• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.17
• /
• pp.109-115
• /
• 2001

Abrus agglutinin was purified from the kernels of Abrus precatorius by Sepharose 4B affinity column chromatography followed by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration column chromatography. About 1.25 g of abrus agglutinin was obtained from 1 kg of the kernels. The LD$_{50}$ of abrus agglutinin is 5 mg/kg of body weight, which is less toxic than that of abrin, 20$\mu\textrm{g}$/kg body weight. The amino acid sequence of abrus agglutinin was determined by protein sequencing techniques and deduced from the nucleotide sequence of a cDNA clone encoding full length of abrus agglutinin. There are 258 residues, 2 residues and 267 residues in the A-chain, the linker peptide and the B-chain of abrus agglutinin, respectively. Abrus agglutinin had high homology to abrin-a (77.8%). The 13 amino acid residues involved in catalytic function, which are highly conserved among abrin and ricin, were also conserved within abrus agglutinin. The protein synthesis inhibitory activity of abrus agglutinin ($IC_{50}$/ = 3.5 nM) was weaker than that of abrin-a (0.05 nM). By molecular modeling followed by site-directed mutagenesis showed that Pro199 of abrus agglutinin A-chain located in amphipathic helix H and corresponding to Asn200 of abrin A-chain, can induce bending of helix H. This bending would presumably affect the binding of abrus agglutinin A-chain to its target sequence GpApGpAp, in the tetraloop structure of 285 r-RNA subunit and this could be one of major factors contributing to the relatively weak protein synthesis inhibitory activity and toxicity of abrus agglutinin.n.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.447-453
• /
• 1986

The culture filtrate of thermophilic alkalophilic Bacillus K17 strain contained two types of xylanases were purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAD-Sephadex A-50 column chromatography, CM-Sephadex C-50 column chromatography and Sephadex G-100 gel filtration. The purified enzymes were found to be homogeneous by sodium dodecyl sulfate and disc polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Xylanase I and II were characterized with respect to molecular weight, optimal temperature and pH, thermal and pH stability, and Michaelis constant. Xylanase II was more active and stable, and showed greater substrate affinity and molecular weight than xylanase I. The activities of xylanases I and II were inhibited by Cu$^{++}$, Ag$^+$, Hg$^{++}$ and Fe$^{++}$. Xylanase I hydrolyzed xylan to yield xylobiose and higher amount of xylooligosaccharides, but xylanase II produced xylose other than xylobiose and xylooligosacchrides.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.569-574
• /
• 1989

These studies were conducted to investigate the purification and characterization of Kiwifruit protease, and the results obtained were as follows The protease was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, Sephadex G-100 filtration and DEAE-Sephadex A-50 column chromatography and purified enzyme gave a single protein band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis The specific activity of purified enzyme was 30,10 units/mg protein and the yield was 7.48. The purified enzyme showed a high affinity for casein and hemoglobin. The optimal pH and temperature for enzyme activity were 7.0 and $45^{\circ}C$, respectively. The enzyme activity was strongly inhibited by $HgCl_2,\;MnSO_4$. However. the enzyme was activated by cysteine and EDTA. The Michaelis constant for casein was calculated to be 50.5mg/ml according to the Line weaver-Burk method, and its molecular weight was determied as 23,500 by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.89-97
• /
• 1994

These studies were carried out to investigate the properties of H-Y antigen purified by immunoaffinity chromatography using monoclonal H-Y antibody. Immunoaffinity column was prepared by the coupling of monoclonal antibody to the Aminolink Coupling Gel. Murine testis supernatant was applied onto the column and eluted by O.lM glycine-HCl buffer and 31${\mu}g$ of H-Y Ag was eluted from one testis. Purified H-Y Ag strongly reacted with Con A and lentil from 6 different kinds of lectins tested, which may indicate that sugar moiety of H-Y Ag is composed of glucose, mannose and their derivatives. Con A-sepharose affinity column was used to purified H-Y Ag based on that H-Y Ag is glycoprotein. The fraction eluted by 0.2M Me-${\alpha}$-D-mannoside from the column loaded with murine testis supernatant was identified to be H-Y Ag by dot blot test. Molecular weight of the purified H-Y Ag was estimated by Sepharose G-75 gel filtration and SDS-PAGE, and showing that it was about 67,000 dalton. In fluorescence test, the ratio of XY embryos and XX embryos was 1:1.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.92-99
• /
• 2014

