• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.291-297
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• 1996

The role of cytochrome P-450 2E1 (P450 2E1) in the early phase of alcoholic fatty liver was examined. Female rats were pretreated with either allyl sulfide (200 mg/kg, po), disulfiram (500 mg/kg, po), YH 439 (250 mg/kg, po) or pyrazine (200 mg/kg/day$\times$2 days, ip). Marked changes in carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity and caboxyhemoglobin (COHb) elevation due to dichloromethane administration were observed in rats treated with one of the P450 2E1 modulators. A single dose of ethanol (6 g/kg, po) increased the hepatic triglyceride contents approximately 2 fold, which was inhibited completely by YH 439 pretreatment. However, the other P450 2E1 modulators failed to alter the ethanol-induced hepatic triglyceride accumulation. In vitro hepatic microsomal enzyme activity was determined in 4 week old premature and 12 week old adult rats. Aminopyrine-N demethylation was not different, but p-nitrophenol hydroxylation and p-nitroanisole O-demethylation were significantly higher in premature rats. However, no difference in the triglyceride accumulation induced by an intraperitoneal dose of ethanol (3 g/kg) was noted between premature and adult rats. The results suggest that the P450 2E1 activity dose not play an important role in the induction of acute alcoholic fatty liver.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.66-70
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• 1990

A study on 11 $\alpha$-hydroxylation of progesterone by using Rhizopus nigricans was carried out to produce efficiently 11 $\alpha$-hydroxyprogesterone which is an essential intermediate of corticosteroids synthesis. Firstly, medium was optimized in view of bioconversion yield and cell growth. Glucose and casamino acid were selected as carbon and nitrogen source and the ratio of carbon to nitrogen which maximize bioconversion yield was determined to be 2:1. Secondly, the addition time of progesterone and dispersion method were studied. When progesterone dispersed with 0.01% (v/v) Tween 80 was added at 12-14 hr of cultivation, higher bioconversion yield was obtained. When 20g/$\ell$ of progesterone was added, the yield reached 70% under optimized conditions.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.519-524
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• 1997

Steroid $9{\alpha}$-hydroxylase is an enzyme found in nocardioform microorganisms which can utilize steroids as a sole carbon source. After fractional centrifugation of the cell homogenates, the enzyme activity in Nocardia and Rhodococcus was found in cytoplasmic membrane fraction. On the contrary, Mycobacterium had its 9.alpha.-hydroxylation activity in cytosolic fraction. To characterize the enzyme in these microorganisms, several potential inhibitors of 9.alpha.-hydroxylase were tested and the cofactor requirement for the same enzyme was also examined. The inhibitory effect of ferrous ion chelators indicated involvement of iron containing proteins in the 9.alpha.-hydroxylase system. On the other hand, metyrapone, an inhibitor known to be specific for cytochrome P450 interfered with the enzyme in Mycobacterium, but didn't inhibit the enzyme activity in Nocardia and Rhodococcus. While the $9{\alpha}$-hydroxylase system in Nocardia and Rhodococcus required NADPH, NADH was required as an election donor in Mycobacterium.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.299-306
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• 1991

When $[U-^{14}C]$ 3,3', 4,4'-tetrachloroazobenzene$([U-^{14}C]\;TCAB)$ was added to the $MM_2$ medium as a sole carbon source for the isolated microorganisms and incubated, some radioactive metabolites were detected by autoradiography. No $^{14}CO_2$ was evolved from $[U-^{14}C]\;TCAB$ which was added as a sole carbon source to an organic matter-free soil inoculated by the isolates, wetted with the $MM_2$ salt medium, and incubated at $30^{\circ}C$. One of the metabolites in pure culture of Achromobacter group VD, which was isolated and identified, was tentatively identified as a compound of m/z 250 by means of GC/MS. The possible pathways for its formation are thought to include dechlorination from the TCAB structure, hydroxylation, ortho fission of the two benzene rings, and reduction of the resulting carboxyl group.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.130-136
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• 2003

The protective effects of onion extract (OE), onion powder extracted in ethanol for 2 days. on carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-induced hepatotoxicities and the possible mechanisms involved in this protection were investigated in mice. Pretreatment with OE prior to the administration of $CCl_4$ significantly reduced the increase in serum alanine and aspartate aminotransferase activities and hepatic lipid peroxidation in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, pretreatment with OE significantly prevented the depletion of reduced glutathione content in the liver of $CCl_4$-intoxicated mice. $CCl_4$-induced hepatotoxicity was also prevented, as indicated by a liver histopathologic findings. The effects of OE on the cytochrome P450 (P450) 2E1, the major isozyme involved in $CCl_4$ biotransformation were investigated. Treatment of mice with OE resulted in a significant decrease in P450 2E1-dependent p-nitrophenol and aniline hydroxylation in a dose-dependent manner. Consistent with these observations, the P450 2E1 expressions were also decreased, as determined by immunoblot analysis. OE also exhibited antioxidant effects in FeCl$_2$-ascorbate induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver homogenates and in superoxide radical scavenging activity. These results show that the protective effects of OE against the $CCl_4$-induced hepatotoxicity may be due to its ability to block bioactivation of $CCl_4$, mainly tty inhibiting the expression and activities of P450 2E1 and by scavenging free radicals.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.349-352
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• 2003

