• KSBB Journal
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• v.19 no.6 s.89
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• pp.462-466
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• 2004

Mycothiol (MSH), a low molecular antioxidant thiol compound, was purified and analyzed from Streptomyns coelicolor A[3]2 by the monobromobimane fluorescence detection method modified by this lab. Through HPLC chromatpgram, MSH fraction was obtained following the elution time of standard MSH (donated by Dr. Robert C. Fahey). That MSH showed the highest concentration among the thiol compounds contained in the cell indicated that MSH was the key thiol compound having antioxidant activity. To understand the role of gene of inositol monophosphatase (I-1-Pase) involved in the MSH biosynthesis, it was isolated from S. coelicolor A(3)2 and cloned and overexpressed in the Escherichia coli. The expressed I-1-Pase was purified through Ni-NTA column. The soluble protein consisted of 281 amino acids, and the molecular weight was 32 kDa. I-1-Pase of S. coelicolor A(3)2 had the sequence homology with those of human and E. coli by 24 and $25\%$, respectively, and had two conserved domains (mofif A and motif B) which were typical of I-1-Pase.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 2004

The direct electrochemical studies of four laccases (plant and fungal laccases) have been investigated on a gold electrode functionalized with a new tether of 2.2'-dithiosalicylic aldehyde. Results from these studies indicate that the redox potential of the active site of plant laccase from Rhus vernificera is shifted to a more negative value(255 mV versus SCE) than that of fungal laccase from Pyricularia oryzae (480 mV versus SCE). Mechanistic studies indicate that the reduction of type-1 Cu precedes the reduction of type-2 and type-3 Cu ions when the electrode is poised initially at different potentials. Also a new tether, 2.2'-dithiosalicylic aldehyde, has been used to study the redox properties of two laccases (LCCI and Lccla) covalently attached to a gold electrode. An irreversible peak at 0.47V vs. SCE is observed in the cyclic voltammorams of LCCI. In contrast, the cyclic voltammograms of LCCIa contain a quasi-reversible peak at 0.18V vs. SCE and an irreversible peak at 0.50V vs. SCE. We find that the replacement of the eleven amino acids a the C-terminus with a single cysteine residue $(i.e., \;LCCI{\rightarrow}LCCIa)$ influences the rate of heterogeneous electron transfer between an electrode and the copper containing active sites $(K_{het}\;for\;LCCI=1.0\times10^{-2}\;s^{-1}\;and\;K_{het}\;for\;LCCI_a= 1.0\;times10^{-1}\;s^{-1}\'at\;0.18V\;versus\;SCE\;and\;4.0\times10^{-2}\;s^{-1}\;at\;0.50V\; versus\;SCE)$. These results show for the first time that the change of the primary structure of a protein via site-directed mutagenesis influences both the redox potentials of the copper ions in the active site and the rate of heterogeneous electron transfer.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.57-62
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• 2002

Productivity of bacterial cellulose by Acetobacter xylinum GS11 was investigated in the several culture conditions. In various carbon sources, others with the exception of glucose were not found to be effective for cellulose production, and 2% was better in yield than other concentration of glucose. Yeast extract and soytone among several organic nitrogens were effective, but inorganic nitrogen sources tested were not efficient for cellulose production by A. xylinum GS11. The effects of various inorganic salts, amino acids and vitamins were also investigated: $MgSO_4$, phenylalanine and $\alpha$-tocopherol gave the cellulose yield of 1.5, 1.4 and 1.4 fold, respectively, compared with basal medium. In our experiment, cellulose production by A. xylinum GS11 added with 10% coconut milk and 0.5% lignosulfonate in basal medium, was the most efficient among the several material sources employed here, and these were 2.2 and 2.1 fold, respectively.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.355-365
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• 2014

