• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.259-264
• /
• 2010

This study was designed to investigate the effects of nitric oxide on the neuronal activity of rat cerebellar Purkinje cells. Sprague-Dawley rats aged 14 to 16 days were decapitated under ether anesthesia. After treatment with pronase and thermolysin, the dissociated Purkinje cells were transferred into a chamber on an inverted microscope. Spontaneous action potentials and potassium current were recorded by standard patch-clamp techniques under current and voltage-clamp modes respectively. 15 Purkinje cells revealed excitatory responses to $20\;{\mu}M$ of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and 4 neurons (20%) did not respond to SNP. Whole potassium currents of Purkinje cells were decreased by SNP (n=10). Whole potassium currents of Purkinje cells were also decreased by L-arginine, substrate of nitric oxide (n=10). These experimental results suggest that nitric oxide increases the neuronal activity of Purkinje cells by altering the resting membrane potential and after hyperpolarization.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.16-20
• /
• 2008

Three flavonoids (1 - 3) and three phenolic compounds (4 - 6) were isolated from the whole plant of Geranium thunbergii Sieb. et Zucc (Geraniaceae). Their structures were determined by chemical and spectral analysis. These compounds were examined for the inhibitory activity of IL-6 production in $TNF-{\alpha}$ stimulated MG-63 cell. Among the isolated compounds, gallic acid (4) and gallic acid methyl ester (6) showed potent inhibitory activity.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.195-201
• /
• 2003

Aromatic hydrocarbons are of major concern among genotoxic chemicals due to their toxicity and persistence. Some microorganisms can utilize aromatic hydrocarbons as carbon and energy sources by inducing expression of catabolic operon(s). The XylR regulatory protein activates transcription of the catabolic enzymes to degrade BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) from its cognate promoters, Pu and Ps upon exposure of the cells to the aromatic hydrocarbons. The activity of XylR on the promoters was previously monitored using luciferase luc reporter system. The xylR, its promoter Pr and the promoter Po for the phenolic compound catabolic operon were introduced upstream of firefly luciferase luc in the pGL3b vector to generate about 7.1 kb of pXRBTEX. Here E. coli harboring the plasmid was freeze-dried under various conditions to fin,d optimal conditions for storage and transport. The cell viability and luciferase activity were maintained better, when the cells were freeze-dried at -7$0^{\circ}C$ in the addition of the 10% skim milk or 12% sucrose. However, coaddition of protectants such as 10% skim milk plus 10% glucose or 12% sucrose plus 10% glucose, resulted in much better viability and bioluminescence activity compared with the effect of single addition of each protectant. In addition, it was shown that the freeze-dried cells maintained almost intact bioluminescent activities and cell viability for at least 1 week after freeze-drying. This work demonstrated that the properly freeze-dried recombinant bacterial cells could be utilized as a whole-cell biosensor for simple and rapid monitoring of BTEX in the environment.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.19 no.11
• /
• pp.1665-1670
• /
• 2006

The objective of this research was to provide the characterization and method for producing anti-E. coli O157:H7 antibodies in egg-laying hens and to determine if the antibody can restrain the proliferation of E. coli O157:H7 in-vitro. Selected antigenic fractions (whole cell, outer membrane protein and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)) from E. coli O157:H7 were injected to hens in order to produce anti-E. coli O157:H7 antibodies. The immune response and the egg yolk antibodies of laying hens against the whole cell, outer membrane protein and LPS antigens were monitored by ELISA. The level of antibodies against whole cell antigen monitored through ELISA sharply increased after the initial immunization, and it was found to be maximum on day 49 however, the level was maintained up to day 70. Antibodies (5 mg/ml) directed against the whole cell inhibited E. coli proliferation 10-13 times more than outer membrane protein or LPS. The antibody response against the whole cell antigens appeared to have higher activity in restraining the proliferation of E. coli O157:H7 than antibody against outer membrane protein or LPS. Results reflected that increasing the IgY's in the egg yolk could prevent greater economic losses due to human and animal health from pathogenic bacteria i.e. E. coli O157:H7.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.20 no.6
• /
• pp.681-686
• /
• 1992

In the conversion of D.L-2-amino-$\Delta^2$-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid(D,L-ATC) to L-cysteine using Pseudomonas sp. CU6. the effects of surfactants on whole cells and the stabilities of cellfree enzyme solution and continuous reactor packed with immobilized whole cells were investigated. The enzymatic reaction was little accomplished by whole cells without adding surfactants, whereas it was well carried out with SDS or Triton X-loo comparable to the case using cell-free enzyme solution. Enzyme activity of the cell-free solution was lost by 50% after 7 hours of storage at $30^{\circ}C$, but not at all under an anaerobic condition by sparging nitrogen gas. On the other hand. effect of nitrogen gas did not appear in a continuous reactor using immobilized whole cells, and hydroxylamine, an inhibitor of L-cysteine desulfhydrase, lowered the enzyme stability.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.11-17
• /
• 2001

