• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.3-10
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• 2004

Oxidative stress is a constant threat to all living organisms and an immense repertoire of cellular defense systems is being employed by most pro- and eukaryotic systems to eliminate or to attenuate oxidative stress. Ischemia and reperfusion is characterized by both a significant oxidative stress and characteristic changes in the antioxidant defense. Heme oxigenase-l (HO-l) is up-regulated by various stimuli including oxidative stress so that it is thought to participate in general cellular defense mechanisms against ischemic injury in mammalian cells. Higenamine, an active ingredient of Aconite tuber, has been shown to have antioxidant activity along with inhibitory action of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in various cells. In the present study, we investigated whether higenamine and related analogs protect cells from oxidative cellular injuries by modulating antioxidant enzymes, such as HO-l, MnSOD etc. R-form of YS-51 was the most potent inducer of HO-l in bovine endothelial cells, which inhibited apoptotic cell death by H$_2$O$_2$. HO-1 induction by YS 51 was mediated by PI3 kinase activation in which PKA- as well as PKG pathway is considered as important regulators. YS-51 also induced Mn-SOD mRNA expression by activating c-jun N-terminal kinase in endothelial cells and Hela cells. In ROS 17/2.1 cells, higenamine and enetiomers of related compounds inhibited iNOS expression by cytokine mixtures. Taken together, higenamine and related compounds can be developed as possible protective agents from oxidative cell injury or death.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.198-198
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• 2011

Organocatalysis is a relatively new and popular area within the field of chiral molecule synthesis. It is one of the main branches of enantioselective synthesis with enzymatic and organometallic catalysis. In recent years, immense high quality studies on catalysis by chiral secondary amines were reported. These progresses instantly led to different organocatalytic activation concepts, so thousands of researchers from academia and the chemical industry are currently involved in this field and new ideas, new approaches, and creative thinking have been rapidly emerged. Organocatalysts, some of which are natural products, appear to solve the problems of metal catalysts. Compared to metal-based catalysis, they have many advantages including savings in cost, time, and energy, easier experimental procedure, and reduction of chemical waste. These benefits originate from the following factors. First, organocatalysts are generally stable in oxygen and water in the atmosphere, there is no need for special equipments or experimental techniques to operate under anhydrous or anaerobic conditions. Second, organic reagents are naturally available from biological materials as single enantiomers that they are easy and cheap to prepare which makes them suitable for small-scale to industrial-scale reactions. Third, in terms of safety related catalysis, small organic molecules are non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to develop novel synthetic methods and design for various organocatalyst. Furthermore, it is expected that these organocatalysts can be applied to a variety of asymmetric reactions and study the transition state of these reactions using a metal sulface. Here, we report the synthesis of unprecedented organocatalysts, proline and pyrrolidine derivatives with quaternary carbon center.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.18-24
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• 2009

The volatile compounds of dried sancho (Zanthoxylum schinifolium), an aromatic plant were extracted by simultaneous distillation and extraction (SDE) method and identified by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Selected chiral constituents of sancho oil were characterized by enantiodifferentiation using multidimensional gas chromatograph (MDGC)-MS. A total of 57 compounds were identified and quantified, and the major compounds were identified estragole, nonanoic acid, octanoic acid, $\beta$-phellandrenene, and limonene. Among them, estragol (63.9%) was found as the predominantly abundant component of sancho. $\alpha$-pinene and nerolidol, and $\beta$-pinene and linalool were determined to be enantiomerically pure (100%) for their (S)-form and (R)-form, respectively. The enantiomeric composition of limonene in sancho revealed 83.9% purity for the (S)-enantiomer, whereas (E)- and (Z)-rose oxides showed mixtures of both enantiomers. The enantiomeric excess (%) for citronellal was 22.6% with the (R)-enantiomer as major enantiomer. The enantiomeric composition of these compounds can be used as parameter for authenticity control of sancho.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.704-710
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• 2008

Injectable hydrogels are quite promising materials due to their potential to minimize invasive implantation and this provides versatile fitness irrespective of the damaged regions and facilitates the incorporation of bioactive agents or cells. In situ gel formation through stereocomplex formation is a promising candidate for injectable hydrogels. In this paper, a new series of enantiomeric, four-arm, PEG-PLA block copolymers and their stereocomplexed hydrogels were prepared by bulk ring-opening polymerization of D-lactide and L-lactide, respectively, with stannous octoate as a catalyst. The prepared polymers were characterized by $^1H$ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FT IR) spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and thermal gravitational analysis (TGA), confirming the tailored structure and chain lengths. The swelling and degradation behavior of the hydrogels formed from a selected copolymer series were observed in different concentrations. The degradation rate decreased with increasing polymer content in the solution. The rheological behavior indicated that the prepared hydrogel underwent in situ gelation and had favorable mechanical strength. In addition, its feasibility as an injectable scaffold was evaluated using a media dependence test for cell culture. A Tris solution was more favorable for in situ gel formation than PBS and DMEM solutions were. These results demonstrated the in situ formation of hydrogel through the construction of a stereocomplex with enantiomeric, 4-arm, PEG-PLA copolymers. Overall, enantiomeric, 4-arm, PEG-PLA copolymers are a new species of stereocomplexed hydrogels that are suitable for further research into injectable hydrogels.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.965-969
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• 2007

