• Title/Summary/Keyword: membrane processes

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A Study on the Cooking in 'The Kosa-sibi Jip' (2) ("고사십이집(攷事十二集)"의 조리가공에 관한 분석적 연구(2))

  • 김성미
    • Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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    • v.4 no.3
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    • pp.1-19
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    • 1994
  • In this paper, twenty-five kinds of food presented in Sooljip(戌集) 5 and 6 of Food collections of 'Kosa-sibi Jip(攷事十二集)' have been classified into four : Staple food, subsidiary food, Tuck(rice cake) and Han-gwa(Korean confectionery), and Tang-jng and tea. Cooking processes have been examined and scientifically analyzed in terms of cooking, Fourteen kinds of Jook (thick gruel with cereal) as well as Urak-Jook were presented among the methods of making Jook, one of staple foods. Milk and ground rice were boiled together into Urak-Jook, which was nutritious because of carbohydrate, added to milk. Hong-sa Myun was mode of ground shrimps, ground bean, ground rice and flour which were kneaded together. It was a nutritiously balanced food. Nineteen kinds of Kimchi presented in this book were classified by the recipes. The five of Jook-soon Ja, U-so Ja, Tam-bok Ja and Jo-gang were made by adding red malt and cereals(boiled rice or candies). Jo-gang, Jo-ga and Jo-gwa-chae were made by adding salt and rice wine. With salt and fermenters added, eight were made. Chim-jup-jeo-ga was made by adding Jang(soy-bean sauce) and the inner chaff of wheat instead of salt. The four of Ka-za-san, Hwang-gwa-san, Tong-gwa-san and Jo-gang were made by adding salt and vinegar. Jo-gang was made by adding salt, rice wine, residue of rice wine and candies. The four of Kae-mal-ga, Ku-cho-chim-chae, Un-gu-hwa and Suk-hwa-chim-chim-chae were made by adding salt and spices. San-got-Kimchi was made without salt. San-got-Kimchi and Suk-hwa-chim-chae were made originally in Korea. Suk-hwa-chim-chae, in particular, was first classified as a kind of Kimchi in this book and oysters were added, which is notable. Pork could be preserved longer when smoked oven the weak fire of thatch ten days and nights. Dog meat was sauced and placed on the bones in a pot. A porcelain was put on the top of the pot. Flour paste sealed the gap between the porcelain and the pot. Some water was poured into the porcelain, and the meat was steamed, with two or three thatched sacks burned, which was a distilled dry steaming. This process has been in use up to now. Various cooking methods of chicken were presented from in Umsik-dimi-bang to in Chosun Musang Sinsik Yori Jebup. These methods were ever present regardless of ages. Such measuring units as Guin(斤) and Nyang(兩) were most frequently used in cooking processes of this book, except in case of Jang(soy bean sauce), vinegar and liquor. Twenty eight kinds of kitchenware and cookers were used, of which porcelains wee most used and pans and sieves followed. The scientific eight cooking methods were as follows. First, salt was refined through saturated solution. Next, it was recommended Hong-sa Myun containing shrimps should not be taken along with pork, which is thought to be a proper diet in terms of cholesterol contained by shrimps and pork. Third, meat was coated with thin gruel and quickly roasted and cleared of the dried gruel membrane, which prevented nutrients from exuding and helped to make the meat well-done. Fourth, The fruit of paper mulberry trees has the protease which can soften meat. Therefore when meat was boiled with th fruit of paper mulberry trees, it can be softened easily. Fifth, pork was smoked over the weak fire of thatch. Sixth, in cooking dog meat, distilled dry steaming raised the boiling point and made it possible to preserve meat longer. Seventh, in boiling the sole of a bear, lime was added, which made meat tender by making the pH lower or higher than that of raw meat. Finally, in boiling down rice gluten, a porcelain in the pot prevented boiling over the brim, which is applied to pots in which to boil medical herbs.

