• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.239-248
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• 2004

This experiment was carried out to confirm that phytochrome regulates anthocyanin bio-synthesis during cell suspension culture system of grape or not. In suspension culture of grape, maximum accumulation of anthocyanin was observed at the stationary phase under continuous white light condition. From mono-chromatic light interruption for 24h at the 4th or 7th day on the suspension cultured cells, the anthocyanin accumulation was highly enhanced at the light interruption at 7th day than 4th day under all monochromatic light treatment. However, the cell growth patterns were not affected by any light treatment. In the darkness, the anthocyanin synthesis was very low but remarkably increased by blue light or red light irradiation. However, the increase of anthocyanin accumulation by blue or red light was suppressed by far-red light in the suspension cells of grape. This suppression by far-red light on the anthocyanin synthesis also observed on the cells treated red or far-red light alternatively. These results implied that phytochrome regulation system may be involved in the anthocyanin biosynthesis of the suspension grape cells. By RNA expression analysis, chalcone synthase (CHS) gene was expressed highly by blue and red light but low by far-red light. The synergistic increase of CHS gene expression was also observed at the treatment of blue light followed by red for 24h. This result may explain the increase of anthocyanin accumulation in B/R treatment. Although the expression of phytochrome gene (PHYA or PHYB) was not highly increased by all light treatment (blue, red, and far-red light) the expression of both PHYA gene and PHYB gene was increased a little in cells treated red or far-red light. In grape suspension cells, the red light enhanced the anthocyanin synthesis, whereas the far-red light was suppressed. Although it was not confirmed whether or not phytochrome gene is activated in anthocyanin accumulating grape cells, we believed that anthocyanin biosynthesis in grape cells may be regulated under phytochrome signal transduction system.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.93-99
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• 2017

Collagen synthesis is decreased and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) levels are increased in naturally aged human skin, and these alterations cause changes such as skin wrinkling and decreased elasticity. As a part of our ongoing search for bioactive ingredients, MMP-1 inhibitory and type-1 procollagen synthesis inducing activities of aqueous methanolic extract of manufactured gambir product from Uncaria gambir were investigated in in vitro bioassay systems. In addition, total phenolic contents were quantified using a spectrophotometric method. Among tested samples, 40% MeOH eluate from 80% methanolic extract of manufactured U. gambir using open column chromatography packed with Diaion HP-20 resin showed significant MMP-1 inhibitory activities with an $IC_{50}$ value of $15.6{\pm}1.3{\mu}g/mL$. Furthermore, type-1 procollagen synthesis promoting property of 40% MeOH eluate ($IC_{50}$ value; $6.9{\pm}0.7{\mu}g/mL$) from 80% methanolic extract of manufactured gambir was higher than other eluates. Additionally, the present investigation revealed that 40% MeOH eluate of manufactured gambir product contained a high level of total phenolic compounds. The result suggests a distinct relationship between anti-wrinkle activity and total phenolic contents, and manufactured gambir product could be considered a new effective source of natural bioactive ingredients. Systematic investigation of manufactured gambir product will be performed for further development of its biological properties.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.222.1-222.1
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• 2015

Recently, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have attracted great attention due to various properties including cost-effectiveness of synthesis, low toxicity, and high photostability. Nevertheless, the origins of photoluminescence (PL) from GQDs are unclear because of extrinsic states of the impurities, disorder structures, and oxygen-functional groups. Therefore, to utilize GQDs in various applications, their optical properties generated from the extrinsic states should be understood. In this work, we have focused on the effect of oxygen-functional groups in PL of the GQDs. The GQDs with nanoscale and single layer are synthesized by employing graphite nanoparticles (GNPs) with 4 nm. The series of GQDs with different amount of oxygen-functional groups were prepared by the chain of chemical oxidation and reduction process. The fabrication of a series of graphene oxide QDs (GOQDs) with different amounts of oxygen-contents is first reported by a direct oxidation route of GNPs. In addition, for preparing a series of reduced GOQDs (rGOQDs), we employed the conventional chemical reduction to GOQDs solution and controlled the amount of reduction agents. The GOQDs and rGOQDs showed irreversible PL properties even though both routes have similar amount of oxyen-functional groups. In the case of a series of GOQDs, the PL spectrum was clearly redshifted into blue and green-yellowish color. On the other hand, the PL spectrum of rGOQDs did not change significantly. By various optical measurement such as the PL excitation, UV-vis absorbance, and time-resolved PL, we could verify that their PL mechanisms of GOQDs and rGOQDs are closely associated with different atomic structures formed by chemical oxidation and reduction. Our study provides an important insights for understanding the optical properties of GQDs affected by oxygen-functional groups. [1]

