• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제32권8호
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• pp.1172-1185
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• 2019

Objective: Meat quality attributes in postmortem muscle tissues depend on skeletal muscle metabolites. The objective of this study was to determine the key metabolic compounds and pathways that are associated with postmortem aging and beef quality in Japanese Black cattle (JB; a Japanese Wagyu breed with highly marbled beef). Methods: Lean portions of Longissimus thoracis (LT: loin) muscle in 3 JB steers were collected at 0, 1, and 14 days after slaughter. The metabolomic profiles of the samples were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry, followed by statistical and multivariate analyses with bioinformatics resources. Results: Among the total 171 annotated compounds, the contents of gluconic acid, gluconolactone, spermidine, and the nutritionally vital substances (choline, thiamine, and nicotinamide) were elevated through the course of postmortem aging. The contents of glycolytic compounds increased along with the generation of lactic acid as the beef aging progressed. Moreover, the contents of several dipeptides and 16 amino acids, including glutamate and aromatic and branched-chain amino acids, were elevated over time, suggesting postmortem protein degradation in the muscle. Adenosine triphosphate degradation also progressed, resulting in the generation of inosine, xanthine, and hypoxanthine via the temporal increase in inosine 5'-monophosphate. Cysteine-glutathione disulfide, thiamine, and choline increased over time during the postmortem muscle aging. In the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes database, a bioinformatics resource, the postmortem metabolomic changes in LT muscle were characterized as pathways mainly related to protein digestion, glycolysis, citric acid cycle, pyruvate metabolism, pentose phosphate metabolism, nicotinamide metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, purine metabolism, and glutathione metabolism. Conclusion: The compounds accumulating in aged beef were shown to be nutritionally vital substances and flavor components, as well as potential useful biomarkers of aging. The present metabolomic data during postmortem aging contribute to further understanding of the beef quality of JB and other breeds.

• 임산에너지
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.56-70
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• 1998

This study was carried out to investigate the structural characteristics of kraft lignin and the wood degrading characteristics, the productivity of ligninolytic enzymes and the enzymatic degradation of kraft lignin by white-rot fungi. To purify kraft lignin, precipitation of kraft pulping black liquors of pitch pine meal was done by titration with lN $H_{2}SO_{4}$ reaching to pH 2, and isolation of the precipitates done by centrifugation. The isolated precipitates from pitch pine were redissloved in lN NaOH, reprecipitated by titration with lN $H_{2}SO_{4}$, washed with deionized water, and kept ofr analysis after freeze drying. Fractionation of the precipitates in solution by successive extraction with $CH_{2}Cl_{2}$ and MeOH, and the fractionates were named SwKL, SwKL I, SwKL II, and SwKL III for pitch pine kraft lignin. The more molecular weights of kraft lignin increased, the less phenolic hydroxyl groups and the more aliphatic hydroxyl groups. Because as the molecular weights increased, the ratio of etherified guaiayl/syringyl(G/S ratio) and the percentage were increased. The spectra obtained by 13C NMR and FTIR assigned by comparing the chemical shifts of various signals with shifts of signals from autherized ones reported. The optimal growth temperature and pH of white-rot fungi in medium were $28^{\circ}C$ and 4.5-5.0, respectively. Especially, in temperature and pH range, and mycelial growth, the best white-rot fungus selected was Phanerochaete chrysosporium for biodegradation. For the degradation pathways, the ligninolytic fungus jcultivated with stationary culture using medium of 1% kraft lignin as a substrate for 3 weeks at $28^{\circ}C$. The weight loss of pitch pine kraft lignin was 15.8%. The degraded products extracted successively methoanol, 90% dioxane and diethyl ether. The ether solubles were analyzed by HPLC. Kraft lignin degradation was initiated in $\beta$-O-4 bonds of lignin by the laccase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium and the degraded compounds were produced from the cleavage of $C\alpha$-$C\beta$ linkages at the side chains by oxidation process. After $C\alpha$-$C\beta$ cleavage, $C\alpha$-Carbon was oxidized and changed into aldehyde and acidic compounds such as syringic acid, syringic aldehyde and vanilline. And the other compound as quinonemethide, coumarin, was analyzed. The structural characteristics of kraft lignin were composed of guaiacyl group substituted functional OHs, methoxyl, and carbonyl at C-3, -4, and -5 and these groups were combinated with $\alpha$ aryl ether, $\beta$ aryl ether and biphenyl. Kraft lignin degradation pathways by Phanerochaete chrysosporium were initially accomplished cleavage of $C\alpha$-$C\beta$ linkages and $C\alpha$ oxidation at the propyl side chains and finally cleavage of aromatic ring and oxidation of OHs.

