• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.438-448
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• 2011

Chitosan is widely used in cosmetics and medical fields. Special emphasis has been put on the chemical modification of chitosan to explore its full potential. We have described the synthesis and biological activity of novel peptide amino acid derivatives. The polyamino acid derivatives were synthesized by introducing alkylamine functional group on chitosan at C-6. The poor aqueous solubility of chitosan derivatives hinder both pharmacological studies and pharmaceutical development. To make amino acid coupled chitosan derivatives with improved biological effect and solubility, some attempts have been taken to consist of amino peptide group like aspartic acid and phenylalanine-aspartic acid derivatives onto chitosan C-6. The resultingly substituted chitosan was characterized by solubility in various solvents. We measured chitosan derivatives with $^1H$-NMR and $^{13}C$-NMR. Also, We were investigated on the physical properties and biological activities of these products.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.315-321
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• 2018

Molecular and functional characterization of proteins and their levels is of great interest in understanding the mechanism of diverse cellular processes. In this study, we report on the convenient Escherichia coli-based protein expression system that allows recombinant of soluble proteins expression and cytosolic domain of membrane-localised kinases, followed by the detection of autophosphorylation activity in protein kinases. This approach is applied to regulatory proteins of Arabidopsis thaliana, including 14-3-3, calmodulin, calcium-dependent protein kinase, TERMINAL FLOWER 1(TFL1), FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase and cytoplasmic domain of leucine-rich repeat-receptor like kinase proteins. Our Western blot analysis which uses phospho-specific antibodies showed that five putative LRR-RLKs and two putative RLCKs have autophosphorylation activity in vitro on threonine and/or tyrosine residue(s), suggesting their potential role in signal transduction pathways. Our findings were also discussed in the broader context of recombinant expression and biochemical analysis of soluble and membrane-localised receptor kinases in microbial systems.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.801-813
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• 2014

A study was conducted to improve the biological activity of two medicinal plants, Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. and Glycyrrhiza uralensis, by fermentation. The biological activity was assessed by determining antibacterial, antioxidant and antimethanogenic properties. Fermentation was achieved by adding the plant materials in MRS broth at 10% (w/v) and different starter cultures at 1% (v/v). Condition for fermentation were incubation temperature of $30^{\circ}C$ and agitation at 150 rpm for 48 h. Six starter cultures, Weissella confusa NJ28 (Genbank accession number KJ914897), Weissella cibaria NJ33 (Genbank accession number KJ914898), Lactobacillus curvatus NJ40 (Genbank accession number KJ914899), Lactobacillus brevis NJ42 (Genbank accession number KJ914900), Lactobacillus plantarum NJ45 (Genbank accession number KJ914901) and Lactobacillus sakei NJ48 (Genbank accession number KJ914902) were used. Antibacterial activity was observed in L. curvatus NJ40 and L. plantarum NJ45 only as opposed to other treatments, including the non-fermented groups, which showed no antibacterial activity. Both plants showed antioxidant activity, although E. ulmoides Oliv. had lower activity than G. uralensis. However, fermentation by all strains significantly improved (p<0.05), antioxidant activity in both plants compared to non-fermented treatment. Six treatments were based on antibacterial activity results, selected for in vitro rumen fermentation; 1) non-fermented E. ulmoides, 2) fermented E. ulmoides NJ40, 3) fermented E. ulmoides NJ45, 4) non-fermented G. uralensis, 5) fermented G. uralensis NJ40, 6) fermented G. uralensis NJ45. A negative control was also added, making a total of 7 treatments for the in vitro experiment. Medicinal plant-based treatments significantly improved (p<0.05) total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration. Significant methane reduction per mol of VFA were observed in G. uralensis (p<0.05). Based on the present study, fermentation improves the biological activity of E. ulmoides Oliv. and G. uralensis. Fermented G. uralensis could also be applied as an enteric methane mitigating agent in ruminant animals.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.911-917
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• 2022

As valuable antibiotics, microbial natural products have been in use for decades in various fields. Among them are polyene compounds including nystatin, amphotericin, and nystatin-like Pseudonocardia polyenes (NPPs). Polyene macrolides are known to possess various biological effects, such as antifungal and antiviral activities. NPP A1, which is produced by Pseudonocardia autotrophica, contains a unique disaccharide moiety in the tetraene macrolide backbone. NPP B1, with a heptane structure and improved antifungal activity, was then developed via genetic manipulation of the NPP A1 biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC). Here, we generated a Streptomyces artificial chromosomal DNA library to isolate a large-sized NPP B1 BGC. The NPP B1 BGC was successfully isolated from P. autotrophica chromosome through the construction and screening of a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library, even though the isolated 140-kb BAC clone (named pNPPB1s) lacked approximately 8 kb of the right-end portion of the NPP B1 BGC. The additional introduction of the pNPPB1s as well as co-expression of the 32-kb portion including the missing 8 kb led to a 7.3-fold increase in the production level of NPP B1 in P. autotrophica. The qRT-PCR confirmed that the transcription level of NPP B1 BGC was significantly increased in the P. autotrophica strain containing two copies of the NPP B1 BGCs. Interestingly, the NPP B1 exhibited a previously unidentified SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) inhibition activity in vitro. These results suggest that the Streptomyces BAC cloning of a large-sized, natural product BGC is a valuable approach for titer improvement and biological activity screening of natural products in actinomycetes.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.374-386
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• 2023

