• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.277-285
• /
• 2009

The nucleotide sequence of the Paenibacillus curdlanolyticus B-6 xyn10A gene, encoding a xylanase Xyn10A, consists of 3,828 nucleotides encoding a protein of 1,276 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 142,726 Da. Sequence analysis indicated that Xyn10A is a multidomain enzyme comprising nine domains in the following order: three family 22 carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs), a family 10 catalytic domain of glycosyl hydrolases (xylanase), a family 9 CBM, a glycine-rich region, and three surface layer homology (SLH) domains. Xyn10A was purified from a recombinant Escherichia coli by a single step of affinity purification on cellulose. It could effectively hydrolyze agricultural wastes and pure insoluble xylans, especially low substituted insoluble xylan. The hydrolysis products were a series of short-chain xylooligosaccharides, indicating that the purified enzyme was an endo-$\beta$-1,4-xylanase. Xyn10A bound to various insoluble polysaccharides including Avicel, $\alpha$-cellulose, insoluble birchwood and oat spelt xylans, chitin, and starches, and the cell wall fragments of P. curdlanolyticus B-6, indicating that both the CBM and the SLH domains are fully functioning in the Xyn10A. Removal of the CBMs from Xyn10A strongly reduced the ability of plant cell wall hydrolysis. These results suggested that the CBMs of Xyn10A play an important role in the hydrolysis of plant cell walls.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
• /
• 1998.11a
• /
• pp.185-185
• /
• 1998

As part of our continuing attempts to evaluate biologically active compounds from fruiting bodies of cultivated fungus of Paecilomyces japonicus Yasuda, we conducted series of experiments on various fractions and compounds isolated by systematic fractionations. Our main efforts were concentrated on searching for compounds showing antitumor activities, which were tested on mice carrying Sarcoma-180 ascitic tumor. The antitumor activity was assessed by the life spans after these mice were administered Lp. with test compounds for consecutive 20 days. One of two pure compounds, which we have isolated to date, demonstrated significant prolongation of life span. ( Mean Survival Time: 30.3 days compared to that of control: 23.6 days). Structural analysis showed that this compound corresponds to D-mannitol. On the other hand, Ergosterol, another isolated pure compound didn't show efficient antitumor activity. We also obtained water-soluble fractions containing protein-bound polysaccharides and n-butantol fractions, which showed strong antitumor activities, 35.4(150%) and 32.1(136.0%) days of MST, respectively. In SRB assay, however, the test materials didn't show any toxic effects, but the level of acid phosphatase increased significantly when they were applied in cultured macrophage in vitro. Therefore, we concluded that antitumour activities might be attributed to immunostimulating rather than cytotoxic effects. Further experiments are underway to purify and structurally characterize new antitumour compounds from the active fractions.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.220-229
• /
• 2009

Strain improvement and morphology investigation in bioreactor cultures were undertaken in suspended cultures of Phellinus linteus mycelia for mass production of protein-bound polysaccharides(soluble ${\beta}$-D-glucan), a powerful immuno-stimulating agent. Phellineus sp. screened for this research was identified as Phellinus linteues through ITS rDNA sequencing method and blast search, demonstrating 99.7% similarity to other Phellinus linteus strains. Intensive strain improvement program was carried out by obtaining large amounts of protoplasts for the isolation of single cell colonies. Rapid and large screening of high-yielding producers was possible because large numbers of protoplasts ($1{\times}10^5{\sim}10^6\;protoplasts/ml$) formed using the banding filtration method with the cell wall-disrupting enzymes could be regenerated in relatively high regeneration frequency($10^{-2}{\sim}10^{-3}$) in the newly developed regeneration medium. It was demonstrated that the strains showing high performances in the protoplast regeneration and solid growth medium were able to produce 5.8~6.4%(w/w) of ${\beta}$-D-glucan and 13~15 g/L of biomass in stable manners in suspended shake-flask cultures of P. linteus mycelia. In addition, cell mass increase was observed to be the most important in order to enhance ${\beta}$-D-glucan productivity during the course of strain improvement program, since the amount of ${\beta}$-D-glucan extracted from the cell wall of P. linteus mycelia was almost constant on the unit biomass basis. Therefore we fully investigated the fungal cell morphology, generally known as one of the key factors affecting cell growth extent in the bioreactor cultures of mycelial fungal cells. It was found that, in order to obtain as high cell mass as possible in the final production bioreactor cultures, the producing cells should be proliferated in condensed filamentous forms in the growth cultures, and optimum amounts of these filamentous cells should be transferred as active inoculums to the production bioreactor. In this case, ideal morphologies consisting of compacted pellets less than 0.5mm in diameter were successfully induced in the production cultures, resulting in shorter period of lag phase, 1.5 fold higher specific cell growth rate and 3.3 fold increase in the final biomass production as compared to the parallel bioreactor cultures of different morphological forms. It was concluded that not only the high-yielding but also the good morphological characteristics led to the significantly higher biomass production and ${\beta}$-D-glucan productivity in the final production cultures.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.247-266
• /
• 2017

