• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.145-153
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• 2022

Mercury (Hg) is a major concern in marine environment because of their bioaccumulation and biomagnification properties, and adverse effects to aquatic organisms at even a trace amount. However, little information on the effects of Hg, compared to other heavy metals, is available in marine small crustaceans. Here, we investigated the transcriptional modulation of metabolism-related genes in the brackish water flea, Diaphanosoma celebensis after exposure to sublethal concentration (0.2, 0.4, 0.8 ㎍/l) of HgCl₂ for 48 h. Relative mRNA expression levels of five detoxification enzyme-coding genes (cytochrome P450; cyp360A1, cyp361A1, cyp4AP3, cyp4C122, and cyp370C5) and six digestive enzyme-coding genes [alpha amylase (AMY), alpha amylase related protein (AMY-like), trypsin (TRYP), chymotrypsin-like protein (CHY), lipase (LIP), pancreatic lipase-related protein (PLRP)] were analyzed using quantitative real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). As results, Hg increased the mRNA level of cyp370C5 (clan2) and cyp4AP3 (clan4) in a concentration dependent manner. A significant increase in TRYP mRNA was also concentration-dependently observed after exposure to Hg. These findings suggest that cyp370C5 and cyp4AP3 play a key role in Hg detoxification in D. celebensis, and Hg can affect energy metabolism by modulating the transcription of digestive enzyme. This study will provide better understanding the molecular effects of Hg in marine small crustacean.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1495-1502
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• 2014

Metarhizium anisopliae is a widely studied model to understand the virulence factors that participate in pathogenicity. Proteases such as subtilisin-like enzymes (Pr1) and trypsin-like enzymes (Pr2) are considered important factors for insect cuticle degradation. In four M. anisopliae strains (798, 6342, 6345, and 6347), the presence of pr1 and pr2 genes, as well as the enzymatic activity of these genes, was correlated with their virulence against two different insect pests. The 11 pr1 genes (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, and K) and pr2 gene were found in all strains. The activity of individual Pr1 and Pr2 proteases exhibited variation in time (24, 48, 72, and 96 h) and in the presence or absence of chitin as the inductor. The highest Pr1 enzymatic activity was shown by strain 798 at 48 h with chitin. The highest Pr2 enzymatic activity was exhibited by the 6342 and 6347 strains, both grown with chitin at 24 and 48 h, respectively. Highest mortality on S. exigua was caused by strain 6342 at 48 h, and strains 6342, 6345, and 6347 caused the highest mortality 7 days later. Mortality on Prosapia reached 30% without variation. The presence of subtilisin and trypsin genes and the activity of these proteases in M. anisopliae strains cannot be associated with the virulence against the two insect pests. Probably, subtilisin and trypsin enzyme production is not a vital factor for pathogenicity, but its contribution is important to the pathogenicity process.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.85-96
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• 1988

Purification and some properties of alkaline proteinases in the pyloric caeca of skipjack, Katsuwonus vagans, were investigated. Four alkaline proteinases, temporarily designated proteinases I, II, III and IV, were identified from the tissue extract of the pyloric caeca by ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-Sephadex A-50 chromatography, and Sephadex G-100 and G-200 gel filtration. Result of disc-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis showed that the purified proteinases II and III were homogenous with the yields of $1.5\%\;and\;1.2\%$, and those specific activities were increased to 33 to 37 fold over that of the crude enzyme solution, respectively. Molecular weight of the proteinases II and III determined by sephadex G-100 gel filtration were 28,500 and 24,200, respectively. The optimum conditions for the caseinolytic activity of the two enzymes were pH 9.6 and $48^{\circ}C$. The reaction rates of the two alkaline proteinases were constant to the reaction time to 80 min in the reaction mixture of $3.4{\mu}g/ml$ of enzyme concentration and $2\%$ casein solution. The Km values against casein substrate determined by the method of Lineweaver-Burk were $0.56\%$ for proteinase II and $0.30\%$ for proteinase II. The proteinases II and III were inactivated under the presence of $Ag^+,\;Hg^{2+},\;Ni{2+},\;Fe^{2+},\;and\;Cu^{2+}$, and but activated by $Mn^{2+}\;and\;Ca^{2+}$ and markedly inhibited by the soybean trypsin inhibitor and N-p-toluenesulfonyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone. Therefore, the proteinases II and III were found to be a group of serine proteases and assured to be trypsin-like proteinases.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.50-55
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• 2012

