• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.25 no.2 s.81
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• pp.143-151
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• 1997

Interspecific hybrids between Aspergillus niger and Penicillium notatum (Tyr-), hyperlipolytic enzyme-producing fungi, were obtained by nuclear transfer technique. Optimal conditions for formation of intergeneric hybrids were investigated. Maximum production of protoplasts was obtained by 1% Novozyme 234 at $30^{\circ}C$ for 3 hrs and the most effective osmotic stabilizers for the isolation of protoplasts were 0.6 M KCl. Frequencies of hybrid formation by nuclear transfer were $3.8{\times}10^{-3}{\sim}1.3{\times}10^{-3}$. From the observation of genetic stability, conidial size, DNA content, and nuclear stain, it was suggested that their karyotypes are aneuploid. The hybrids showed $1.2{\sim}1.7$ fold higher lipase activities than parental strains. It was strongly supported by results of this study that nuclear transfer technique is much more efficient in the formation of intergeneric hybrids than protoplast fusion and is very useful for the improvement of strains.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.189-194
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• 2015

P450 1A2 is responsible for the metabolism of clinically important drugs and the metabolic activation of environmental chemicals. Genetic variations of P450 1A2 can influence its ability to perform these functions, and thus, this study aimed to characterize the functional significance of three P450 1A2 allelic variants containing nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (P450 $1A2^*8$, R456H; $^*15$, P42R; $^*16$, R377Q). Variants containing these SNPs were constructed and the recombinant enzymes were expressed and purified in Escherichia coli. Only the P42R variant displayed the typical CO-binding spectrum indicating a P450 holoenzyme with an expression level of ~ 170 nmol per liter culture, but no P450 spectra were observed for the two other variants. Western blot analysis revealed that the level of expression for the P42R variant was lower than that of the wild type, however the expression of variants R456H and R377Q was not detected. Enzyme kinetic analyses indicated that the P42R mutation in P450 1A2 resulted in significant changes in catalytic activities. The P42R variant displayed an increased catalytic turnover numbers ($k_{cat}$) in both of methoxyresorufin O-demethylation and phenacetin O-deethylation. In the case of phenacetin O-deethylation analysis, the overall catalytic efficiency ($k_{cat}/K_m$) increased up to 2.5 fold with a slight increase of its $K_m$ value. This study indicated that the substitution P42R in the N-terminal proline-rich region of P450 contributed to the improvement of catalytic activity albeit the reduction of P450 structural stability or the decrease of substrate affinity. Characterization of these polymorphisms should be carefully examined in terms of the metabolism of many clinical drugs and environmental chemicals.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.139-145
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• 2002

Bis-GMA, 2.2-bis[p(2-hydroxy-3-methacryloyloxypropokyl)phenyl]Propane, is an essential component as a multifunctional methacrylate prepolymer in the light-curable polymeric dental composite resins. Two hydroxyl groups of the Bis-GMA molecule are considered to induce water sorption of the photocured composite resin in a mouth, resulting in gradual long-term deterioration of aesthetics and mechanical properties of the composite resins. In this study, some additives such as light stabilizer and antioxidant were added to composite resins to promote durability and storage stability of the last product. First of all, color change increased as a light stabilizer. Tinuvin P, was added to the composed resins and color stability was improved as an antioxidant, Irganox 245, was added to ones. In addition, when Tinuvin P and Irganox 245 were added together to the composed resins. the color stability was enhanced and mechanical properties such as diametral tensile strength before and after acceleration tests were also not greatly decreased. Therefore, when 0.5 weight Percent of Tinuvin P and 0.1 weight percent of Irganox 245 were added together to dental composite resins. the durability and color stability were enhanced, and furthermore the storage stability was also improved for the composed resins.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.20-27
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• 2016

Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens ZW3 was obtained from kefir grains, which have high lactose hydrolytic activity. In this study, a heterodimeric LacLM-type β-galactosidase gene (lacLM) from ZW3 was isolated, which was composed of two overlapping genes, lacL (1,884 bp) and lacM (960 bp) encoding large and small subunits with calculated molecular masses of 73,620 and 35,682 Da, respectively. LacLM, LacL, and LacM were expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and these recombinant proteins were purified and characterized. The results showed that, compared with the recombinant holoenzyme, the recombinant large subunit exhibits obviously lower thermostability and hydrolytic activity. Moreover, the optimal temperature and pH of the holoenzyme and large subunit are 60℃ and 7.0, and 50℃ and 8.0, respectively. However, the recombinant small subunit alone has no activity. Interestingly, the activity and thermostability of the large subunit were greatly improved after mixing it with the recombinant small subunit. Therefore, the results suggest that the small subunit might play an important role in maintaining the stability of the structure of the catalytic center located in the large subunit.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.421-426
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• 2005

In this paper, we investigate the nonlinear dynamic behavior of TPP (thiamine pyrophosphate) riboswitches in E. coli (Escherichia coli). TPP riboswitches are highly conserved RNA regulatory elements, embedded within the 5’'untranslated region of three TPP biosynthesis operons. The three operons thiCEFSGH, thiMD, and thiBPQ are involved in the biosynthesis, salvage, and transport of TPP, respectively. TPP riboswitches modulate their expressions in response to changing TPP concentration, without involving protein cofactors. Interestingly, the expression of thiMD is regulated at the translational level, while that of thiCEFSGH at both levels of transcription and translation. We develop a mathematical model of the TPP riboswitch’s regulatory system possessed by thiCEFSGH and thiMD, so as to simulate the time-course experiments of TPP biosynthesis in E. coli. The simulation results are validated against three sets of reported experimental data in order to gain insight into the nature of steady states and the stability of TPP riboswitches, and to explain the biological significance of regulating at level of transcription or translation, or even both. Our findings suggest that in the TPP biosynthesis pathway of E. coli, the biological effect of down-regulating thiCEFSGH operon at the translational level by TPP riboswitch is less prominent than that at the transcriptional level.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.337-340
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• 2005

