• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.294-301
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• 2016

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have described the importance of microbes and enzymes that can compost food waste. This study was carried out to improve production of protease of isolated microbes from food waste. METHODS AND RESULTS: Seven bacteria isolated from various sources were screened for protease production by adding skim milk into the agar medium. About 7 microbes producing protease were tested, and strain JH-35 showed the highest protease activity among them. The strain was identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JH-35 based on morphological, cultural, physiological characteristics and 16S rRNA. In the fermentation experiment, the assay B. amyloliquefaciens JH-35 showed the highest protease activity in the condition of 1% glucose, 1.5% yeast extract and 0.2%$ K_2HPO_4$. The optimal condition of culture with temperature $35^{\circ}C$, initial pH of 7 and shaking speed of 200 rpm and 24 hr. CONCLUSION: The protease of the B. amyloliquefaciens JH-35 had its activity at pH 7 and the optimal culture time was 24 hr. Also, B. amyloliquefaciens JH-35 was high salt tolerance. Our results suggest that B. amyloliquefaciens JH-35 from food waste may have the potential to degrade protein and carbohydrate in food waste.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.214-219
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• 2012

This research was designed to determine what components of Gardenia jasminoides play a major role in inhibiting the enzymes related antidepressant activity of this plant. In our previous research, the ethyl acetate fraction of G. jasminosides fruits inhibited the activities of both monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) and monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B), and oral administration of the ethanolic extract slightly increased serotonin concentrations in the brain tissues of rats and decreased MAO-B activity. In addition, we found through in vitro screening test that the ethyl acetate fraction showed modest inhibitory activity on dopamine-${\beta}$ hydroxylase (DBH). The bioassay-guided fractionation led to the isolation of five bio-active compounds, protocatechuic acid (1), geniposide (2), 6'-O-trans-p-coumaroylgeniposide (3), 3,5-dihydroxy-1,7-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) heptanes (4), and ursolic acid (5), from the ethyl acetate fraction of G. jasminoides fruits. The isolated compounds showed different inhibitory potentials against MAO-A, -B, and DBH. Protocatechuic acid showed potent inhibition against MAO-B ($IC_{50}$ $300{\mu}mol/L$) and DBH ($334{\mu}mol/L$), exhibiting weak MAO-A inhibition (2.41 mmol/L). Two iridoid glycosides, geniposide ($223{\mu}mol/L$) and 6'-O-trans-p-coumaroylgeniposide ($127{\mu}mol/L$), were selective MAO-B inhibitor. Especially, 6'-O-trans-p-coumaroylgeniposide exhibited more selective MAO-B inhibition than deprenyl, well-known MAO-B inhibitor for the treatment of early-stage Parkinson's disease. The inhibitory activity of 3,5-dihydroxy-1,7-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) heptane was strong for MAO-B ($196{\mu}mol/L$), modest for MAO-A ($400{\mu}mol/L$), and weak for DBH ($941{\mu}mol/L$). Ursolic acid exhibited significant inhibition of DBH ($214{\mu}mol/L$), weak inhibition of MAO-B ($780{\mu}mol/L$), and no inhibition against MAO-A. Consequently, G. jasminoides fruits are considerable for development of biofunctional food materials for the combination treatment of depression and neurodegenerative disorders.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.19-22
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• 1987

This experiment was undertaken to investigate proper conditions for protoplast formation from Pleurotus spodoleucus. Novozym 234 was the most effective enzyme and a high yield of protoplasts was obtained. Combination of enzymes did not improve this result. Sucrose gave the best result to support the release and maintain the stability of protoplasts. The optimal reaction time of mycelium with the lytic mixture was 3 hrs. in shaking condition at 120 strokes $min-^1$. When mycelium of P. spodoleucus was cultured for 3 days on mushroom complete agar medium at $27^{\circ}C$, the formation of protoplasts was effective. The mushroom complete agar medium stabilized with 0.6 M sucrose was the most effective for reversion of protoplasts.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.207-213
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• 2009

