• Title/Summary/Keyword: chemical tool

Search Result 780, Processing Time 0.029 seconds

Usefulness of early endoscopy for predicting the development of stricture after corrosive esophagitis in children (소아 부식식도염의 합병증 예측을 위한 조기 내시경 검사의 유용성)

  • Park, Ji Yong;Seo, Jeong-Kee;Shin, Jee Youn;Yang, Hye Ran;Ko, Jae Sung;Kim, Woo Sun
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
    • /
    • v.52 no.4
    • /
    • pp.446-452
    • /
    • 2009
  • Purpose : This study was performed to demonstrate the usefulness of early endoscopy for predicting the development of stricture following corrosive ingestion in children. Methods : We conducted a retrospective study on 34 children who were brought to Seoul National University Childrens Hospital and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital for corrosive ingestion from 1989 to 2007. Results : The corrosive burns were classified as grade 0 in 8 patients, grade 1 in 2, grade 2a in 7, grade 2b in 13, and grade 3 in 4. There was no significant correlation between the presence of esophageal injury and symptoms including vomiting, dysphagia, and drooling. There was a statistically significant relation between the presence of oropharyngeal injury and esophageal injury (P=0.014). There were no complications including hemorrhage and perforation related to endoscopy. Strictures of the esophagus or the stomach developed in 12 patients (36.4%). Esophageal stricture was observed in 11 patients and pyloric stenosis in 1 patient. The endoscopic grade of mucosal injury was significantly related to the frequency of development of esophageal stricture (P=0.002). Two of eleven patients with esophageal stricture responded to repeated dilation. The remaining seven patients underwent surgery. Conclusion : Early esophagogastroduodenoscopy is not only a safe and useful diagnostic tool for children with accidental caustic ingestion but also a necessity for determining the degree and the extent of caustic burns and for predicting the development of late complications.

Effect of seeding date on growth , dry matter accumulation and chemical composition of sorghum , sudangrass and sorghum-sudangrass Hybrid (파종기 이동이 수수 , 수단그라스 및 수수$\times$수단그라스 교잡종의 생육 , 건물축적 및 성분 함량에 미치는 영향)

  • 한흥전;안수봉
    • Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
    • /
    • v.5 no.1
    • /
    • pp.62-72
    • /
    • 1985
  • In order to find out the effects of seeding time on growth, dry matter production and nutritive content of Pioneer 931, Pioneer 988 and Piper, this study was carried out on the experimental field of Livestock Experiment Station in 1981-83. Seeding time were 7 with 14-day interval from April 16 to July 9. The results are summarized as follows: 1. It tool about 12 to 13 days from seeding to emergence in case of Mid-April seeding and 7 to 8 days in Late-June. Earlier seeding, more longer growth period from emergence to heading they required. 2. Plant height of Pioneer 931 seeded lately was longer than 4.5 meters in primary growth and Sudangrass was about 2.0 to 2.5 meters. Leaf area was the greatest in Mid-August by early seeding but it was increased until Early-October by late seeding. 3. Sorghum gas brought the highest yield in dry mater and Sudangrass the lowest. In general dry matter yield reduced gradually in response to later seeding but Pioneer 931 has brought more than 10 tons per hecter until Late-June. 4. Relative Growth Rate, Leaf Area Ratio and Leaf Weight of all varieties decreased in accordance with growth development. 5. Crude protein content of leaf was higher than stem and the younger the plants, the more protein they contain. Nitrogen Free Extract was just opposite to crude protein.