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An Ultrastructural Study on the Development of the Knee Joint in the Human Fetus (인태아 슬관절 발육에 관한 전자현미경적 연구)

  • Kim, Baik-Yoon;Joo, Ki-Jung;Nam, Kwang-Il;Yoon, Jae-Rhyong
    • Applied Microscopy
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    • v.30 no.2
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    • pp.213-232
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    • 2000
  • The development of the knee joint was studied by electron microscopy in human fetuses ranging from 20 mm to 260 mm crown-rump length ($7\sim30$ weeks of gestational age). The appearance of the primordium of the meniscus and cruciate ligament was conspicuous as the mesenchymal cells , preceeding that of joint space at 30 mm fetus. The primitive joint cavity was first seen in the interzone from the 40 mm fetus and its intermediate layer proceeded developing as a narrow cleft which was closely incorporated with two chondrogenic layers. Poorly differentiated mesenchymal cells of the meniscus at 40 mm fetus containing predominantly free ribosomes differentiated into fibroblasts at 60 mm fetus. By 100 mm fetus, the fibroblast in inner zone of the meniscus presented as oval profiles with a short cell processes, whereas middle and peripheral zones presented as elongated cells. Differentiation of the synovial membrane coincided with clarification of the joint cavity When dilatation of the synovial cavity occurred, the two types of synovial cells were identified at 60 mm fetus. By 100 mm fetus a majority of the intimal cells were B-type. B-type cells were clearly distinguishable from A-type cells by their content of extensive rough endoplasmic reticula and well developed Golgi complexes. In contrast, A-type cells had numerous filopodia, pinocytotic vesicles, lysosomes and large vacuoles. At 260 mm fetus the B-type cells were also a majority of intimal cells. At 260 mm fetus the inner zone of the meniscus was filled with parallel oriented fascicles of collagenous fibers and oval fibroblasts. The middle zone was constituted of parallel and radially arranged fibers and fibroblasts. The outer zone was populated by elongated fibroblasts encircled by crossed collagenous fibers with the blood vessels. At 30 mm fetus the fibroblasts of the cruciate ligament contained rough endoplasmic reticula and mitochondria. Collagen fibrils were noted within narrow cytoplasmic processes which were continued with the extracellular space. Collagen fibrils of ligament were filled in the bulk of extracellular space at 100 mm fetus. By $150\sim260mm$ fetus, the cruciate ligaments were constituted of longitudinally oriented bundle of collagen fibrils with irregular rows of round cells between.

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Sexual Reproduction in Unicellular Green Alga Chlamydomonas (수염녹두말속(Chlamydomonas) 단세포 녹조의 유성생식)

  • Lee, Kyu Bae
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.27 no.1
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    • pp.100-121
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    • 2017
  • The sexual reproduction of the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas is reviewed for a comprehensive understanding of the complex processes. The sexual life cycle of C. reinhardtii is distinguished into five main stages: gametogenesis, gamete activation, cell fusion, zygote maturation, and meiosis and germination. Gametogenesis is induced by nitrogen starvation in the environment. C. reinhardtii has two mating types: mating type plus ($mt^+$) and mating type minus ($mt^-$), controlled by a single complex mating type locus ($MT^+$ or $MT^-$) on linkage group VI. In the early gametogenesis agglutinins are synthesized. The $mt^+$ and $mt^-$ agglutinins are encoded by the autosomal genes SAG1 (Sexual AGglutination1) and SAD1 (Sexual ADhesion1), respectively. The agglutinins are responsible for the flagellar adhesion of the two mating type of gametes. The flagellar adhesion initiates a cAMP mediated signal transduction pathways and activates the flagellar tips. In response to the cAMP signal, mating structures between two flagella are activated. The $mt^+$ and $mt^-$ gamete-specific fusion proteins, Fus1 and Hap2/Gcs1, are present on the plasma membrane of the two mating structures. Contact of the two mating structures leads to develop a fertilization tubule forming a cytoplasmic bridge between the two gametes. Upon fusion of nuclei and chloroplasts of $mt^+$ and $mt^-$ cells, the zygotes become zygospores. It is notable that the young zygote shows uniparental inheritance of chloroplast DNA from the $mt^+$ parent and mitochondrial DNA from the $mt^-$ parent. Under the favorable conditions, the zygospores divide meiotically and germinate and then new haploid progenies, vegetative cells, are released.

