• 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.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2009

Cyclosporin A (CsA) has been used clinically as an immunosuppressive drug to prevent organ transplant rejection and in basic research as a mitochondrial permeability blocker. It has been reported that CsA has a protective role in severed neurons and a neurotrophic effect in neuronal cells. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the stimulation of neuronal cell proliferation by CsA have not yet been elucidated. In our current study, we investigated CsA responsive proteins in PC12 cells using a systematic proteomic approach. The viability of these cells following CsA treatment increased in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Proteins in the CsA-treated PC12 cells were profiled by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of flight (MALDI-TOF) and electrospray ionization quadupole time-of-flight mass spectrometries (EIQ-TOFMS). This differential expression analysis showed significant changes for 10 proteins (6 up-regulated and 4 down-regulated) upon CsA treatment that were related to cell proliferation, metabolism and the stress response. These proteomics data further our understanding of the proliferation mechanisms of PC12 cells exposed to CsA and demonstrate that our methodology has potential to further elucidate the mechanisms and pathways involved.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.72-81
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• 2007

In order to screen the aging related proteins in human normal colon epithelia, the comparative proteomics analysis was applied to get the two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) profiles with high resolution and reproducibility from normal colon epithelial tissues of young and aged people. Differential proteins between the colon epithelia of two age groups were found with PDQuest software. The thirty five differential protein-spots were identified by peptide mass fingerprint (PMF) based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) and database searching. Among them there are sixteen proteins which are significantly up-regulated in the colonic mucosal epithelia of young people group, which include ATP synthase beta chain, electron transfer flavoprotein alpha-subunit, catalase, glutathione peroxidase 1, annexin A2 and heat shock cognate 71 kDa protein, etc.; There are nineteen proteins which are significantly up-regulated in the colonic mucosal epithelia of aged people group, which include far upstream element-binding protein 1, nucleoside diphosphate kinase B, protein disulfide-isomerase precursor and VDAC-2, etc.. The identified differential proteins appear to be involved in metabolism, energy generation, chaperone, antioxidation, signal transduction, protein folding and apoptosis. The data will help to understand the molecular mechanisms of human colon epithelial aging.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.1172-1185
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• 2019

Objective: Meat quality attributes in postmortem muscle tissues depend on skeletal muscle metabolites. The objective of this study was to determine the key metabolic compounds and pathways that are associated with postmortem aging and beef quality in Japanese Black cattle (JB; a Japanese Wagyu breed with highly marbled beef). Methods: Lean portions of Longissimus thoracis (LT: loin) muscle in 3 JB steers were collected at 0, 1, and 14 days after slaughter. The metabolomic profiles of the samples were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry, followed by statistical and multivariate analyses with bioinformatics resources. Results: Among the total 171 annotated compounds, the contents of gluconic acid, gluconolactone, spermidine, and the nutritionally vital substances (choline, thiamine, and nicotinamide) were elevated through the course of postmortem aging. The contents of glycolytic compounds increased along with the generation of lactic acid as the beef aging progressed. Moreover, the contents of several dipeptides and 16 amino acids, including glutamate and aromatic and branched-chain amino acids, were elevated over time, suggesting postmortem protein degradation in the muscle. Adenosine triphosphate degradation also progressed, resulting in the generation of inosine, xanthine, and hypoxanthine via the temporal increase in inosine 5'-monophosphate. Cysteine-glutathione disulfide, thiamine, and choline increased over time during the postmortem muscle aging. In the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes database, a bioinformatics resource, the postmortem metabolomic changes in LT muscle were characterized as pathways mainly related to protein digestion, glycolysis, citric acid cycle, pyruvate metabolism, pentose phosphate metabolism, nicotinamide metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, purine metabolism, and glutathione metabolism. Conclusion: The compounds accumulating in aged beef were shown to be nutritionally vital substances and flavor components, as well as potential useful biomarkers of aging. The present metabolomic data during postmortem aging contribute to further understanding of the beef quality of JB and other breeds.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.506-520
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• 2023

Objective: Japanese Brown (JBR) cattle, especially the Kochi (Tosa) pedigree (JBRT), is a local breed of moderately marbled beef. Despite the increasing demand, the interbreed differences in muscle metabolites from the highly marbled Japanese Black (JBL) beef remain poorly understood. We aimed to determine flavor-related metabolites and postmortem metabolisms characteristic to JBRT beef in comparison with JBL beef. Methods: Lean portions of the longissimus thoracis (loin) muscle from four JBRT cattle were collected at 0, 1, and 14 d postmortem. The muscle metabolomic profiles were analyzed using capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The difference in post-mortem metabolisms and aged muscle metabolites were analyzed by statistical and bioinformatic analyses between JBRT (n = 12) and JBL cattle (n = 6). Results: A total of 240 metabolite annotations were obtained from the detected signals of the JBRT muscle samples. Principal component analysis separated the beef samples into three different aging point groups. According to metabolite set enrichment analysis, post-mortem metabolic changes were associated with the metabolism of pyrimidine, nicotinate and nicotinamide, purine, pyruvate, thiamine, amino sugar, and fatty acid; citric acid cycle; and pentose phosphate pathway as well as various amino acids and mitochondrial fatty acid metabolism. The aged JBRT beef showed higher ultimate pH and lower lactate content than aged JBL beef, suggesting the lower glycolytic activity in postmortem JBRT muscle. JBRT beef was distinguished from JBL beef by significantly different compounds, including choline, amino acids, uridine monophosphate, inosine 5'-monophosphate, fructose 1,6-diphosphate, and betaine, suggesting interbreed differences in the accumulation of nucleotide monophosphate, glutathione metabolism, and phospholipid metabolism. Conclusion: Glycolysis, purine metabolism, fatty acid catabolism, and protein degradation were the most common pathways in beef during postmortem aging. The differentially expressed metabolites and the relevant metabolisms in JBRT beef may contribute to the development of a characteristic flavor.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.318-323
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• 2007

Electronic photofragmentation spectrum of protonated tyrosine-alanine dipeptide ions(YAH+) was obtained in the wavenumber region of 34500~36700 cm-1 using a quadrupole ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometer (QIT-TOFMS). YAH+ ions were produced by electrospray ionization, stored in the ion trap and then irradiated by ultraviolet laser pulses which induced photofragmentation of the ions. The electronic photofragmentation spectrum was obtained by monitoring the photodissociation yields of YAH+ ions as a function of the laser wavelength. The spectrum exhibited two broad peaks which were assigned as S1 and S2 by theoretical calculations using a time-dependent density functional method. The broad widths of the peaks in the spectrum were explained by the overlaps of the peaks originated from various conformers of YAH+ ions which were present in the gas phase at room temperature and also by the contributions of the hot bands.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.320-328
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• 2014

Biodiesel has very similar physical properties (density, kinematic viscosity) and has even higher cetane number compare with conventional diesel. There are no necessity to change or modify the infra-structure & engine system. It is known that fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) is oxygen-contained components increasing the combustibility, biodegradability and reduced the exhaust harmful gas. These things made the biodiesel more popular as an alternative diesel fuel. But biodiesel's sources are controversial issues about $CO_2$ reduction effect at this time because those mainly come from edible plants such as soy, palm, rapeseed already spent lot of $CO_2$ to cultivate. Whereas micro-algae is focused because they are inedible and has rapid growth rates & high carbon-dioxide adsorption rate per area. In this study, we analyze the each FAME components using $GC{\times}GC$-TOFMS in stead of GC-FID and verify the previous total FAME contents method's applicability through the micro algal biodiesel derived from Dunaliella tertiolecta.