We compared the nutritional requirements of whole larvae of the black seabream Acanthopagrus schlegeli, sweet fish Plecoglossus altivelis, olive flounder Paralichthys olivaeus and rock fish Sebastes schlegeli. The larvae were 20, 30, 14 and 5 DAH (or spawning) of black seabream, sweet fish, olive flounder and rock fish, respectively. Specific ${\alpha}$-amylase activity (mU/mg protein) was highest (8,324.9 mU/mg protein) in rock fish larvae (P<0.05). Specific trypsin-like protease activity was highest (11,330.1 mU/mg protein) in black seabream larvae (P<0.05), which also exhibited the highest activity, 685.5 mU/mg dry weight (P<0.05). The specific activities per mg protein and mg dry weight of black seabream were the highest (187.4 mU/mg protein and 11.3 mU/mg dry weight, respectively) (P<0.05). A/P, P/L and A/L ratios of rock fish were 1.47, 90.3 and 133.1, respectively (P<0.05). We present here basic larval digestive enzymatic nutritional requirement data.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.193-198
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• 2006

Many gastrointestinal muscles show electrical oscillation, so-called 'slow wave', originated from interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs). Thus, a technique to freshly isolate the cells is indispensable to explore the electrophysiological properties of the ICCs. To apply an enzyme solution on the serosal surface for cell isolation, the intestine was inverted and 0.02% trypsin solution and 0.04% collagenase solution were applied to serosal cavity. After the enzyme treatment, mucosal layer was removed and longitudinal muscle layer was gently separated from the rest of tissue. The thin layer was stretched in the recording chamber and mounted on an inverted microscope. Using ${\beta}-escine$, perforated whole cell patch clamp technique was used. Under a microscope, the tissue showed smooth muscle cells and interstitial cells around the myenteric plexus. Under voltage clamp condition, three types of membrane potential were recorded. One group of interstitial cells, which were positive to methylene blue and CD34, showed spontaneous outward current. These cells had bipolar shape and were considered as fibroblast-like cells because of their peculiar shape and arrangement. Another group, positive to c-kit and methylene blue, showed spontaneous inward current. These cells had more rounded shape and processes and were considered as ICCs. The third, positive to c-kit and had granules containing methylene blue, showed quiet membrane potentials under the voltage-clamp mode. These cells appeared to be resident macrophages. Therefore, in the freshly isolated thin tissue preparation, methylene blue could easily identify three types of cells rather than morphological properties. Using this method, we were able to study electrical properties of fibroblast and residential macrophage as well as myenteric ICCs.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.29.1-29.6
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• 2016

In the present study, we investigated to the antioxidant and angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities of the northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) by-products (PBB) hydrolysates prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis. The antioxidant and ACE inhibitory activities of five enzymatic hydrolysates (alcalase, protamex, flavourzyme, papain, and trypsin) of PBB were evaluated by the 2, 2'-azino-bis [3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid] ($ABTS^+$) radical scavenging and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activities, reducing power and Li's method for ACE inhibitory activity. Of these PBB hydrolysates, the protamex hydrolysate exhibited the most potent ACE inhibitory activity with $IC_{50}$ value of $0.08{\pm}0.00mg/mL$. The PBB protamex hydrolysate was fractionated by two ultrafiltration membranes with 3 and 10 kDa (below 3 kDa, between 3 and 10 kDa, and above 10 kDa). These three fractions were evaluated for the total amino acids composition, antioxidant, and ACE inhibitory activities. Among these fractions, the < 3 kDa and 3-10 kDa fractions showed more potent $ABTS^+$ radical scavenging activity than that of > 10 kDa fraction, while the > 10 kDa fraction exhibited the significant reducing power than others. In addition, 3-10 kDa and > 10 kDa fractions showed the significant ACE inhibitory activity. These results suggested that the high molecular weight enzymatic hydrolysate derived from PBB could be used for control oxidative stress and prevent hypertension.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.185-190
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• 1988