• 대한환경공학회지
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• 제30권10호
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• pp.1034-1038
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• 2008

분해성 고형화/안정화(DS/S, degradative solidification/stabilization)는 전통적인 고형화/안정화(S/S, Solidification/Stabilization)에 경제성과 유기 오염물질의 분해를 추가한 기술이다. 무기 오염물질은 고정되며 유기 오염물질은 DS/S시스템에 의해 분해된다. 본 연구에서는 액상폐기물 내의 클로로포름(CF)과 메틸렌클로라이드(MC) 분해를 위해 cement/slag/Fe(II)시스템을 바인더로 한 DS/S의 효율성을 평가 하였다. 초기 CF의 농도는 0.26 mM, 1.0 mM, 8.4 mM, 25 mM and 42 mM 그리고 Fe(II) 농도는 200 mM로 하였다. 실험결과 다양한 농도의 CF의 분해경향은 유사일차반응으로 표현할 수 있었으며 초기농도 0.26 mM에서 5일 이내에 95%가 분해되었다. MC의 분해를 촉진시키기 위하여 중금속 50 mg/L을 추가하였으나 분해는 거의 이루어지지 않았다. 따라서 MC의 분해를 위해서 추가적인 고찰이 필요하다고 판단되며 다른 반응 경로의 부산물에 대한 추가적인 고찰을 통해 cement/slag/Fe(II)에서 메탄 계열의 염소계유기화합물의 명확한 분해 경로와 메카니즘을 파악할 수 있을 것이다.

• 통합자연과학논문집
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.25-38
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• 2014

Amyloid-${\beta}$-peptide ($A{\beta}$) is important in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Calpain ($Ca^{2+}$-dependent protease) and caspase-8 (the initiating caspase for the extrinsic, receptor-mediated apoptosis pathway) have been implicated in $AD/A{\beta}$ toxicity. We found that $A{\beta}$ promoted degradation of calpastatin (the specific endogenous calpain inhibitor); calpastatin degradation was prevented by inhibitors of either calpain or caspase-8. The results implied a cross-talk between the two proteases and suggested that one protease was responsible for the activity of the other one. In neuron-like differentiated PC12 cells, calpain promotes active caspase-8 formation from procaspase-8 via the $A{\beta}$ and CD95 pathways, along with degradation of the procaspase-8 processing inhibitor caspase-8 (FLICE)-like inhibitory protein, short isoform (FLIPS). Inhibition of calpain (by pharmacological inhibitors and by overexpression of calpastatin) prevents the cleavage of procaspase-8 to mature, active caspase-8, and inhibits FLIPS degradation in the $A{\beta}$-treated and CD95-triggered cells. Increased cellular Ca2+ per se results in calpain activation but does not lead to caspase-8 activation or FLIPS degradation. The results suggest that procaspase-8 and FLIPS association with cell membrane receptor complexes is required for calpain-induced caspase-8 activation. The results presented here add to the understanding of the roles of calpain, caspase- 8, and CD95 pathway in $AD/A{\beta}$ toxicity. Calpain-promoted activation of caspase-8 may have implications for other types of CD95-induced cell damage, and for nonapoptotic functions of caspase-8. Inhibition of calpain may be useful for modulating certain caspase-8-dependent processes.

• BMB Reports
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• 제50권8호
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• pp.393-400
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• 2017

Plants are constantly exposed to a variety of abiotic stresses, such as drought, heat, cold, flood, and salinity. To survive under such unfavorable conditions, plants have evolutionarily developed their own resistant-mechanisms. For several decades, many studies have clarified specific stress response pathways of plants through various molecular and genetic studies. In particular, it was recently discovered that ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS), a regulatory mechanism for protein turn over, is greatly involved in the stress responsive pathways. In the UPS, many E3 ligases play key roles in recognizing and tethering poly-ubiquitins on target proteins for subsequent degradation by the 26S proteasome. Here we discuss the roles of RING ligases that have been defined in related to abiotic stress responses in plants.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.369-376
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• 2012

