• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.531-542
• /
• 2012

The thesis covers the trend of research on bio-based polyurethane which is made from polyols derived mainly from plant oils and isocyanates. Castor oil is a triglyceride of ricinoleic acid containing hydroxyl group. Hydroxylation is done on the unsaturated bonds of the oils by the reactions of epoxidation/ring opening, hydroformylation/hydrogenation, ozonolysis/hydrogenation, and thiol-ene reaction. Polyols from hyperbranch, primary alcohol, polysaccharide have been studied to control the reactivity of the polyol and morphology of the microdomains. Besides, researches cover biodegradable polylactic acid polyol for medical use, fatty acid dimer polyol for the prevention of hydrolysis, and polyol with ionic group for water-borne polyurethane. Bio-based polyurethanes are being used in flexible and rigid foams, coatings, sealants, and elastomers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.22
• /
• pp.9847-9851
• /
• 2014

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a haematological cancer characterized by clonal proliferation of plasma cells.The aim of this study was to investigate the activity of serum paraoxonase-1 (PON1) and arylesterase (ARE) in multiple myeloma with and without free light chain excretion(FLCe-MM and NFLCe-MM); as well as to investigate possible alterations in oxidative stress parameters. Materials and Methods: Total thiol (T.thl), oxidative stress index (OSI), total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) were examined in addition to the PON1 and ARE enzyme activities in twenty one FLCe-MM and nineteen NFLCe-MM subjects. Routine parameters like lipid panel, serum total protein, albumin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid and hemoglobin levels were compared with the oxidative stress markers. Results: Serum total protein, BUN, creatinin, and uric acid levels were significantly higher (p=0.04, p=0.001, p=0.001 and p=0.0022, respectively), while hemoglobin and albumin levels were significantly lower in FLCe-MM patients (p=0.009 and p=0.04,respectively). PON1 and ARE activities were significantly lower in patients with FLCe-MM compared to those with NFLCe-MM (p=0.001 and p=0.008, respectively). Conclusions: Depending on our results of prognostic markers of MM such as age, hemoglobin, albumin, and creatinine we feel confident to presume FLCe-MM as a subgroup with a worse prognosis. A decrease in PON1 and ARE activities may contribute to the prognosis and may be used as a prognostic tool in MM.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.23
• /
• pp.10151-10156
• /
• 2015

4-Hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) is a stable end product of lipid peroxidation, which has been shown to play an important role in cell signal transduction, while increasing cell growth and differentiation. 4-HNE could inhibit phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) activity in hepatocytes and increased levels have been found in human invasive breast cancer. Here we report that 4-HNE increased the cell growth of breast cancer cells as revealed by colony formation assay. Moreover, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression was elevated, while protein levels of hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-$1{\alpha}$) were up-regulated. Sirtuin-3 (SIRT3), a major mitochondria NAD+-dependent deacetylase, is reported to destabilize HIF-$1{\alpha}$. Here, 4-HNE could inhibit the deacetylase activity of SIRT3 by thiol-specific modification. We further demonstrated that the regulation by 4-HNE of levels of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ and VEGF depends on SIRT3. Consistent with this, 4-HNE could not increase the cell growth in SIRT3 knockdown breast cancer cells. Additionally, 4-HNE promoted angiogenesis and invasion of breast cancer cells in a SIRT3-dependent manner. In conclusion, we propose that 4-HNE promotes growth, invasion and angiogenesis of breast cancer cells through the SIRT3-HIF-$1{\alpha}$-VEGF axis.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.441-446
• /
• 1986

Some properties of extracellular guanine deaminase produced by Pseudomonas synxantha A3 were studied. The enzyme was stable at pH 6.5-7.5 and generally stable when it was incubated at 4$0^{\circ}C$ for 10 minutes but inactivated gradually above 4$0^{\circ}C$. When the enzyme in 0.2M potassium phosphate (pH 8.0) was stored at room temperature, it was stable for thirty days. Alcohols and acetone were not effective for the eyzyme stability. The optimum pH and temperature for the enzyme activity were around pH 7.0-8.0 and 5$0^{\circ}C$, respectively. The enzyme was inhibited by 1mM of Hg$^{++}$, Ag$^+$ and Li$^+$ and by 0.1mM of Ag$^+$ with about 50% loss of activity. The enzyme inhibited by Li$^+$ was reactivated by EDTA. 1 mM of pentachlorophenol and p-CMB inactivated the enzyme with 50% and 40% loss of activity, respectively. The enzyme inactivated by p-CMB was reactivated by glutathione.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.1120-1127
• /
• 2017

