• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.395-400
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• 2002

Lead is one of the most toxic metal and is detectable in practically all phases of environment and in all biological system. Transport, industrial and domestic waste products are the main sources of this pollutant. Ingested lead is rapidly absorbed and widely distributed throughout the body, causing extensive tissue damage. In this study, we chose the freshwater decapods Maceobrachium nipponnese as a sensitive indicator organism for environmental pollution. In order to investigate the possibility in use of $Na^+/K^+ATPase$ activity as a biomarker of lead pollution, we tested the acute toxicity of lead to Maceobrachium nipponnese. The $LC_{50}(96hr)$ value for lead in Maceobrachium nipponnese was found to be $446{\mu}g/L$ with the 95% confidence limits. The lead exposure group at $LC_{50}$ showed a significant $Na^+/K^+ATPase$ inhibition, depending on the exposure time. Comparision of several concentrations of lead revealed that the $Na^+/K^+ATPase$ activity in Maceobrachium nipponnese was significantly decreased in a concentration dependent manner. These results suggest that $Na^+/K^+ATPase$ activity in Maceobrachium nipponnese may possibly be used as a biomarker of lead pollution in aquatic ecosystem.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.262-267
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• 2007

During a screening program, an actinomycete strain isolated from the Egyptian soil was investigated for its potential to show antimicrobial activity. The identification of this isolate was performed according to spore morphology and cell wall chemo-type, which suggested that this strain is a streptomycete. Further cultural, physiological characteristics and the analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the 16S rRNA gene (1480 bp) of this isolate indicated that this strain is identical to Streptomyces violaceusniger (accession number EF063682) and then designated S. violaceusniger strain HAL64. In its culture supernatant, this organism could produce one major compound strongly inhibits the growth of Gram-positive but the inhibition of Gram-negative indicator bacteria was lower. The antibiotic was separated by silica gel column chromatography and then purified on a sephadex LH-20 column and finally the purity was checked by HPLC. The chemical structure of the purified compound was determined using spectroscopic analyses (molecular formula of $C_{33}H_{32}N_{2}O_{10}$ and molecular weight of 617.21) and found to be identical to the kosinostatin, a quinocycline antibiotic which is known to be produced by Micromonspora sp. TP-A0468 (Igarashi et al., 2002) and to quinocycline B isolated from Streptomyces aureofaciens (Celmer et al., 1958). Although the antibiotic is known, the newly isolated strain was able to produce the antibiotic as a major product providing an important biotechnological downstream advantage.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.874-879
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• 2008

Tyrosinase is a key enzyme for melanin biosynthesis, and hyperpigmentation disorders are associated with abnormal accumulation of melanin pigments, which can be reduced by treatment with depigmenting agents. The methanol extract of Lespedeza cyrtobotrya $M_{IQ}$ showed inhibitory activity against mushroom tyrosinase. The active compound was purified from the methanol extract of L. cyrtobotrya, followed by several chromatographic methods, and identified as dalbergioidin (DBG) by spectroscopic methods. The results showed that DBG exhibited tyrosinase inhibitory activity with an $IC_{50}$ of $20\;{\mu}M$. The kinetic analysis of tyrosinase inhibition revealed that DBG acted as a noncompetitive inhibitor. In addition, DBG showed a melanin biosynthesis inhibition zone in the culture plate of Streptomyces bikiniensis that has commonly been used as an indicator organism. Furthermore, $27\;{\mu}M$ DBG decreased more than 50% of melanin contents on the pigmentation using the immortalized mouse melanocyte, melan-a cell.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.75-82
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• 2017

