• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.61 no.2
• /
• pp.98-108
• /
• 2019

Four Korean native steers ($511{\pm}17.2kg$; $2{\times}2$ replicated crossover design) fitted with duodenal cannulas were used to investigate the influence of oral administration of soluble whey protein (WP; 82.29% crude protein) on ruminal fermentation, gastrointestinal (GI) hormone secretion in the blood, pancreatic ${\alpha}$-amylase activity in the duodenum, and disappearance rate in each segment of the GI tract. Steers were orally fed the basal diet (control; TMR [total mixed ration] 9 kg/d) or the basal diet with enriched WP (400 g/d) for 14 days. The apparent crude protein disappearance rate in the rumen of the WP was higher than in control (p < 0.05). However, no difference between groups was observed in the apparent crude protein disappearance rate in the intestine and the apparent starch disappearance rates in the rumen, GI tract. The level of cholecystokinin, secretin, and ghrelin in serum and pancreatic ${\alpha}$-amylase activity in the duodenum of the WP also did not change. The changes in the level of blood urea nitrogen related to protein metabolism were higher in the WP than in the control (p < 0.05). However, the levels of total protein, lipid, carbohydrate and mineral metabolites did not change. Consequently, we suggest that the oral administration of WP in steers assisted in ruminal fermentation due to the population increase of microbes in the rumen but did not improve the starch digestion rate in the small intestine because GI hormone secretion in the blood and pancreatic ${\alpha}$-amylase activity did not change.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.759-769
• /
• 2002

Mutated forms of ras are found in many human tumors and the rate of incidence is significantly higher in colon and pancreatic cancers. The protein product from the ras oncogene is a small G-protein, $p21^{ras}{\;}(Ras)$ that is known to playa key role in the signal transduction cascade and cell differentiation and proliferation. Mutated Ras is unable to regulate itself and remains constantly activated, leading to uncontrolled cell growth. The function of Ras in signal transduction requires its location near the growth factor receptor at the cell membrane. However, Ras does not have a transmembrane domain. Ras requires farnesylation to increase its hydrophobicity and subsequent plasma membrane association for its transforming activity. This key post-translational modification is catalyzed by the enzyme Ras farnesyltransferase (FTase), which transfers a farnesyl group from farnesylpyrophosphate to the C-terminal cysteine of the Ras protein. The requirement has focused attention on FTase as a target for therapeutic intervention. Selective inhibition of FTase will prevent Ras protein from association with the plasma membrane, leading to a disruption of oncogenic Ras function.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.51 no.6
• /
• pp.751-754
• /
• 2013

Neurognathostomiasis is a severe form of human gnathostomiasis which can lead to disease and death. Diagnosis of neurognathostomiasis is made presumptively by using clinical manifestations. Immunoblotting, which recognizes antigenic components of molecular mass 21 kDa and 24 kDa in larval extracts of Gnathostoma spinigerum (Gs 21/24), has high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of neurognathostomiasis. However, only very small amounts of the Gs 21/24 antigens can be prepared from parasites harvested from natural or experimental animals. To overcome this problem, we recently produced a recombinant matrix metalloproteinase (rMMP) protein from G. spinigerum. In this study, we evaluated this rMMP alongside the Gs 21/24 antigens for serodiagnosis of human neurognathostomiasis. We studied sera from 40 patients from Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, with clinical criteria consistent with those of neurognathostomiasis, and sera from 30 healthy control adults from Thailand. All sera were tested for specific IgG antibodies against both G. spinigerum crude larval extract and rMMP protein using immunoblot analysis. The sensitivity and specificity for both antigenic preparations were all 100%. These results show that G. spinigerum rMMP protein can be used as an alternative diagnostic antigen, in place of larval extract, for serodiagnosis of neurognathostomiasis.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.441-449
• /
• 2005

Photo system II (PSII) is one of the two photosynthetic reaction centers in the chloroplast of higher plants. The chlorophyll a/b-light harvesting complex serves primarily as an antenna for PSII. We isolated a cDNA that encodes a chlorophyll a/b-binding protein (Cab) from Panax ginseng. The small subunit consists of 935 nucleotides long and has an open reading frame of 795 bp with the deduced amino acid of 265 residues (pI 5.63), 28.6 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence matched to the previously reported Cab genes. Their degree of amino acid identity ranged from 68 to $92\%$. Phylogenetic analysis based on the amino acid residues was showed that the ginseng Cab gene was grouped with P. persica (AAC34983), A. thaliana (AAD28771), G. hirsutum (CAA38025), G. max (AAL29886), and V. radiate (AAF89205).