Marasmius scorodonius secretes an extracellular laccase in potato dextrose broth, and this enzyme was purified up to 206-fold using $(NH_4)_2SO_4$ precipitation and a Hi-trap Q Sepharose column. The molecular mass of the purified laccase was estimated to be ~67 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The UV/vis spectrum of the enzyme was nontypical for laccases, and metal content analysis revealed that the enzyme contains 1 mole of Fe and Zn and 2 moles of Cu per mole of protein. The optimal pH for the enzymatic activity was 3.4, 4.0, and 4.6 with 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS), guaiacol, and 2,6-dimethoxy phenol as the substrate, respectively. The optimal temperature of the enzyme was $75^{\circ}C$ with ABTS as the substrate. The enzyme was stable in the presence of some metal ions such as $Ca^{2+}$, $Cu^{2+}$, $Ni^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$, $Mn^{2+}$, $Ba^{2+}$, $Co^{2+}$, and $Zn^{2+}$ at a low concentration (1 mM), whereas $Fe^{2+}$ completely inhibited the enzymatic activity. The enzymatic reaction was strongly inhibited by metal chelators and thiol compounds except for EDTA. This enzyme directly decolorized Congo red, Malachite green, Crystal violet, and Methylene green dyes at various decolorization rates of 63-90%. In the presence of 1-hydroxybenzotriazole as a redox mediator, the decolorization of Reactive orange 16 and Remazol brilliant blue R was also achieved.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.230-236
• /
• 1993

The isocitrate lyase extracted from Micrococcus luteus was purified 38.8 folds with the overall yield of 10.2%, by the ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-cellulose, 1st Sephadex G-200 and 2nd Sephadex G-200 column chromatography. The purified enzyme showed to be a single protein band by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated 60,000 by the SDS-polyacry]amide gel electrophoresis. The apparent Michaelis constant, Km value for isocitrate was 0.95 mM. The optimum pH and temperature of the purified enzyme were pH 7.5 and $40^{\circ}C$, respectively. The enzyme was activated by $Mg^{2+}$ and inhibited by $Mn^{2+}$, $Ca^{2+}$, $Cu^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$ and $CO^{2+}$. In addition, the activity of isocitrate lyase was increased by glutathione and 2-mercaptocthanol at 5 mM and cysteine at I mM.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.117-123
• /
• 2008

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are toxic agents that may be involved in various neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies indicate that ROS can act as modulators of neuronal activity, and are critically involved in persistent pain primarily through spinal mechanisms. In the present study, whole cell patch clamp recordings were carried out to investigate the effects of tert-buthyl hydroperoxide (t-BuOOH), an ROS, on neuronal excitability and the mechanisms underlying changes of membrane excitability. In current clamp condition, application of t-BuOOH caused a reversible membrane depolarization and firing activity in substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons. When slices were pretreated with phenyl-N-tert-buthylnitrone (PBN) and ascorbate, ROS scavengers, t-BuOOH failed to induce membrane depolarization. However, isoascorbate did not prevent t-BuOOH-induced depolarization, suggesting that the site of ROS action is intracellular. The t-BuOOH-induced depolarization was not blocked by pretreatment with dithiothreitol (DTT), a sulfhydryl-reducing agent. The membrane-impermeant thiol oxidant 5,5-dithiobis 2-nitrobenzoic acid (DTNB) failed to induce membrane depolarization, suggesting that the changes of neuronal excitability by t-BuOOH are not caused by the modification of extrathiol group. The t-BuOOH-induced depolarization was suppressed by the phospholipase C (PLC) blocker U-73122 and inositol triphosphate ($IP_3$) receptor antagonist 2-aminoethoxydiphenylbolate (APB), and after depletion of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ pool by thapsigargin. These data suggest that ROS generated by peripheral nerve injury can induce central sensitization in spinal cord, and t-BuOOH-induced depolarization may be regulated by intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ store mainly via $PLC-IP_3$ pathway.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.28 no.12
• /
• pp.2303-2309
• /
• 2007

