• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.129-135
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• 2011

Cloning and characterization of the gene encoding a solvent-tolerant protease from the haloalkaliphilic bacterium Geomicrobium sp. EMB2 are described. Primers designed based on the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified EMB2 protease helped in the amplification of a 1,505-bp open reading frame that had a coding potential of a 42.7-kDa polypeptide. The deduced EMB2 protein contained a 35.4-kDa mature protein of 311 residues, with a high proportion of acidic amino acid residues. Phylogenetic analysis placed the EMB2 gene close to a known serine protease from Bacillus clausii KSM-K16. Primary sequence analysis indicated a hydrophobic inclination of the protein; and the 3D structure modeling elucidated a relatively higher percentage of small (glycine, alanine, and valine) and borderline (serine and threonine) hydrophobic residues on its surface. The structure analysis also highlighted enrichment of acidic residues at the cost of basic residues. The study indicated that solvent and salt stabilities in Geomicrobium sp. protease may be accorded to different structural features; that is, the presence of a number of small hydrophobic amino acid residues on the surface and a higher content of acidic amino acid residues, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.1010-1016
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• 1999

Protease related mold was isolated and selected as a starter culture for commercial production of meju. Isolated microorganism was identified as Syncephalastrum racemosum PDA 132 2. To obtain basic data about protease for production of soybean peptides and application of the strain in meju fermentation, we extrated and purified protease and charateristics of the enzyme were investigated. The optimum condition for the production of enzyme was pH 4.0, 30oC, 5 days. The protease was purified 19.7 folds by gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography and specific activity was 12.4unit/mg. The purified enzyme was 34kDa in size, thiol protease(100% inhibited by PCMB), and was acidic protease(stable between pH 2.0~5.0). Vmax of the enzyme was 2.14 g/min which was lower(1/50) than that of by Asp. wentti and B. subtilis.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.56-62
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• 2008

This study was carried out to investigate the changes in microflora, enzyme activity and sensory quality of four kinds of cheonggukjang during fermentation. Three different kinds of cheonggukjang were prepared with germinated soybeans using rice straw, Bacillus natto, B. natto plus Aspergillus oryzae, and the last one was prepared with non-germinated soybeans using rice straw. The pH values of cheonggukjang prepared with germinated or non-germinated soybeans increased up to 36 hr of fermentation and then decreased. The number of bacteria and molds increased significantly up to 24 hr of fermentation and then leveled off during fermentation. Acidic and neutral protease activities of all cheonggukjang continuously increased significantly during fermentation. ${\alpha}$- and ${\beta}$-Amylase activities of cheonggukjang decreased slightly during fermentation except cheonggukjang prepared with germinated soybeans using the mixed culture. The number of microflora, protease and ${\alpha}$-amylase activities were highest in cheonggukjang prepared with germinated soybeans using B. natto plus A. oryzae. The results of the sensory evaluation revealed that for overall acceptability, the cheonggukjang prepared with germinated soybeans using B. natto plus A. oryzae was similar to the cheonggukjang prepared with non-germinated soybeans using rice straw.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.502-509
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• 1993

Changes in microflora and enzyme activities of 3 kinds of traditional kochujang were investigated during 6 months of fermentation. Tested kochujang included Sunchang kochujang prepared with glutinous rice, Boeun kochujang prepared with barley and Sachun kochujang prepared with wheat. The pH in Sunchang and Sachun kochujang showed a slighlt decrese during fermentation. In contrast, pH of Boeun kochujang decreased rapidly up to 90 days of fermentation and then leveled off thereafter. The final pH values of Sunchang, Boeun and Sachun kochujang were 4.7, 4.0, and 4.6, respectively. The viable cell counts of aerobic bacteria in Sunchang and Sachun kochujang did not show remarkable changes during fermentation, however, those in Boeun kochujang showed a rapid increase up to 60 days of fermentation and stabilized. On the other hand, the viable cell counts of anaerobic bacteria decreased after 120 days of fermentation. Yeasts were found in different traditional kochujang at different time during the first 60 days of fermentation. It was found that ${\alpha}-$, ${\beta}-$, and glucoamylase activities of Sachun kochujang were higher than those of Sunchang and Boeun kochujang during fermentation. Acidic and neutral proteases showed the highest activity during $30{\sim}60\;days$ and $60{\sim}90\;days$ of fermentation, respectively. Sunchang kochujang showed the highest activity of acidic protease followed in decreasing order by Sachun and Boeun kochujang. On the other hand, Boeun kochujang showed the highest activity of acidic protease followed in decreasing order by Sachun and Sunchang kochujang.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 2001

Alpha-amylase and glucoamylase activities were higher in koji with 40% water than that with 30 and 50% water, and A. oryzae exhibited very high alpha-amylase and glucoamylase activities compared to A. sojae and A. niger. Acidic, neutral and alkaline protease activities also showed higher activities in koji prepared with flour, Korean wheat powder and soybean powder with 40% water based on the weight of the sample. Alpha-amylase, acidic, neutral and alkaline protease activities of all the koji samples according to incubation periods increased until 3~4 days of incubation and maintained nearly the same level or slightly decreased after 5 days of incubation. The protease activities of A. oryzae and A. sojae showed nearly the same trend regardless of differences in substrate conditions and koji materials, but those of A. niger showed a lower activity than those of A. oryzae and A. sojae. These results suggest that the preparation of koji is possible with Korean wheat powder and soybean powder and A. sojae can be utilized as a new strain for fermented foods using soybean as the main materials to increase functional properties and produce products having a new taste and flavor.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.804-810
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• 2010