The present study has been performed on one year old tree saplings of Azadirachta indica (L.), Cassia siamea (L.), Dalbergia sissoo (Roxb.), Eucalyptus rostrata (L.), Mangifera indica (L.) and Schyzygium cumini (L.) in order to assess the effect of exposure of $SO_2-NO_2$, alone and combination of two gases. Tree saplings have been exposed to an average of $495{\mu}g\;m^{-3}$ $SO_2$ and $105{\mu}g\;m^{-3}$ $NO_2$ for 40 d at the rate of $4hd^{-1}$ during 10:00 am to 01:00 pm in OTC. Total chlorophyll, specific leaf area (SLA), nitrate reductase (NR) activity, foliar protein, free proline content and free amino acids (AAs) of foliage have been the plant parameters, taken into consideration to evaluate the effect of gaseous exposure. Exposure of two gases has caused reduction in total chlorophyll content (P < 0.05, 0.01). Physiological and biochemical process has been seemed to be altered noticeable due to the combined effect of $SO_2+NO_2$ followed by $SO_2$ alone (P < 0.05, 0.01). $NO_2$ mediated stress has produced, stimulatory and inhibitory responses in tree saplings. Results reveal that tree saplings have been attempted to absorb the $NO_2$ through N assimilation pathway. E. rostrata, C. siamea have been emerged as moderate tolerant to $SO_2$ mediated stress followed by A. indica. Response pattern of S. cumini, M. indica and D. sissoo set them as good indicators of $SO_2-NO_2$ exposure. Effects of two gases on tree saplings have been found to be synergistic.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.155-162
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• 1989

This experiment was conducted to investigate the endosperm characteristics of an opaque rice which was derived from an Indica cultivar Pokhareli Mashino. Grain apperance of opaque rice looked similar to the waxy grain, while the blue-color response to the iodine solution was similar to non-waxy endosperm. The shape of starch granules was alike each other, but their size were different each other with the smallest of the opaque rice. Their cristaline structure of starch granules were A type. The content of total protein and most of the amino-acids of opaque rice was about 1.5 times of other varieties. Alkali digestibility of the opaque rice was very low. Total water uptake and hydration rate of opaque rice was similar to non-waxy variety Tongil. Amylogram characteristics such as viscosity, setback and consistency of opaque rice revealed medium value between. waxy and non-waxy rice.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.215-225
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• 2006

Precocious puberty is defined as the appearance of secondary sex characteristics before age 8 years in girls (or menarche before age 9 years) and before 9 years in boys. The age of onset of puberty is progressing to younger age. The pubertal activation of gonadotrophin releasing hormone(GnRH) release requires coordinated changes in excitatory or inhibitory amino acids, growth factors, and a group of transcriptional regulators. A number of factors affecting precocious puberty were explored, including the role of genetic factors, nutrition(body fat) and exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals. In addition to the psychosocial disturbances associated with precocious puberty, the premature pubertal growth spurt and the accelerated bone maturation result in reduced adult height. Precocious puberty may be gonadotrophin-dependent premature activation of the GnRH pulse generator or gonadotrophin-independent. In rapidly progressing central precocious puberty, GnRH agonists appear to increase final height. However more data on the effect and long-term safety of GnRHa are needed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.1544-1553
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• 2006

The halophilic enterobacteria, Enterobacteria cancerogenus, was isolated from the intestines of the fusiform fish (Trachurus japonicus) to yield a protein-like material termed PLM-f74. PLM-f74 was characterized by strong inhibition ratios to angiogenesis (82.8% at the concentration of $18.5{\mu}g/ml$) and elevated antioxidative capacities with low toxicity. The PLM-f74 is a glycoprotein comprised of saccharides and amino acids. PLM-f74 inhibited cell adhesion that non-activated U937 monocytic cell adhesion to HUVECs activated with $IL-1{\beta}$ by 78.0%, and the adherence of U937 cells treated with the PLM-f74 and stimulated with $IL-1{\beta}$ to unstimulated HUVECs decreased by 102%. When both cell types were pretreated with PLM-f74, the adhesion of U937 cells to $IL-1{\beta}$-stimulated HUVECs was completely suppressed by 121% at a concentration of $18.5{\mu}g/ml$. PLM-f74 blocked signal pathways from VEGFR2, PI3K, ${\beta}$-catenin, and VE-cadherin to NF-kB, based on western bolt analysis. It also inhibited IL-l-stimulated HUVEC expression of the adhesion molecules, ICAM-l by 40%, VCAM-l by 60%, and E-selectin by 70% at the same concentration noted above. New anti-angiogenic and anti-cell adhesion materials showing elevated antioxidative capacities, and non-toxicity may be expected from these results.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.822-829
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• 2007

