• Elastomers and Composites
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.238-248
• /
• 2007

A series of polyhydroxyamides(PHAs) having ether linkages in the polymer backbone were prepared via solution polycondensation at low temperature. These polymers were studied by FT-IR, $^1H-NMR$, DSC, TGA and PCFC. The PHAs exhibited inherent viscosities in the range of $0.5{\sim}1.1dL/g\;at\;35^{\circ}C$ in DMAc solution. Most of PHAs except PHA 3 were soluble in polar organic solvents such as N,N-dimethylacetamide(DMAc), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone(NMP), and N,N-dimethylform-amide(DMF). Subsequent thermal treatment of PHAs afforded polybenzoxazols(PBOs). However, the PBOs were insoluble in a variety of solvents. Most of the PBOs except PBO 3 showed glass-transition temperature($T_g$) in the range of $200{\sim}246^{\circ}C$ by DSC and maximum weight loss temperature in the range of $597{\sim}697^{\circ}C$ in nitrogen by TGA. PBOs showed high char yields in the range of $51{\sim}64%$. PCFC results of the PBOs showed the heat release(HR) capacity, $8{\sim}65J/gK$ and total heat release(total HR), $2.4{\sim}4.7kJ/g$.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.41-45
• /
• 1974

On day 2 after treatment of Lewis rat with 25mg of hydrocortisone, the cell number in the thymus was reduced to less than 10% of the matched control. By day 12 after hydrocortisone treatment the thymic cell population was recovered almost its original value and on day 24 after treatment the number of thymocytes was equivalent to that of normal thymocytes. The density distribution profile of hydrocortisone treated rats as compared with normal rats showed a marked decrease in the denser fraction D while the lighter fractions. (A plus B, and C) showed a considerable proportional increase. The proportion of dead cells in thymus suspension from hydrocortisone treated rats was higher than that from their normal counterparts. On separation, the dead cells accumulated selectively in the pellet and A fraction. The response of the thymocytes from hydrocortisone treated rats to PHA was increased compared to that from normal rats. Among the subpopulations, D fraction, which was relatively unresponsive in normal rats, showed a marked increase in PHA response and C fraction showed some increase in the response.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.110-116
• /
• 2022

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are emerging as alternatives to plastics by replacing fossil fuels with renewable raw substrates. Herein, we present the construction of engineered Escherichia coli strains to produce short-chain-length PHAs (scl-PHAs), including the monomers 4-hydroxyvalerate (4HV) and 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) produced from levulinic acid (LA). First, an E. coli strain expressing genes (lvaEDABC) from the LA metabolic pathway of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 was constructed to generate 4HV-CoA and 3HV-CoA. Second, both PhaAB enzymes from Cupriavidus necator H16 were expressed to supply 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB)-CoA from acetyl-CoA. Finally, PHA synthase (PhaC_Cv) from Chromobacterium violaceum was introduced for the subsequent polymerization of these three monomers. The resulting E. coli strains produced four PHAs (w/w% of dry cell weight): 9.1 wt% P(4HV), 1.7 wt% P(3HV-co-4HV), 24.2 wt% P(3HB-co-4HV), and 35.6 wt% P(3HB-co-3HV-co-4HV).

• Elastomers and Composites
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.355-363
• /
• 2012

A series of poly(hydroxyamide)s (PHAs) having trifluoromethyl group were prepared by direct polycondensation of aromatic diimide-dicarboxylic acids with 2,2-bis(3-amino-4-hydroxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane by thionyl chloride and triethyl amine in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP). The PHAs exhibited inherent viscosity in the range of 0.54-0.96 dL/g at $35^{\circ}C$ in DMAc solution. All PHAs were readily soluble in a variety of organic solvents, whereas the polybenzoxazoles (PBOs) were quite insoluble except partially soluble in sulfuric acid. PHAs were converted to PBOs by thermal cycling reaction with heat of endotherm. The maximum weight loss temperature of the PHAs occurred in the range of $559-567^{\circ}C$. The PBOs showed relatively high char yields in the range of 47-59%. Pyrolysis Combustion Flow Calorimeter (PCFC) results of the PBOs showed 12-19 W/g heat release rate (HRR), and 2.7-3.6 kJ/g total heat release (total HR). The HRR of PBO 1 showed the lowest value of 12 W/g, which was 37% lower than that of PBO 3 (19 W/g).