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.329-335
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• 2008

Tocopherols are essential lipophilic antioxidant in human cells, while little is known about its function in plant tissues. To study the impact of composition and content of tocopherols on stress tolerance, tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) was transformed with a construct containing a cDNA insert encoding $\gamma$-tocopherol methyltransferase ($\gamma$-TMT/VTE4) from perilla under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter. The transgenic tobacco was confirmed by PCR and RT-PCR. The total content and composition of tocopherols in the transgenic lines were similar with wild type controls. However, chlorophyll-a and carotenoid content in the transgenic lines were increased by up to 45% (P<0.01) and 39% (P<0.02), respectively. Also, the over-expression of $\gamma$-TMT increased the salt stress tolerance in tobacco plants. These results demonstrate that over-expression of $\gamma$-TMT gene in tocopherol bio-synthetic pathway can increase salt stress tolerance and contents of chlorophyll-a and carotenoid in transgenic tobacco plants.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.57-65
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• 2009

Cultured Cupressus lusitanica cells induced by various stresses are thought to produce different complexes of defense chemicals to optimize defense. To compare the induced products of two stimulations, we investigated the emission of monoterpenes, biosynthesis of ${\beta}-thujaplicin$, and accumulation of lignin in mechanically stressed and fungal elicited cultured C. lusitanica cells. Both mechanical stress and fungal elicitor caused emission of qualitatively similar monoterpene blends indicating de novo biosynthesis of these compounds after stimulation, while mechanical stress alone is sufficient to induce fungal elicitor-related monoterpene emission. Sabinene and limonene were the dominant compounds over the time course in both volatile blends. Although the emitted volatile blends were qualitatively similar, the time course and the relative ratios of the constituents of the volatile blends differed with the type of stimulation. While fungal elicited cells produced significant amounts of ${\beta}-thujaplicin$ over the 5-day time course, no ${\beta}-thujaplicin$ was observed in the mechanically stressed cells. The production of ${\beta}-thujaplicin$ was the main dissimilarity of the induced products of these two treatments, suggesting that synthesis of ${\beta}-thujaplicin$ is not a general response to all types of stresses, but is a specific response and serves as a strong toxic compound against already invaded fungus. Significantly higher amounts of lignin accumulations were observed in the fungal elicited and mechanically stressed cells on the 5th day after induction. Based on these results, we suggest the composition of induced products was dependent on the method of stimulation.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.149-155
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• 2010

Expression of the genes for carotenoid bio-synthesis (crt) is dependent on light, but little is known about the underlying mechanism of light sensing and signalling in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (hereafter, Synechocystis). In the present study, we investigated the light-induced increase in the transcript levels of Synechocystis crt genes, including phytoene synthase (crtB), phytoene desaturase (crtP), ${\zeta}$-carotene desaturase (crtQ), and ${\beta}$-carotene hydroxylase (crtR), during a darkto-light transition period. During the dark-to-light shift, the increase in the crt transcript levels was not affected by mutations in cyanobacterial photoreceptors, such as phytochromes (cph1, cph2 and cph3) and a cryptochrome-type photoreceptor (ccry), or respiratory electron transport components NDH and Cyd/CtaI. However, treatment with photosynthetic electron transport inhibitors significantly diminished the accumulation of crt gene transcripts. Therefore, the light induction of the Synechocystis crt gene expression is most likely mediated by photosynthetic electron transport rather than by cyanobacterial photoreceptors during the dark-to-light transition.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.1232-1238
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• 2004