  • PDF

Ttrosine Hydroxylase in Japanese Medaka (Oryzias latipes): cDNA Cloning and Molecular Monitoring of TH Gene Expression As a Biomarker (송사리 Tyrosine Hydroxylase: cDNA 클로닝 및 생물지표로서의 TH 유전자 발현의 분자생물학적 추적)

  • Shin, Sung-Woo;Kim, Jung-Sang;Chon, Tae-Soo;Lee, Sung-Kyu;Koh, Sung-Cheol
    • Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
    • /
    • v.15 no.4
    • /
    • pp.131-137
    • /
    • 2000
  • The release of hazardous waste materials into the environment poses serious risks in humans and ecosystems. The risk assessment of environmental pollutants including hazardous chemicals requires a comprehensive measurement of hazard and exposure of the chemicals that can be achieved by toxicity evaluation using a biological system such as biomarkers. In this report we have tried to develop a biomarker used to elucidate a molecular basis of, and to monitor abnormal behaviors caused by diazinon in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) as a model organism. First, an attempt was made to clone tyrosine hydroxylase gene from Japanese medaka that would be a candidate for a biomarker for neuronal modulations and behaviors. For monitoring experiments at behavioral and molecular biological levels, the fish were treated under different sublethal conditions of diazinon and their behavioral responses were observed . In this study we have successfully cloned a partial TH gene from the medaka fish through PCR screening of an ovary cDNA library. DNA sequencing analysis revealed that the amplified fragment was 327 bp encoding 109 amino acids. Comparing the DNA sequence of medaka TH with other species, TH gene revealed the DNA sequence was completely identical to that of rat TH. In the RT-PCR, 330 Up of mRNA was consistently amplified in all the treated samples including control There were no significant differences in the TH expression level regardless of treating concentrations (1∼5,000 ppb) and time (0∼48 hr) The reason appeared to be that RT-PCR was not performed using through a quantitative analysis normalized against an actin gene expression. Organ or tissue - specific detection of TH activity and mRNA as biomarkers will be a useful monitoring tool for neurobehavioral changes in fish influenced by toxic chemicals. Furthermore, quantitative analysis of locomotive patterns and its correlation with the neurochemical and molecular data would be highly useful in measuring toxicity and hazard ofvarious environmental pollutants.

  • PDF

Preliminary Study of Oxidized Au skarn Model in the Geodo Mine Area to Mineral Exploration (광물자원탐사를 위한 거도광산지역의 산화형 스카른 금광상모델 예비연구)

  • Kim, Eui-Jun;Park, Maeng-Eon;Sung, Kyul-Youl
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
    • /
    • v.42 no.4
    • /
    • pp.289-300
    • /
    • 2009
  • The Geodo mine area, had been developed for Fe and Cu ores since 1963 and abandoned in recent decades, is located in the central part of the Taebaeksan mineralized district. This area comprises of the Jangsan, Myobong, Pungchon, Hwajeol, Dongjeom, and Dumugol Formations in ascending stratigraphic order. These Formations were intruded by the Cretaceous Eopyeong granitoids that appears to produce the Geodo skarn. Their compositions are relatively oxidized quartz monzodiorite to granodiorite (magnetite series, $Fe_2O_3/FeO=0.3{\sim}1.1$). Mineralizations related skarn deposit occur in the Myobong, Pungchon, and Hwajeol Formations. The proximal skarn is zoned from andraditic garnet ($Ad_{44-95}Gr_{1-53}$) predominant adjacent to the Eopyeong granitoids to diopsidic pyroxene ($Hd_{10-100}Di_{0-89}$) predominant away from the one. The differential proportion of garnet and pyroxene is generated by water/rock ratio and their source, such as magmatic and meteoric water. This is useful tool for assessment the overall oxidation state of the entire skarn system. Gold occurs in proximal red to brownish garnet skarn, and genetically associated with Bi- and Te-bearing minerals. Skarn deposit developed in the Geodo mine area is considered as oxidized Au skarn category, based on chemical composition of the Eopyeong granitoids, zonation of skarn, and gold occurrences. Garnet-rich skarn zone will be the main target for exploration of gold in the study area. However, it is needed to the detailed survey on vertical zonation of this area as well as lateral zonation. The result of this survey would provide an important basis for the exploration of the skarn Au deposit in the Geodo mine area.

