• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.28-33
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• 2003

Pycnogenol (PYC) is believed to have potential as a therapeutic agent against free radical-mediated oxidative stress. It is important, therefore, to understand the interactions between PYC and cellular defenses against oxidative stress. Toward this end, we analyzed the survival rates on the gene expression responses of E. coli sod katG mutants to PYC after pre-treatment of PQ or H$_2$O$_2$-mediated stress under aerobic conditions. We identified SOD induced by PYC, but not HP1 in sod hate mutants. A striking result was the PYC induction of SOD with antioxidant property in single katG mutant cells, particularly MnSOD and CuZnSOD. These inductions were further increased with oxidative stress, while HP1 was not induced in these conditions. The effects of pycnogenol treatment on these cells depend in part on its concentration on the stress response. Protective effects of PYC exposure which affected gene expression in cells were consistent with cell survival rates. Our results demonstrate that pycnogenol may alter the stress response gene expression in a specific manner such as SOXRS because PYC induction of single mutant only worked under increased PQ stress. All together our data indicate that SOD activity is essential for the cellular defense against PQ-mediated oxidative stress, suggesting that PYC may not be effective as an antioxidant in only oxidative stress conditions. On the other hand, it was expected that PYC may play a role as a pro-oxidant and if it is available for use, it should be evaluated carefully.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.103-110
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• 2004

In order to understand the molecular basis of selective expression of stationary-phase genes by RNA polymerase containing$\sigma$$\^$38/ (E$\sigma$$\^$38/) in Escherichia coli, we examined transcription from the stationary-phase promoters, katEP, bo1AP, hdeABP, csgBAP, and mcbP, in vivo and in vitro. Although these pro-moters are preferentially recognized in vivo by E$\sigma$$\^$38/, they are transcribed in vitro by both E$\sigma$$\^$38/ and E$\sigma$$\^$70/ containing the major exponential $\sigma$, $\sigma$$\^$70/. In the presence of high concentrations of glutamate salts, how-ever, oldy E$\sigma$$\^$38/ was able to efficiently transcribe from these promoters, which supports the concept that the promoter selectivity of $\sigma$$\^$38/-containing RNA polymerase is observed only under specific reaction con-ditions. The examination of 6S RNA, which is encoded by the ssr1 gene in vivo, showed that it reduced E$\sigma$$\^$70/ activity during the stationary phase, but this reduction of activity did not result in the elevation of E$\sigma$$\^$38/ activity. Thus, the preferential expression of stationary-phase genes by E$\sigma$$\^$38/ is unlikely the con-sequence of selective inhibition of E$\sigma$$\^$70/ by 6S RNA.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.608-610
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• 2003

Escherichia coli has two catalases, HPI and HPII. HPI is induced during logarithmic growth in response to low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. This induction is OxyR-dependent. On the other hand, HPII is not peroxide-inducible but is induced in entry to the stationary phase. We demonstrate here that E. coli displayed higher HPI catalase activity when compared to the cultures that were grown in a normal medium, if grown in a medium supplemented with iron-citrate. Iron supplementation had no effect on HPII catalase. This increase of HPI activity was OxyR-independent and not observed in a ${\Delta}fur$ mutant. The physiological significance of the increase of HPI activity is unclear, but it appears that the katG gene that codes for HPI catalase is among the genes that are regulated by Fur.

• Journal of The Institute of Information and Telecommunication Facilities Engineering
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.43-59
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• 2006

A compact and broadband $4\times1$ array antenna was developed for 3G smart antenna system testbed. The $4\times1$ uniform linear away antenna was designed to operate at 1.885 to 2.2GHz with a total bandwidth of 315MHz. The array elements were based on the novel broadband L-probe fed inverted hybrid E-H (LIEH) shaped microstrip patch, which offers 22% size reduction to the conventional rectangular microstrip patch antenna. For steering the antenna beam, a commercial variable attenuator (KAT1D04SA002), a variable phase shifter (KPH350SC00) with four units each, and the corporate 4-ways Wilkinson power divider which was fabricated in-house were integrated to form the beamforming feed network. The developed antenna has an impedance bandwidth of 17.32% $(VSWR\leq1.5)$, 21.78% $(VSWR\leq2)$ with respect to center frequency 2.02GHz and with an achievable gain of 11.9dBi. The design antenna offer a broadband, compact and mobile solution for a 3G smart antenna testbed to fully characterized the IMT-2000 radio specifications and system performances.

• Journal of The Institute of Information and Telecommunication Facilities Engineering
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.41-58
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• 2007

A compact and broadband $4{\times}1$ array antenna was developed for 3G smart antenna system testbed. The $4{\times}1$ uniform linear array antenna was designed to operate at 1.885 to 2.2GHz with a total bandwidth of 315MHz. The array elements were based on the novel broadband L-probe fed inverted hybrid E-H (LIEH) shaped microstrip patch, which offers 22% size reduction to the conventional rectangular microstrip patch antenna. For steering the antenna beam, a commercial variable attenuator (KAT1D04SA002), a variable phase shifter (KPH350SC00) with four units each, and the corporate 4-ways Wilkinson power divider which was fabricated in-house were integrated to form the beamforming feed network. The developed antenna has an impedance bandwidth of 17.32% ($VSWR{\leq}1.5$), 21.78% ($VSWR{\leq}2$) with respect to center frequency 2.02GHz and with an achievable gain of 11.9dBi. The design antenna offer a broadband, compact and mobile solution for a 3G smart antenna testbed to fully characterized the IMT-2000 radio specifications and system performances.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.395-399
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• 2000

Five different freeze-dried recombinant bioluminescent bacteria were used for the detection of cellular stresses caused by endocrine disrupting chemicals. These strains were DPD2794 (recA::luxCDABE), which is sensitive to DNA damage, DPD2540 (fabA::luxCDABE), sensitive to cellular membrane damage, DPD2511 (katG::luxCDABE), sensitive to oxidative damage, and TV1061 (grpE::luxCDABE), sensitive to protein damage. GC2, which emits bioluminescence constitutively, was also used in this study. The toxicity of several chemicals was measured using GC2. Damage caused by known endocrine disrupting chemicals, such as nonyl phenol, bisphenol A, and styrene, was detected and classified according to toxicity mode, while others, such as phathalate and DDT, were not detected with the bacteria. These results suggest that endocrine disrupting chemicals are toxic in bacteria, and do not act via an estrogenic effect, and that toxicity monitoring and classification of some endocrine disrupting chemicals may be possible in the field using these freeze-dried recombinant bioluminescent bacteria.