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.226-230
• /
• 2000

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to suggest a proper method for the detection of heaptitis B surface antibody(anti-HBs) in a screening program for hepatitis B vaccination. Methods : Sensivitity, specificity and predictive values were compared between Immunochromatographic assay (ICA) and passive hemagglutination(PHA) in 978 subjects(565 males, 413 females, 19-78 years ranging in age, mean 46.5 years old). EIA was used as a standard method for the detection of HBsAb. Results : Sensitivity in the detection of anti-HBs of PHA and ICA was 88.7%, and 94.9%, specificity was 94.3% and 96.6%, negative predictive value was 96.5%, and 98.0%, and positive predictive value was 82.3%, and 91.3%,, respectively. False negative rate(11.3%) of PHA was higher than that(5.1%) of ICA. The higher the titer of anti-HBs in EIA was, the lower the false negative rate was. There was no false negative result in the cases with $101mIU/{\beta}c$ or more in EIA Conclusion : We suggest that ICA should be the choice of screening method in the detection of anti-HBs in Hepatitis B vaccination program.

• Elastomers and Composites
• /
• v.43 no.4
• /
• pp.271-280
• /
• 2008

Aromatic polyhydroxyamides (PHAs) having bulky groups and ether linkages in the polymer main chain were synthesized by the low temperature solution polycondensation reaction. FT-IR, $^{1}H-NMR$, DSC, and TGA were used to study the properties of these polymers. The PHAs were converted into polybenzoxazoles (PBOs) by a thermal cyclization reaction, and endothermic peaks were observed in the range of $220{\sim}400^{\circ}C$. The introduction of the ether and bulky groups in the main chain improved the solubility of the PHAs in aprotic solvents such as DMSO and DMF, but the PBOs were nearly insoluble in common solvents. All the PBOs, except for PBO 5 with 2,6-dimethylphenoxy pendant and 2,3-dihydroxyquinoxaline ring, and PBO 6 with 2,6-dimethylphenoxy pendant and 2,3-dihydroxyquinoxaline ring, exhibited $T_g's$ in the range from 149 to $217^{\circ}C$ by DSC. The thermogravimetric analyses indicated that most of the PBOs were thermally stable up to $400^{\circ}C$ in nitrogen. Maximum weight loss temperatures of PHA 5 and PBO 5 with 2,6-dimethylphenoxy pendant and 2,3-dihydroxyquinoxaline ring were $707^{\circ}C$ and $683^{\circ}C$, respectively, which were the hightest temperatures among the corresponding copolymers. The PBOs in nitrogen exhibited relatively high char yields in the range of $63{\sim}70%$ at $900^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.9 no.6
• /
• pp.847-853
• /
• 1999

A Pseudomonas sp. strain that is capable of utilizing dicarboxylic acids as a sole carbon source was isolated from activated sludge by using the enrichment culture technique. This organism accumulated polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) with an unusual pattern of monomer units that depends on the carbon sources used. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) homopolyester was synthesized from glucose or small $C_{-even}$ alkanoic acids, such as butyric acid and hexanoic acid. Accumulation of PHB homopolyester was also observed in the cells grown on $C_{-odd}$ dicarboxylic acids, such as heptanedioic acid and nonanedioic acid as the sole carbon sources. In contrast, a copolyester consisting of 6 mol% 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) and 94 mol% 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) was produced with a PHA content of as much as 36% of the cellular dry matter. This strain produced PHAs consisting both of the short-chain-length (SCL) and the medium-chain-length (MCL) 3-hydroxyacid units when heptanoic acid to undecanoic acid were fed as the sole carbon sources. Most interestingly, polyester consisting of significant amount of relevant fractions, 3HB, 3HV, and 3-hydroxyheptanoate (3HHp), was accumulated from heptanoic acid. According to solvent fractionation experiments, the polymer produced from heptanoic acid was a blend of poly(3HHp) and of a copolyester of 3HB, 3HV, and 3HHp units. The hexane soluble fractions contained only 3HHp units while the hexane-insoluble fractions contained 3HB and 3HV units with a small amount of 3HHp unit. The copolyester was an elastomer with unusual mechanical properties. The maximum elongation ratio of the copolyester was 460% with an ultimate strength of 10 MPa, which was very different from those of poly(3HB-co-3HV) copolyesters having similar compositions produced from other microorganisms.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.435-442
• /
• 2001