To investigate whether malignant behavior of skin tumor correlates with changes in the level of proteolytic activities in skin tumors, rats were treated with 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene followed by photbor ester. Tumors induced upon the treatrnents exhibited more than 20-fold increase in the activity of plasminogen activator and about 3-fold of plasmin-like activity. as compared to those in treated controls. Furthermore, the former activity was raised to about 6-fold even in the preneoplastic dssues of the skin tissues. On the other hand, the proteolytic activity against casein and insulin decreased to several-fold in the tumor tissues while antitrvpsin activity remained similar in both tumor and controls. Thus, the increase in the activities of plasmInogen activator and plasminlike enzyme appears to occur as a charaderistic to skin cancer and may involve in invasion and metsstasis of the tumor.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.23-34
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• 1991

In order to study the sperm-egg interaction during fertilization process in mouse, the effects of sperm concentration, the duration of capacitation and insemination, the stages of maturation and development of eggs, and sperm extracts and BSA on sperm binding to egg were examined. Sperm-egg binding was increased depending on sperm concentration within the range of $10^3-10^6$ sperm/ml. It showed the most numbers of sperm-egg binding at 60min from the beginning of preincubation(capacitation) and insemination, respectively. During sperm capacitation, sperm-egg binding inhibitor was released from sperm into the incubation medium. Sperm extracts containing trypsin-like enzyme which is secreted through the acrosome reaction increased the binding. BSA in the culture medium showed a positive effect on the binding. It is suggested that physicochemical alterations of zona pellucida in the process of maturation and fertilization of eggs leaded to inhibition of sperm-egg binding.

• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.356-361
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• 1997

We cloned a cDNA (pPRC-1) which was comprised of 841 nucleotides from the cDNA library of a male ICR mouse submandibular gland ($SMG^+$). The nucleotide sequences of pPRC-1 were identical to those of exons 2 and 3 of the mGK-21 gene, a potentially functional glandular kallikrein identified in a Balb/c mouse, except for one nucleotide residue. Although this substitution changes Ile (ATT) in pPRC-1 to Val (GTT) in mGK-21, this difference has been explained by strain polymorphism. From the amino acid sequences predicted from its cDNA, we speculated that mGK-21 gene products/pGK21 consist of 261 amino acids including the $NH_2$-terminal signal peptide (residues 1~17), the short propeptide (residues 17~24), and the active peptide (residues 25~261). Although we did not demonstrate the enzyme activity of pGK21, it was assumed that pGK 21 was involved in the maturation of certain bioactive polypeptide(s) in mouse SMG for the following reasons : (a) mGK-21 gene was apparently expressed in a male ICR mouse SMG: (b) the proposed active site $His^{65}$, $Asp^{120}$, and $Ser^{213}$ residues were completely conserved in pGK21 just like other glandular kallikreins; (c) the cloned cDNA was translated to a predicted 27 kDa polypeptide chain in vitro: (d) the 27 kDa polypeptide chain produced by CHO cells was produced to a putative active form by trypsin.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.148-158
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• 1991

The purpose of this research was to establish the culture condition for dissociated submandibu -lar gland (SG) cells. After trypsin digestion of SG from 3-4 weeks old mice, dissociated cells were cultured in 1OO/o fetal bovine serum-Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (FBS-DME) or 0.5-2% low protein serum replacement-DME (LPSR-DME) on plastic surface to form monolayer. The effects of FBS, LPSR and hormones on the growth and function of cultured SG cells were examined. SG cells dissociated by enzyme were successfully cultured and were characterized as epithelial-like cells by light and electron microscope. The maximal DNA synthesis of cultured SG cells was achieved by DME containing 5-10% FBS. The same results were obtained when the effects of LPSR on cell proliferation were examined up to a LPSR concentration of 2%. SG cells cultured in 20/o LPSR-DME expressed a population doubling time of 42.5 hrs and a saturation density of 1.2 $\times$10 5cell/cm$^2$. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in medium did not influence on the DNA synthesis of the cultured SG cells, but stimulated protein synthesis of the SG cells. Thyroxine (T4) stimulated protein synthesis of the SCI cells markedly in a dose-dependent fashion. EGF secretion by the cultured SG cells increased significandy by DHT and or T4 trearment. This finding indicated that secretion of EGF by the SG cells was under the control of the hormones such as androgen and thyroid hormones. It seems to be that the culture condition described here can be used as a useful tool for further research on the SCI cells.