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.49 no.4
• /
• pp.543-551
• /
• 2021

Nocardiopsis species produce bioactive compounds, such as antimicrobial and anti-cancer agents and toxins. However, no reports have described their anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects during nasal polyp (NP) formation. In this study, we investigated whether marine-derived bacterial Nocardiopsis sp. 13G027 exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-induced NP-derived fibroblasts (NPDFs). Nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) levels were analyzed. Extract from Nocardiopsis sp. 13G027 significantly inhibited the upregulation of NO and PGE₂ in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. The expression of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and protein kinase B (Akt/PKB) in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages was evaluated; smooth muscle alpha-actin (α-SMA), collagen type I (Col-1), and fibronectin also phosphorylated small mothers against decapentaplegic (SMAD) 2 and 3 in TGF-β1-stimulated NPDFs. The Nocardiopsis sp. 13G027 extract suppressed the phosphorylation of MAPKs and Akt and the DNA-binding activity of activator protein 1 (AP-1). The expression of pro-fibrotic components such as α-SMA, Col-1, fibronectin, and SMAD2/3 was inhibited in TGF-β1-exposed NPDFs. These findings suggest that Nocardiopsis sp. 13G027 has the potential to treat inflammatory disorders, such as NP formation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
• /
• 2003.06a
• /
• pp.129-131
• /
• 2003

Recombinant bioluminescent bacteria and cultured human cells were applied for toxicogenomic analysis of environmentally hazardous chemicals. Recombinant bioluminescent biosensing cells were used to detect and classify the toxicity caused by various chemicals. Classification of toxicity was realized based upon the chemicals' mode of action using DNA-, oxidative-, protein, and membrane-damage sensitive strains. As well, a simple double-layered cell culture system using Caco-2 cells and Hep G2 cells, which mimic the metabolic processes occurring in humans, such as adsorption through the small intestine and biotransformationin both the small intestine and the liver, was developed to investigate the toxicity of hazardous materials to humans. For a more in-depth analysis, a DNA microarray was used to study the transcriptional responses of Caco-2 and Hep G2 cells to benzo〔a〕pyrene.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.39-44
• /
• 1985

These studies were conducted to compare the nutritive values and optimum prices of eggs among 6 groups of different egg Weight. With the total of 100 eggs of each weight group, after the weight percentage of egg yolk, albumen and shell in the whole egg were investigated, protein and fat contents of e99 yolk and albumen were analyzed. and then protein and fat contents in the whole eggs were calculated. Finally, the optimum prices of eggs in relation to the egg weight were studied on the basis of egg weight, protein content and protein plus fat contents of eggs, respectively. The results obtained are summarized as follows; 1. As the egg weight (X, g/10 eggs) increased, egg yolk (Y$_1$, %) and shell(Y$_2$, %) percentages tended to decrease, but egg albumen(Y$_3$, %) percentage increased lineally; Y$_1$=44.34-0.02X, Y$_2$=15.358-0.006 X, and Y$_3$=40.136＋0.026 X. 2. There were no significant differences in protein and fat contents of eggs among 6 different groups of egg weight. 3. Protein (Y$_1$, %), fat (Y$_2$, %) and protein plus fat (Y$_3$, %) contents in the whole eggs declined progressively as the egg weight (X, g/10 eggs) increased ; Y$_1$=11.943-0.00032X, Y$_2$=13.996-0.00614X, and Y$_3$=25.939-0.00646X. 4. Similar results were obtained whether the optimum prices of eggs were estimated on the basis of egg weight or protein content of eggs, and they were higher in the large size eggs and lower in the small size eggs than the optimum prices of eggs estimated on the basis of protein plus fat content of eggs.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.42-48
• /
• 1997