Interferences were removed using anion exchange solid phase extraction (AE SPE) in quantification of selenoproteins in Korean human blood serum with affinity high performance liquid chromatography (AF HPLC)-inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry (ICP/MS). The average selenium level obtained for healthy Koreans was $94.3{\pm}2.3ngg^{-1}$ using isotope dilution method. AE SPE was coupled to AF column to separate 3 selenoproteins, glutathione peroxidase GPx, selenoprotein SelP, and selenoalbumin SeAlb. Post column isotope dilution was employed to quantify the proteins. The certified reference material of human blood serum BCR-637 was analyzed to give total selenoprotein concentration of $85.4{\pm}3.4ngg^{-1}$, which agreed well with the reference value of $81{\pm}7ngg^{-1}$. The pooled concentration of GPx, SelP, and SeAlb from healthy Koreans (n=20) was $12.1{\pm}1.4ngg^{-1}$, $57.2{\pm}2.0ngg^{-1}$, and $20.0{\pm}1.9ngg^{-1}$, respectively. The sum of selenoproteins is $89.3ngg^{-1}$, which is about the same as the total selenium concentration of $94.3ngg^{-1}$. The fact suggests that selenium in blood serum is mostly consisted of selenoproteins. After the removal of interference, GPx showed a significant decrease (more than 50%) from $25.0ngg^{-1}$ to $12.1ngg^{-1}$. It was identified that the interference in blood serum was mostly from GPx and the use of AE SPE was proven to be efficient in eliminating Cl and Br that cause interference to GPx.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.131-138
• /
• 1990

Aflatoxins is a chemically diverse group of toxic secondary metabolites that are produced by fungi and often occur in agricultural commodities. Because of their wide range of toxic effects, Aflatoxins cause severe economic losses to farmers and livestock producers and pose a health to human consuming contaminated foods. Long term prospects for biotechnological control of Aflatoxins require elucidation of the specific steps and regulation of their biosynthetic pathways . Aflatoxin determinations can be approached many ways. It is essential to safely handle all experimental materials associated with aflatoxin analysis or aflatoxigenic fungi Visual screening of suspect samples, base on the presence of conidial head of the aspergillus flavus group, and screening samples for the presence of bright greenish yellow flourescence are not chemical tests and such screening techniques may allow aflactoxin contaminated lots into commerce. Microcolumn screening procedures should always be used in conjunction with a quantitative method. Several thin layer chromatography(TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) methods are suitable for quantitation and are in general use. Immunochemical Methods such as the ELISA or affinity column chromatography methods are being rapidly developed. The chemical and immunochemical methods can be reliable if care is taken, using suitable controls and personnel that are well trained . All analytical laboratories should stress safety and include suitable analytical validation procedure. Especially a worldwide enquiry was undertaken in recent to obtain up-to-date information about aflatoxin legislation in as many countries of the world as possible. The information concerns aflatoxin in foodstuffs. aflatoxin MI in dairy products, aflatoxins in animal feedstuffs. Limits and regulations for aflatoxin have been expended in recent with more countries having legislation on subject, more products, and more aflatoxins covered by this legislation.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.279-285
• /
• 2001

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a halophilic bacterium associated with seafood gastroenteritis. An unusual strain of Kanagawa-positive urease producing Vibrio parahaemolyticus O1:K1 was isolated from the environment and identified . A polymerase chain reaction assay revealed that this strain harbored both the tdh and the genes. The urease from this strain was studied. Maximum urease production was induced in LB medium containing 0.2% urea, 0.5% glucose, 2% NaCl and pH 5.5 with 6h of culti-vation at 37$\^{C}$ under aeration. Purification of urease was achieved by the process of whole cell lysate, 65% ammonium sulphate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose ion exchange column chromatography, Sepharose CL-6B gel filtration and oxirane activated Sepharose 6B-urea affinity chromatography with 203 fold purification and 2.2% yield. Analysis of the purified enzyme by SDS-PAGE demonstrated the presence of the subunits with a molecular weight of 85kDa, 59kDa, 41kDa and the molecular weight for the native enzyme by nondenaturing PAGE and gel filtration chromatography was 255kDa. The purified urease was stable at pH 7.5 and the opeimal pH in HEPES buffer was 8.0 The enzyme was stable at 60$\^{C}$ for 2 h with a residual activity of 32% . The addition of 10$\mu$M if NiCl$_2$maintained stability for 30 min. The Km value of the purified enzyme was 35.6 mM in urea substrate. The TD$\_$50/(median toxic dose) of the purified urease was 2.5$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml on human leukemia cells.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.34 no.12
• /
• pp.3817-3824
• /
• 2013