The spectral properties, namely the circular dichroism, electric absorption and luminescence properties, of Λ- and Δ-[Ru(II)(1,10-phenanthroline)2benzodipyrido[b:3,2-h:2',3'-j]phenazine]2+ ([Ru(phen)2BDPPZ]2+) in the presence and absence of single stranded poly(dA) and poly(dT) were compared in this work. In the presence of single stranded DNAs, hypochromism in the absorption spectrum and significant changes in the circular dichroism spectrum in the ligand absorption band were apparent, indicating the strong interaction of the [Ru(phen)2BDPPZ]2+ complex with the single stranded DNAs. The luminescence intensity of the Ru(II) complex decreased stoichiometrically with increasing concentrations of the single stranded DNAs. All of these spectral changes were independent of the configuration of the Ru(II) complex and the nature of the DNA bases. Therefore, it is conceivable that both enantiomers of the [Ru(phen)2BDPPZ]2+ complex interact electrostatically with the negatively charged phosphate groups of DNA. However, the spectral properties of [Ru(II)(1,10-phenanthroline)3]2+ were not altered even in the presence of single stranded DNAs. Therefore, the size of the ligand involved in the interaction of the metal complex with the phosphate group of DNA may play an important role, even when the nature of the interaction is electrostatic.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.577-582
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• 2012

In this work, vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) technique was applied for the determination of %EE of chiral compounds. It may provide an easy way to determine the %EE with a proper accuracy within 2% error ranges as well as the absolute configuration of enantiomers. We demonstrated herein a flow cell VCD (FT-VCD) technique for time-dependent %EE measurements. The simultaneous monitoring of the mole fraction and %EE for two chiral species (epichlorohydrin and glycidol mixture) in the mixture was shown to be successful without any further separation steps. Thus, we demonstrate that FT-VCD is an appropriate analytical tool to monitor the kinetics of reactions involving chiral molecules. FT-VCD also provides a convenient nondestructive approach for the time dependent determination of the optical purity of individual components in a reaction mixture containing chiral molecules.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.511-518
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• 2018

Initiation of spore germination in filamentous fungi such as Aspergillus nidulans and Botrytis cinerea requires the presence of nutrients. In this study, involvement of sugar sensing machinery was suggested in the germination of A. nidulans spores. Germination did not occur when the spores of A. nidulans were incubated in distilled water, whereas they were successfully germinated in the presence of 5% glucose with a germination rate of over 98% after 6hr incubation. Similar results were obtained when the spores were incubated in the presence of various sugars such as fructose, sucrose, and starch. Interestingly, spore germination was not observed in the presence of D-arabinose, whereas L-arabinose could induce germination as determined by the formation of germ tubes, indicating the presence of sugar sensing machinery that distinguish between the enantiomers of sugars. This inference was further supported by a decrease in germination rate (less than 25%) upon treatment of spores with trypsin. Subsequent MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis of the surface proteins of spores identified ten proteins among which eight were involved in sugar metabolism. Taken together, our results suggest that spore germination in A. nidulans is initiated by the interaction of sugars with sugar binding proteins on the surface of spores.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.73-79
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• 2019

A novel esterase gene (est7S) was cloned from an enriched metagenomic library derived from an oil-spill area. The gene encoded a protein of 505 amino acids, and the molecular mass of the Est7S was estimated to be 54,512 Da with no signal peptide. Est7S showed the highest identity of 40% to an esterase from a sludge metagenome compared to the characterized enzymes with their properties, although it showed 99% identity to a carboxylesterase in the genome sequence of Alcanivorax borkumensis SK2. Est7S had catalytic triad residues, Ser183, Glu312, and His420, and the GESAG motif in most family VII lipolytic enzymes. Est7S was purified from the crude extract of clone SM7 using Sephacryl S-200 HR and HiTrap Q column chromatographies. The purified Est7S was optimally active at $50^{\circ}C$ and pH 10.0. Est7S showed a high specific activity of 366.7 U/mg protein. It preferred short length esters, particularly p-nitrophenyl acetate, efficiently hydrolyzed R- and S-enantiomers of methyl-3-hydroxy-2-methylpropionate, and glyceryl tributyrate. These properties of Est7S may provide potential merits in biotechnological applications such as detergent and paper processing under alkaline conditions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2021