The Differentiation of the Cholinergic Nerve Cells at the Meynert Basal Nucleus of the Basal Forebrains in the Growth Period of Rat (흰쥐 전뇌 기저부 Meynert기저핵에서 출생 후 발육기간에 따른 콜린성 신경세포의 분화)

  • Hahm, Young-Ok;Kim, Soo-Jin
    • Applied Microscopy
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    • v.31 no.4
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    • pp.355-365
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    • 2001
  • This study was performed to investigate the distribution and differentiation on the immunoreacted cells of the ChAT (choline acetyltransferase) at the Meynert basal nucleus of the forebrains in the growth periods of rat, using the immunohistochemistric method. According to the cell shape and the ratio of long axis vs short axis of cell soma, the ChAT antibody reacted nerve cells in the Meynert basal nucleus of the rats were classified into six types. In the adult rats, the FD (frequency distributions) of round, oval and elongated cells were maximum. The FD of these types were shown to be progressively decreased during the postnatal development. In addition, the FD of elongated nerve cells in were observed in the adult rats respectively. This was thought to be the same phenomenon as those in the round and oval cells . The total mean volume of ChAT antibody reacted cell somata was lowest in the PND (postnatal days) 7 rats and was highest in the PND 21 rats. But, those were decreased to the adult. These results suggest that ChAT antibody reacted nerve cells grow up to PND 21 and then, differentiate into the various types by neurites outgrowing. On the electron micrography, the adult rat forebrain cells were obtained to be well developed ribosomes, polysomes , rough endoplasmic reticula and mitochondria. The immunreactivities were observed in ribosomes, polysomes, rough endoplasmic reticula and outer membrane of mitochondria. Golgi complexes were poorly developed and not showed jmmunreactivity. The ribosomes , polysomes and endoplasmic reticula are considered to be closely related to the inter cellular localization and biosynthesis of the ChAT but not Golgi complex. According to the results in the present study, it is considered that the ChAT-immunoreacted nerve cells in the Meynert basal nucleus of the rat forebrains are differentiated throughout the postnatal development with following processes of changes; 1) the cholinergic nerve cells develop postnatally 2) cell soma volumes gradually increase during the early postnatal days 3) and then, cells differentiate into the various types by projecting the neurites to the appropriate area after PND 21.

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THE CURRENT STATUS OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING IN THE USA