Simultaneous Determination of UV Absorbers Migrated from Polyethylene and Polypropylene Food Packaging Materials into Food Simulants by HPLC-UVD (HPLC-UVD를 이용한 폴리에틸렌, 폴리프로필렌 기구 및 용기·포장 유래 자외선흡수제 동시분석법)

  • Choi, Heeju;Choi, Jae Chun;Bae, In-Ae;Lee, Chanyong;Park, Se-Jong;Kim, MeeKyung
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
    • /
    • v.32 no.5
    • /
    • pp.434-442
    • /
    • 2017
  • The UV light in sunlight breaks down the chemical bonds in a polyolefin polymer through a process called photodegradation, ultimately causing cracking, chalking, colour changes, and loss of physical properties such as impact strength, tensile strength, elongation, and others. UV absorbers are used to prevent or terminate the oxidation of plastics by UV light. They are receptive to UV radiation and dissipate the energy harmlessly as heat. Benzotriazoles and benzophenones are used mainly in polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene. In this study, we have developed a method for the analysis of 12 UV absorbers, which are Uvinul 3000, Cyasorb UV 24, Uvinul 3040, Tinuvin 312 and P, Seesorb 202, Chimassorb 81, Tinuvin 329, 234, 326, 328 and 327, migrated from the food packaging materials into four food simulants for aqueous, acidic, alcoholic and fatty foods. The UV absorbers in food simulants were determined by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatograph-ultraviolet detector with 310 nm after solid-phase extraction with a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) cartridge or dilution with isopropanol. The analytical method showed a good linearity of coefficient ($R^2{\geq}0.99$), limits of detection (0.049~0.370 mg/L), and limits of quantification (0.149~1.120 mg/L). The recoveries of UV absorbers spiked to four food simulants ranged from 70.05% to 110.13%. The developed method would be used as a reliable tool to determine concentrations of the migrated UV absorbers.

A Study on the Planning of Nationwide Indexing Services for Korea (전국색인지간행협동체제 편성방안에 관한 연구)

  • Choi Sung Jin
    • Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
    • /
    • v.12
    • /
    • pp.39-86
    • /
    • 1985
  • The main purpose of the present study is to survey the major iudexing bulletins of national nature in Korea, to define such problem areas as lacunae, duplicates and limitation in coverage in the indexing services currently available in Korea, and to make some suggestions for action for improving the existing indexing services in the light of general principles and the tradition and constraints unique to Korea. The major findings and conclusions reached at this study are summarised as follows: (A) A new indexing bulletin of general nature covering the entire field needs to be created in each of the following fields without an established indexing service available for the outcome of research and development activities in Korea. (1) Philosophy (2) Religion (3) Pure sciences (4) Art (5) Language (6) Literature (7) History (B) A new specialised indexing bulletin needs to be created in each of the following fields where indexing services are heavily utilised but no, or only partial, indexing service is available. (1) Social sciences (a) Statistics (b) Sociology (c) Folklore (d) Military science (2) Pure sciences (a) Mathematics (b) Physics (c) Chemistry (d) Astronomy (e) Geology (f) Mineralogy (g) Life sciences (h) Botany (i) Zoology (3) Applied sciences (a) Medicine (b) Agriculture (c) Civil engineering (d) Architectural engineering (e) Mechanical engineering (f) Electrical engineering (g) Chemical engineering (h) Domestic science (C) Publication of the indexing bulletins suggested in A and B above may be ideally carried on by a qualified and dependable learned society established in the respective fields and designated by the Minister of Education, and should be financially supported from the public fund under the provisions of Art. 27 of the Scientific Research Promotion Act of 1979. (D) The coverage and contents of the four indexing bulletins in the field of banking and financing published by the Library of the Bank of Korea are similar and considerably duplicated. It is, therefore, suggested that the four indexing bulletins are combined in one to form a more comprehensive and efficient bibliographical tool in the field and it is further developed into a general guide to the literature produced in the entire field of economics in Korea by gradually expanding its subject coverage. (E) For the similar reasons stated in D, the Index to the Articles on North Korea and the Catalogue of Theses on North Korea, both publisheds by the Ministry of Unification Library, are suggested to make into one. The Index to the Articles of the Selected North Korean Journals and the Index to the Articles of the North Korean Journals in Microfilm Housed in the Ministry of Unification Library, both published by the same Library, are also suggested to be combined in one. (F) The contents of the Catalogue of the Reports Submitted by Government Officials Who Have Travelled Abroad, published by the National Archives are included in the Index to the Information Materials Related to Government Administration, published by the National Archives. The publication of the former is hardly justified. (G) The contents of the Index to Legal Literature published by the Seoul National University Libraries and those of the Law Section of the Index to Scholastic Works published by the National Central Library are nearly identical. One of the two indexes should cease to be published. (H) Though five indexes are being published in the field of political science and four in the field of public administration, their subject coverage is limited. Naturally, these indexes are little usable to many other researchers in the two fields. A comprehensive index covering all the specialised areas in each field needs to be developed on one or all the existing indexes. (I) It is suggested that the Catalogue of the Scholastic Works on Curricula published by the National Central Library expands its subject coverage to become a more usable and effective index to all the researchers in the field of education. (J) The bimonthly Index to Periodical Articles and the specialised index by subject series published by the National Assembly Library, and the Index to Scholastic Works published by the National Central Library are expected to increase their coverage and frequency of publication to be used more effectively and more efficiently by all users in all fields till the indexing bulletins suggested in this study will fully be available in Korea.

