• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.77-90
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• 2006

Beta-amyloid peptide (A$\beta$) is a major component of senile plaques and its aggregation is considered to play a critical role in pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aggregation of A$\beta$ could result from both increased synthesis and decreased degradation of A$\beta$. Our laboratory is interested in understanding the mechanism of A$\beta$ degradation in brain. Recently our laboratory identified a bacterial gene (SKAP) from Streptomyces sp KK565 whose protein product has an activity to cleave A$\beta$ and thus reduce the A$\beta$-induced neurotoxicity. The sequence analysis showed that this gene was closely related to aminopeptidase. Maldi-Tof analysis showed that the recombinant SKAP protein expressed in E. coli cleaves both A$\beta$ 40 and A$\beta$ 42 at the N-terminal of A$\beta$ while an aminopeptidase from Streptomyces griseus (SGAP) cleaves at the C-terminal. We also identified a mammalian homolog of SKAP and the recombinant mammalian protein expressed in Sf-9 insect cells showed a similar proteolytic activity to SGAP, cutting A$\beta$ at the C-terminus. I well discuss the detailed mechanism of the enzyme action and its functional implication in AD.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.105-110
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• 2002

The sequence of 3,221 nucleotides immediately adjacent to rpsA gene encoding 30S ribosomal protein S1 of Brevibacterium ammoniagenes was determined. A putative open reading frame (ORF) of 2,670 nucleotides for a polypeptide of 889 amino acid residues and a TAG stop codon was found, which is located at a distance of 723 nucleotides upstream from rpsA gene with same translational direction. The deduced amino acid sequence of the ORF was found to be highly homologous to the DNA polymerase I of Streptomyces griseus (75.48％), Rhodococcus sp. ATCC 15963 (56.69％), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (55.46％) and Mycobacterium leprae (53.99％). It was suggested that the predicted product of the ORF is a DNA polymerase I with three functional domains. Two domains of 5 → 3 exonuclease and DNA polymerase are highly conserved with other DNA polymerase I, but 3 → 5 exonuclease domain is less conserved.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1876-1882
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• 2018

A series of pentacyclic triterpenoids similar to glycyrrhetinic acid were designed and synthesized via the combination of chemical modification and microbial catalysis. All products were screened for the glycogen phosphorylases inhibitory activities in vitro. Within this series of derivatives, compound 5 displayed good inhibitory activities with $IC_{50}$ value of $27.7{\mu}M$, which is better than that of the other derivatives and glycyrrhetinic acid. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis of these inhibitors was also discussed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.896-900
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• 2006

Cytokinin has been known to act as a plant hormone to promote cell division and function in diverse processes in plant growth and development. Besides being produced in plants, it is also produced by various bacteria and fungi; however, its ecological significance is still unclear. In this report, we present an interesting finding that transzeatin riboside (tZR), a naturally occurring cytokinin compound, increased antibiotic production in many different streptomycetes, including Streptomyces coelicolor Ml3O, S. pristinaespiralis ATCC 25486, S. violaceoruber Tu22, S. anfibioticus ATCC l1891, and S. griseus IFO 13350. In vitro plate assays showed that the addition of 100 $\mu$M tZR increased the growth inhibition of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, a plant pathogen, by S. griseus, a streptomycin producer. We suggest that cytokinin could act as a signaling molecule for antibiotic production in streptomycetes, a group of rhizosphere bacteria.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2018

This study was conducted to evaluate the antifungal activity of 19 agro-materials that have been registered for organic cultivation in Korea, after inoculation of pear leaves with Venturia nashicola and Gymnosporangium asiaticum. In V. nashicola, most of the nine agro- materials containing sulfur and copper completely inhibited spore germination, and some of the spores that germinated did not form appressoria. However, in only lime sulfur, Neobordeaux (cupric sulfate), and Wheengaris (sulfur)showed antifungal activity against G. asiaticum. Among the agro-materials containing plant extracts, Wheengarujaba (wood vinegar+spirits+rhubarb) inhibited conidial germination in V. nashicola and G. asiaticum by 100% and 71.6%, respectively. Among the agro-materials containing antifungal microorganisms, Cheongotan (Streptomyces griseus) reduced spore germination rate of V. nashicola to 88.8%; moreover, formation of appressoria or intracellular accumulation was not observed. Application of Topsid (Paenibacillus polymyxa) reduced spore germination rates in V. nashicola and G. asiaticum to 71.0% and 90.6%, respectively, and the formation of appressoria was not observed. Studying the antifungal activity of agro-materials because of cumulative applications under the field conditions is necessary, owing to their contact fungicidal effect and the induced-resistance by microbial metabolites and natural compounds.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.1-5
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• 1992

Crude fermentation broths of two bacterial isolates, S-11 and S-25, from about 200 soil samples, showed inhibitory activities against the crude chitinase prepared from alimentary canals of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, as well as against reagent chitinase from Streptomyces griseus, in vitro. The chitinase inhibitors also exhibited insecticidal activities by preventing larval-pupal ecdysis when these broths were injected into the silkworm larvae during spinning.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.315-321
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• 1995