To investigate the production and characteristics of thermostable levan sucrase from Rahnella aquatilis ATCC 33071, the levan sucrase gene from R. aquatilis was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli without induction system. Expression of levansucrase gene in E. coli had no notable or detrimental effect on the growth of host strain, and the recombinant levan sucrase exhibited levan synthesis activity. Levansucrase was secreted to the periplasm in E. coli, and addition of $0.5\%$ glycine yielded further secretion of levansucrase to the growth medium and resulted in an increase of total levansucrase activity. Furthermore, the cellular levansucrase was evaluated for the production of levan by using toluene­permeabilized whole-cells. The levansucrase was thermostable at $37^{\circ}C$. The molecular size oflevan was $1{\times}\;10^{6}$ Da, as determined by HPLC, and the degree of polymerization of levan varied with incubation temperatures: Low incubation temperature was preferable for the production of high-molecular size levan. The present study demonstrated that the mass production of levan and levan oligosaccharides can be achieved by glycine supplementation to the growth medium or by toluene­permeabilized whole-cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.375-380
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• 2018

We have previously found that mycelia culture broth of eight kinds of traditional herbal extracts fermented with Phellinus linteus (previously named as 8-HsPLCB) not only inhibited melanin and tyrosinase activity, but also reduced the contents of melanogenesis-related proteins, including tyrosinase and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor, in 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine-stimulated B16F0 melanoma cells. For a further study, the effect of 8-HsPLCB against skin pigmentation in brown guinea pigs with ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced hyperpigmentation was investigated. 8-HsPLCB (3%) and arbutin (2%) as positive controls were applied topically twice daily for 4 weeks to the hyperpigmented areas. 8-HsPLCB showed skin-lightening effect as effective as arbutin, one of the most widely used in whitening cosmetics. Melanin index values as the degree of pigmentation showed a significant reduction week by week post 8-HsPLCB treatment and then substantially reduced by 4 weeks. The degree of depigmentation after 4 weeks of topical application with 8-HsPLCB was 32.2% as compared with before treatment (0 week). Moreover, using Fontana-Masson staining and hematoxylin-eosin staining, 8-HsPLCB reduced melanin pigmentation in the basal layer of the epidermis and epidermal thickness changes exposed to the UV-B irradiation as compared with non-treatment and vehicle treatment. The intensity of the skin-lightening effect of 8-HsPLCB was similar to arbutin. These results suggest that the skin-lightening effect of 8-HsPLCB might be resulted from inhibition of melanin synthesis by tyrosinase in melanocytes. To conclude, 8-HsPLCB treatment showed reduction of the melanin pigment and histological changes induced by UV irradiation in brown guinea pigs.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2010

Biological organisms produce organic-inorganic nanocomposite composites that are hierarchically organized in composition and microstructure, containing both inorganic and organic components in complicated mixtures. The process related to the generation and regeneration of organic-inorganic complex in nature is called biomineralization process. Understanding how the process operates in a biological environment is a valuable guide to the synthesis of novel advanced material and developing important industrial processes. Like the mechanism of organisms, mollusks were also synthesized from interaction between organic matrices and minerals and their morphology was designed through biomineralization. In this study, shell formation has been studied as a bio-model and the application of biomimetics based on biomineralization is focused.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.505-511
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• 2015

In this study, Arctigenin was obtained by using supercritical fluid extraction and bio-conversion process from Arctii Fructus. Arctigenin is efficacious in anti-inflammatory and anti-influenza. For this reason, Arctigenin is studied in various field. It was identified as 4-[(3,4-Dimethoxyphenyl)methyl)]dihydro-3-[(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)methyl]-2(3H)-furanone (arctigenin) by FT-IR, $^1H$-NMR and the purity of it was 95.1 % by HPLC analysis. Arctigenin inhibited tyrosinase (up to $85.06{\pm}0.9%$ at $260{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ concentration) and melanin synthesis in a dose dependent manner (up to $51.1{\pm}3.7%$ at the concentration of $3.0{\mu}g/m{\ell}$). The results were better than arbutin. Therefore, it is expected that manufactured Arctigenin is useful for whitening cosmetics.