Poly(3-hydroxy-5-phenylvalerate) [P(3HPV)] was efficiently accumulated from 5-phenylvalerate (5PV) in Pseudomonas putida BM01 in a mineral salts medium containing butyric acid (BA) as the cosubstrate. A nove aromatic copolyester, poly(5 mol% 3-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyrate-co- 95 mol% 3-hydroxy-6-phenylhexanoate) [P(3HPB-co-3HPC)] was also synthesized from 6-phenylhexanoate (6PC) plus Ba. The two aromatic polymers, P(3HPV) and P(3HPB-co-3HPC), were found to be amorphous and showed different glass-transition temperatures at $15^{\circ}C$ and $10^{\circ}C$, respectively. When the bacterium was grown ina medium containing 20 mM 5PV as the sole carbon source for 140 h, 0.4 g/l of dry cells was obtained in a flask cultivation and 20 wt% of P(3HPV) homopolymer was accumulated in the cells. However, when it was grown with a mixture of 2 mM 5PV and 50 mM BA for 40 h, the yield of dry biomass was increased up to 2.5 g/l and the content of P(3HPV) in the dry cells was optimally 56 wt%. This efficient production of P(3HPV) homopolymer from the mixed substrate was feasible because BA only supported cell growth and did not induce any aliphatic PHA accumulation. The metabolites released into the PHA synthesis medium were analyzed using GC or GC/MS. Two $\beta$-oxidation derivatives, 3-phenylpropionic acid and trans-cinnamic acid, were found in the 5V-grown cell medium and these comprised 55-88 mol% of the 5PV consumed. In the 6PC-grown medium containing Ba, seven ${\beta}$-oxidation and related intermediates were found, which included phenylacetic acid, 4-phenylbutyric acid, cis-4-phenyl-2-butenoic acid, trans-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid, trans-4-phenyl-2-butenoic acid, 3-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyric acid, and 3-hydroxy-6-phenylhexanoic acid. Accordingly, based on the metabolite analysis, PHA synthesis pathways from the two aromatic carbon sources are suggested.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.976-982
• /
• 1998

The effects of the glycoprotein (PAG) isolated from Pteridium aquilinum on the immune function was examined in mice. PAG was intraperitoneally administered into BALB/C mice for 14 days and the antibody forming ability to hen egg lysozyme (HEL) and the blastogenic responses of splenocytes were measured. PAG treatment significantly increased antibody formation to HEL in a dose-dependent manner. Blatogenesis of splenocytes in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS, B-cell specific mitogen) or phytohemagglutinin (PHA, T-cell specific mitogen) was also increased after treatment with PAG, indicating that the PAG increases both humoral and cellular immunities. To examine whether the immune function of PAG was via a direct effect on the lymphocytes, splenocytes were isolated from BALB/C mice, exposed to various concentrations of PAG in vitro and the blastogenic responses were measured. In vitro exposure to PAG significantly increased blastogenesis of splenocytes to LPS up to $500{\;}{\mu}g/kg$, whereas the blastogenic response to PHA was not altered by PAG treatment. To identify the fraction responsible for the increase in the immune function, the effect of periodate digest, pronase digest or purified polysaccharide on the antibody production to HEL was examined. Crude protein fraction of PAG significantly increased the antibody formation to HEL. On the other hand, both crude and purified polysaccharide fractions did not have any effects on the antibody production ability. These data indicated that 1) PAG increased both humoral and cellular immune functions, 2) the increase in humoral immunity was probably via a direct action of PAG on lymphocytes and 3) the protein portion of PAG was responsible for the increase in humoral immunity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.371-377
• /
• 2012

The present study describes medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHAs) production by the Pseudomonas Gl01 strain isolated from mixed microbial communities utilized for PHAs synthesis. A two-step fed-batch fermentation was conducted with glucose and waste rapeseed oil as the main carbon source for obtaining cell growth and mcl-PHAs accumulation, respectively. The results show that the Pseudomonas Gl01 strain is capable of growing and accumulating mcl-PHAs using a waste oily carbon source. The biomass value reached 3.0 g/l of CDW with 20% of PHAs content within 48 h of cultivation. The polymer was purified from lyophilized cells and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC). The results revealed that the monomeric composition of the obtained polyesters depended on the available substrate. When glucose was used in the growth phase, 3-hydroxyundecanoate and 3-hydroxydodecanoate were found in the polymer composition, whereas in the PHAs-accumulating stage, the Pseudomonas Gl01 strain synthesized mcl-PHAs consisting mainly of 3-hydroxyoctanoate and 3-hydroxydecanoate. The transcriptional analysis using reverse-transcription real-time PCR reaction revealed that the phaC1 gene could be transcribed simultaneously to the phaZ gene.