  • PDF

Validation and Calibration of Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire - With Participants of the Korean Health and Genome Study - (반정량식품섭취빈도조사지의 타당성 검증 및 보정 - 지역사회 유전체 코호트 참여자를 대상으로 -)

  • Ahn, Youn-Jhin;Lee, Ji-Eun;Cho, Nam-Han;Shin, Chol;Park, Chan;Oh, Berm-Seok;Kimm, Ku-Chan
    • Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
    • /
    • v.9 no.2
    • /
    • pp.173-182
    • /
    • 2004
  • We carried out a validation-calibration study of the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) that we had previously developed for a community-based cohort of the Korean Genome and Health Study of the Korea National Genome Research Institute. We have collected a total of 254 3-day diet records (DRs) from 400 subjects, 200 each randomly selected from the two study cohorts of Ansung and Ansan. FFQ was administered at the time of cohort recruitment in 2001, and DRs were collected during a two month period from January through February of 2002. The mean age was 52.2 years. Farming for men and housewife for women were the most common occupations. The majority of the subjects had undergone 6∼12 years of education. The general characteristics including demographic and other data were not different from the total cohort subjects. Absolute levels of consumed nutrients including total energy (energy), protein, fat, carbohydrate, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, iron, retinol, carotene, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin C were compared. The average of energy intake was not significantly different between the data collected by the 2 methods. However, consumptions of protein and fat were higher in data of DRs, whereas that of carbohydrate was higher in FFQ data. Significant correlation of each nutrient consumption between the data sets was observed (p < 0.05) except in the case of iron, while the average correlation coefficient between them was 0.22 ranging from 0.33 for energy to 0.11 for iron. The results of cross classification by quantile for exact classification ranged from 25.2% (carotene) to 35.0% (phosphorus), and from 64.6% (vitamin A) to 76.4% (retinol) for adjacent classification. The proportion of completely opposite classification was 8.1% in average. Calibration slope was estimated by regression and calibration parameters ranged from 0.025 for carotene to 0.423 for niacin. We conclude that the FFQ we have developed is an appropriate tool for assessing the nutrient intakes as ranking exposures in epidemiology studies in view that amounts of consumed nutrients obtained by FFQ were similar to those collected by DRs, that correlations between consumed nutrients collected by these methods were significant, and that classification results were relatively fair. The correlation coefficients, however, were lower than expected, which may be mainly due to the survey season. In fact, any short-term dietary survey cannot accurately reflect the overall dietary intakes that change heavily depending on seasons. Further studies including the analysis of chemical indices would be helpful for the studies of causal relationship between the diet and disease.

