• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.420-426
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• 1998

An extracellular glutamyl aminopeptidase (EC 3.4.11.7) producing bacterium was isolated from soil and identified as Bacillus licheniformis based on its morphological and physiological characteristics. The aminopeptidase was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation, Phenyl Sepharose, Resource Q, and Superose 12 column chromatographies. The specific activity of the purified aminopeptidase was 9.2 unit/mg for glutamyl p-nitroanilide with 17.6 purification folds. The purified aminopeptidase had an estimated molecular mass of 64 kDa consists of two different subunits (42 kDa and 22 kDa), and its isoeletric point was 5.2 measured by isoelectric focusing. The optimum pH and temperature of the aminopeptidase were 8.0 and 55$^{\circ}C$, respectively. The aminopeptidase was inhibited by EDTA and 1,10-phenanthroline, suggesting it be a metalloenzyme. Comparing with other aminopeptidase, the enzyme showed relatively high activity against peptide having glutamic acid as N-terminal.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.371-377
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• 2023

In this study, a pepA gene encoding glutamyl (aspartyl)-specific aminopeptidase (PepA; E.C. 3.4.11.7) was cloned from Tetragenococcus halophilus CY54. The translated PepA from T. halophilus CY54 showed very low similarities with PepAs from Lactobacillus and Lactococcus genera. The pepA from T. halophilus CY54 was overexpressed in E. coli BL21(DE3) using pET26b(+). The recombinant PepA was purified by using an Ni- NTA column. The size of the recombinant PepA was 39.13 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE, while its optimum pH and temperature were pH 5.0 and 60℃, respectively. In addition, the PepA was completely inactivated by 1 mM EDTA, indicating its metallopeptidase nature. The Km and Vmax of the PepA were 0.98 ± 0.006 mM and 0.1 ± 0.002 mM/min, respectively, when Glu-pNA was used as the substrate. This is the first report on PepA from Tetragenococcus species.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 1996

The renal toxicity of the extract of Polygalae Radix was investigated in rats. Rats were treated with 3.5 mg/Kg of the extract, i.p., for 7 days. Changes in consumatory behavior, 24 hour-urine and the activities of urinary enzymes were determined during the administration of the extract. Significant decrease in body weight and food consumption and increase in 24 hour-urine volume were observed during the administration. However, the quantity of total creatinine in urine was decreased significantly. Those indicate that subacute treatment with the extract might induce diuresis and the ditiresis might be due to the decrease in water reabsorption. In the activities of urinary enzymes, the activities of alanine aminopejotidase (AAP) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) were increased 4.3 and 3.5 times and then returned to the control. The activity of N-acetyl-${\beta}$-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) was increased 7.2 times and then decreased slowly. But, it was significantly higher than that of the control evea after the last administration. The activity of factate dehydrogenase (LDH) was increased continuozlsly during the treatment. It showed 32 times higher than the control. These results suggested that the extract of Polygalae Radix had toxic effect on kidney. Furthermore, the result suggested that the subacute administration of the extract induced resistance against the toxicity of Polygalae Radix.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2000

To evaluate the renal toxicity of the antitumor agent, 1-(N-methyl) piperazinyl-3-phenyl-isoquinoline(CWJ-$\alpha$-5), rats were terated with CWJ-$\alpha$-5 (acute : 100mg/kg, i.p., single and subacute : 10mg/kr, i.p., daily for 7 days). The changes in the body weights, water consumption, kidney weights and urine volume after and during the treatment were observed. The concentrations of urinary creatinine, the activities of N-acetyl-$\beta$-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), alanine aminopeptidase (AAP), $\gamma$-glutamyl transpeptidase ($\gamma$-GT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in 24 hr urine were also determined. The body weight and water consumption were decreased after the acute and subacute administration. However, the excretion of urine was not changed except the 1 day after the acute treatment. The excretion of creatinine was significantly decreased from 1 day after acute administration and continuously decreased. Also the excretion of creatinine was decreased during subacute administration. However, the protein excretion did not changed in both treatment. Those indicate that CWJ-$\alpha$-5 might decrease the metabolic rate of muscle. The urinary activities of NAG, AAP, $\gamma$-GT, and LDH were significantly affected by the drug treatment. The urinary activities of NAG, AAP and $\gamma$-GT were significantly increased 1 and 3 days after the acute administration and then returned to the control value. However, the urinary activities of LDH were increased 7 days after acute treatment. During subacute treatment, the urinary activities of $\gamma$-GT were not changed. However, the urinary activities of NAG, AAP and LDH were only significantly increased after the third administration. These results indicate that either the high acute dose or the subacute administration with low dose of the compound might induce a temporal damage in the kidney cells.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.365-370
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• 1998