The relationship between morphological differentiation and production of trypsin-like protease (TLP_ in streptomycetes was studied. All the Streptomyces spp.In this study produced TLP just before the onset of aerial mycelium formation. Addition of TLP inhibitor, TLCK, to the top surface of colonies inhibited aerial mycelium formation as well as TLP inhibitor, TLCK, to the top surface of colonies inhibited aerial mycelium formation as well as TLP activity. Addition of 2% glucose to the Bennett agar medium repressed both the aerial mycelium formation and TLP production in S. abuvaviensis, S. coelicolor A3(2), S exfoliatus, S. microflavus, S. roseus, s. lavendulae, and S. rochei. However the addition of glucose did not affect S. limosus, S. felleus, S. griseus, S. phaechromogenes, and S. rimosus. The glucose repression on aerial mycelium formation and production of TLP was relieved by the addition of glucose anti-metabolite (methyl .alpha.-glucopyranoside). Therefore, it was concluded that TLP production is coordinately regulated with morphological differentiation and TLP activity is essential for morphological differentiation in streptomycetes. The proposed role of TLP is that TLP participates in the degradation of substrate mycelium protein for providing nutrient for aerial mycelial growth.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2008

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), one of the most important food crops, is susceptible to a number of devastating fungal pathogens in addition to bacterial and other pathogens. Producing disease-resistant cultivars has been an effective and useful strategy to combat the attack of pathogens. Potato was transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA101 harboring chitinase, (ChiC) isolated from Streptomyces griseus strain HUT 6037 and bialaphos resistance (bar) genes in a binary plasmid vector, pEKH1. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis revealed that the ChiC and bar genes are integrated into the genome of transgenic plants. Different insertion sites of the transgenes (one to six sites for ChiC and three to seven for bar) were indicated by Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA from the transgenic plants. Expression of the ChiC gene at the messenger RNA (mRNA) level was confirmed by Northern blot analysis and that of the bar gene by herbicide resistance assay. The results obviously confirmed that the ChiC and bar genes are successfully integrated and expressed into the genome, resulting in the production of bialaphos-resistant transgenic plants. Disease-resistance assay of the in vitro and greenhouse-grown transgenic plants demonstrated enhanced resistance against the fungal pathogen Alternaria solani (causal agent of early blight).

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 1999

Twenty isolates of Helminthosporium species were obtained from various grass plants and tested for controlling efficacy on the development of plant diseases. An isolate of Helminthosporium sp. TP-4 was chosen and six antibiotic substances were purified from cultures of the fungus by repeated silica gel column chromatography and preparative thin-layer chromatography. They were identified as ophiobolin a, 6-epiophiobolin A, 3-anhydroophiobolin A, 3-anhydro-6-epiophiobolin A, iphiobolin B, and iphiobolin I mainly by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. Ophiobolins inhibited the growth of a grampositive bacterium Streptomyces griseus, but were not active against gram-negative bacteria. They also showed an antifungal activity. In in vivo tests, iphiobolin B exhibited potent controlling activities against rice blast, tomato late blight, and wheat leaf rust with control values more than 90% and 70% at concentration of $500\mu\textrm{m}$/ml and 100 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$/ml. Ophiobolin A and 6-epiophiobolin A controlled the development of wheat leaf rust more than 80% at concentrations of 100 /ml and $500\mu\textrm{m}$/ml respectively. 3-Anhydro-6-epiophiobolin A was not active against any plant disease. On the other hand, the A-series ophiobolins other than 3-anhydroophiobolin A showed stronger phytotoxic activity in a leaf-wounding assay using 8 plant species than those of 3-anhydroophiobolin A, ophiobolin B, and ophiobolin I. The results indicate that there is little correlation between antifungal activity and phytotoxicity of ophiobolins.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.675-680
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• 2008

The physical quality and microbial safety of Korean beef jerky was evaluated at various steps during its preparation. Microbial counts in raw beef demonstrated mesophillic bacteria at 4.20 Log CFU/g, psychrotrophic bacteria at 3.85 Log CFU/g, anaerobic bacteria at 4.90 Log CFU/g, and yeast and molds at 1.92 Log CFU/g. Spore-forming bacteria and coliforms were not detected in raw beef samples. Spices and spiced meats showed similar trends in microbial counts, demonstrating minimal microbial contamination during these stages of preparation. The final beef jerky product exhibited counts of mesophillic bacteria at 1.15-1.66 Log CFU/g, psychrotrophic bacteria at 1.15-1.66 Log CFU/g, and anaerobic bacteria at 0.81-1.72 Log CFU/g. Spore-forming bacteria, yeast and molds, and coliforms were not detected in beef jerky. Significant differences from added ingredients occurred for instron textural profile analysis traits for hardness. In general, Korean beef jerky with humectant and tenderizer had lower hardness than control (without humectant and tenderizer). Also, the sample added with 0.01% protease from Streptomyces griseus had lower hardness than all samples. All samples had 0.7l to 0.72 water activities, and the color and pH were not shown in significant changes of all samples.