• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제45권2호
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• pp.128-132
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• 2007

The red yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous (previously named Phaffia rhodozyma) produces astaxanthin pigment among many carotenoids. The mutant X. dendrorhous G276 was isolated by chemical mutagenesis. The mutant produced about 2.0 mg of carotenoid per g of yeast cell dry weight and 8.0 mg/L of carotenoid after 5 days batch culture with YM media; in comparison, the parent strain produced 0.66 mg/g of yeast cell dry weight and a carotenoid concentration of 4.5 mg/L. We characterized the utilization of carbon sources by the mutant strain and screened various edible plant extracts to enhance the carotenoid production. The addition of Perilla frutescens (final concentration, 5%) or Allium fistulosum extracts (final concentration, 1%) enhanced the pigment production to about 32 mg/L. In a batch fermentor, addition of Perilla frutescens extract reduced the cultivation time by two days compared to control (no extract), which usually required five-day incubation to fully produce astaxanthin. The results suggest that plant extracts such as Perilla frutescens can effectively enhance astaxanthin production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제23권10호
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• pp.1454-1459
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• 2013

The changes in prodiginines productions caused by pH shock culture of Streptomyces coelicolor strains were estimated. In Streptomyces coelicolor M511, undecylprodiginine and streptorubin B productions increased 1.8-fold (37.22 mg/g) and 2.5-fold (18.61 mg/g), respectively, by pH shock (from 7.2 to 4.0). In contrast, this resulted in the significantly decreased prodigignines production in the redP deletion mutant SJM1; 3.7-fold for undecylprodiginine, 4.4-fold for streptorubin B, 5.2-fold for methylundecylprodiginine, and 6.4-fold for methyldodecylundecylprodiginine, respectively. RT-PCR analyses showed that, during pH shock, expression of redD, the transcription activator gene, was increased while the expression of fabH, the decarboxylative condensation enzyme gene in fatty acid biosynthesis, was decreased in both strains. The enhanced redD expression was in good accordance with the increased total prodiginines production of M511. However, for SJM1 mutant, the decrease of fabH expression occurred more strikingly, such that it became almost completely turned off during acidic pH shock culture. Therefore, a down-regulation of fabH was considered to be the cause of decreased amount of total prodiginines produced, although redD expression was high in SJM1 mutant.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제39권9호
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• pp.680-686
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• 2016

Uncoupling proteins (UCPs) are mitochondrial inner membrane proteins that function to dissipate proton motive force and mitochondrial membrane potential. One UCP has been identified in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), namely UCP-4. In this study, we examined its expression and localization using a GFP marker in C. elegans. ucp-4 was expressed throughout the body from early embryo to aged adult and UCP-4 was localized in the mitochondria. It is known that increased mitochondrial membrane protential leads to a reactive oxygen species (ROS) increase, which is associated with age-related diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases in humans. A ucp-4 mutant showed increased mitochondrial membrane protential in association with increased neuronal defects during aging, and the neurons of ucp-4 overexpressing animals showed decreased neuronal defects during aging. These results suggest that UCP-4 may be involved in neuroprotection during aging via relieving mitochondrial membrane protential. We also investigated the relationship between UCP-4 and innate immunity because increased ROS can affect innate immunity. ucp-4 mutant displayed increased resistance to the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus compared to wild type. The enhanced immunity in the ucp-4 mutant could be related to increased mitochondrial membrane protential, presumably followed by increased ROS. In summary, UCP-4 might have an important role in neuronal aging and innate immune responses through mediating mitochondrial membrane protential.

• KSBB Journal
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• 제17권6호
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• pp.509-514
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• 2002

발효조건의 최적화에 대한 연구결과 온도는 28$^{\circ}C$, 배지의 초기 pH는 7.0, 통기와 교반 조건은 1.0 vvm과 500 rpm에서 erythritol의 생산이 가장 우수하였다. 이러한 최적의 발효조건에서 250 g/L의 glucose와 5 g/L의 yeast extract가 포함된 발효배지에서 최대 erythritol 농도는 143.3 g/L이었으며, 이때의 수율은 57%이고 생산성은 0.70 g/L-h이었다. 발효 중에 pH를 일정하게 조절하는 경우에 erythritol의 수율 및 생산성은 향상되지 못하였다. 발효배지에 0.5 M의 NaCl 또는 KCl의 첨가에 의해서 염이 첨가되지 않은 배지에 비해 erythritol의 생산이 약간 증가를 하였다. 그러나 NaCl 또는 KCl의 첨가농도가 증가할 수록 erythritol의 생성은 감소하고, 반면에 glycerol의 생성이 증가하였다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제30권12호
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• pp.1944-1949
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• 2020

Mutant sugar transporter ScGAL2-N376F was overexpressed in Kluyveromyces marxianus for efficient utilization of xylose, which is one of the main components of cellulosic biomass. K. marxianus ScGal2_N376F, the ScGAL2-N376F-overexpressing strain, exhibited 47.04 g/l of xylose consumption and 26.55 g/l of xylitol production, as compared to the parental strain (24.68 g/l and 7.03 g/l, respectively) when xylose was used as the sole carbon source. When a mixture of glucose and xylose was used as the carbon source, xylose consumption and xylitol production rates were improved by 195% and 360%, respectively, by K. marxianus ScGal2_N376F. Moreover, the glucose consumption rate was improved by 27% as compared to that in the parental strain. Overexpression of both wild-type ScGAL2 and mutant ScGAL2-N376F showed 48% and 52% enhanced sugar consumption and ethanol production rates, respectively, when a mixture of glucose and galactose was used as the carbon source, which is the main component of marine biomass. As shown in this study, ScGAL2-N376F overexpression can be applied for the efficient production of biofuels or biochemicals from cellulosic or marine biomass.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제42권3호
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• pp.248-252
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• 2004