Seasonal color change of the oxyhydrous precipitates in the Taebaek coal mine drainage, south Korea, and implications for mineralogical and geochemical controls

  • Kim, J. J.;C. O. Choo;Kim, S. J.;K. Tazaki
    • Proceedings of the Mineralogical Society of Korea Conference
    • /
    • 2001.06a
    • /
    • pp.38-39
    • /
    • 2001
  • The seasonal changes in pH, Fe, Al and SO$_4$$\^$2-/ contents of acid drainage released from coal mine dumps play a major role in precipitation of metal hydroxides in the Taebaek coal field area, southeastern Korea. Precipitates in the creeks underwent a cycle of the color change showing white, reddish brown and brownish yellow, which depends on geochemical factors of the creek waters. White precipitates consist of Al-sulfate (basaluminite and hydrobasaluminite) and reddish brown ones are composed of ferrihydrite and brownish yellow ones are of schwertmannite. Goethite coprecipitates with ferrihydrite and schwertmannite. Ferrihydrite formed at higher values than pH 5.3 and schwertmannite precipitated below pH 4.3, and goethite formed at the intermediate pH range between the two minerals. With the pH being increased from acid to intermediate regions, Fe is present both as schwertmannite and goethite. From the present observation, the most favorable pH that basauluminte can precipitate is in the range of pH 4.45-5.95. SEM examination of precipitates at stream bottom shows that they basically consist of agglomerates of spheroid and rod-shape bacteria. Bacteria species are remarkably different among bottom precipitates and, to a less extent, there are slightly different chemical compositions even within the same bacteria. The speciation and calculation of the mineral saturation index were made using MINTEQA2. In waters associated with yellowish brown precipitates mainly composed of schwertmannite, So$_4$ species is mostly free So$_4$$\^$2-/ ion with less AlSo$_4$$\^$+/, CaSo$\sub$(aq)/, and MgSo$\sub$4(aq)/. Ferrous iron is present mostly as free Fe$\^$2+/, and FeSo$\sub$4(aq)/ and ferric iron exists predominantly as Fe(OH)$_2$$\^$+/, with less FeSo$\sub$4(aq)/, Fe(OH)$_2$$\^$-/, FeSo$_4$$\^$-/ and Fe$\^$3+/, respectively Al exists as free Al$\^$3+/, AlOH$_2$$\^$-/, (AlSo$_4$)$\^$+/, and Al(So$_4$)$\^$2-/. Fe is generally saturated with respect to hematite, magnetite, and goethite, with nearly saturation with lepidocrocite. Aluminum and sulfate are supersaturated with respect to predominant alunite and less jubanite, and they approach a saturation state with respect to diaspore, gibbsite, boehmite and gypsum. In the case of waters associated with whitish precipitates mainly composed of basaluminite, Al is present as predominant Al$\^$3+/ and Al(SO$_4$)$\^$+/, with less Al(OH)$\^$2+/, Al(OH)$_2$$\^$+/ and Al(SO$_4$)$\^$2-/. According to calculation for the mineral saturation, aluminum and sulfate are greatly supersaturated with respect to basaluminite and alunite. Diaspore is flirty well supersaturated while jubanite, gibbsite, and boehmite are already supersaturated, and gypsum approaches its saturation state. The observation that the only mineral phase we can easily detect in the whitish precipitate is basaluminite suggests that growth rate of alunite is much slower than that of basaluminite. Neutralization of acid mine drainage due to the dilution caused by the dilution effect due to mixing of unpolluted waters prevails over the buffering effect by the dissolution of carbonate or aluminosilicates. The main factors to affect color change are variations in aqueous geochemistry, which are controlled by dilution effect due to rainfall, water mixng from adjacent creeks, and the extent to which water-rock interaction takes place with seasons. pH, Fe, Al and SO$_4$ contents of the creek water are the most important factors leading to color changes in the precipitates. A geochemical cycle showing color variations in the precipitates provides the potential control on acid mine drainage and can be applied as a reclamation tool in a temperate region with four seasons.