To evaluate the renal toxicity of the antitumor agent, p-{N,N,-Bis(2-chloroethyl)amino}-4-phenyl acetyl-amino-2,6-piperidinedione(CK-15), rats were treated with CK-15 (acute: 50mg/kg. i.p., single and subacute: 5mg/kg, i.p., daily for 7 days). The changes in the body weight, water consumption, kidney weights and urine volume after and during the treatment were observed. The concentrations of urinary creatinine and portein, the activities of N-acetyl-${\beta}$-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), alanine aminopeptidase (AAP), ${\gamma}$-glutamyl transpeptidase (${\gamma}$-GT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in 24hr urine were also determined. The body weight, water consumption, and urine volume were decreased after the acute and subacute administration. However the weights of kidney were not changed after the treatments. The excretion of creatinine was significantly decreased 1 day after acute administration but, returned to the control value. In subactute administration, the excretion of creatinine was gradually decreased. However, the protein excretion did not changed in both treatment. Those indicate that CK-15 might decrease the metabolic rate of muscle. THe urinary activities of NAG, AAP, ${\gamma}$-GT, and LDH were significantly affected bythe drug treatment. The urinary activities of NAG, AAP and ${\gamma}$-GT were significantly increased 1 day after the acute administration and then returned to the control value. However, the urinary activities of LDH were not changed in acute treatment. In subacute treatment, although the urinary activities of NAG were not changed, those of AAP and ${\gamma}$-GT were significantly increased 2.3 times at 3 days during the subacute administration. Also the urinary activities of LDH were significantly increased at 7 day after the administration. These results indicate that the high and subacute administration might induce a damage in the kidney cells. Furthermore the present results suggest that the toxic effects of CK-15 might be due to the accumulation of the metabolites.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.277-281
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• 1996

To evaluate the renal toxicity of the antitumor agent, 5-(piperidonomethylphenyl)-2,3-dihydroimidazo[2,1-a]isoquinoline (SDZ-62-434), rats were treated with SDZ-62-434 of 50 mg/Kg, i.p., once and 10 mg/Kg, i.p., daily for 7 days. The kidney weights and urine volume after and during the treatment were observed. The concentrations of urinary creatinine, protein, and the activities of N-acetyl-$\beta $D-glucosaminidase (NAG), alanine aminopeptidase (AAP), $\gamma$-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in 24 hr urine were also determined. The kidney weights after acute and subacute administration was not affected. The urine excretions were increased 5 days after the acute administration and increased after the daily 3rd day-administration. The excretion of creatinine was similar as that of urine excretion. The excretion of creatinine was increased 5 days after the acute and subacute administration. However, the protein excretion didn't changed in both treatment. Those indicate that SDZ-62-434 might induce the diuresis and also suggest that diuresis might be due to the some metabolites rather than the compound itself. The urinary activities of NAG and LDH were not affected after the acute treatment. However, the urinary activities of AAP and GGT were slightly increased 3 days after the acute administration but, returned to the control value. In subacute treatment, the activities of GGT was not changed. And the activities of NAG were declined after the 7th day-administration. However, the activities of AAP were significantly increased after the 5th day-administration. Furthermore, the urinary activities of LDH were continuously increased during the subacute administration. These results indicate that the high and subacute administration might induce a weak damage on the kidney cells. Furtherrnore, the present results suggest that SDZ-62-434 might have relatively slow-emerging and mild toxicity to the kidney.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.191-202
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• 1995