Starch serves not only as an energy source for plants, animals, and humans but also as an environmentally friendly alternative for fossil fuels. Progress in understanding of starch biosynthesis, and the isolation of many genes involved in this process have enabled the genetic modification of crops in a rational manner to produce novel starches with improved functionality. Starch is composed of two glucose polymers, amylose and amylopectin. The amylose and amylopectin ratio in starch affects its physical and physicochemical properties. Alteration in starch structure can be achieved by modifying genes encoding the enzymes responsible for starch biosynthesis and starch hydrolysis. Here, we describe recent findings concerning the starch modification in sweetpotato. Sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] ranks seventh in annual production among food crops in the world as an important starch source. To develop transgenic sweetpotato plants with modifying starch composition, we constructed transformation vectors overexpressing granule bound starch synthase I and inhibiting amylopectin synthesis genes such as starch branching enzyme and isoamylase under the control of 35S promoter, respectively. Transformation of sweetpotato (cv. Yulmi) is in progress.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.97-104
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• 2004

Water-sludge bacteria were screened to find a lipase enantioselectively hydrolyzing itraconazole precursor, which is well known as the starting material of antifungal drug agents. A bacterial strain was isolated and identified as Acinetobacter junii SY-01. After the strain was cultivated, the enzyme was purified 39.4-fold using ultrafiltration and gel filtration through a Sephadex G-100 chromatographic column and the activity yield was 34.9%. The molecular weight of the enzyme was about 40 kDa, as measured by SDS-PAGE, and the optimum pH was 7.0- 9.0 and stable at pH 6.0- 9.0. The optimum temperature was 45- $5^{\circ}C$, and 73% of the enzymes activity remained after incubation at 70% for 1 h. Enzyme activity was enhanced by gall powder, sodium deoxycholate, a cationic detergent Tween 80, and a non-ionic detergent Triton X-100, but was markedly inhibited by metal ions such as $Hg^{2＋},Cu^{2＋},Ni^{2＋}/,Ca^{2＋}$, and an anionic-surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate. The $K_{m}$ values for (R)- and (S)-enantiomers of the itraconazole precursor were 0.385 and 21.83 mM, respectively, and the $V_{max} values ($\mu$Mㆍmin^{-1}.)$ were 6.73 and 6.49, respectively. The acetyl group among the different acyl moieties of itraconazole precursor showed the highest enantioselectivity for the hydrolysis by the Acinetobacter junii SY-01 lipase, and the lipase from Acinetobacter junii SY-01 displayed better enantioselectivity than that of commercially available lipases and esterases.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.31-37
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• 1994

For a microbiological study of composting process, screening and assay method for biopolymer degrading enzymes and microorganisms were developed and for the study of the possibility of composting in anaerobic state, distribution of sulfate reducing bacteria which plays a final role in anaerobic degradation was investigated. Substrates used for the development of assay methods for biopolymer degradation are ${\beta}-glucan$, xylan, dextran, CMC(carboxy methly cellulose), casein, and collagen. These substrates were made insoluble by a cross-linking agent and linked with dye to make chromogenic substrates. ${\beta}-glucan$ and xylan substrates could substitute congo-red method for screening of polymer degrading microorganisms without damaging the colonies. Sulfate reducing bacteria contained in the sample sludge showed preference to lactic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid and formic acid and could use acetic acid and valeric acid.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.196-203
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• 2008

Hwangtae, dried Alaska pollack, is a major storage product in the fish processing industry. Hwangtae is prepared by removing the internal organs and drying outdoors during the cold witner months by allowing it to thaw during the daytime and re-freeze at night under sub-zero ($-10^{\circ}C$) conditions and gradually dry from December until the next April for around 5 months from Myungtae. In this study, ground Hwangtae was hydrolyzed using two proteolytic enzymes (pepsin and alcalase) which produced five soluble active peptides from Hwangtae (yellowish dried Pollack, Theragra chalcogramma) protein. Two different peptides with strong antioxidative activity were isolated from the hydrolysate using consecutive chromatographic methods of Sephadex G-25 gel, ion-exchange chromatography on a Sepharose-Sephadex C-25 gel, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The isolated peptides, APO1 and APO2, were composed of 16 and 13 amino acid residues, respectively. Both peptides contained a Gly residue at the C-terminus and the repeating motif Gly-Pro-Hyp. The peptide with a molecular weight less than 1,000 Daltons (APACE) obtained from enzymatic hydrolysates of Hwangtae exhibited the highest ACE inhibitory activity. The APACE peptides was composed of 4 amino acid residues (Gly-Leu-Leu-Pro). These results suggest that Hwangtae hydrolysates could be a good source of peptides with ACE inhibitory activity. Biochemical analysis indicated that two 70 kDa peptides (APG1 and APG2) isolated from the hydrolysate had gelatinoytic activity, which was shown to be a calcium dependent protease type as showed by gelatin SDS PAGE.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.439-446
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• 2020