Recent studies have shown that some of the PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl)-degraders are able to effectively degrade PCB in the presence of monoterpenes, which act as inducers for the degradation pathway. Rhodococcus sp. T104, an effective PCB degrader, has been shown to induce the degradation pathway by utilizing limonenes, cymenes, carvones, and pinenes as sole carbon sources which can be found in the natural environment. Moreover, the strain T104 proved to possess three separate oxidation pathways of limonene, biphenyl, and phenol. Of these three, the limonene can also induce the biphenyl degradation pathway. In this work, we report the presence of three distinct genes for aromatic oxygenase, which are putatively involved in the degradation of aromatic substrates including biphenyl, limonene, and phenol, through PCR amplification and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The genes were differentially expressed and well induced by limonene, cymene, and plant extract A compared to biphenyl and/or glucose. This indicates that substrate specificity must be taken into account when biodegradation of the target compounds are facilitated by the plant natural substrates.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.449-455
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• 2000

Pseudomonas sp. strain DJ-12 is a bacterial isolate capable of degrading 4-chlorobiphenyl (4CBP) as a carbon and energy source. The catabolic degradation of 4CBP by the strain DJ-12 was studied along with the genetic organization of the genes responsible for the crucial steps of the catabolic degradation. The catabolic pathway was characterized as being conducted by consecutive reactions of the meta-cleavage of 4CBP, hydrolytic dechlorination of 4-chlorobenzoate (4CBA), hydroxylation of 4-hydroxybenzoate, and meta-cleavage of protocatechuate. The pcbC gene responsible for the meta-cleavage of 4CBP only showed a 30 to 40% homology in its deduced amino acid sequence compared to those of the corresponding genes from other strains. The amino acid sequence of 4CBA-CoA dechlorinase showed an 86% homology with that of Pseudomonas sp. CBS3, yet only a 50% homology with that of Arthrobacter spp. However, the fcb genes for the hydrolytic dechlorination of 4CBA in Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 showed an uniquely different organization from those of CBS3 and other reported strains. Accordingly, these results indicate that strain DJ-12 can degrade 4CBA completely via meta-cleavage and hydrolytic dechlorination using enzymes that are uniquely different in their amino acid sequences from those of other bacterial strains with the same degradation activities.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.875-885
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• 2023

Volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and isomers of xylenes (BTEX) constitute a group of monoaromatic compounds that are found in petroleum and have been classified as priority pollutants. In this study, based on its newly sequenced genome, we reclassified the previously identified BTEX-degrading thermotolerant strain Ralstonia sp. PHS1 as Cupriavidus cauae PHS1. Also presented are the complete genome sequence of C. cauae PHS1, its annotation, species delineation, and a comparative analysis of the BTEX-degrading gene cluster. Moreover, we cloned and characterized the BTEX-degrading pathway genes in C. cauae PHS1, the BTEX-degrading gene cluster of which consists of two monooxygenases and meta-cleavage genes. A genome-wide investigation of the PHS1 coding sequence and the experimentally confirmed regioselectivity of the toluene monooxygenases and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase allowed us to reconstruct the BTEX degradation pathway. The degradation of BTEX begins with aromatic ring hydroxylation, followed by ring cleavage, and eventually enters the core carbon metabolism. The information provided here on the genome and BTEX-degrading pathway of the thermotolerant strain C. cauae PHS1 could be useful in constructing an efficient production host.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.725-734
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• 2024

CYP102A1 from Bacillus megaterium is an important enzyme in biotechnology, because engineered CYP102A1 enzymes can react with diverse substrates and produce human cytochrome P450-like metabolites. Therefore, CYP102A1 can be applied to drug metabolite production. Terpinen-4-ol is a cyclic monoterpene and the primary component of essential tea tree oil. Terpinen-4-ol was known for therapeutic effects, including antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory. Because terpenes are natural compounds, examining novel terpenes and investigating the therapeutic effects of terpenes represent responses to social demands for eco-friendly compounds. In this study, we investigated the catalytic activity of engineered CYP102A1 on terpinen-4-ol. Among CYP102A1 mutants tested here, the R47L/F81I/F87V/E143G/L188Q/N213S/E267V mutant showed the highest activity to terpinen-4-ol. Two major metabolites of terpinen-4-ol were generated by engineered CYP102A1. Characterization of major metabolites was confirmed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), gas chromatography-MS, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Based on the LC-MS results, the difference in mass-to-charge ratio of an ion (m/z) between terpinen-4-ol and its major metabolites was 16. One major metabolite was defined as 1,4-dihydroxyp-menth-2-ene by NMR. Given these results, we speculate that another major metabolite is also a mono-hydroxylated product. Taken together, we suggest that CYP102A1 can be applied to make novel terpene derivatives.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.69-76
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• 2012

This study focuses both on the quantitative measurement of hydroxyl radicals formed by an electron beam (E-beam) process and on the decomposition of pentachlorophenol(PCP) in the presence of $H_2O_2$ and $Fe^{3+}-EDTA$ as additives. To attain this objective, the quantitative measurement of hydroxyl radical was performed with the hydroylation of benzoic acid (BA), producing hydroxybenzoic acid (OHBA). As a result, the concentrations of hydroxyl radical measured were lower than those of hydroxyl radical predicted. Probably, it indicates that the reactive species generated during E-beam irradiation are able to scavenge the hydroxyl radicals. In particular, the degradation of PCP was promoted by the addition of $H_2O_2$ (< 1mM). On the other hand, its degradation as well as the generation of chloride ions as a by-product was inhibited by the addition of $H_2O_2$ (> 1mM), and thus carbon yield(%) of oxalic acid as a by-product was increased. During E-beam irradiation the addition of $Fe^{3+}-EDTA$ effectively decomposed the PCP, thus increasing the G-values. Considering the formation of OHBA and the decomposition of PCP, these results suggest that the addition of $Fe^{3+}-EDTA$ in the E-beam process can produce the further hydroxyl radicals and enhance the efficiency of PCP decomposition at low dose.