Platycodon grandiflorum is a medicinal herb that is used to treat pulmonary and respiratory allergic disorders. The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effects of ethyl acetate extract of Platycodon grandiflorum (PGEA) against inflammation and to discern the molecular mechanism of PGEA in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced signal pathways in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. PGEA suppressed the generation of nitric oxide (NO) and the expression of inducible NO synthase induced by LPS in RAW264.7 cells, and inhibited the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by LPS in RAW264.7 cells. Western blot analysis showed that PGEA suppressed LPS-induced phosphorylation of p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) but not extracellular signal-regulated kinase and $I{\kappa}-B{\alpha}$ degradation. Inactivation of JNK and p38 was effectively alleviated by PGEA, which subsequently affected the activation of c-Jun and c-Fos, which are the essential components of the activator protein-1 (AP-1) transcription complex. Taken together, the results indicate PGEA suppress the activation of p38, JNK, and AP-1, thereby inhibiting the generation of NO and pro-inflammatory cytokines, which affect the regulation of inflammation. PGEA may be useful for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.303-310
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• 2021

In the present study, kaempferol, a flavonoidal natural compound found in Polygonati Rhizoma, was investigated for its potential effect on the gene expression and production of airway MUC5AC mucin. A human respiratory epithelial NCI-H292 cells was pretreated with kaempferol for 30 min and stimulated with epidermal growth factor (EGF) or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), for the following 24 h. The effect on PMA-induced nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway or EGF-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway was investigated. Kaempferol suppressed the production and gene expression of MUC5AC mucins, induced by PMA through the inhibition of degradation of inhibitory kappa Bα (IκBα), and NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation. Also, kaempferol inhibited EGF-induced gene expression and production of MUC5AC mucin through regulating the phosphorylation of EGFR, phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 (p44/42), and the nuclear expression of specificity protein-1 (Sp1). These results suggest kaempferol regulates the gene expression and production of mucin through regulation of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways, in human airway epithelial cells.

• BMB Reports
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• 제57권7호
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• pp.318-323
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• 2024

Regulation of cell fate and lung cell differentiation is associated with Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARS)-interacting multifunctional protein 2 (AIMP2), which acts as a non-enzymatic component required for the multi-tRNA synthetase complex. In response to DNA damage, a component of AIMP2 separates from the multi-tRNA synthetase complex, binds to p53, and prevents its degradation by MDM2, inducing apoptosis. Additionally, AIMP2 reduces proliferation in TGF-β and Wnt pathways, while enhancing apoptotic signaling induced by tumor necrosis factor-α. Given the crucial role of these pathways in tumorigenesis, AIMP2 is expected to function as a broad-spectrum tumor suppressor. The full-length AIMP2 transcript consists of four exons, with a small section of the pre-mRNA undergoing alternative splicing to produce a variant (AIMP2-DX2) lacking the second exon. AIMP2-DX2 binds to FBP, TRAF2, and p53 similarly to AIMP2, but competes with AIMP2 for binding to these target proteins, thereby impairing its tumor-suppressive activity. AIMP2-DX2 is specifically expressed in a diverse range of cancer cells, including breast cancer, liver cancer, bone cancer, and stomach cancer. There is growing interest in AIMP2-DX2 as a promising biomarker for prognosis and diagnosis, with AIMP2-DX2 inhibition attracting significant interest as a potentially effective therapeutic approach for the treatment of lung, ovarian, prostate, and nasopharyngeal cancers.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.176-186
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• 2022

Continued fenvalerate use has caused serious environmental pollution and requires large-scale remediation. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) was discovered in fenvalerate metabolites degraded by Citrobacter freundii CD-9. Coculturing is an effective method for bioremediation, but few studies have analyzed the degradation pathways and potential mechanisms of cocultures. Here, a DBP-degrading strain (BDBP 071) was isolated from soil contaminated with pyrethroid pesticides (PPs) and identified as Stenotrophomonas acidaminiphila. The optimum conditions for DBP degradation were determined by response surface methodology (RSM) analysis to be 30.9 mg/l DBP concentration, pH 7.5, at a culture temperature of 37.2℃. Under the optimized conditions, approximately 88% of DBP was degraded within 48 h and five metabolites were detected. Coculturing C. freundii CD-9 and S. acidaminiphila BDBP 071 promoted fenvalerate degradation. When CD-9 was cultured for 16 h before adding BDBP 071, the strain inoculation ratio was 5:5 (v/v), fenvalerate concentration was 75.0 mg/l, fenvalerate was degraded to 84.37 ± 1.25%, and DBP level was reduced by 5.21 mg/l. In addition, 12 fenvalerate metabolites were identified and a pathway for fenvalerate degradation by the cocultured strains was proposed. These results provide theoretical data for further exploration of the mechanisms used by this coculture system to degrade fenvalerate and DBP, and also offer a promising method for effective bioremediation of PPs and their related metabolites in polluted environments.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제33권7호
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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.