This study was performed to select protease-producing Bacillus sp. as a potential probiotic starter for fermented meat products. In order to isolate protease-producing bacterium from meju, measured the diameter of the clear zone on agar plate (TSA, 1% (w/v) skim milk) and analyzed for intracellular protease activity, then 10 Bacillus-like strains were isolated. Three Bacillus-like strains (P19, P27, and P33) among 10 strains were able to tolerate in acidic condition (TSB, pH 2.5, 2 h incubation). These 3 strains were showed antimicrobial activity against food-borne pathogenic bacteria. These vegetative cells of 3 strains were showed a survival rate of 0.04% to 0.08% under the artificial gastric acidic condition (TSB, pH 2.5 with 1% (w/v) pepsin), but spore-forming cells were 56.29% to 84.77%. Vegetative cells of 3 strains were the least bile-resistant, while spore-forming cells of 3 strains showed higher survival rate more than 76% under artificial bile condition (TSB, 0.1% (w/v) oxgall bile). In these strains, P27 strain was finally selected as a good probiotic strain. P27 strain was tentatively identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens by API CHB kit and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The results of this study suggest that B. amyloliquefaciens P27 can be used as a potential probiotic starter for fermented meat product.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.563-568
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• 1996

This experiment was conducted to obtain basic information of biochemical changes in the process of senescence by measuring the total RNA, protein, protease activity and electrophoretic pattern of protein in tobacco plant. The content of soluble protein increased by 15 days after leaf emergence and its level was not changed from 15 to 35 days after leaf emergence. The content of total RNA showed a maximum value at 15 days after leaf emergence and then decreased rapidly until 30 days after leaf emergence. The activity of protease of neutral fraction was higher than that of acidic fraction and rapidly increased up to the end of senescence after 50 days after leaf emergence. According to the analysis of electrophoresis, polypeptide band of 61kd was developed after 35 days after leaf emergence and increased by the end of senescence.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.378-383
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• 2007

To study the characteristics and processing of Kochujang which is rapidly fermented by commercial enzymes, three kinds of Kochujang(KP-FA, KP-FN, and KP-BN) using commercial proteases and one Kochujang(KM) using Meju were prepared and their qualities investigated. There were only small differences in pH and acidity between each Kochujang. The moisture contents were high tendency in the three kinds of Kochujangs using the commercial proteases at 20 days of fermentation. Reducing sugars had a tendency to decrease during the fermentation in the Kochujangs using the proteases. During the first half of fermentation, the Kochujangs made with proteases showed higher amino nitrogen contents than the Kochujang(KM) made using Meju. Acidic protease activity was high in KP-FA at 20 days of fermentation and neutral protease activity was high in KP-FN and KP-BN at the beginning of fermentation. The Kochujangs made using the proteases, through 20 days of fermentation, obtained high preference in the sensory evaluation for color, texture, and overall acceptability. However, the hot taste was stronger in these Kochujangs during the fermentation.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.6
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• pp.107-117
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• 1965

(1) In order to study the specificity of Aspergillus soya protease to soybean protein, as well as the types of peptides formed during soybean-koji prerapation the amino acid sequence for the di & tripeptide and N-terminal amino acid residue and C-terminal amino acid residue were identified. As the results of the study, the following were obtained. Gly, Glu. Ala. Ser. Glu. Ser. Ala. Val (Cys, Glu, Ser, Ala, Arg, Try, Leu or Ileu) Asp. Phe (His, Arg, Cys, Asp, Ser, Ala, Leu or Ileu) Glu. Ala (Cys, Gly, Met) Glu. Ala (Asp, Glu,) Gly. Met (Asp, Glu, Ala, Tyr, Leu or Ileu, Lys,) Gly. Leu or Ileu (His, Asp, Glu, Gly, Ser, Lys, Thr, Phe,) Cys. Gly (Asp, Tyr,) Glu. Pro (Asp, Glu, Ser, Gly, Thr, Ala, Val, Leu or Ileu) Try. Ser (Gly, Glu, Arg, Ala, Met, Leu or Ileu,) Asp. Met (Asp, Glu, Ala, Try, Pro, Leu or Ileu,) His Thr (Ser, Gly, Tyr, Pro, Leu or Ileu,) Glu. Gly (Asp, Ala, Ser, Glu,) Leu or Ileu (2) It has revealed that Aspergillus soya protease has considerably wider range of specificity than that of chymotrypsin, pepsin and trypsin but not mold protease and Aspergillus saitoi protease. It can be said that Asp. soya protease split the bond adjacent to glutamic acid, aspartic acid, glycine, serine, alanine, cystine, tryptophan, histidine preferably acidic amino acid as C-terminal amino acid residue.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.131-137
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• 1982

The effect of red ginseng residue on the several enzyme activities of the koji and alcohol fermentation were investigated. The koji showed maximum values of amylase and cellulase activity when it was prepared by 30% red ginseng residue and 70% wheat bran, and of protease activity when it was prepared by 40% red ginseng residue and 60% wheat bran-${\alpha}$ amylase activity of the koji during its fermentation was increased rapidly until 4 days and there after it was increased slowly, but ${\beta}$-amylase was rapidly increased after 3 days fermentation. During the preparation of the koji, the acidic, neutral protease and cellulase activities showed the maximum value after 3 days fermentation and the alkaline protease showed the maximum value within 4-6 days fermentation. On the otherhand, fermented broth, containing 6%(v/v) alcohol, could be obtained when the substrate was saccharified by the koji, based on 25% red ginseng residue and 75% wheat bran, prior to alcohol fermentation.