To enhance the productivity and activity of nitrile hydratase in Rhodococcus rhodochrous M33, a glucose-limited fed-batch culture was performed. In a fed-batch culture where the glucose was controlled at a limited level and cobalt was supplemented during the fermentation period, the cell mass and total activity of nitrile hydratase both increased 3.3-fold compared to that in the batch fermentation. The productivity of nitrile hydratase also increased 1.9-fold compared to that in the batch fermentation. The specific activity of nitrile hydratase in the whole cell preparation when using a fed-batch culture was 120 units/mg-DCW, which was similar to that in the batch culture.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2003.10a
• /
• pp.468-472
• /
• 2003

Recently, genetic engineering techniques have been used to display various heterologous peptides and proteins (enzyme, antibody, antigen, receptor and fluorescence protein, etc.) on the yeast cell surface. Living cells displaying various enzymes on their surface could be used repeatedly as 'whole cell biocatalysts' like immobilized enzymes. We constructed a yeast based whole cell biocatalyst displaying T. reesei cellobiohydrolase I (CBH I ) on the cell surface and endowed the yeast-cells with the ability to degrade cellulose. By using a cell surface engineering system based on ${\alpha}-agglutinin,$ CBH I was displayed on the cell surface as a fusion protein containing the N-terminal leader peptide encoding a Gly-Ser linker and the $Xpress^{TM}$ epitope. Localization of the fusion protein on the cell surface was confirmed by confocal microscopy. In this study, we report on the genetic immobilization of T. reesei CBH I on the S. cerevisiae and hydrolytic activity of cell surface displayed CBH I.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.167-171
• /
• 1977

A new assay method for delta-l-dehydrogenated-3-ketoco-rticosteroid in the presence of proteinous material or whole-cell-enzyme and 3-ketocorticosteroid has been developed. This method makes use of the linear relationship between the ratio of absorbances at 265 nm and at 242 nm and the fractional concentration of delta-1-3-ketosteroid. Theoretical values were calculated based on the absorbances of proteinous material at fixed concentrations of the 3-ketosteroid and delta-1-dehydrogenated-3-ketosteroid. The values obtained experimentally showed good agreement with the values obtained experimentally showed good agreement with the values theoretically predicted. The new assay method developed for the steroid mixtiure containing proteinous material is of some practical importance. The use of such assay method enables one to determine the enzyme activity and the rate of enzyme reaction or conversion rather quickly, easily and accurately. By the use of this assay method, the reaction kinetics of whole-cell-enzyme has also been studied. It was found that it followed the simple Michaelis-Menten type enzyme kinetics. Also the reversibility of this reaction with actively metabolizing cell was examined. It was found that delta-l-dehydrogenated-3-ketosteroid could not be hydrogenated reversibly to 3-ketosteroid by this enzyme system.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.998-1001
• /
• 2002

Potential antitumor activity of Lactobacillus plantarum cytoplasm was examined using F9 teratocarcinoma-bearing BALB/C mice. The cytoplasmic fraction of L. plantarum was separated by sonication followed by ultracentrifugation. The fraction at a dose of 100 or 200 mg/kg/day was orally administered for 7 consecutive days before or after tumor inoculation to 16 mice. As a control, heat-killed whole cell was used at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day. Upon oral administrations of both the cytoplasm and heat-killed whole cell, when performed after and before tumor inoculation, the survival of F9-bearing mice prolonged more effectively. Administration of the cytoplasm after tumor inoculation extended the average survival days by 30 and $40\%$ at daily dosages of 100 and 200 mg/kg/day, respectively. This result suggests that the cytoplasmic fraction of L. plantarum has strong antitumor activity against mouse F9 teratocarcinoma in vivo.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.25 no.11
• /
• pp.1856-1862
• /
• 2015

In order to improve the stability of endoglucanase under thermal and acidic conditions, the endoglucanase gene was fused to the N-terminus of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae pir gene, encoding the cell wall protein PIR. The fusion gene was transformed into Pichia pastoris GS115 for expression. A resulting strain with high expression and high activity was identified by examining resistance to Geneticin 418, Congo red staining, and quantitative analysis of enzyme activity. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that the endoglucanase was successfully displayed on the yeast cell surface. The displayed endoglucanase (DEG) showed maximum activity towards sodium carboxyl methyl cellulose at approximately 275 IU/g cell dry weight. DEG exhibited greater than 60% residual activity in the pH range 2.5-8.5, higher than free endoglucanase (FEG), which had 40% residual activity at the same pH range. The highest tolerated temperature for DEG was 70℃, much higher than that of FEG, which was approximately 50℃. Moreover, DEG showed 91.1% activity at 65℃ for 120 min, while FEG only kept 77.8% residual activity over the same period. The half-life of DEG was 270 min at 65℃, compared with only 150 min for FEG. DEG could be used repeatedly at least three times. These results suggest that the DEG has broad applications as a yeast whole-cell biocatalyst, due to its novel properties of high catalytic efficiency, acid-thermal stabilities, and reusability.