• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.261-268
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• 1998

The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of cysteine proteinase of Trichomonas vaginalis in escaping from host defense mechanism. A cysteine proteinase of T. vaginalis was purified by affinity chromatography and gel filtration. Optimum pH for the purified proteinase activity was 6.0. The proteinase was inhibited by cysteine and serine proteinase inhibitors such as E-64, NEM, IAA, leupeptin. TPCK and TLCK, and also by $Hg^{2+}$, but not affected by serine-, metallo-, and aspartic proteinase inhibitors such as PMSF, EDTA and pepstatin A. However, it was activated by the cysteine proteinase activator, DTT. The molecular weight of a purified proteinase was 62 kDa on gel filtration and 60 kDa on SDS-PAGE. Interestingly, the purified proteinase was able to degrade serum IgA, secretory IgA, and serum IgG in time- and dose-dependent manners. In addition, the enzyme also degraded hemoglobin in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that the acidic cysteine proteinase of T. vaginalis may play a dual role for parasite survival in conferring escape from host humoral defense by degradation of immunoglobulins, and in supplying nutrients to parasites by degradation of hemoglobin.

• BMB Reports
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.313-319
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• 2002

N-Acetyl-$\beta$-D-hexosaminidase ($\beta$-HexNAc'ase) (EC 3.2.1.52) was purified from rice seeds (Oryza sative L. var. Dongjin) using ammonium sulfate (80%) precipitation, Sephadex G-150, CM-Sephadex, and DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, sequentially. The activities were separated into 7 fractions($F_1-F_7$) by CM-Sephadex chromatography. Among them, F6 was further purified to homogeneity with a 13.0% yield and 123.3 purification-fold. The molecular mass was estimated to be about 52 kDa on SDS-PAGE and 37.4 kDa on Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration. The enzyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of both p-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-$\beta$-D-hexosaminide (pNP-GlcNAc) and p-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-$\beta$-D-hexosaminide (pNP-GalNAc) as substrates, which are typical properties of $\beta$-HexNAc'ase. The ratio of the pNP-GlcNAc'ase activity to the pNP-GalNAc'ase activity was 4.0. However, it could not hydrolyze chitin, chitosan, pNP-$\beta$-glucopyranoside, or pNP-$\beta$-glucopyranoside. The enzyme showed $K_m$, $V_{max}$ and $K_{cat}$ for pNP-GlcNAc of 1.65 mM, $79.49\;mM\;min^{-1}$, and $4.79{\times}10^6\;min^{-1}$, respectively. The comparison of kinetic values for pNP-GlcNAc and pNP-GalNAc revealed that the two enzyme activities are associated with a single binding site. The purified enzyme exhibited optimum pH and temperature for pNP-GlcNAc of 5.0 and $50^{\circ}C$, respectively. The enzyme activity for pNP-GlcNAc was stable at pH 5.0-5.5 and $20-40^{\circ}C$. The enzyme activity was completely inhibited at a concentration of 0.1 mM $HgCl_$ and $AgNO_3$, suggesting that the intact thiol group is essential for activity. Chloramine T completely inhibited the activity, indicating the possible involvement of methionines in the mechanism of the enzyme.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.310-315
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• 1988

Two isoenzymes of chorismate mutase(E.C.5.4.99.5) designated as chorismate mutase I(CM I) and chorismate mutase II(CM II), were detected and partially purified from a sp. of intrasporangium isolated from soil. CM I and CM II had pH optima of pH 6.5 and 8.0, respectively and showed the same temperature optimum of 45$^{\circ}C$. The activation energy of the enzymatic reaction was estimated to be 14.7kcal/ mole with CM I and 10.8kcal/mole with CM II. The affinity of isoenzyme CM I for substrate(Km= 1.35mM) was almost the same level as that of CM II(Km = 1.22mM). Both isoenzymes were stable at pH values ranged from pH 6.5 to 9.0, but rapidly denaturated at temperatures above 45$^{\circ}C$. CM II was activated about 7$^{\circ}C$ of its activity by $Ba^{++}$ or $Mg^{++}$ while CM I was slightly inhibited by the same metal ions. Thiol compounds were found not to be necessary for stability of the two enzymes but Co$^{++}$ and EDTA had a little stabilizing effect on CM II only. p-Chloromercuribenzoate strongly inactivated the activities of both enzymes but the reducing agents such as dithiothreitol and L-cysteine protected them against the pCMB inhibition.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.468-475
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• 1988

