• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.189-202
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• 2018

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of fermenting temperature on the applicability of Lactobacillus plantarum for production of fermented sausages as starter cultures, and its applicable efficiency was also compared with those inoculated with commercial starter culture or non-inoculated control. The L. plantarum isolated from a naturally-fermented meat, identified by 16S rDNA sequencing and again identified by de novo Assembly Analysis method was used as a starter culture. Six treatments: 3 with L. plantarum at different fermenting temperatures (20, 25 and $30^{\circ}C$), and other 3 treatments (1 with commercial starter culture, 1 with its mixture with L. plantarum and 1 non-inoculated control) fermented under the same conditions ($25^{\circ}C$) were prepared. Results revealed that the fermenting temperature considerably affected the pH change in samples added with L. plantarum; the highest pH drop rate (1.57 unit) was obtained on the samples fermented at $30^{\circ}C$, followed by those at $25^{\circ}C$ (1.3 unit) and $20^{\circ}C$ (0.99 unit) after 4 days fermentation. Increasing the temperature up to $30^{\circ}C$ resulted in significantly lower spoilage bacteria count (5.15 log CFU/g) and lipid oxidation level in the products inoculated with L. plantarum. The sensory analysis also showed that the samples added with L. plantarum at $30^{\circ}C$ had significantly higher odor, taste and acceptability scores than those fermented at lower temperatures. Under the same processing condition, although the L. plantarum showed slightly lower acidification than the commercial starter culture, however, it significantly improved the eating quality of the product.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.69-75
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• 2017

Dormancy-associated protein (DRM) is involved in the dormancy physiology of plants and is conserved in almost all plant species. Recent studies found that DRM genes are involved in the abiotic stress response, and characterization studies of these genes have been conducted in several plants. However, few studies have focused on DRM genes in woody plants. Therefore, in this study, cDNA coding for DRM (PagDRM1) was isolated from poplar (Populus alba ${\times}$ P. glandulosa), and its structure and expression characteristics were investigated. PagDRM1 encodes a putative protein composed of 123 amino acids, and the protein contains two conserved domains (Domain I and Domain II). PagDRM1 is present as one or two copies in the poplar genome. Its expression level was highest in the stem, followed by mature leaves, roots, and flowers. During the growth of cultured cells in suspension, PagDRM1 was highly expressed from the late-exponential phase to the stationary phase. In addition, PagDRM1 expression increased in response to drought, salt stress, and treatment with plant hormones (e.g., abscisic acid and gibberellic acid). Therefore, we suggested that PagDRM1 not only plays an important role in the induction of dormancy, but also contributes to stress tolerance in plants.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.102-108
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• 2016

Mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episode (MELAS) syndrome is one of mitochondrial encephalopathy. As the early clinical manifestations can be variable, it is important to suspect the disease, especially in patients with multiple organ dysfunctions. A boy was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was 9 years old. Two years later, severe headache and blurred vision developed suddenly. On examination, left homonymous hemianopsia was detected with corresponding cerebral parenchymal lesions in right temporo-occipito-parietal areas. MELAS syndrome was confirmed by genetic test, which showed m.3243 A>G mitochondrial DNA mutation. Multivitamins including coenzyme Q10 were added to anticonvulsant. He experienced 4 more events of stroke-like episodes over 5 years, but he is able to perform normal daily activities. A 13-year-old boy was brought to the hospital due to suddenly developed respiratory arrest and asystole associated with pneumonia. Past medical history revealed that he had multiple medical problems such as epilepsy, failure-to-thrive, optic atrophy, and deafness. He has been on valproic acid as an anticonvulsant which was prescribed from local clinic. He recovered after the resuscitation, but his cognition and motor function were severely damaged. He became bed-ridden. He was diagnosed with MELAS syndrome by brain MRI, muscle biopsy, and clinical features. Genetic test did not reveal any mitochondrial gene mutation. Four years later, he expired due to suddenly developed severe metabolic acidosis combined with hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic coma. The clinical features of MELAS syndrome are variable. Early diagnosis before the presentation to the grave clinical course may be important for the better clinical outcome.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.293-297
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• 2016