  • Webster, John G.
    • Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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    • v.1992 no.05
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    • pp.27-47
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    • 1992
  • Engineers have developed new instruments that aid in diagnosis and therapy Ultrasonic imaging has provided a nondamaging method of imaging internal organs. A complex transducer emits ultrasonic waves at many angles and reconstructs a map of internal anatomy and also velocities of blood in vessels. Fast computed tomography permits reconstruction of the 3-dimensional anatomy and perfusion of the heart at 20-Hz rates. Positron emission tomography uses certain isotopes that produce positrons that react with electrons to simultaneously emit two gamma rays in opposite directions. It locates the region of origin by using a ring of discrete scintillation detectors, each in electronic coincidence with an opposing detector. In magnetic resonance imaging, the patient is placed in a very strong magnetic field. The precessing of the hydrogen atoms is perturbed by an interrogating field to yield two-dimensional images of soft tissue having exceptional clarity. As an alternative to radiology image processing, film archiving, and retrieval, picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) are being implemented. Images from computed radiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, and ultrasound are digitized, transmitted, and stored in computers for retrieval at distributed work stations. In electrical impedance tomography, electrodes are placed around the thorax. 50-kHz current is injected between two electrodes and voltages are measured on all other electrodes. A computer processes the data to yield an image of the resistivity of a 2-dimensional slice of the thorax. During fetal monitoring, a corkscrew electrode is screwed into the fetal scalp to measure the fetal electrocardiogram. Correlations with uterine contractions yield information on the status of the fetus during delivery To measure cardiac output by thermodilution, cold saline is injected into the right atrium. A thermistor in the right pulmonary artery yields temperature measurements, from which we can calculate cardiac output. In impedance cardiography, we measure the changes in electrical impedance as the heart ejects blood into the arteries. Motion artifacts are large, so signal averaging is useful during monitoring. An intraarterial blood gas monitoring system permits monitoring in real time. Light is sent down optical fibers inserted into the radial artery, where it is absorbed by dyes, which reemit the light at a different wavelength. The emitted light travels up optical fibers where an external instrument determines O2, CO2, and pH. Therapeutic devices include the electrosurgical unit. A high-frequency electric arc is drawn between the knife and the tissue. The arc cuts and the heat coagulates, thus preventing blood loss. Hyperthermia has demonstrated antitumor effects in patients in whom all conventional modes of therapy have failed. Methods of raising tumor temperature include focused ultrasound, radio-frequency power through needles, or microwaves. When the heart stops pumping, we use the defibrillator to restore normal pumping. A brief, high-current pulse through the heart synchronizes all cardiac fibers to restore normal rhythm. When the cardiac rhythm is too slow, we implant the cardiac pacemaker. An electrode within the heart stimulates the cardiac muscle to contract at the normal rate. When the cardiac valves are narrowed or leak, we implant an artificial valve. Silicone rubber and Teflon are used for biocompatibility. Artificial hearts powered by pneumatic hoses have been implanted in humans. However, the quality of life gradually degrades, and death ensues. When kidney stones develop, lithotripsy is used. A spark creates a pressure wave, which is focused on the stone and fragments it. The pieces pass out normally. When kidneys fail, the blood is cleansed during hemodialysis. Urea passes through a porous membrane to a dialysate bath to lower its concentration in the blood. The blind are able to read by scanning the Optacon with their fingertips. A camera scans letters and converts them to an array of vibrating pins. The deaf are able to hear using a cochlear implant. A microphone detects sound and divides it into frequency bands. 22 electrodes within the cochlea stimulate the acoustic the acoustic nerve to provide sound patterns. For those who have lost muscle function in the limbs, researchers are implanting electrodes to stimulate the muscle. Sensors in the legs and arms feed back signals to a computer that coordinates the stimulators to provide limb motion. For those with high spinal cord injury, a puff and sip switch can control a computer and permit the disabled person operate the computer and communicate with the outside world.

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EXPRESSION OF PROTEIN KINASE C ISOFORMS IN CHEMICAL CARCINOGEN-INDUCED NEOPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION OF HUMAN EPITHELIAL CELLS (화학적 발암화에 따른 Protein Kinase C의 발현 변화)

