• Journal of Life Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.111-115
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• 2001

This study was designed to clone the SNF2/SW12 helicase-related genes from the fission yeast Schizosaccha-romyces pombe and thereafter to elucidate the common functions of the proteins in this family. The $hrp^{2+}$gene was cloned by polymerase chain reaction amplification using degenerative primers from conserved SNF2 motifs within the ERCC6 gene, which encodes a protein involved in DNA excision repair. Like other SNF2/SW12 family proteins, the deduced amino acid sequence of Hrp2 contains DNA-dependent ATPase/7 helicase domains as well as the chromodomain and the DNA binding domain. This configuration is similar to that of mCHD1 (mouse chromo-ATPase/helicase-DNA-dinding protein 1), suggesting that Hrp2 is a S. pombe homolog of mCHD1, which is thought to function in altering the chromatin structure to control the gene expression. To characterize the function of Hrp2, 4 Uracil-Hrp2 fusion protein, it was purified near homogeneity by affinity chromatography on $Ni^{2+}$-NTA agarose, DEAE-Sepharose ion exchange arid Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration chromatographies. The purified fusion protein exhibited DNA-dependent ATPase activity, which was stimulated by both double-stranded and single-stranded DNA. To determine the steady-state level of $hrp^{2+}$ transcripts during growth, cells were cultured in medium and collected at every 2hr to prepare total RNAs. The northern blot analysis showed that the level of $hrp^{2+}$ transcripts reached its maximum before the cells entered the exponential growth phase and then decreased gradually, This result implies that Hrp2 may be required at early stages of cell growth.h.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.258-264
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• 2011

Glutathione (GSH) has important roles in cellular defense against oxidative stress, 1) direct scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and 2) coenzyme of ROS scavenging enzyme like glutathione peroxidases (GPx). GSH peroxidase reduces free hydrogen peroxide to water using 2GSH. $N$-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), one of the antioxidants, is used as a precursor for intracellular GSH. In this study, relation of GSH, NAC, and GSH peroxidase was investigated through transcriptional expression of $GPX1$ and $GPX2$, which are GSH peroxidase encoding genes, in yeast cells treated with 0 mM to 20 mM of NAC or in combination with 100 Gy gamma-rays. The transcriptional expression of $GPX1$ and $GPX2$ was induced by NAC and 100 Gy gamma-rays. The gene expression of both GSH peroxidases was decreased with increasing concentrations of NAC in irradiated yeast cells. These results suggest that elevation of intracellular GSH by NAC and oxidative stress and ROS generated from gamma-rays induces expression of GSH peroxidase genes, and that NAC can protect the yeast cells against ROS generated from gamma-rays through direct scavenging of ROS and transcriptional activation of GSH peroxidase.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1693-1706
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• 2019

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease of mainly infants and children. Currently, the development of safe and effective treatments for AD is urgently required. The present study was conducted to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of yeast-extracted β-1,3/1,6-glucan and/or Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) LM1004 against AD-like symptoms. To purpose, β-1,3/1,6-glucan and/or L. plantarum LM1004 were orally administered to AD-induced animal models of rat (histamine-induced vasodilation) and mouse (pruritus and contact dermatitis) exhibiting different symptoms of AD. We then investigated the treatment effects on AD-like symptoms, gene expression of immune-related factors, and gut microbiomes. Oral administration of β-1,3/1,6-glucan (0.01 g/kg initial body weight) and/or 2 × 10¹² cells/g L. plantarum LM1004 (0.01 g/kg initial body weight) to AD-induced animal models showed significantly reduced vasodilation in the rat model, and pruritus, edema, and serum histamine in the mouse models (p < 0.05). Interestingly, β-1,3/1,6-glucan and/or L. plantarum LM1004 significantly decreased the mRNA levels of Th2 and Th17 cell transcription factors, while the transcription factors of Th1 and Treg cells, galactin-9, filaggrin increased, which are indicative of enhanced immunomodulation (p < 0.05). Moreover, in rats with no AD induction, the same treatments significantly increased the relative abundance of phylum Bacteroidetes and the genus Bacteroides. Furthermore, bacterial taxa associated with butyrate production such as, Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae at family, and Roseburia at genus level were increased in the treated groups. These findings suggest that the dietary supplementation of β-1,3/1,6-glucan and/or L. plantarum LM1004 has a great potential for treatment of AD as well as obesity in humans through mechanisms that might involve modulation of host immune systems and gut microbiota.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.335-337
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• 1997