In order to identify the protein(s) secreted into culture medium by the sool-l/retl-l mutation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, proteins from the culture medium of cells grown at permissive (28$^{\circ}C$) and non-permissive temperatures (37$^{\circ}C$), were analyzed. Comparison of protein bands separated by SDS-PAGE identified a prominent band of 47-kDa band from a mutant grown at 37$^{\circ}C$. N-terminal amino acid sequencing of this 47-kDa protein showed high identity with enolases 1 and 2. Western blot analysis revealed that most of the cell wall-bound enolase was released into the culture medium of the mutant grown at 37$^{\circ}C$, some of which were separated as those with lower molecular weights. Our results, presented here, indicate the impairment of cell wall enolase biogenesis and assembly by the sool-l/retl-l mutation of S. cerevisiae.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.237-241
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• 2006

Chemotactic behavior is essential for the survival of animals. However, the mechanism by which animals carry out chemotaxis is poorly understood. To explore the biochemical events underlying chemotaxis, we isolated C. elegans mutants that displayed abnormal chemotactic responses to cAMP, a strong attractant for C. elegans. Based on their responses to other chemoattractants, the mutant animals could be classified into five groups: (1) animals with defective chemotaxis to cAMP only; (2) animals with defective chemotaxis to both cAMP and cGMP; (3) animals with defective chemotaxis to water-soluble attractants; (4) animals with defective chemotaxis to both water-soluble and volatile attractants; and (5) animals with enhanced chemotactic responses. We expect that analyses of these mutants will help understand the molecular mechanisms underlying chemotaxis in C. elegans.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.182-186
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• 2021

Parkinson disease (PD) is becoming one of the most neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. The deposited aggregates have been connected in the pathophysiology of PD, which are degraded either by ubiquitin-proteasomal system (UPS) or autophagy-lysosomal pathway (ALP). Leucin-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), one of the neurodegenerative proteins of PD is also stringently controlled by both UPS and ALP degradation as well. However, the polyubiquitination pattern of LRRK2 aggregates is largely unknown. Here, we found that K63-linked polyubiquitinations of G2019S mutant, most familial variant for PD, is highly enhanced compared to those of wild type LRRK2 (WT). In addition, in the presence of overexpressed p62/SQSTM-1, ubiquitination of LRRK2 WT or D1994A was reduced, whereas G2019S mutant was not diminished significantly. Therefore, we propose that degradation of G2019S via UPS is more involved with K63-linked ubiquitination than K48-linked ubiquitination, and overexpressed p62/SQSTM-1 does not enhance degradative effect on G2019S variant.

• BMB Reports
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• 제44권10호
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• pp.686-691
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• 2011

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a cytokine secreted by stromal cells and plays a role in the differentiation of bone marrow stem cells and proliferation of neutrophils. Therefore, G-CSF is widely used to reduce the risk of serious infection in immunocompromised patients; however, its use in such patients is limited because of its non-persistent biological activity. We created an N-linked glycosylated form of this cytokine, hG-CSF (Phe140Asn), to assess its biological activity in the promyelocyte cell line HL60. Enhanced biological effects were identified by analyzing the JAK2/STAT3/survivin pathway in HL60 cells. In addition, mutant hG-CSF (Phe140Asn) was observed to have enhanced chemoattractant effects and improved differentiation efficiency in HL60 cells. These results suggest that the addition of N-linked glycosylation was successful in improving the biological activity of hG-CSF. Furthermore, the mutated product appears to be a feasible therapy for patients with neutropenia.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.339-345
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• 2017

Carotenoid는 천연 지용성 색소이며, 세균, 조류, 식물 등이 생산한다. 세계 시장의 대부분을 차지하는 합성 염료의 대안으로서 현재는 조류나 세균, 갑각류 등의 원료로부터 아스타잔틴의 생산, 정제, 이용이 주목 받고 있다. 이 연구는 UV와 EMS를 이용하여 P. haeundaensis의 돌연변이를 유도하고, 결과적으로 astaxanthin을 과잉 생산하는 돌연변이주를 선별하고 특성을 확인하기 위해 다양한 배양 및 영양 조건을 이용하여 astaxanthin 생산량을 확인하였다. 실험 결과 UV 조사 시간이 증가하거나, EMS 농도가 증가할수록 균주의 생존율이 감소하였다. Astaxanthin 과잉 생산 돌연변이 균주의 경우 400 mM EMS와 UV 20분을 순차적으로 처리한 방법에서 선별된 변이주가 가장 높은 astaxanthin 생산량을 보이는 것을 확인하였으며, 이 균주의 이름을 PUE로 명명하였다. PUE의 최적 배양 조건은 $25^{\circ}C$, pH 7-8, 3% NaCl이며, 1% raffinose, 3% potassium nitrate 첨가 시 astaxanthin 생산량이 증가하는 것으로 밝혀졌다. PUE에서는 wild type 균주에 비해 astaxanthin 생산량이 1.58배 증가함을 확인할 수 있었다. 본 연구의 실험 결과, 돌연변이 유도에 의해 선별된 변이주는 astaxanthin의 산업적 생산에 활용 가능한 후보가 될 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.