The cloned B. subtilis cdd gene encoding cytidine/2'deoxycytidine deaminase (EC 3.5.4.5) was expressed in the cdd deficient B. subtilis mutant ED40. The gene was isolted from the cdd complementing plasmid pSO21, and inserted into the EcoR1/Pvu1 sites of pGB215-110 ΔB, which is a temperature sensitivie E. coli-B. subtilis shuttle vector. In the transformed B. subtilis ED4O harboring the resulting plasmid pSO100, cdd was expressed at several hundred fold elevated levels, and the cytidine deaminase activity in E. coli containing pSO100 was twice the level in B. subtilis/pSO0100. The Km value for cytidine of the partially purified enzyme is 1.88$\times$10$^{-4}$M at pH 7.0 and the V$_{max}$ = 11.1 $\mu$mol/min/mg of protein. The enzyme was completely inhibited by 0.1M mercaptoethanol and HgCl$_2$. The inhibition by p-chrolomercurybenzoic acid showed a Ki = 5 uM. These results suggest that sulfhydryl reagents block an active site thiol group, and/or disturb the formation of the tetrameic holoenzyme.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.169-178
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• 1984

This experiment was conducted to find out selective herbicides which are safe to the rice seedlings and to provide effective weed control method in protected semi-irrigated rice seedbed. There was no crop injury in rice with benzophenap [2-(4-2, 4-dichloro-3-methylbenzoyl)-1, 3-dimethyl-pyrazol-5-yl-oxy)-4'-methyl acetophenone] (240g), pyrazoxyfene [1,3-dimethyl-4-(2,4-dichlorobenzoyl)-Sphenacyloxy pyrazole] (200g), chlormethoxynil [2,4-dichlorophenyl-4-nitro-3-methoxyphenyl ether] (180g), dimepiperate [S-(1-methyl-1-phenethyl)-piperidine-l-carbathioate] (210g), dimepiperate + probenazol [3-allyloxy-1,2-benzisothiazol-1,1-dioxide] (210 + 120g) mixture and dimepiperate + probenazol + molinate [S-ethyl-N,N-hexamethylene-thiol-carbamate] (120 + 120 + 120g) mixture at times of application studied. Butachlor [2-chloro-2',6'-diethyl-N-buthoxymethyl acetanilide] + pyrazolate [4-(2,4-dichlorbenzoyl)-1,3dimethyl-pyrazol-5-yl-p-toluene-sulfonate] (70 + 120g) mixture and butachlor + chlormethoxynil (60 + 120g) mixture caused root length to shorten and root viability to decrease. However, the crop injury was recovered at 25 days after seeding. Benzophenap, pyraxoxyfene and butachlor + pyrazolate mixture were effective for weed control when applied at 2 days before seeding. Chlormethoxynil and butachlor + chlormethoxynil mixture was very effective for controlling annual weed. Dimepiperate, dimepiperate + probenazol mixture and dimepiperate + probenazol + molinate mixture did not control most weeds except for Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.123-130
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• 1980

Thiamine derivatives of thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide (TTFD) and thiamine propyl disulfide (TPD) were obtained in a good yield and purity by use of thiothiamine $(SB_1)$ and also described in details for the preparing sodium tetrahydrofurfuryl thiosulphate (Bunte's salt) with and without KI. The optimum reaction conditions for the preparation of TTFD was set in which the Box-Wilson plan was applied. The reaction conditions are as follows; 1. pH value of aqueous solution of thiol type of $B_1{\cdot}HCl;12.09$ 2. Quantity of Bunte's salt (to $B_1{\cdot}HCl\;20G$); 35.01g 3. Reaction temperature; $15.59^{\circ}C$ Studies on ultraviolet absorption were made at various pH and showed that the absorption maxima are shifted with change of pH. The absorption maxima are at $244{\sim}246nm,\;234{\sim}235nm$ in TTFD, and $245{\sim}246nm,\;233{\sim}235nm$ in TPD. The structure was proved by the infrared spectral evidence. Quantitative determination was studied.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.3-14
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• 1993