Macrobenthos composes the dominant biomass at the mudflat and play an important role in the maintenance of the benthic environments. Organic matter in sedimentary environment affects habitat, feeding behaviors, and survival of benthos. In this study, the relationship between organic matter content in sediment and the distribution of macrobenthos was discussed at two margins (Mokpo and Aphae area) in the mouth of Muan bay. Sediment TOC was higher at Mokpo than at Aphae through the four seasons, and the pollution indicator organism Musculista senhousia was dominant in this area. The macrobenthos distribution was clearly divided into two areas correlated with sediment organic matter content in the mouth of Muan bay.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.34-42
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• 2006

Ichnology is the study of traces made by various organisms, which includes classification and description of traces, and interpretation of sedimentary process, behavior of organism and depositional environment based on traces and organism behavior. Ichnofacies, which is defined as the association of several traces related together with substrate characteristics and sedimentary processes, is closely related to depositional environment. Ichnology has been applied to sedimentology (to understand physical characteristics of depositional environment, sedimentation pattern and event bed), sequence stratigraphy (to recognize sequence boundaries and biostratigraphic discontinuities such as MFS, TSE and RSE), oil exploration (providing of many information without big cost) and palaeocology. Preliminary ichnological study on the Ganghwa intertidal flat shows that dominant ichofacies are changing with season and location, suggesting that their seasonal variation would be a good indicator to understand the seasonal change of sedimentary processes, the small- scale change of sedimentary environment and the preservation potential of such units. Ichnology on intertidal flat in western coast of Korea has a great potential to apply its results to petroleum geology as well as sedimentology.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.286-294
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• 2020

The Chironomus(Diptera: Chironomidae) is a freshwater benthic invertebrate that is an important indicator organism used for environmental pollution and water quality monitoring. In this study, we performed morphological classification and genetic species identification using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene on mitochondrial DNA for an accurate species classification of Chironomus larvae found in tap water purification plants in Incheon, Korea. Twenty larvae in six water purification plants consist of four species, including twelve Chironomus kiiensis, six Chironomus flaviplumus, one Chironomus dorsalis, and one Polypedilum yongsanensis (not included Genus Chironomus). Morphological characteristics of each larvae were identified based on the head capsule, the mentum, the mandible, the antenna, and the claw. Based on the COI sequences of 21 individuals of 17 Chironomus species registered in NCBI Genbank, phylogenetic analysis indicated that the 20 individuals investigated in this study consist of the same clade with corresponding species of the high homology (99~100%) including C. kiiensis, C. flaviplumus, C. dorsalis, and P. yongsanensis. These results will be used as main classification indicator for monitoring freshwater ecosystems by providing integrated morphological and genetic information for the species identification of Korean Chironomus.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.76-81
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• 2008

The objective of this study is to evaluate the microbial safety of raw pork used to produce Korean pork jerky. The raw pork samples harbored large populations of microorganisms. In particular, mesophilic bacteria were found to be most numerous $(3.9{\times}10^2-3.9{\times}10^5cfu/g)$ in the samples. Spore-forming bacteria and coliforms were not detected below detection limit. Yeast and molds were detected at $3.8{\times}10^1-5.1{\times}10^2cfu/g$ in the raw pork. Ten samples of raw pork were analyzed for the presence of pathogenic bacteria. Bacillus cereus was isolated from samples B and J and Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from sample B. The B. cereus isolates from raw pork samples were identified with 99.8% agreement and S. aureus isolate was identified with 97.8% agreement according to the API CHB 50 kit.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.101-107
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• 1997