  • Byeon, Ki-Jeong;Hong, Lak-Won;Kim, Chin-Soo
    • Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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    • v.23 no.4
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    • pp.295-305
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    • 2001
  • Protein kinase C (PKC) is known to play a pivotal role in neoplastic transformation cells and its high expression is often found in a variety of types of tumors including oral cancer. While PKC is associated with the altered signal transduction pathway of the tumor cells, it is still unclear which isoform is involved in the carcinogenesis process. Since the cellular distributions and the roles of PKC are isoform-specific, it is very important to identify the specific target molecules to improve our understanding of the carcinogenesis processes. Thus, the present study attempted to perform chemical carcinogen-induced neoplastic transformation of human epithelial cells and analyze the specific isoform of PKCs involved in the cellular transformation. The study analyzed overall PKC responses upon MNNG(N-Methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitroso guanidine) exposure with [$^3H$] PDBu binding assay. PKC translocation was observed at high doses of MNNG treatment in the presence of extracellular calcium. Such effects were not observed in the absence of extracellular calcium. Translocational effects with exposure of MNNG was further enhanced in the presence of hydrocortisone. The result suggests that the type of PKC involved may be $Ca^{2+}$-dependent classical isoform and steroid hormone enhances PKC activation. Among cPKC isoforms examined, only $PKC-{\alpha}$ and r showed significant translocation of protein levels from cytosolic fraction to membrane fraction, as analyzed by immunoblot. $PKC-{\varepsilon}$ in nPKC class showed an inch·eased translocation, but other forms in this class did not show the effect. None of isoforms in aPKC class was affected by MNNG treatment. The study demonstrated that there was a certain specificity in the patterns of isoform induction follwong chemical carcinogen exposure and helped identify all the types of PKC isoforms expressed in human epithelial cells. It was revealed that PKC isoforms were activated in an early resonse to chemical carcinogen, suggesting that PKC be associated with carcinogenesis process from an early stage in this particular cell system. The study will contribute to improving our understanding of chemical-induced carcinogenesis in human cells and may provide a scientific basis to introduce the specific PKC inhibitors as an anticancer drug of epithelial cell-origin cancers including oral cancer.

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AN IMMUNOHISTOLOGIC STUDY ON THE ACTIVITY OF MACROPHAGE AND T-CELL IN THE PERIODONTIUM DURING TOOTH MOVEMENT OF DOG (성견의 실험적 치아이동시 치주조직내 대식세포와 T-림파구의 활성에 관한 면역조직화학적 연구)

  • Park, Eui-Woong;Kim, Sang-Cheol;Kook, Yoon-A
    • The korean journal of orthodontics
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    • v.25 no.4
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    • pp.433-445
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    • 1995
  • Tooth movement, the phenomena and mechanisms of which are still controversial, can be considered as part of the result of the inflammatory processes. The purpose of this study was to examine the activity of macrophage and T-cell, playing important roles in the immune reaction, in the periodontal ligament of dog, in which experimental tooth movement was performed. Six one and half year-old dogs, a control and 5 experimentals, were studied. Light force (50-75g) was applied by placing open-coil spring between left mandibular premolars ; heavy force (250-300g), between right mandibular premolars. Experimental dogs were sacrificed at 12 hours, 1, 3, 7 and 14 days since force application, respectively. And the histologic and the immunohistochemical evaluation on the obtained tissue were performed, using $\alpha$-1-antichymotrypsin and CD3 antibodies. The results were as follows : 1. There were more inflammatory cell infiltrations in heavy force group than in light force group until 3 days. But from 7 dsays on, no difference was not observed between groups ; Such an infiltration was more evident at pressure side than at tension side. 2. Osteoclastic activity at pressure side began to be seen in 12 hours, increasing until 7 days. After then it decreased ; Such an activity was more evident in heavy force group than in light force group. 3. Tearing of periodontal ligament and vascular dilatation at tension side began to be seen in 12 hours, increasing until 3 days. After then it decreased ; Such an observation was more evident in heavy force group than in light force group, but there was no difference between groups in 14 days. 4. $\alpha$-1-antichymotrypsin expression in control group was positive, mainly in sulcular epithelium, but negative in periodontal membrane, pulp, bone cells. 5. $\alpha$-1-antichymotrypsin expression in experimental group was more positive in pressure side than in tension side ; The expression was a little more positive in cervical area of tooth until 3 days, but after 7days, it was more positive in apical area. 6. $\alpha$-1-antichymotrypsin expression in light force group began to be observed in 12 hours and reached to the greatest level in 7 days, after which it decreased ; In heavy force group, it was the greatest in 3 days, after which it decreased. 3 Expression in the periodontium was almost negative.