In this study, we show a convenient MTT assay for detect the susceptibility of yeast-like form of Trichosporon beigelii against antifungal agents. This assay was developed based on mitocondrial respiration by determining reduction of 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) to formazan. Cells of T beigelii are seeded into 96-well microtiter plates, and antifungal agents, amphotericin B, magainin and CA-ME hybrid peptide were added with various concentrations. After 24 hr incubation, MTT was added, then incubations were continued for 4 hr. Formazan formation was quantified photometrically after extraction of the formazan with acid sodium dodesyl sulfate (SDS). From this assay, we could obtained MICs of antifungal agents against T. beigelii. The presented method can easily be used as an effective methods to assess the antiftingal action of various agents on yeasts with minimal amounts of antifungal agents.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.565-570
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• 1994

The pullulan production and morphological change of Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 9348 were investigated both in batch fermentation and in continuous fermentation. The best carbon source for pullulan production was sucrose among seven different carbon sources. The pullulan production of A. pullulans was increased with increasing the carbon to nitrogen ratio of the medium using sucrose as a carbon source. In batch fermentation, production of pullullan occurred following exhaustion of the nitrogen source from the medium. The continuous fermentation showed that the pullulan production was closely parallelled with cell growth and was most effective at a dilution rate of 0.06~0.07 hr$^{-1}$-. The ratio of yeast-like cells(blastospores) of A. pullulans increased with the increase of growth rate, and reached 100% over the growth rate of 0.07 hr$^{-1}$. The growth rate, within a certain range, affected not only on the cell morphology, but on the specific pullulan productivity of A. pullulans.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.536-543
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• 2023

Phytoceramide (Pcer) is found mainly in plants and yeast. It can be neuroprotective and immunostimulatory on various cell types. In this study, the therapeutic effect of Pcer was explored using the carrageenan/kaolin (C/K)-induced arthritis rat model and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). Pcer treatment (1, 10, and 30 mg/kg/day) were given to the arthritic rats for 6 days after disease induction. Weight distribution ration (WDR), knee thickness, squeaking score, serum levels of proinflammatory mediators, and histological analysis were measured and performed to evaluate arthritic symptoms in the rat model. In interleukin (IL)-1β-stimulated FLS, proinflammatory mediators were measured after Pcer (1-30 µM) treatment. Arthritic symptoms in rats with Pcer treatment were significantly decreased at days 4 to 6 after C/K arthritis induction. Inflammation in the knee joints were also significantly decreased in rats with Pcer treatment. Furthermore, in IL-1β-stimulated FLS, the expressions of proinflammatory mediators were also inhibited by Pcer. As shown by the results, Pcer has anti-arthritic effects in the C/K rat model and in synovial cells, suggesting that Pcer has the potential to be a useful agent in arthritis treatment.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.156-158
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• 2012