Cordyceps is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb well-known in China, Korea and Japan since B.C. 2,000. The original entomopathogenic fungus, Cordyceps sinensis belonging to the genus Cordyceps could not be found inside Korean peninsula due to the absence of the host insect for the corresponding entomogenous fungus. The development of artificial production methods of Korean type Cordyceps using the silkworm Bombyx mori as in vivo culture medium for the the entomopathogenic fungus Paecilomyces tenuipes is the first, and wonderful occasion in the research history of insect industry of this global world. The aim of this article is to review the historical research background, mass-production methods, and pharmacological effects of the silkworm-dongchunghacho (Paecilomyces tenuipes) which is a newly developed Korean medicinal insect-borne mushroom, and another non-insect-borne medicinal mushroom (Cordyceps militaris and Cordyceps pruinosa). Their biological actions include anti-tumor, immunostimulating, anti-fatigue, anti-stress, anti-oxidant, anti-aging, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombosis, hypolipidaemic and insecticidal effects. The bioactive principles are protein-bound polysaccharides (hexose, hexosamin), cordycepin, D-manitol, acidic polysaccharide etc. Protein-bound polysaccharides and n-butanol fractions were demonstrated to show a significant anti-tumor activities but did not show a cytotoxicities. D-mannitol exhibited a significant prolongation of the life span in tumor bearing mice. Ergosterol did not show an efficient anti-tumor activity, but showed a significant phagocytosis enhancing activity. Anti-tumor activity of silkworm-dongchunghacho might be attributed to immuno-stimulating activities rather than cytotoxic effects [164]. Also this review comprises the breeding of Dongchunghacho varieties, optimization of culture conditions, improvement of learning and memory by Dongchunghacho, application of them as foods and chemical constituents.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.58-69
• /
• 1990

ABSTRACT: In order to find physiologically active components from higher fungi, hot-water soluble components were extracted from the basidiocarps of Ganoderma lucidum. The extract was purified and separated by DEAE cellulose ion exchange chromatography and Sepharose CL-4B gel filtration method. The separated fractions were designated CR, IN, IA, GL and GH. Fraction GL showed the highest antitumor activity among the fractions and its molecular weight was found to be 47 KD. The tumor inhibition ratio of Fr. GL was 81 % at the dose of peritoneal administration of 20 mg/kg/day for 10 days in mice. Chemical analysis of this fraction showed 82% polysaccharide, 8% protein and 0.9% hexosamine. The polysaccharide moiety consisted of 63% glucose, 27% galactose, 7% mannose and 3% fucose. Fraction IN was found to increase the amount of superoxide anion in activated macrophages to 1.6-fold and the number of plaques in hemolytic plaque assay to 6-fold, respectively. These results indicate that the antitumor activity was exerted through immunopotentiation, but not through direct cytotoxicity against the tumor.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.402-409
• /
• 2002