Various separation modes in HPLC, such as anion exchange (AE), reversed-phase (RP), and affinity (AF) chromatography were examined for the separation of selenium species in human blood serum and urine. While RP- and AE-HPLC were mainly used for the separation of small molecular selenium species, double column AF-HPLC achieved the separation of selenoproteins in blood serum efficiently. Further, the effluent of AF-HPLC was enzymatically hydrolyzed and then analyzed with RP HPLC for selenoamino acid study. The versatility of the hybrid technique makes the in-depth study of selenium species possible. For quantification, post column isotope dilution (ID) with $^{78}Se$ spike was performed. ORC ICP/MS (octapole reaction cell inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry) was used with 4 mL $min^{-1}$ Hydrogen as reaction gas. In urine sample, inorganic selenium and SeCys were identified. In blood serum, selenoproteins GPx, SelP and SeAlb were detected and quantified. The concentration for GPx, SelP and SeAlb was $22.8{\pm}3.4\;ng\;g^{-1}$, $45.2{\pm}1.7\;ng\;g^{-1}$, and $16.1{\pm}2.2\;ng\;g^{-1}$, respectively when $^{80}Se/^{78}Se$ was used. The sum of these selenoproteins ($84.1{\pm}4.4\;ng\;g^{-1}$) agrees well with the total selenium concentration measured with the ID method of $87.0{\pm}3.0\;ng\;g^{-1}$. Enzymatic hydrolysis of each selenium proteins revealed that SeCys is the major amino acid for all three proteins and SeMet is contained in SeAlb only.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.2 no.5
• /
• pp.637-644
• /
• 1998

Previously, we have isolated authentic bombesin and another bombesin like peptide named bombesin like immunoreactivity (BLI)-K2 from the skin of Korean fire-bellied toad, Bombina orientalis. In the present study, we have newly purified three heterogeneous forms of BLI named BLI-K3, BLI-K4, and BLI-K5 from side fractions obtained in previous isolation of bombesin like peptide. The BLIs were separated into five peaks on a column of $C_{18}$ preparative HPLC. Among them, three minor peaks containing BLI-K3, K4, and K5 were purified by means of sequential chromatography on the columns of SP cation exchange HPLC and $C_{18}$ reverse phase HPLC. The purified BLI-K3 and K4 showed high binding affinity to an anti-bombesin serum (LBE 2G-2) with binding potency of 72 and 95%, respectively, relative to that of bombesin. However, they did not possess any distinctive biological activity of bombesin like peptide. On the contrary, the biological activity of BLI-K5 was similar to that of bombesin but its binding affinity to an anti-bombesin serum was low. The results indicate that three heterogeneous forms of BLI were coexpressed with bombesin and BLI-K2 in the skin of B. orientalis. All forms of the purified BLI in the present study were immunologically active but only BLI-K5 possessed the distinctive biological activity of bombesin like peptide.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.82-90
• /
• 1999

In order to eventually fabricate an analytical system for infectious microorganisms, we synthesized major immunochemical components, utilized them for the construction of model system, and investigated an assay concept for bacterial whole cells. For the preparation of system components, a polyclonal antibody, against Salmonella thompson as model analyte, purified by immuno-affinity chromatography was used to chemically link to streptavidin or an enzyme, horseradish peroxidase(HRP). The antibody and streptavidin was modified with sulfosuccinimidyl 4-[N-maleimidomethyl]cyclohexane-1-carboxylate and N-succinimidyl-3-[2-pyridyldithio]propionate(subsequently activated by dithiotheritol), respectively. The modified components were reacted to synthesize antibody-streptavidin conjugates which were then purified on a two-layer chromatography column of diaminobiotin gel and Sephadex G-100. For antibody-HRP conjugates, HRP molecules were activated by $NalO_4$ oxidation and then coupled to immunoglobulin. After stabilizing with ($NaCNBH_3$, the conjugates were purified by size exclusion chromatography on Biogel A5M column. To devise a model system, such produced components were combined with a dot-blotter in which a nitrocellulose membrane($12{\mu}m$ pre size) with immobilized biotin was already located. The analyte (S. thompson cells) was reacted with the both antibody conjugates in a liquid phase, and the complexes formed were captured on the membrane surfaces by applying vacuum in the bottom compartment of the blotter to invoke biotin-streptavidin reaction. Under optimal conditions, the system enabled to identify the analytical concept for bacterial whole cells, and the lower limit of detection was approximately $1{\mu}g/m{\ell}$($10^5-10^6$ cells/m$m{\ell}$). The controlling factors were the concentrations of each antibody conjugate that caused agglutination in the presence of analyte as they increased.