• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.691-698
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate how herb extracts may improve blood circulation. Twenty-six extracts from nine different herbs (marjoram, lavender, dill, rosemary, hyssop, rose, lemon balm, pineapple sage, and echinacea) were evaluated for their anti-hypertensive effects via angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition. Their cholesterol-lowering effects via hydroxy-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibition and their fibrinolytic activity via fibrin-plate method were also evaluated. Both water extraction of rose flowers and 70% EtOH extraction of pineapple sage leaves effectively reduced the ACE activity with inhibition rates of 133.8% and 91.2%, respectively. Similarly, both water and 70% EtOH extracts of rose flowers strongly inhibited the enzymatic activity of HMG-CoA reductase by 48.9% and 80.5%, respectively. Water and 70% EtOH extracts of rose flowers also showed relatively high fibrinolytic activity. Based on these observations, rose flower extracts can be developed as a functional tool for use in the improvement of blood circulation.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.486-492
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• 2015

Drug metabolism mostly occurs in the liver. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) is a drug-metabolizing enzyme that is responsible for many important drug metabolism reactions. Recently, the US FDA and EU EMA have suggested that CYP enzyme induction can be measured by both enzymatic activity and mRNA expression. However, these experiments are time-consuming and their interassay variability can lead to misinterpretations of the results. To resolve these problems and establish a more powerful method to measure CYP induction, we determined CYP induction by using luminescent assay. Luminescent CYP assays link CYP enzyme activity to firefly luciferase luminescence technology. In this study, we measured the induction of CYP isozymes (1A2, 2B6, 2C9, and 3A4) in cryopreserved human hepatocytes (HMC424, 478, and 493) using a luminometer. We then examined the potential induction abilities (unknown so far) of mesalazine, a drug for colitis, and mosapride citrate, which is used as an antispasmodic drug. The results showed that mesalazine promotes CYP2B6 and 3A4 activities, while mosapride citrate promotes CYP1A2, 2B6, and 3A4 activities. Luminescent CYP assays offer rapid and safe advantages over LC-MS/MS and qRT-PCR methods. Furthermore, luminescent CYP assays decrease the interference between the optical properties of the test compound and the CYP substrates. Therefore, luminescent CYP assays are less labor intensive, rapid, and can be used as robust tools for high-throughput CYP screening during early drug discovery.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.326-335
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• 2010

The concentration of phenolics in Phellinus pini (CY001) extracts, expressed as mg of GAEs per g of P. pini fractions, and the EtOAc fraction (436.5 mg GAEs/g) of P. pini had a higher phenolic content than other fractions. Several biochemical assays were used to screen antioxidant properties such as reducing power, 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity, NBT/XO superoxide system and inhibition of DCF/AAPH peroxyl radicals. Among the six mushroom extracts, the EtOAc fraction from P. pini (CY001) showed the most potent DPPH radical, superoxide radical, and peroxyl radical scavenging activities, with $IC_{50}$ values of $11.49\;{\mu}g/ml$, $8.32\;{\mu}g/ml$, and $1.91\;{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. The EtOAc fraction of P. pini (CY001) significantly inhibited enzymatic lipid peroxidation and effectively attenuated LPS-induced NO production of RAW 264.7 cells without cytotoxicity. We also found that the EtOAc fraction had a significant hepato-protectant effect on tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells. These findings suggest that P. pini (CY001) may have potential as a natural antioxidant, which contains compound(s) with radical scavenging activity.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.305-314
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• 2005

Investigation of chemically synthesized inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [$Ins(1,4,5)P_3$] analogs has led to the isolation of a novel binding protein with a molecular size of 130 kDa, characterized as a molecule with similar domain organization to phospholipase C-${\delta}1$ (PLC-${\delta}1$) but lacking the enzymatic activity. An isoform of the molecule was subsequently identified, and these molecules have been named PRIP (PLC-related, but catalytically inactive protein), with the two isoforms named PRIP-1 and -2. Regarding its ability to bind $Ins(1,4,5)P_3$ via the pleckstrin homology domain, the involvement of PRIP-1 in $Ins(1,4,5)P_3$-mediated $Ca^{2+}$ signaling was examined using COS-1 cells overexpressing PRIP-1 and cultured neurons prepared from PRIP-1 knock-out mice. Yeast two hybrid screening of a brain cDNA library using a unique N-terminus as bait identified GABARAP ($GABA_A$ receptor associated protein) and PP1 (protein phosphatase 1), which led us to examine the possible involvement of PRIP in $GABA_A$ receptor signaling. For this purpose PRIP knock-out mice were analyzed for $GABA_A$ receptor function in relation to the action of benzodiazepines from the electrophysiological and behavioral aspects. During the course of these experiments we found that PRIP also binds to the b-subunit of $GABA_A$ receptors and PP2A (protein phosphtase 2A). Here, we summarize how PRIP is involved in $Ins(1,4,5)P_3$-mediated $Ca^{2+}$ signaling and $GABA_A$ receptor signaling based on the characteristics of binding molecules.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.238-244
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• 2011