The effects of protein-bound polysaccharides (A-PBP and L-PBP) that were extracted from the mycelia of two edible mushrooms, namely Agaricus blazai and Lentinus edodes, on serum cholesterol and body weight were investigated in mice and female volunteers. Six groups of Male Balb/c mice were fed six kinds of diet supplement- solutions composed of L-PBP, A-PBP, chitosan, and other fiber constituents, for 30 days under the normal diet. Ninety female volunteers were also supplemented for 8 weeks with six kinds of capsules including control and five test groups as the same manners (two times a day, 4 capsules). From 12 days after feeding of L-PBP (Group I) and A-PBP (Group II), the weight of mice began to reduce as compared with control, whereas that of Group III fed chitosan was decreased 15 days after feeding. Group W and Group V which were fed mixture of L-PBP, A-PBP, chitosan, and other dietary fiber, were more significant in lowering weight. After 4 weeks of the supplementation in women, their serum LDL-cholesterol level and body weights in Group I and II were reduced, but Croup 111 taken with chitosan capsule showed weaker effect than Group I and II. After 8 weeks, LDL-cholesterol content in the sera of Group I (132.5 mg/dL) and II(131.5 mg/dL) was decreased to ideal level (125.4 and 122.8 mg/dL) for healthy blood vessel. In the case of Group W supplemented with mixture of L-PBP, A-PBP, and chitosan, the weight-reduction effect (11.8%) and hypocholesterolemic effect (11.0%) was most significant, indicating their synergistic action. These data suggested that the weight-controlling and hypolipidemic effect of L-PBP and A-PBP was involved, at least in part, in absorption of cholesterol as their role of dietary fiber, as well as cholesterol metabolism.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.285-291
• /
• 2005

Effects of the aqueous or 50% ethanolic extracts prepared by various extraction procedures on macrophage activation were determined by using the mouse macrophage cell line RAW264.7 cells as a indicator cell. The results demonstrated that the fractions prepared by aqueous extraction for 2 h and by microwave extraction with 50% ethanol at 60 W for 3 min had the greatest inducing abilities for NO production, and that the greatest ROS scavenging abilities were found in the fractions prepared by hot water extraction for 2 h or 3 h, by microwave extraction with 50% ethanol at 60 W for 3 min and by 0.5% HCl extraction, respectively. Phagocytotic activities against Candida albicans were found to be highest for the 50% ethanolic extracts prepared by microwave extraction for 3 min at 60 W, 80 W and 12 W, respectively. Especially, we found that a extract prepared by microwave extraction with 50% ethanol at 60 W for 3 min enables to induce effectively overall functional activation of macrophage, such as NO production, ROS scavenging and phagocytosis of C. albicans, respectively. These results demonstrated that a 50% ethanolic extraction using microwave at 60 W for 3 min would be useful for enrichment of macrophage-activating components contained in Hericium erinaceus, implying participation of protein-bound polysaccharides as a active factor.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.142-154
• /
• 2010

The protein-bound innerpolysaccharides (IPS) produced by suspended mycelial cultures of Inonotus obliquus have promising potentials as an effective antidiabetic as well as an immunostimulating agents. To enhance IPS production, intensive strain improvement process should be carried out using large amount of UV-mutated protoplasts. During the whole strain-screening process, the stage of solid growth-culture was found to be the most time-requiring step, thus preventing rapid screening of high-yielding producers. In order to reduce the cell growth period in the solid growth-stage, therefore, solid growth-medium was optimized using the statistical methods such as (i) Plackett-Burman and fractional factorial designs (FFD) for selecting positive medium components, and (ii) steepest ascent (SAM) and response surface (RSM) methods for determining optimum concentrations of the selected components. By adopting the medium composition recommended by the SAM experiment, significantly higher growth rate was obtained in the solid growth-cultures, as represented by about 41% larger diameter of the cell growth circle and higher mycelial density. Sequential optimization process performed using the RSM experiments finally recommended the medium composition as follows: glucose 25.61g/L, brown rice 12.53 g/L, soytone peptone 12.53 g/L, $MgSO_4$ 5.53 g/L, and agar 20 g/L. It should be noted that this composition was almost similar to the medium combinations determined by the SAM experiment, demonstrating that the SAM was very helpful in finding out the final optimum concentrations. Through the use of this optimized medium, the period for the solid growth-culture could be successfully reduced to about 8 days from the previous 15~20 days, thus enabling large and mass screening of high producers in a relatively short period.