  • PDF

Applications of Radiocarbon Isotope Ratios in Environmental Sciences in South Korea (방사성탄소동위원소비 분석을 적용한 우리나라 환경과학 연구)

  • Neung-Hwan Oh;Ji-Yeon Cha
    • Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
    • /
    • v.56 no.4
    • /
    • pp.281-302
    • /
    • 2023
  • Carbon is not only an essential element for life but also a key player in climate change. The radiocarbon (14C) analysis using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is a powerful tool not only to understand the carbon cycle but also to track pollutants derived from fossil carbon, which have a distinct radiocarbon isotope ratio (Δ14C). Many studies have reported Δ14C of carbon compounds in streams, rivers, rain, snow, throughfall, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and wastewater treatment plant effluents in South Korea, which are reviewed in this manuscript. In summary, (1) stream and river carbon in South Korea are largely derived from the chemical weathering of soils and rocks, and organic compounds in plants and soils, strongly influenced by precipitation, wastewater treatment effluents, agricultural land use, soil water, and groundwater. (2) Unprecedentedly high Δ14C of precipitation during winter has been reported, which can directly and indirectly influence stream and river carbon. Although we cannot exclude the possibility of local contamination sources of high Δ14C, the results suggest that stream dissolved organic carbon could be older than previously thought, warranting future studies. (3) The 14C analysis has also been applied to quantify the sources of forest throughfall and PM2.5, providing new insights. The 14C data on a variety of ecosystems will be valuable not only to track the pollutants derived from fossil carbon but also to improve our understanding of climate change and provide solutions.