Inflammatory reactions activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of gram-negative bacteria can lead to severe septic shock. With the recent emergence of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria and a lack of efficient ways to treat resulting infections, there is a need to develop novel anti-endotoxin agents. Antimicrobial peptides have been noticed as potential therapeutic molecules for bacterial infection and as candidates for new antibiotic drugs. We previously designed the 9-meric antimicrobial peptide Pro9-3 and it showed high antimicrobial activity against gram-negative bacteria. Here, to further examine its potency as an anti-endotoxin agent, we examined the anti-endotoxin activities of Pro9-3 and elucidated its mechanism of action. We performed a dye-leakage experiment and BODIPY-TR cadaverine and limulus amebocyte lysate assays for Pro9-3 as well as its lysine-substituted analogue and their enantiomers. The results confirmed that Pro9-3 targets the bacterial membrane and the arginine residues play key roles in its antimicrobial activity. Pro9-3 showed excellent LPS-neutralizing activity and LPS-binding properties, which were superior to those of other peptides. Saturation transfer difference-nuclear magnetic resonance experiments to explore the interaction between LPS and Pro9-3 revealed that Trp3 and Tlr7 in Pro9-3 are critical for attracting Pro9-3 to the LPS in the gram-negative bacterial membrane. Moreover, the anti-septic effect of Pro9-3 in vivo was investigated using an LPS-induced endotoxemia mouse model, demonstrating its dual activities: antibacterial activity against gram-negative bacteria and immunosuppressive effect preventing LPS-induced endotoxemia. Collectively, these results confirmed the therapeutic potential of Pro9-3 against infection of gram-negative bacteria.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.2117-2124
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• 2013

The binding properties and sequence selectivities of ${\Delta}{\Delta}$- and ${\Lambda}{\Lambda}-[{\mu}-Ru_2(phen)_4(bip)]^{4+}$ (bip = 4,4'-biphenylene (imidazo [4,4-f][1,10]phenanthroline) complexes with $poly[d(A-T)_2]$ and $poly[d(G-C)_2]$ were investigated using conventional spectroscopic methods. When bound to $poly[d(A-T)_2]$, a large positive circular dichroism (CD) spectrum was induced in absorption region of the bridging moiety for both the ${\Delta}{\Delta}$- and ${\Lambda}{\Lambda}-[{\mu}-Ru_2(phen)_4(bip)]^{4+}$ complexes, which suggested that the bridging moiety sits in the minor groove of the polynucleotide. As luminescence intensity increased, decay times became longer and complexes were well-protected from the negatively charged iodide quencher compared to that in the absence of $poly[d(A-T)_2]$. These luminescence measurements indicated that Ru(II) enantiomers were in a less polar environment compared to that in water and supported by minor groove binding. An angle of $45^{\circ}$ between the molecular plane of the bridging moiety of the ${\Delta}{\Delta}-[{\mu}-Ru_2(phen)_4(bip)]^{4+}$ complex and the local DNA helix axis calculated from reduced linear dichroism ($LD^r$) spectrum further supported the minor groove binding mode. In the case of ${\Lambda}{\Lambda}-[{\mu}-Ru_2(phen)_4(bip)]^{4+}$ complex, this angle was $55^{\circ}$, suggesting a tilt of DNA stem near the binding site and bridging moiety sit in the minor groove of the $poly[d(A-T)_2]$. In contrast, neither ${\Delta}{\Delta}$-nor ${\Lambda}{\Lambda}-[{\mu}-Ru_2(phen)_4(bip)]^{4+}$ complex produced significant CD or $LD^r$ signal in the absorption region of the bridging moiety. Luminescence measurements revealed that both the ${\Delta}{\Delta}$- and ${\Lambda}{\Lambda}-[{\mu}-Ru_2(phen)_4(bip)]^{4+}$ complexes were partially accessible to the $I^-$ quencher. Furthermore, decay times became shorter when bis-Ru(II) complexes bound to $poly[d(G-C)_2]$. These observations suggest that both the ${\Delta}{\Delta}$- and ${\Lambda}{\Lambda}-[{\mu}-Ru_2(phen)_4(bip)]^{4+}$ complexes bind at the surface of $poly[d(G-C)_2]$, probably electrostatically to phosphate group. The results indicate that ${\Delta}{\Delta}$- and ${\Lambda}{\Lambda}-[{\mu}-Ru_2(phen)_4(bip)]^{4+}$ are able to discriminate between AT and GC base pairs.