Ethylene oxide is a genotoxic carcinogen with widespread uses as industrial chemical intermediate and gaseous sterilant. 2-hydroxyethylated N-terminal valine in Hb is a good biomarker for biological monitoring of ethylene oxide exposure, because of its stability. We studied the determination method of (N-2-hydroxy-ethyl)valine in hemoglobin adduct by using GC/MS. PFPITC and TBMS were used as appropriate derivatives. Ethylene oxide formed Hb adducts as (N-2-hydroxy-ethyl)valine(HEV) in mouse with ethylene oxide inhalation exposure. Standard HEV can be synthesized with 2-amino-ethanol and 2-bromo-3-methylbutyric acid. GC/MS can measured them after derivatization with pentafluorophenylisothiocianate(PFPITC) and N-(tertiary butyl dimethylsiiyl)-N-methyl-trifluoroacetamide(TBDMS-TFA) by using Edman procedure. Concentrations of Hb adduct were proportionally increased with exposure levels. They were 230${\pm}$35(nmol g$^{-1}$ globin) and 410${\pm}$72(nmol $g^{-1}$ globin) at 200ppm and 400ppm ethylene oxide inhalation exposure, respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.1317-1322
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• 2005

This work describes neo-fructooligosaccharides (neo-FOSs) production using the immobilized mycelia of Penicillium citrinum. Some critical factors were evaluated to optimize maximal production of neo-FOS. Optimal alginate and cell concentrations were determined to be $1.96\%$ alginate and $7.17\%$ cell, respectively, by statistical analysis. The optimal concentration of $CaCl_{2}$, which is related to bead stability, was determined to be 2 M. It was possible to increase the neo-FOS production by adding 15 units of glucose oxidase to the batch reaction. By co-immobilizing cells and glucose oxidase, neoFOS productivity increased $123\%$ compared with the whole-cell immobilization process. Based on the results above, a co-immobilization technique was developed and it can be utilized for large-scale production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.836-844
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• 2009

A denitrification bacterium was isolated from riverbed soil and identified as Ochrobactrum sp., whose specific enzymes for denitrification metabolism were biochemically assayed or confirmed with specific coding genes. The denitrification activity of strain G3-1 was proportional to glucose/nitrate balance, which was consistent with the theoretical balance (0.5). The modified graphite felt cathode with neutral red, which functions as a solid electron mediator, enhanced the electron transfer from electrode to bacterial cell. The porous carbon anode was coated with a ceramic membrane and cellulose acetate film in order to permit the penetration of water molecules from the catholyte to the outside through anode, which functions as an air anode. A non-compartmented electrochemical bioreactor (NCEB) comprised of a solid electron mediator and an air anode was employed for cultivation of G3-1 cells. The intact G3-1 cells were immobilized in the solid electron mediator, by which denitrification activity was greatly increased at the lower glucose/nitrate balance than the theoretical balance (0.5). Metabolic stability of the intact G3-1 cells immobilized in the solid electron mediator was extended to 20 days, even at a glucose/nitrate balance of 0.1.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.235-240
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• 1998

The myristoyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) specific thioesterase from Iris tectorum was purified to a considerable homogeneity and characterized. The enzyme was eluted with a considerable stability by double-gradients using Triton X-100 and low ionic KCl or Na-phosphate through DEAE-52, Octyl-Sepharose, Q-Sepharose, and hydroxyapatite chromatoraphy. SDS-PAGE analysis showed a single band of 39 kDa. The native molecular weight was estimated to be 82 kDa by Sephacryl S-200 chromatography, indicating that the enzyme was a dimer. The thioesterase showed a chain-length specificity to myristoyl-ACP in preference to other-ACPs. The enzyme activity decreased by 1.0 mM myristate to about 27% of the original activity, whereas the remaining activity with decanoate was about 90%. The purified thioesterase was inhibited by myristoyl-CoA more than by myristate, suggesting that the myristoyl-AGP thiolesterase might be controlled by myristic acid and/or a subsequent product myristoyl-CoA. In addition, some biochemical characteristics of the enzyme were described.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.96-105
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• 2002

A bacteriocin-producing strain identified as Pediococcus acidilactici was isolated from kimchi. The bacteriocin was identified to belong to the pediocin family and exhibited bactericidal activity against most Gram-positive bacteria as well as some Gram-negative bacteria. The bacteriocin was stable up to $80^{\circ}C with wide pH ranges (5.0-10.0). The bactericidal activity remained unchanged after treatment with nonproteolytic enzymes such as nuclease and ${\alpha}$-amylase, however, it was destroyed after treatment with protease. The bacteriocin was effectively extracted by the pH-mediated adsorption-desorption method and purified effectively by semi-preparative RP-HPLC. The molecular weight of the bacteriocin was 4,622, as determined by electrospray mass spectrometry. The amino acid sequence consisted of 44 amino acid residues with four cysteines. The high solubility and pH stability of the isolated pediocin provide definite advantages over nisin and other bacteriocins in regards to its potential applications.