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Lymphotoxin β Receptor Stimulation Is Linked to MLCK Activity and Suppresses Stress Fiber Formation in Agonistic Anti-LTβR Antibody-stimulated Fibroblastic Reticular Cells (FRC에서 agonistic anti-LTβR antibody의 LTβR 자극은 MLCK 연관성 및 stress fiber 형성에 대한 강력한 억제 작용)

  • Kim, Min Hwan;Lee, Jong-Hwan
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.27 no.10
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    • pp.1199-1206
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    • 2017
  • The lymphotoxin ${\beta}$ receptor ($LT{\beta}R$), a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family, plays an important role in lymphoid tissue's architecture and organogenesis. We found that $LT{\beta}R$ stimulation induced changes in stress fibers (SFs) in fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs). MLCK and ROCK play critical roles in the regulation of SF formation in cells. The present study was performed to investigate the antifibrotic effects on SF regulation of $LT{\beta}R$ signaling, with a focus on MLCK inhibition. The effect of $LT{\beta}R$ on the SF change was analyzed using immunoblot and fluorescence assays and agonistic $anti-LT{\beta}R$ antibody-treated FRCs. In addition, we checked the level of Rho-guanosine diphosphate (GDP)/guanosine triphosphate (GTP) exchange activity with FRC lysate. Phospho-ezrin proteins acting as membrane-cytoskeleton linkers completely de-phosphorylated in agonistic $anti-LT{\beta}R$ antibody-treated FRCs. The actin bundles rearranged into SFs, where phospho-myosin light chain (p-MLC) co-localized in FRCs. ML7-treated FRCs completely blocked SFs and showed retraction and shrinkage processes comparable to those observed in agonistic $anti-LT{\beta}R$ antibody-treated cells. Inhibition of ROCK activity induced changes in the actin cytoskeleton organization; however, some SFs remained in the cells, while they were completely disrupted by MLCK inhibition with ML7. We showed that the phosphorylation of MLC was completely abolished with $LT{\beta}R$ stimulation in FRCs. When $LT{\beta}R$ was stimulated with the agonistic $anti-LT{\beta}R$ antibody, the Rho-GDP/GTP exchange activity was reduced, however, the activity was not completely abolished. Collectively, the results illustrated that MLCK was potently responsible for the SF regulation triggered via $LT{\beta}R$ signaling in FRCs.

Isolation and Identification of Agarose-degrading Bacterium, Pseudoalteromonas sp. GNUM08122 (아가로오스 분해세균인 Pseudoalteromonas sp. GNUM08122 분리 및 동정)

  • Kim, Yu-Na;Jeong, Yeon-Kyu;Kim, Mu-Chan;Kim, Sung-Bae;Chang, Yong-Keun;Chi, Won-Jae;Hong, Soon-Kwang;Kim, Chang-Joon
    • Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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    • v.40 no.1
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    • pp.1-9
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    • 2012
  • This study's aim was to isolate microorganisms producing agarase with a high activity, with possible applications in improving the performance of the pretreatment processes for bioethanol production. Marine algaes were collected from the south coast of Korea, from which three kinds of microorganisms were isolated. After a 4-day culture of these strains at $25^{\circ}C$, crude enzymes were obtained from culture supernatant or cell-free extract by ammonium sulfate precipitation and membrane dialysis. Agarase activity was observed in these crude enzymes. Notably higher specific activity was observed in the crude enzyme obtained from the culture supernatant rather than that from the cell-free extract. This indicates that a secreted enzyme has a much greater activity than a cellular enzyme. Crude enzymes from the GNUM08122 strain were inferred to have ${\alpha}$-agarase activity because release of p-nitrophenol was observed, possibly due to the cleavage of p-nitrophenyl-${\alpha}$-D-galactopyranoside. The 16S rRNA sequence of GNUM08122 showed a close relationship to Pseudoalteromonas issachenkonii KMM 3549 (99.8%) and Pseudoalteromonas tetraodonis IMA 14160 (99.7%), which led us to assign it to the genus Pseudoalteromonas. Biochemical and physiological study revealed that this strain can grow well at $40^{\circ}C$ under a wide range of pH (pH 4~8) in high-salt conditions (10% NaCl).