the exocrine pancreatic secretion is an important factor in the maintenance of zinc homeostasis. The daily pancreatic secretion of zinc into the gastrointestinal tract may be two or more times the daily dietary zinc intake. The objective of this study was to examine the distribution of proteins and zinc in pancreatic/biliary fluid following intraperitoneal {TEX}${65}^Zn${/TEX} injection into dietary prepared Sprague-Dawly rats. Distribution of zinc-binding protein in Sephadex G-75 subfractions showed a peak corresponding to the high molecular weight protein standard(<66kDa) in the pancreatic/biliary fluid. Zinc also was associated with the 29~35kDa mole-cular weight proteins. These are similar in size with zinc-containing enzymes, carboxypeptidase A and car-boxypeptidase B. A more remarkable small molecular weight fraction eluted beyond the 6.5kDa standard pro-tein peak. These results show the presence of small molecular weight compound in pancreatic/biliary fluid associated with zinc . These small molecular weight compounds may serve as zinc-binding ligands for the secretion of enogenous zinc into the duodenum. These findings suggest that these lignads may dissociate zinc in the duodenum thus making it vulnerable to complexation with phytate in the upper gastrointestinal tract rendering the zinc unavailable for reabsorption.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.49-53
• /
• 2010

Molecular docking is a critical event which mostly forms Van der waals complex in molecular recognition. Since the majority of developed drugs are small molecules, docking them into proteins has been a prime concern in drug discovery community. Since the binding pose space is too vast to cover completely, many search algorithms such as genetic algorithm, Monte Carlo, simulated annealing, distance geometry have been developed. Proper evaluation of the quality of binding is an essential problem. Scoring functions derived from force fields handle the ligand binding prediction with the use of potential energies and sometimes in combination with solvation and entropy contributions. Knowledge-based scoring functions are based on atom pair potentials derived from structural databases. Forces and potentials are collected from known protein-ligand complexes to get a score for their binding affinities (e.g. PME). Empirical scoring functions are derived from training sets of protein-ligand complexes with determined affinity data. Because non of any single scoring function performs generally better than others, some other approaches have been tried. Although numerous scoring functions have been developed to locate the correct binding poses, it still remains a major hurdle to derive an accurate scoring function for general targets. Recently, consensus scoring functions and target specific scoring functions have been studied to overcome the current limitations.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.351-362
• /
• 1998

Microbial growth efficiency in the rumen was studied in sheep given hourly, 31.25 g oaten chaff with either 0.31 and 0.88 g urea or 1.88 and 5.63 g casein (exp. 1) and 33.33 g oaten chaff with 1.04 casein or 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 g urea or the mixture of the casein and urea (exp. 2). Concentrations of ruminal fluid ammonia increased with increasing nitrogenous supplements. Organic matter digestibility in sacco in the rumen was not different irrespective of N sources. Isoacids and valeric acid increased with increasing ingested casein but decreased with increasing urea intake. Peptide and amino acid pools in ruminal fluid increased with increasing ammonia concentrations (exp. 2) suggesting that proteolytic activity and transportation of peptides and amino acids across microbial membrane of rumen microbes may be regulated by the metabolite mechanism (intracellular amino acids and $NH_4{^+}$, respectively). Densities of total viable and cellulolytic bacteria in ruminal fluid increased with increasing ammonia levels but that of small Entodinia decreased. The density of fungal sporangia growth on oat leaf blades decreased with increasing ammonia concentrations but appeared to remain constant in the presence of casein. Efficiency of net microbial cell synthesis was 15-28% higher when ammonia concentrations increased from 100 to above 200 mg N/l regardless of N sources. In conclusion, supplementation of preformed protein had no effect on rumen digestion and microbial growth efficiency. This could not be accounted for its effect on ruminal fluid ammonia. Increased microbial growth efficiency with increasing ammonia levels may be due to a reduction in the turnover of microbial cells within the rumen.