The purpose of this study was to compare effects of insulin and IGFs on growth, apical membrane enzyme activities and membrane transport systems of primary cultured rabbit kidney proximal tubule cells. Results were as follows: 1. Insulin and IGF-I produced significant growth stimulatory effects at $5{\times}10^{-10}M.\;IGF-II(5×10^{-10}\;M)$ did not stimulate significant cell growth. 2. Insulin stimulated the phosphorylation of a 97 KD protein. It was difficult to determine whether this band represents insulin and/or the IGF-I receptor. 3. The activities of apical membrane enzymes (alkaline phosphatase, leucine aminopeptidase, and ${\gamma}-glutamyl \;transpeptidase)$ were observed to be diminished after the cells were placed in the culture environment. 4. The uptake of ${\alpha}-MG,$ Pi and Na was significantly increased in cells incubated with insulin or IGF-I, IGF-II had no effect on the uptake of these substrates. 5. Na-pump activity, as assayed by Rb uptake, was significantly increased in cells treated with insulin or IGFs. In conclusion, insulin and IGF-I exert stimulatory effects on growth and membrane transporter(glucose, Na, Pi, and Na-pump) activities in primary cultured rabbit kidney proximal tubule cells. IGF-II had no effect on cell growth and membrane transporter(glucose, Na and Pi) activities.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.703-708
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• 2006

During infection, the common respiratory tract pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae encounters several environmental conditions, such as upper respiratory tract, lung tissue, and blood stream, etc. In this study, we examined the effects of blood on S. pneumoniae protein expression using a combination of highly sensitive 2-dimensional electrophoresis (DE) and MALDI-TOF MS and/or LC/ESI-MS/MS. A comparison of expression profiles between the growth in THY medium and THY supplemented with blood allowed us to identify 7 spots, which increased or decreased two times or more compared with the control group: tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase, lactate oxidase, glutamyl-aminopeptidase, L-lactate dehydrogenase, cysteine synthase, ribose-phosphate pyrophosphokinase, and orotate phosphoribosyltransferase. This global approach can provide a better understanding of S. pneumoniae adaptation to its human host and a clue for its pathogenicity.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1996.04a
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• pp.213-213
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• 1996

The effects of the anti-tumor agent, SDZ-y2434, on rat kidney were investigated to predict the toxicities of its derivatives and to develope less toxic derivatives. After adjusted in metabolic cages for 5 days, rats were treated SDZ-62434(acute : 25mg/kg, i.p, once and 50mg/kg, i.p., once; subacute ; 10mg/kg, i.p., daily for 7 days). Kidney weights and urine volume during the treatment were observed. Creatinine concentration, protein concentration and the activities of N-acetyl-${\beta}$-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), alanine aminopeptidase (AAP), ${\gamma}$-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) in 24 hr urine were also determined. The kidney weights after the acute and subacute administration didn't show any difference. Urine volume increased 5 days after the acute administration (50mg/kg) and 3 days after the subacute administration. The excretion of creatinine was increased 5 days after the acute (50mg/kg) and subacute administration. However, the protein excretion didn't show any change. NAG acivity declined 7 days after the subacute administration. AAP and GGT activites increased 3 days after the acute administration (50mg/kg) but, returned to the control value. LDH activity showed continuousely high value after the subacute administration. These results indicates that the acute administration of SDZ-62434 might damage on glomerulus and that the subacute administration might be cytotoxic to kidney cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.654-662
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• 2024

To investigate the effect of the predominant fungal species from Korean traditional meju and doenjang on soybean fermentation, the enzymatic activity and amino acid production of twenty-two fungal strains were assessed through solid- and liquid-state soybean fermentation. Enzymatic activity analyses of solid-state fermented soybeans revealed different enzyme activities involving protease, leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), carboxypeptidase (CaP), glutaminase, γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and amylase, depending on the fungal species. These enzymatic activities significantly affected the amino acid profile throughout liquid-state fermentation. Strains belonging to Mucoromycota, including Lichtheimia, Mucor, Rhizomucor, and Rhizopus, produced smaller amounts of total amino acids and umami-producing amino acids, such as glutamic acid and aspartic acid, than strains belonging to Aspergillus subgenus circumdati. The genera Penicillium and Scopulariopsis produced large amounts of total amino acids and glutamic acid, suggesting that these genera play an essential role in producing umami and kokumi tastes in fermented soybean products. Strains belonging to Aspergillus subgenus circumdati, including A. oryzae, showed the highest amino acid content, including glutamic acid, suggesting the potential benefits of A. oryzae as a starter for soybean fermentation. This study showed the potential of traditional meju strains as starters for soybean fermentation. However, further analysis of processes such as the production of G-peptide for kokumi taste and volatile compounds for flavor and safety is needed.