Thermal stress induces dynamic changes in nuclear proteins and relevant physiology as a part of the heat shock response (HSR). However, how the nuclear HSR is fine-tuned for cellular homeostasis remains elusive. Here, we show that mitochondrial activity plays an important role in nuclear proteostasis and genome stability through two distinct HSR pathways. Mitochondrial ribosomal protein (MRP) depletion enhanced the nucleolar granule formation of HSP70 and ubiquitin during HSR while facilitating the recovery of damaged nuclear proteins and impaired nucleocytoplasmic transport. Treatment of the mitochondrial proton gradient uncoupler masked MRP-depletion effects, implicating oxidative phosphorylation in these nuclear HSRs. On the other hand, MRP depletion and a reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger non-additively decreased mitochondrial ROS generation during HSR, thereby protecting the nuclear genome from DNA damage. These results suggest that suboptimal mitochondrial activity sustains nuclear homeostasis under cellular stress, providing plausible evidence for optimal endosymbiotic evolution via mitochondria-to-nuclear communication.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.5-9
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• 2011

An alkaloid, 3-methylcanthin-5, 6-dione, was isolated from the stem of Picrasma quassioides (D. Don) Benn. and characterized by comprehensive analyses of its 1D and 2D NMR spectra. It was also evaluated for its cytotoxic activity in vitro against three human cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, HT-29 and NCI-N87), using MTT assays. We found that 3-methylcanthin-5, 6-dione exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity via inhibiting NO production induced in LPS-stimulated murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. The antioxidant activity of 3-methylcanthin-5, 6-dione was measured by DPPH free radical scavenging assays, hydroxyl radical scavenging assays and reducing power assays. Our results showed that 3-methylcanthin-5, 6-dione has significant biological activities.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.218-221
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• 1998

Various cinnamaldehyde derivatives were synthesized and their inhibition activity $(pI_{50})$ of farnesyl protein transferase (FPTase) was measured to examine the structure-activity relationships (SAR) on the basis that FPTase was inhibited by ortho-hydroxycinnamaldehyde derived from extracts of the bark of Cinnamomum cassia Blume. The ortho-substituents on the phenyl backbone of cinnamaldehyde showed higher activity than those with meta- and para-substituents, and the side chain required unsaturated aldehyde. In particular, 2-chlorocinnamaldehyde, 5 showed the highest inhibition activity on the FPTase among them and its inhibition activity $(pI_{50})$ value was 4.45.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.29-31
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• 2005

Antimicrobial activities of extracts of Forsythia suspensa fruits and Dendranthema indicum buds and flowers against bacteria; Escherichia coli, Staphyloccus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis, and fungi; Aspergillus flavusn, Rhizopus stolonifer, Penicillium citrinum, Aspergillus niger, and Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, were investigated. The plants were extracted with 70% ethanol and the extracts were used for antimicrobial activity assay. All extracts exhibited significant inhibition activity against microorganisms at concentrations ranged from 1.66 to $100\;{\mu}l/ml$. The inhibition activity by the extract of D. indicum buds was stronger than by the extract of F. suspensa fruits and D. indicum flowers. D. indicum buds showed antimicrobial activity against S. aureus which was comparable to other medicinal plants. F. suspensa fruits and D. indicum flowers was suggested to be valuable sources as antimicrobial ingredients in food industry.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.305-309
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• 1998

The superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of seven Bifidobacterium spp. strains was examined by an indirect SOD assay method. Some Bifidobacterium spp. showed significant levels of SOD activity. However, we could not observe any significant differences between anaerobic and aerobic cultures. Furthermore, although several Bifidobacterium spp. exhibited some degree of tolerance to paraquat which produces superoxide radicals, the apparent SOD activity of these strains was not correlated with their resistance to paraquat. In addition, when we added increasing amounts of manganese or iron to MRS medium which had been prepared without either of the metal ions, the apparent SOD activity of cell free extracts (CFEs) was increased with increasing concentration of both metal ions. To our surprise, the heat-denatured CFEs also showed nearly identical correlative patterns. Based on these results, the apparent SOD activity was likely due to a nonenzymatic dismutation. These results strongly suggest that high concentration of divalent metal ions ($Mn^{2+}$, $Fe^{2+}$) in MRS medium result in nonenzymatic dismutation which can lead to false positive SOD activities in Bifidobacerium spp.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.7
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• pp.67-77
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• 1966

For the production of proteolytic enzyme wilth Aspergillus, the examination is made on the culture-time and koji extracting conditions, during producing koji. 1. The highest activity showed up when the culture-time took 50 hours for Aspergillus sojae and 60 hours for Aspergillus flavus. 2. When the cultured koji was extracted by a buffer solution and water, the former gave the product of higher activity until pH 7 through pH 12, and water until pH 3 through pH 7. 3. In the method of crushing and granule extractions, crushing extraction produced the one of higher activity than granule. 4. The highest activity showed up when Aspergillus sojae took 5 hours (Aspergillus flavus 4 hours) in the time of extracting enzyme solution. 5. The highest activity showed up when both Aspergillu sojae and Aspergillus flavus reacted and indicated $37.60^{\circ}C$ in the reaction temperature and activity.