Expressed protein ligation (EPL) technique, joining recombinantly expressed proteins to polypeptides, has been widely adopted for addressing various biological questions and for drug discovery. However, joining two recombinant proteins together is sometimes difficult when proteins are expressed insoluble and unrefoldable, because ligation-active proteins via intein-fusion are obtainable when they are folded correctly. We overcame this limitation coexpressing target protein with additional methionine aminopeptidase (MAP) which enhances removal of the initiation methionine of recombinantly expressed protein. Our approach demonstrated that two domains of 46 kDa 5-Enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase, a target of herbicide glyphosate, were successfully joined by native chemical ligation, although its C-terminal domain was expressed as an inclusion body. The intein-fused N-terminal fragment of EPSP synthase (EPSPSN, residues 1-237) was expressed and the ligation-active thioester tagged N-terminal fragment (EPSPSN-thioester) was purified using a chitin affinity chromatography and mercapto-ethanesulphonate (MESNA) as intein thiolysis reagent. Its Cterminal fragment (EPSPSC, residues Met237-238CYS-427), expressed as an inclusion body, was prepared from an additional MAP-expressing strain. Protein ligation was initiated by mixing ~1 mM of EPSPSN-thioester with ~2 mM of EPSPSCCYS (residues 238CYS-427). Also we found that addition of 2% thiophenol increased the ligation efficiency via thiol exchange. The ligation efficiency was ~85%. The ligated full-length EPSP synthase was dissolved in 6 M GdHCl and refolded. Circular dichroism (CD) and enzyme activity assay of the purified protein showed that the ligated enzyme has distinct secondary structure and ~115% specific activity compared to those of wild-type EPSP synthase. This work demonstrates rare example of EPL between two recombinantly expressed proteins and also provides hands-on protein engineering protocol for large proteins.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.181-188
• /
• 2012

As the demand for large-scale analysis of gene expression using DNA arrays increases, the importance of the surface characterization of DNA arrays has emerged. We compared the efficiency of molecular biological applications on solid-phases with different surface polarities to identify the most optimal conditions. We employed thiol-gold reactions for DNA immobilization on solid surfaces. The surface polarity was controlled by creating a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of mercaptohexanol or hepthanethiol, which create hydrophilic or hydrophobic surface properties, respectively. A hydrophilic environment was found to be much more favorable to solid-phase molecular biological manipulations. A SAM of mercaptoethanol had the highest affinity to DNA molecules in our experimetns and it showed greater efficiency in terms of DNA hybridization and polymerization. The optimal DNA concentration for immobilization was found to be 0.5 ${\mu}M$. The optimal reaction time for both thiolated DNA and matrix molecules was 10 min and for the polymerase reaction time was 150 min. Under these optimized conditions, molecular biology techniques including DNA hybridization, ligation, polymerization, PCR and multiplex PCR were shown to be feasible in solid-state conditions. We demonstrated from our present analysis the importance of surface polarity in solid-phase molecular biological applications. A hydrophilic SAM generated a far more favorable environment than hydrophobic SAM for solid-state molecular techniques. Our findings suggest that the conditions and methods identified here could be used for DNA-DNA hybridization applications such as DNA chips and for the further development of solid-phase genetic engineering applications that involve DNA-enzyme interactions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2004.11a
• /
• pp.452-455
• /
• 2004

In this paper, investigations of the SAMs(self-assembled monolayers) of a thiol-fuctionalized viologen derivatives, $V_8SH$ and $SH_8V_8SH$, where, V is N,N'-dialkylbipyridinium (i.e. a viologen group), have been carried out by elucidate voltammetry date. The redox reactions are highly reversible and can be cycled many times without significant side reaction, which has been known as a nano-gram order mass detector through resonant frequency change self-assembly process of the viologen has been investigated with $QCM({\Delta}F)$. The assembling process of the $V_8SH$ and $SH_8V_8SH$ monolayers can be finished completely in about 1 hour. The measured frequency shift for $V_8SH$ and $SH_8V_8SH$ were about 351 and 172 Hz, respectively. From these values, we calculated that the mass adsorbed $V_8SH$ and $SH_8V_8SH$ were about 375 and 183 ng. We believe that this mass loss is caused by the simultaneous loss of the anions present within the monolayer for charge compensation of the viologen dications and some solvent.