Effect of Magnesium on the Contractility of the Isolated Guinea-Pig Aortic and Rat Smooth Muscles (마그네슘이온이 적출한 기니피그 대동맥평활근과 흰쥐 자궁평활근의 수축성에 미치는 효과에 관한 연구)

  • Ahn, Hyuk;Hwang, Sang-Ik
    • Journal of Chest Surgery
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    • v.23 no.3
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    • pp.452-464
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    • 1990
  • It is well known that extracellular Calcium plays a very important role in several steps of smooth muscle excitability and contractility, and there have been many concerns about factors influencing the distribution of extracellular Ca++ and the Ca++ flux through the cell membrane of the smooth muscle. Based on the assumption that Mg++ may also play an important role in the excitation and contraction processes of the smooth muscle by taking part in affecting Ca++ distribution and flux, many researches are being performed about the exact role of Mg++, especially in the vascular smooth muscle. But yet the effect of Mg++ in the smooth muscle activity is not clarified, and moreover the mechanism of Mg++ action is almost completely unknown. Present study attempted to clarify the effect of Mg++ on the excitability and contractility in the multiunit and unitary smooth muscle, and the mechanism concerned in it. The preparations used were the guinea-pig aortic strip as the experimental material of the multiunit smooth muscle and the rat uterine strip as the one of the unitary smooth muscle. The tissues were isolated from the sacrificed animal and were prepared for recording the isometric contraction. The effects of Mg++ and Ca++ were examined on the electrically driven or spontaneous contraction of the preparations. And the effects of these ions were also studied on the K+ or norepinephrine contracture. All experiments were performed in tris-buffered Tyrode solution which was aerated with 100% 02 and kept at 35oC. The results obtained were as follows: 1] Mg++ suppressed the phasic contraction induced by electrical field stimulation dose-dependently in the guinea-pig aortic strip, while the high concentration of Ca++ never recovered the decreased tension. These phenomena were not changed by the a - or b - adrenergic blocker. 2]Mg++ played the suppressing effect on the low concentration [20 and 40 mM] of K+-contracture in the aortic muscle, but the effect was not shown in the case of 100mM K+-contracture. 3] Mg++ also suppressed the contracture induced by norepinephrine in the aortic preparation. And the effect of Mg++ was most prominent in the contracture by the lowest [10 mM] concentration of norepinephrine. 4] In both the spontaneous and electrically driven contractions of the uterine strip, Mg++ decreased the amplitude of peak tension, and by the high concentration of Ca++ the amplitude of tension was recovered unlike the aortic muscle. 5] The frequency of the uterine spontaneous contraction increased as the [Ca++] / [Mg++] ratio increased up to 2, but the frequency decreased above this level. 6] Mg++ decreased the tension of the low[20 and 40mM] K+-contracture in the uterine smooth muscle, but the effect did not appear in the 100mM K+-contracture. From the above results, the following conclusion could be made. 1] Mg++ seems to suppress the contractility directly by acting on the smooth muscle itself, besides through the indirect action on the nerve terminal, in both the aortic and uterine smooth muscles. 2] The fact that the depressant effect of Mg++ on the K+-contracture is in inverse proportion to an increase of K+ concentration appears resulted from the extent of the opening state of the Ca++ channel. 3] Mg++ may play a depressant role on both the potential dependent and the receptor-operated Ca++ channels. 4] The relationship between the actions of Mg++ and Ca++ seems to be competitive in uterine muscle and non-competitive in aortic strip.

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