Sesquiterpenoids Bioconversion Analysis by Wood Rot Fungi

  • Lee, Su-Yeon;Ryu, Sun-Hwa;Choi, In-Gyu;Kim, Myungkil
    • 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
    • /
    • 2016.05a
    • /
    • pp.19-20
    • /
    • 2016
  • Sesquiterpenoids are defined as $C_{15}$ compounds derived from farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), and their complex structures are found in the tissue of many diverse plants (Degenhardt et al. 2009). FPP's long chain length and additional double bond enables its conversion to a huge range of mono-, di-, and tri-cyclic structures. A number of cyclic sesquiterpenes with alcohol, aldehyde, and ketone derivatives have key biological and medicinal properties (Fraga 1999). Fungi, such as the wood-rotting Polyporus brumalis, are excellent sources of pharmaceutically interesting natural products such as sesquiterpenoids. In this study, we investigated the biosynthesis of P. brumalis sesquiterpenoids on modified medium. Fungal suspensions of 11 white rot species were inoculated in modified medium containing $C_6H_{12}O_6$, $C_4H_{12}N_2O_6$, $KH_2PO_4$, $MgSO_4$, and $CaCl_2$ for 20 days. Cultivation was stopped by solvent extraction via separation of the mycelium. The metabolites were identified as follows: propionic acid (1), mevalonic acid lactone (2), ${\beta}$-eudesmane (3), and ${\beta}$-eudesmol (4), respectively (Figure 1). The main peaks of ${\beta}$-eudesmane and ${\beta}$-eudesmol, which were indicative of sesquiterpene structures, were consistently detected for 5, 7, 12, and 15 days These results demonstrated the existence of terpene metabolism in the mycelium of P. brumalis. Polyporus spp. are known to generate flavor components such as methyl 2,4-dihydroxy-3,6-dimethyl benzoate; 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-6-methyl benzoic acid; 3-hydroxy-5-methyl phenol; and 3-methoxy-2,5-dimethyl phenol in submerged cultures (Hoffmann and Esser 1978). Drimanes of sesquiterpenes were reported as metabolites from P. arcularius and shown to exhibit antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (Fleck et al. 1996). The main metabolites of P. brumalis, ${\beta}$-Eudesmol and ${\beta}$-eudesmane, were categorized as eudesmane-type sesquiterpene structures. The eudesmane skeleton could be biosynthesized from FPP-derived IPP, and approximately 1,000 structures have been identified in plants as essential oils. The biosynthesis of eudesmol from P. brumalis may thus be an important tool for the production of useful natural compounds as presumed from its identified potent bioactivity in plants. Essential oils comprising eudesmane-type sesquiterpenoids have been previously and extensively researched (Wu et al. 2006). ${\beta}$-Eudesmol is a well-known and important eudesmane alcohol with an anticholinergic effect in the vascular endothelium (Tsuneki et al. 2005). Additionally, recent studies demonstrated that ${\beta}$-eudesmol acts as a channel blocker for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction, and it can inhibit angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo by blocking the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway (Seo et al. 2011). Variation of nutrients was conducted to determine an optimum condition for the biosynthesis of sesquiterpenes by P. brumalis. Genes encoding terpene synthases, which are crucial to the terpene synthesis pathway, generally respond to environmental factors such as pH, temperature, and available nutrients (Hoffmeister and Keller 2007, Yu and Keller 2005). Calvo et al. described the effect of major nutrients, carbon and nitrogen, on the synthesis of secondary metabolites (Calvo et al. 2002). P. brumalis did not prefer to synthesize sesquiterpenes under all growth conditions. Results of differences in metabolites observed in P. brumalis grown in PDB and modified medium highlighted the potential effect inorganic sources such as $C_4H_{12}N_2O_6$, $KH_2PO_4$, $MgSO_4$, and $CaCl_2$ on sesquiterpene synthesis. ${\beta}$-eudesmol was apparent during cultivation except for when P. brumalis was grown on $MgSO_4$-free medium. These results demonstrated that $MgSO_4$ can specifically control the biosynthesis of ${\beta}$-eudesmol. Magnesium has been reported as a cofactor that binds to sesquiterpene synthase (Agger et al. 2008). Specifically, the $Mg^{2+}$ ions bind to two conserved metal-binding motifs. These metal ions complex to the substrate pyrophosphate, thereby promoting the ionization of the leaving groups of FPP and resulting in the generation of a highly reactive allylic cation. Effect of magnesium source on the sesquiterpene biosynthesis was also identified via analysis of the concentration of total carbohydrates. Our current study offered further insight that fungal sesquiterpene biosynthesis can be controlled by nutrients. To profile the metabolites of P. brumalis, the cultures were extracted based on the growth curve. Despite metabolites produced during mycelia growth, there was difficulty in detecting significant changes in metabolite production, especially those at low concentrations. These compounds may be of interest in understanding their synthetic mechanisms in P. brumalis. The synthesis of terpene compounds began during the growth phase at day 9. Sesquiterpene synthesis occurred after growth was complete. At day 9, drimenol, farnesol, and mevalonic lactone (or mevalonic acid lactone) were identified. Mevalonic acid lactone is the precursor of the mevalonic pathway, and particularly, it is a precursor for a number of biologically important lipids, including cholesterol hormones (Buckley et al. 2002). Farnesol is the precursor of sesquiterpenoids. Drimenol compounds, bi-cyclic-sesquiterpene alcohols, can be synthesized from trans-trans farnesol via cyclization and rearrangement (Polovinka et al. 1994). They have also been identified in the basidiomycota Lentinus lepideus as secondary metabolites. After 12 days in the growth phase, ${\beta}$-elemene caryophyllene, ${\delta}$-cadiene, and eudesmane were detected with ${\beta}$-eudesmol. The data showed the synthesis of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons with bi-cyclic structures. These compounds can be synthesized from FPP by cyclization. Cyclic terpenoids are synthesized through the formation of a carbon skeleton from linear precursors by terpene cyclase, which is followed by chemical modification by oxidation, reduction, methylation, etc. Sesquiterpene cyclase is a key branch-point enzyme that catalyzes the complex intermolecular cyclization of the linear prenyl diphosphate into cyclic hydrocarbons (Toyomasu et al. 2007). After 20 days in stationary phase, the oxygenated structures eudesmol, elemol, and caryophyllene oxide were detected. Thus, after growth, sesquiterpenes were identified. Per these results, we showed that terpene metabolism in wood-rotting fungi occurs in the stationary phase. We also showed that such metabolism can be controlled by magnesium supplementation in the growth medium. In conclusion, we identified P. brumalis as a wood-rotting fungus that can produce sesquiterpenes. To mechanistically understand eudesmane-type sesquiterpene biosynthesis in P. brumalis, further research into the genes regulating the dynamics of such biosynthesis is warranted.

  • PDF