A synthetic coprisin analog peptide, 9-mer dimer CopA3 (CopA3) was designed based on a defensin-like peptide, Coprisin, isolated from the bacteria-immunized dung beetle Copris tripartitus. Here, CopA3 was investigated for its antimicrobial activity and cancer cell growth inhibition. CopA3 showed antimicrobial activities against various pathogenic bacteria and yeast fungus with MIC values in 2~32 ${\mu}M$ ranges, and inhibited the cell viabilities of pancreatic and hepatocellular cancer cells, except MIA-Paca2, Hep3B, and HepG2 cells, in a dose-dependent manner. The average $IC_{50}$ values of CopA3 against pancreatic and hepatocellular cancer cells were 61.7 ${\mu}M$ and 67.8 ${\mu}M$, respectively. The results indicate that CopA3 has potential in the treatments of pancreatic and hepatocellular cancers as well as microorganism infection disease.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.4 no.1 s.6
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• pp.17-28
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• 1989

Having studied the production of monoclonal antibodies for developing a diagnosis medicine which shall be detected by a high-sensitivity test by using Rhodotorula rubra as a fungi-host which had been extracted through biochemical tests and follow-up examinations on Yeast-like fungi obtained from pulmonary tissues of pulmonary tuberculosis patients who had been in Kong ju National Tuberculosis Hospital from Jun. to Dec. in 1987, I. have gained such results as follows: 1. The fusion rate was influenced by feeder cell layers, cell density and time required to the cell fusion with cells in myelona subculture. 2. The fusion rate did not show any significant difference when the cell was applyed with two molecular weights, i.e., 1500 and 4000, of polyethylene glycol. 3. Fused cells after the addition of HAT selection media were bright and round, whereas unfused myelona cells and spleen cells were shrunk and granulated. 4. The cell fusion rate turned out to be about $57.2\%$(150 wells / 264 wells). 5. $10\%$(15 wells / 150 wells) of the positive reaction was detected in monoclonal antibody screening. 6. The titer which had reacted positively to Rhodotorula rubra fungal-host was 800 times in density after the gradual dilution of the produced monoclonal antibodies with Indirect ELISA method. 7. The Strongest specific reaction came out after the peroxidase labelled anti-human Immunogobulin had been applyed to Rhodotorula rubra for activating its nature after making drift with Carbonate-bicarbonate buffer (pH 9.6) and drying completely.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.264-269
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• 2012

Recently, we reported that the synthetic Coprisin analog peptide 9-mer dimer CopA3 (consisted of all-L amino acid sequence) was designed based on a defensin-like peptide, Coprisin isolated from Copris tripartitus. The 9-mer dimer CopA3 (L-CopA3) had antibacterial activity and induced apoptosis in human leukemia cells via a caspase-independent pathway. In this study, all of amino acid sequences of L-CopA3 were modified to all D-form amino acids (DCopA3) to develop a more effective antimicrobial peptide. We investigated whether D-CopA3 had antimicrobial activities against pathogenic microorganisms and pro-apoptotic effects in human leukemia cells (U937, Jurkat, and AML-2). The synthetic peptide D-CopA3 had antimicrobial activities against various pathogenic bacteria and yeast fungus with MIC values in the 4~64 ${\mu}M$ range. Moreover, D-CopA3 caused cell growth inhibition, and increased the chromosomal DNA fragmentation and the expression of inflammatory cytokines, TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL1-${\beta}$, transcripts in human leukemia cells. The all-D amino acid peptide DCopA3 proved as effective as the L-CopA3 reported previously. These results provide the basis for developing D-CopA3 as a new antibiotic peptide.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.402-407
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• 2004

A human gene T-complex protein 10 like (TCP10L) was cloned in our lab. A previous study showed that it expressed specifically in the liver and testis. A transcription experiment revealed that TCP10L was a transcription factor with transcription inhibition activity. In this study, the human MAD4 was identified to interact with TCP10L by a yeast two-hybrid screen. This finding was confirmed by immunoprecipitation and subcellular localization experiments. As MAD4 is a member of the MAD family, which antagonizes the functions of MYC and promotes cell differentiation, the biological function of the interaction between TCP10L and MAD4 may be to maintain the differentiation state in liver cells. Also, we propose that the up-regulation of Myc is caused by the down-regulation of TCP10L in human hepatocarcinomas.