rat model. To identify the effects of CTL 80% ethanol extracts (CTL80) and CTL 10% ethanol extracts (CTL10) against $H_2O_2$ treatment in vitro, cell survival was measured by the MTT assay. Cell survival after $H_2O_2$ treatment increased with CTL80 and CTL10 close to normal up to $300{\mu}g/mL\;H_2O_2$. The mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) was determined MMP-7 and MMP-13 (known catabolic factors), were significantly inhibited by CTL 80 and CTL10; a $200{\mu}g/mL$ dose of CTL80 especially decreased MMP-13 expression. In vivo, osteoarthritis was induced by an intra-articular injection of MIA into the knee joints of rats, then CTL80 and CTL10 orally administered daily for 35 days. After the animals were sacrificed, histological evaluations of their knee joints revealed a reduction in polymorphonuclear cell infiltration and smooth synovial lining in the CTL80-500 group. Micro-CT analysis of hind paws from CTL80-500 and CTL10 showed a protection against osteophyte formation, soft tissue swelling, and bone resorption. In conclusion, CTL ethanol extracts are effective in ameliorating joint destruction and cartilage erosion in MIA-induced rats. CTL decreases and normalizes articular cartilage through preventing extracellular matrix degradation and chondrocyte injury, and could potentially serve as a therapeutic treatment for humans.