Phellinus linteus was artificially cultivated in kangwon province in Korea. The air-dried phellinus linteus was frozen in liquid nitrogen tank and powdered in jar. 10g of the powder was extracted with each 200g of ethanol, methanol, distilled water and 1,3-butylene glycol/distilled water 4 hours under refluxing and then the liquidextract was concentrated under reduced pressure. As a result of analysis by high performance liquid chromatography and thin layer chromarography, many kinds of sugar and flavonoids were detected. Also we knew that phellinus linteus' extract had a strong UV-ray absorption. In the efficacy test for applying to cosmetics, free radical scavenging effect was confirmed. As a result, 2% of sample was the most potent inhibitory effect and the free radical savenging activity, was 0.31%. This is more effective than any other meterial. In the test of antioxidative activity against lipid autoxidation, phellinus linteus' extract had a good effect by 46% while vitamine E was 42.3%. The immunological activity of phellinus linteus was showed through the activation of macrophage cell. Actually, phellinus linteus activated macrophage function of 1.1-1.8 times including nitrite production compared to control. The whitening effect of phellinus linteus was showed through the inhibition of tyrosinase activity, melanin biosynthesis of S. bikiniensis and B-16 melanoma cells. Phellinus linteus' extract was showed strong mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activity with IC50 value of 0.5% and inhibited melanin biosynthesis with 28mm inhibition zone at 0.005%/paper disc in S. bikinniensis, a bacterium used as an indicator organism in this work. Also it inhibited melanin biosynthesis in B-16 melanoma cells with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.134%.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.26 no.4 s.44
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• pp.565-573
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• 1993

Noise is not only affecting the ear and the auditory cortex locally, but its influence is widely spread throughout the brain structures, e. g., the reticular formation, the brain stem nuclei or the subcortical forebrain area. Hence, any of the organism's activities can be hindered or stimulated by noise. High noise is a stressor and the catecholamine level can be used both as a stress marker and as an indicator of modified sympathetic nervous system activity. Several recent studies have found that the urinary excretion of catecholamines is increased due to high noise intensity, especially unexpectedly high and long lasting noise. The present study was conducted in order to examine the effects of noise stress on urinary excretion of ctecholamines in rats and humans. Rats were exposed to 90 dB noise for 10, 30, and 60 minutes, 3 and 12 hours. 24 hour . urinary samples were collected and the catecholamones were extracted by alumina and analyzed by HPLC-ECD. Catecholamine levels increased with time of exposure up to 60 minutes : norepinephrine concentration at 60 min of noise=1.038 ng/ml, epinephrine=0.636 ng/ml. Urine catecholamines of blue collar workers exposed to 90 dB of noise at the work place were collected between 2 and 4 p.m. and compared to that of white collar workers exposed to 70 dB. Mean norepinephrine level of the blue collar workers was 0.89 ng/ml (${\pm}0.25$), epinephrine 0.24ng/m1 (${\pm}0.09$), and that of the white collar workers 0.48 ng/ml (${\pm}0.12$), epinephrine 0.19 ng/ml(${\pm}0.05$). It was concluded that noise acts as a stressor and increases the catecholamine levels in both rats and humans.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.789-797
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• 2010

The limited information on differential gene expression in the different serotypes of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae has significantly hampered the research on the pathogenic mechanisms of this organism and the development of multivalent vaccines against A. pleuropneumoniae infection. To compare the gene expressions in the A. pleuropneumoniae strains CVCC259 (serotype 1) and CVCC261 (serotype 3), we screened the differentially expressed genes in the two strains by performing representational difference analysis (RDA). Northern blot analyses were used to confirm the results of RDA. We identified 22 differentially expressed genes in the CVCC259 strain and 20 differentially expressed genes in the CVCC261 strain, and these genes were classified into 11 groups: (1) genes encoding APX toxins; (2) genes encoding transferrin-binding protein; (3) genes involved in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis; (4) genes encoding autotransporter adhesin; (5) genes involved in metabolism; (6) genes involved in the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter system; (7) genes encoding molecular chaperones; (8) genes involved in bacterial transcription and nucleic acid metabolism; (9) a gene encoding protease; (10) genes encoding lipoprotein/membrane protein; and (11) genes encoding various hypothetical proteins. This is the first report on the systematic application of RDA for the analysis of differential gene expression in A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes 1 and 3. The determination of these differentially expressed genes will serve as an indicator for future research on the pathogenic mechanisms of A. pleuropneumoniae and the development of a multivalent vaccine against A. pleuropneumoniae infection.