Biodiesel, mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids, is one of the alternative fuels derived from renewable lipid feedstock, such as vegetable oils or animal fats. For decade, various lipases have been used for the production of biodiesel. However, the production of biodiesel by enzymatic catalyst has profound restriction in industry application due to high cost. To overcome these problems, many research groups have studied extensively on the selection of cheap oil sources, the screening of suitable lipases, and development of lipase immobilization methods. In this study, we produced biodiesel from plant oil using Proteus vulgaris lipase K80 expressed in Escherichia coli cells. The recombinant lipase K80 was not only expressed in high level but also had high specific lipase activity and high stability in various organic solvents. Lipase K80 could produce biodiesel from olive oil by 3-stepwise methanol feeding method. The immobilized lipase K80 also produced biodiesel using the same 3-stepwise method. The immobilized lipase could produce biodiesel efficiently from various plant oils and waste oils.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.147-153
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• 2004

Protein modification by N-acetyl-${\beta}$-D-glucosamine (O-G1cNAc) on the hydroxyl groups of Ser or Thr ubiq-uitously occurs in eukaryotic cells and is involved in many cellular phenomena. The level of O-G1cNAc-mod-ified protein is regulated by OGT and O-GlcNAcase enzymes. We have tried to produce recombinant O-GlcNAcase in E. coli as an effort to establish in vitro screening system for modulators of O-GlcNAcase. The culture conditions for improvement of O-GlcNAcase productivity, were as follows: induction temperature, $30^{\circ}C$; the concentration of L-arabinose, 0.02% and induction time, 5 hr. Under these culture conditions, E. coli cells containing O-GlcNAcase gene had no enzyme activity until up to 3 hr culture. However, O-GlcNAcase activity dramatically increased from 3 to 5 hr culture. It almost maintained the same level after 5 hr culture. Western blot analysis verified the amount of expressed O-GlcNAcase increased with culture time, being con-sistent with activity data. The optimal reaction condition determined in this study was as follows: protein quan-tity, $5{\mu}g$; reaction time, 30 min; reaction temperature, $45^{\circ}C$; substrate concentration, 2 mM; reaction pH, 6.5. Methanol had little effect on O-GlcNAcase activity and 90% of activity were retained at 10%. Only 15% resid-ual activity were detected at 5% of chloroform.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.307-314
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• 2006

This study was conducted to screen in vitro angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities of methanol (MeOH) and aqueous extracts which were prepared by four different extractions-80% methanol extracts(ME) at $20^{\circ}C\;and\;70^{\circ}C$, respectively and aqueous extracts (AE) at both temperatures with the residue of the MEs-of ten marine green algae and nineteen brown algae collected along Jeju coast of Korea. Most marine brown algae extracts showed higher capacities than those of marine green algae in ACE inhibitory activity. Particularly, $70^{\circ}C$ MeOH extract (70ME) of Hizikia fusiforme showed the strongest inhibition activity (about 87%) among all the extracts. Also, 70 MEs of Enteromorpha linza, Ishige sinicola, Laminaria ochotensis, Petrospongium rugosum, Sagrassum horneri, Undaria pinnatifida and $20^{\circ}C$ MeOH extracts (20ME) of Myagropsis myagroides, Petrospongium rugosum, $20^{\circ}C$ aqueous extracts (20AE) of Codium contractum, Enteromorpha compressa, and $70^{\circ}C$ aqueous extracts (70AE) of Ecklonia cava, Petrospongium rugosum showed moderate ACE inhibitory activities more than 50% and the other extracts exhibited weak activities. On tile other hand, E. cava had the best ACE inhibitory activity among 70AEs. This indicates that 70AE of E. cava contains potential anti-ACE macromolecular. We tried to proteolytic digest 70AE of E. cava to induce production of anti-ACE peptides from E. cava 70AE. The enzymes used are five pretenses including Kojizyme, Flavourzyme, Neutrase, Alcalase, and Protamex, which are food grade-commercial enzymes from Novo Co. Flavourzyme-digest of E. cava 70AE showed the highest inhibitory activity about 90%. And the five different enzymatic digests of the E. cava 70AE ranged from 2.33 to 3.56 ${\mu}g/mL$, respectively in $IC_{50}$ values of anti-ACE activity.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2015