For evaluating the boar semen quality, sperm motility is an important parameter because the movement of sperm indicates active metabolism, membrane integrity and fertilizing capacity. Phospholipase C zeta (PLCz) is important enzyme in spermatogenesis, but the effect has not been confirmed in pigs yet. Therefore, this study was aimed to analyze their association with sperm motility and kinematic characteristics. DNA samples from 124 Duroc pigs with records of sperm motility and kinematic characteristics [total motile spermatozoa (MOT), curvilinear velocity (VCL), straight-line velocity (VSL), the ratio between VSL and VCL (LIN), amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH)] were subjected. A SNP in non-coding region of PLCz g.158 A > C was associated with MOT (p < 0.05), VCL (p < 0.01), LIN (p < 0.01) and ALH (p < 0.05) in Duroc population. Therefore, we suggest that the intron region of the porcine PLCz gene may be used as a molecular marker for Duroc boar semen quality, although its functional effect was not defined yet. Whether the association is due to the candidate gene or not require further verification. Thus, it will be of interest to continue association studies in the regions surrounding those genes.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.281-285
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• 2016

Cluster-of-differentiation antigen 9 (CD9) gene expressed in the male germ line stem cells is crucial for sperm-egg fusion, and was therefore selected as a candidate gene to investigate Duroc boar semen motility and kinematic characteristics. This study was performed to investigatetheir association with semen motility and kinematic characteristics. DNA samples from 96 Duroc pigs with records of sperm motility and kinematic characteristics [Total motile spermatozoa (MOT, $82.27{\pm}5.58$), Curvilinear velocity(VCL, $68.37{\pm}14.58$), Straight-line velocity(VSL, $29.06{\pm}6.58$), the ratio between VSL and VCL(LIN, $47.36{\pm}8.42$), Amplitude of Lateral Head displacement(ALH, $2.88{\pm}0.70$)] were used in present study. A single nucleotide polymorphism (g.358A>T) in intron 6 was associated with MOT, VCL, VAP and ALH in Duroc population (p<0.05). Therefore, we suggest that the porcine CD9 may be used as a molecular marker for Duroc boar semen quality, although its functional effect was not clear yet. These results will improve the understanding of the functions of the CD9 in spermatogenesis within the reproductive tracts, and will shed light on CD9 as a candidate gene in the selection of good sperm quality boars.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1083-1089
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• 2008

We investigated the molecular epidemiological characteristic of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from stool samples in Busan from 2004 to 2006. Among 142 isolates of S. aureus, 49 isolates (34.5%) were confirmed as MRSA. With the antimicrobial susceptibility tests, 37 isolates (75.5%) showed multiple resistance to more than 10 antibiotics, but all isolates were sensitive to vancomycin. All of MRSA had enterotoxin A in 30.6%, B 4.1%, C 8.3%, D, C/G, A 2.0% and None 51%. PFGE of SmaI-digested chromosomal DNA was performed on 49 sporadic MRSA isolates. Restriction fragment patterns consisted of 8 to 14 fragments ranged in size from 48.5 to 630.5 kbp. We could divided the isolates into 7 groups ($I{\sim}VII$) by analyzing PFGE patterns. Group I subdivided as 2 subgroups and 17 (34.7%) strains belong to the group I. Dendrogram of PFGE patterns showed that MRSA strains in Busan were heterogeneous but we could find out minor homogeneity in hospital.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.2 s.75
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• pp.274-281
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• 2006