Two Bacillus strains, K3 and K208, both demonstrating strong fibrinolytic activities were isolated from Kimchi, a traditional Korean preparation of fermented vegetables. Isolates were subjected to various molecular biology based identification methods including RAPD-PCR and identified as B. subtilis and B. velezensis, respectively. Tryptic soy broth (TSB) was found to best maintain both the growth and the fibrinolytic activity of these strains. Culture supernatants were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and fibrin zymography, and the results indicate that a 40 and 27 kDa band seem to be responsible for the fibrinolytic activities of these two isolates and the 27 kDa band was subsequently identified as the mature form of AprE, the major fibrinolytic enzyme. Thus the aprE genes were cloned and the translated amino acid sequences demonstrated 99.3% identity with each other, and 86.5% identity with BsfA, a fibrinolytic enzyme from B. subtilis ZA400 also isolated from Kimchi, and AprE2, a fibrinolytic enzyme from B. subtilis CH3-5 isolated from Cheonggukjang, a traditional Korean fermented soy. Given this B. subtilis K3 and B. velezensis K208 may be promising starter cultures in the production of fermented foods.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1568-1577
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate lactic acid bacteria with antioxidative and probiotic activities isolated from Korean healthy infant feces and kimchi. Isolates A1, A2, S1, S2, and S3 were assigned to Lactobacillus sp. and isolates A3, A4, E1, E2, E3, and E4 were assigned to Leuconostoc sp. on the basis of their physiological properties and 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis. Most strains were confirmed as safe bioresources through nonhemolytic activities and non-production of harmful enzymes such as β-glucosidase, β-glucuronidase and tryptophanase. The 11 isolates showed different resistance to acid and bile acids. In addition, they exhibited antibacterial activity against foodborne bacteria, especially Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli. Furthermore, all strains showed significantly high levels of hydrophobicity. The antioxidant effects of culture filtrates of the 11 strains included 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity, 2.2'-azino-bis (2-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation scavenging activity, and superoxide dismutase activity. The results revealed that most of the culture filtrates have effective scavenging activity for DPPH and ABTS radicals. All strains appeared to have effective superoxide dismutase activity. In conclusion, the isolated strains A1, A3, S1, and S3 have significant probiotic activities applicable to the development of functional foods and health-related products. These strains might also contribute to preventing and controlling several diseases associated with oxidative stress, when used as probiotics.

• BMB Reports
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• v.52 no.11
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• pp.653-658
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• 2019

MYB-type transcription factors (TFs) play important roles in plant growth and development, and in the rapid responses to unfavorable environmental conditions. We recently reported the isolation and characterization of a rice (Oryza sativa) MYB TF, OsMYB102, which is involved in the regulation of leaf senescence by downregulating abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and the downstream signaling response. Based on the similarities of their sequences and expression patterns, OsMYB102 appears to be a homolog of the Arabidopsis thaliana AtMYB44 TF. Since AtMYB44 is a key regulator of leaf senescence and abiotic stress responses, it is important to examine whether AtMYB44 homologs in other plants also act similarly. Here, we generated transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing OsMYB102 (OsMYB102-OX). The OsMYB102-OX plants showed a delayed senescence phenotype during dark incubation and were more susceptible to salt and drought stresses, considerably similar to Arabidopsis plants overexpressing AtMYB44. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) revealed that, in addition to known senescence-associated genes, genes encoding the ABA catabolic enzymes AtCYP707A3 and AtCYP707A4 were also significantly upregulated in OsMYB102-OX, leading to a significant decrease in ABA accumulation. Furthermore, protoplast transient expression and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that OsMYB102 directly activated AtCYP707A3 expression. Based on our findings, it is probable that the regulatory functions of AtMYB44 homologs in plants are highly conserved and they have vital roles in leaf senescence and the abiotic stress responses.