Purpose: 3-methylcrotonyl CoA carboxylase deficiency (3MCCD) is leucine metabolic disorder caused by mutation in MCCC1 or MCCC2 gene. Clinical manifestations are variable, ranging from fatal neonatal onset to asymptomatic individuals. There is no retrospective study of Korean patients undergoing long-term treatment for 3MCCD. We reported this study to find out clinical symptoms and gene analysis of 3MCCD patients. Methods: This study was based on data of patients diagnosed with 3MCCD in Soonchunhyang university hospital between April 2009 and September 2013. We report clinical, enzymatic and mutation data of 3MCCD patients found by newborn screening. Results: In tandem mass spectrometry, 3-OH-isovalerylcarnitine (C5OH) of all patients increased. And all 7 patients were elevated 3-methylcrotonylglycine (3MCG) and 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid (3HIVA) in urine. MCCC mutation was identified in 2 patients and MCCC2 was mutated in 5 patients. We found mutation occurred in 8 different parts of nucleotide and such mutation caused 7 different types of changes in amino acid. All patients are on medication of L-carnitine and L-glycine. 4 patients are taking biotin. And 4 patients are eating leucine free formula. After starting treatment, there were no significant changes of urine 3MCG and 3HIVA levels. Conclusions: According to our data, MCCC2 gene mutation was more common than MCCC1 gene mutation. But the level of 3HIVA or 3MCG in urine has no correlation with phenotype. All patients has no symptoms and are shown normal development.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2015.11a
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• pp.16-16
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• 2015

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) mushrooms play a major role in plant growth promotion through symbiotic association with roots of forest trees. They also provide an economically important food resource to us and therefore they have been studied for their artificial cultivation for decades in Korea. We have secured bio-resources of ECM mushrooms from Korean forests and performed their physiological studies. To investigate the cultural characteristics, the fungi were cultured under different conditions (medium, temperature, pH of the medium, inorganic nitrogen source). More than 90% of total 160 strains grew on three solid media (potato dextrose agar, PDA; sabouraud dextrose agar, SDA; modified Melin-Norkrans medium, MMN). The rate of mycelial growth on malt extract agar (MEA) was lower than those of three media (PDA, SDA, MMN). None of the Tricholomataceae strains grew on MEA. Many strains of ECM mushrooms were able to grow at the temperature range of $15{\sim}25^{\circ}C$ on PDA, while they showed poor growth at $10^{\circ}C$ or $30^{\circ}C$. In particular, the growth rates of both Gomphaceae and Tricholomataceae were significantly lower at $10^{\circ}C$ than at $30^{\circ}C$. The optimal pH of many strains was pH 5.0 when they cultured in potato dextrose broth (PDB). Fifty-seven percent of tested strains grew well on medium containing ammonium source than nitrate source. Many strains of Tricholomataceae showed a notable growth on ammonium medium than nitrate medium. Twenty-three percent of strains preferred nitrate source than ammonium source for their mycelial growth. The production and activity of two enzymes (cellulase and laccase) by ECM fungi were also assayed on the enzyme screening media containing CMC or ABTS. Each strains exhibited different levels of enzymatic activities as well as enzyme production. The number of laccase-producing strains was less than that of cellulase-producing strains. We found that 77% of tested strains produced both cellulase and laccase, whereas 2% of strains did not produce any enzymes. The morphological characteristics of mycelial colony were also examined on four different solid media. Yellow was a dominant color in mycelial colony and followed by white and brown on all culture media. ECM mushrooms formed mycelial colonies with a single or multiple colors within a culture medium depending on the strains and culture media. The most common shape of mycelial colony was a circular form on all media tested. Other families except for Amanitaceae formed an irregular colony on MMN than PDA. All strains of Tricholomataceae did not form a filamentous colony on all media. The pigmentation of culture media by mycelial colonies was observed in more than 50% of strains tested on both PDA and SDA. The degree of pigmentation on PDA or SDA was higher than MMN and brown color was dominant than yellow color. The production of exudates from mycelial colony was higher on PDA than MMN. Brown exudates were mainly produced by many strains on PDA or SDA, whereas transparent exudates were mainly produced by strains on MMN. We observed the mycelial colonies with a single or multiple textures in just one culture plate. Wrinkled or uneven colony surfaces were remarkably observed in many strains on PDA or SDA, while an even colony surface was observed in many strains on MMN. Sixty percent of Tricholomaceae strains formed wrinkled surface on PDA. However, they did not form any wrinkle on MMN plate. Cottony texture was observed in mycelia colonies of many strains. Velvety texture was often observed in the mycelial colonies on SDA than PDA and accounted for 60% of Suillaceae strains on SDA.