A gene coding for phosphoketolase, a key enzyme of carbohydrate catabolism in heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria(LAB), was cloned from a Lactobacillus paraplantarum C7 and expressed in Escherichia coli. The gene is 2,502 bp long and codes for a 788-amino-acids polypeptide with a molecular mass of 88.7 kDa. A Shine-Dalgarno sequence(aaggag) and an inverted-repeat terminator sequence are located upstream and downstream of the phosphoketolase gene, respectively. The gene exhibits an identity of >52% with phosphoketolases of other LAB. The phosphoketolase of Lb. paraplantarum C7(LBPK) contains several highly conserved phosphoketolase signature regions and typical thiamine pyrophosphate(TPP) binding sites, as reported for other TPP-dependent enzymes. The phosphoketolase gene was fused to a glutathione S-transferase(GST::LBPK) gene for purification. The GST::LBPK fusion protein was detected in the soluble fraction of a recombinant Escherichia coli BL21. The GST::LBPK fusion protein was purified with a yield of 4.32mg/400ml by GSTrap HP affinity column chromatography and analyzed by N-terminal sequencing. LBPK was obtained by factor Xa treatment of fusion protein and the final yield was 3.78mg/400ml. LBPK was examined for its N-terminal sequence and phosphoketolase activity. The $K_M\;and\;V_{max}$ values for fructose-6-phosphate were $5.08{\pm}0.057mM(mean{\pm}SD)$ and $499.21{\pm}4.33{\mu}mol/min/mg$, respectively, and the optimum temperature and pH for the production of acetyl phosphate were $45^{\circ}C$ and 7.0, respectively.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.158-162
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• 2010

The gene encoding N-terminally truncated Tod polymerase ($\Delta$Tod polymerase) from Thermus thermophilus HJ6 was expressed in Escherichia coli under the control of the lambda pR and pL tandem promoters on the expression vector pJLA503. The N-terminal domain (250 amino acids) of Tod polymerase was removed without significant effect on enzyme activity and stability, while no 5'$\rightarrow$3' exonuclease activity was detected. The $\Delta$Tod polymerase was verified to possess very efficient reverse transcriptase (RT) activity in the presence of $MgCl_2$. The cDNA can also be amplified in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with this mutant enzyme. The $\Delta$Tod polymerase was exhibited higher activity than the Taq polymerase in a one-step RT-PCR.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.719-727
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• 2011

Botulism is a neuroparalytic disease caused by Clostridium botulinum, which produces seven (A-G) antigenically diverse neurotoxins (BoNTs). BoNTs are the most poisonous substances known to humans, with a median lethal dose ($LD_{50}$) of approximately 1 ng/kg of body weight. Owing to their extreme potency and lethality, they have the potential to be used as a bioterrorism agent. The mouse bioassay is the gold standard for the detection of botulinum neurotoxins; however, it requires at least 3-4 days for completion. Attempts have been made to develop an ELISA-based detection system, which is potentially an easier and more rapid method of botulinum neurotoxin detection. The present study was designed using a synthetic gene approach. The synthetic gene encoding the catalytic domain of BoNT serotype B from amino acids 1-450 was constructed with PCR overlapping primers (BoNT/B LC), cloned in a pQE30 UA vector, and expressed in an E. coli M15 host system. Recombinant protein production was optimized at 0.5 mM IPTG final concentration, 4 h post induction, resulting in a maximum yield of recombinant proteins. The immunogenic nature of the recombinant BoNT/B LC protein was evaluated by ELISA. Antibodies were raised in BALB/c mice using various adjuvants. A significant rise in antibody titer (p<0.05) was observed in the Alum group, followed by the Titermax Classic group, Freund's adjuvant, and the Titermax Gold group. These developed high-titer antibodies may prove useful for the detection of botulinum neurotoxins in food and clinical samples.