A fibrinolytic enzyme gene was isolated from Bacillus subtilis BB-1 by PCR method. Primers for PCR cloning were designed according to pre-identified gene for fibrinolytic enzymes from B. subtilis. The primer sequences were 5'-CGG ATC CGT GAG AGG CAA AAA GGT G-3' and 5'-TGA ATT CTT AAT GTG CTG CTG CTT GTC C-3' as concensus sequences of the fibrinolytic genes of Bacillus species. The PCR product was 1,145 bp and the sequence homology was 99% with nattokinase gene isolated from Japanese natto. The cloned fibrinolytic gene was reconstructed in Bacillus-E. coli shuttle vector, pEB for bulk-production. The fibrinolytic enzyme was purified by FPLC from the cloned B. subtilis 168. The optimum pH and temperature of the enzyme were 7.0 and $35^{\circ}C$, respectively. The fibrinolytic enzyme did not show any activity toward to skim milk, gelatin, casein and blood agar plate. The enzyme specific polyclonal antibody was prepared in rabbit for further assays such as detection of the gene expression in plant cells. This means that the enzyme may be used for health-care such as thrombosis without any hamful effects in the blood vessel.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.3 s.76
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• pp.454-458
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• 2006

HSF1 is the heat shock transcription factor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. S. cerevisiae KNU5377 can ferment at high temperature such as $40^{\b{o}}C$. We have been the subjects of intense study because Hsf1p mediates gene expression not only to heat shock, but to a variety of cellular and environmental stress challenges. Basing these facts, we firstly tried to construct the hsf1 gene-deleted mutant. PCR-method for fast production of gene disruption cassette was introduced in a thermotolerant yeast S. cerevisiae KNU5377, which allowed the addition of short flanking homology region as short as 45 bp suffice to mediate homologous recombination to kanMX module. Such a cassette is composed of linking genomic DNA of target gene to the selectable marker kanMX4 that confers geneticin (G418) resistance in yeast. That module is extensively used for PCR-based gene replacement of target gene in the laboratory strains. We describe here the generation of hsf1 gene disruption construction using PCR product of selectable marker with primers that provide homology to the hsf1 gene following separation of haploid strain in wild type yeast S. cerevisiae KNU5377. Yeast deletion overview containing replace cassette module, deletion mutant construction and strain confirmation in this study used Saccharomyces Genome Deletion Project (http:://www-sequence.standard.edu/group/yeast_deletion_project). This mutant by genetic manipulation of wild type yeast KNU5377 strain will provide a good system for analyzing the research of the molecular biology underlying their physiology and metabolic process under fermentation and improvement of their fermentative properties.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
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• 2001.08a
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• pp.129-137
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• 2001

We used cDNA microarrays to assess gene expression profiles in 60 human cancer used in a drug discovery screen by the National Cancer Institute. Using these data, we linked bioinformatics and chemoinformatics by correlating gene expression and drug activity pattens in the NCI60 lines. Clustering the cell lines on the basis of gene expression yielded relationships very different from those obtained by clustering the cell lines on the basis of their response to drugs. Gene-drug relationships for the clinical agents 5-fluorouracil and L-asparaginase exemplify how variations in the transcript levels of particular genes relate to mechanisms of drug sensitivity and resistance. This is the first study to intergrate large databases on gene expression and molecular pharmacology.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2008

The present study investigated the anti-proliferative and chemosensitizing effects of Crinum asiaticum var. japonicum against multi-drug resistant (MDR) cancer cells. The 80% methanol extract, chloroform ($CHCl_3$) fraction and butanol (BuOH) fraction of C. asiaticum inhibited the growth of mitoxantrone (MX) resistant HL-60 (HL-60/MX2) cells. When HL-60/MX2 cells were treated with the $CHCl_3$ and BuOH fractions, DNA ladder and sub-G1 hypodiploid cells were observed. Furthermore, the fractions reduced BcI-2 mRNA levels, whereas Bax mRNA levels were increased. These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of C. asiaticum on the growth of the HL-60/MX2 cells might arise from the induction of apoptosis. Treatment of HL-60/MX2 cells with the fractions markedly decreased the mRNA levels of the multi-drug resistance protein-1 and breast cancer resistance protein. The $CHCl_3$ fraction and hexane fraction increased MX accumulation in HL-60/MX2 cells. These results imply that the $CHCl_3$ fraction of C. asiaticum plays a pivotal role as a chemosensitizer. We suggest that components of C. asiaticum might have a therapeutic potential for the treatment of MDR leukemia.