Oxidants in environment or cigarette smoke are known to be implicated in the oxidative damages of pulmonary system. Such cellular damages are prevented by the presence of adequate levels of antioxidants in the tissue. In the present study, we investigated the influences of smoking duration and concentration of smoke on lung antioxidant defense in rats. Subchronic exposure of rats to smoke generated from 6 cigarettes per day for 90 days caused the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) to increase. However, glutathione peroxidase (GP-Xase) was not significantly changed. Total sulfhydryl compounds (Total-SH) in the lung homogenates from the rats inhaled with cigarette smoke for 15 days was decreased by 44% , thereafter it was returned to the level of normal rats. On the contrary, when rats were daily exposed to a different concentration of smoke generated from 1 to 20 cigarettes per day for 15 days, the activity of catalase was increased gradually with dose, but total SOD activity was increased only in the rats of low dose groups less than 5 cigarettes. Three types of SOD (one Cu, Zn-SOD with pI 4.9, and two Zn-SOD with pI 4.7 and 7.9)were detected in the lung homogenates and Zn-SOD with pI 4.7 was the major and cigarette-smoke inducible form. These results indicate that the protection of lung against oxidants from cigarette smoke seems to be accomplished by the induction of catalase and SOD, especially a cyanide resistant Zn-SOD with pI 4.f, following the consumption of antioxidants such as GSH in the beginning of inhalation period.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.27-27
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• 2011

For the design of real applicable molecular devices, current-voltage properties through molecular nanostructures such as metal-molecule-metal junctions (molecular junctions) have been studied extensively. In thiolate monolayers on the gold electrode, the chemical bonding of sulfur to gold and the van der Waals interactions between the alkyl chains of neighboring molecules are important factors in the formation of well-defined monolayers and in the control of the electron transport rate. Charge transport through the molecular junctions depends significantly on the energy levels of molecules relative to the Fermi levels of the contacts and the electronic structure of the molecule. It is important to understand the interfacial electron transport in accordance with the increased film thickness of alkyl chains that are known as an insulating layer, but are required for molecular device fabrication. Thiol-tethered RuII terpyridine complexes were synthesized for a voltage-driven molecular switch and used to understand the switch-on mechanism of the molecular switches of single metal complexes in the solid-state molecular junction in a vacuum. Electrochemical voltammetry and current-voltage (I-V) characteristics are measured to elucidate electron transport processes in the bistable conducting states of single molecular junctions of a molecular switch, Ru(II) terpyridine complexes. (1) On the basis of the Ru-centered electrochemical reaction data, the electron transport rate increases in the mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of Ru(II) terpyridine complexes, indicating strong electronic coupling between the redox center and the substrate, along the molecules. (2) In a low-conducting state before switch-on, I-V characteristics are fitted to a direct tunneling model, and the estimated tunneling decay constant across the Ru(II) terpyridine complex is found to be smaller than that of alkanethiol. (3) The threshold voltages for the switch-on from low- to high-conducting states are identical, corresponding to the electron affinity of the molecules. (4) A high-conducting state after switch-on remains in the reverse voltage sweep, and a linear relationship of the current to the voltage is obtained. These results reveal electron transport paths via the redox centers of the Ru(II) terpyridine complexes, a molecular switch.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.349-357
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• 2003

The universality of low molecular weight metabolites (i.e. amino acids, steroid hormones) allows rapid and straightforward investigation of biochemistry of genetically un-characterized species. Thus in vivo metabolic profiling of amino acid in combination with multivariate data analysis (metabolomics) offers great potential in comparative biology. In this paper, amino acid profiles in biological fluid (media) were studied by using HPLC/FLD. HPLC procedure for amino acids require the formation of derivatives due to the low absorption of the free compounds. o-Phthalaldehyde (OPA) used in association with a thiol, such as 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3-MPA), is one of the most popular and sensitive reagents, which yield quickly fluorescent iso-indoles at room temperature. To improve unstability of OPA/3-MPA derivatization, we optimized injector programs for fixed injection times. Linear regressions for the standard curves were linear in the range 0.5 - 100.0 ppb, giving correlation coefficents above 0.99. The detection limit were 1.70 pmol(GLU) - 23.81 pmol(SER). It is practically useful when the amount of sample is very low on single cells.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.356-361
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• 2012

Caffeine is a xanthine alkaloid derivative found in many foods and beverages. Dietary caffeine may interact with commonly-consumed over-the-counter (OTC) drugs in body. In this study, cytotoxic effects on the intestinal cells by combined treatment of caffeine with several OTC drugs, including ibuprofen, aspirin, and acetaminophen. Cytotoxic effect of caffeine was more potent in normal intestinal INT 407 cells than in colon cancer HCT 116 cells. Relative toxicity of caffeine and the OTC drugs was significantly enhanced in INT 407 cells when treated together. Intracellular thiol levels of the cells treated with the OTC drugs increased in the presence of caffeine. When HCT 116 cells were incubated with each OTC drug after or before caffeine treatment, the relative cytotoxicity of the OTC drugs increased. The present study may provide basic information about possible health effects through the interactions between caffeine and OTC drugs in the intestinal cells.