• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.293-299
• /
• 2000

Many methods have been developed for screening chemicals with hormonal activity. Using recombinant yeasts expressing either human estrogen receptor [Saccharomyces cerevisiae ER + LYS 8127 (YER)] or androgen receptor [S. cerevisiae AR + 8320 (YAR)], we evaluated the hormonal activities of several chemicals by induction of ${\beta}-galactosidase$ activity. The chemicals were $17{\beta}-estradiol$ (E2), testosterone (T), ${\rho}-nonylphenol$ (NP), bisphenol A (BPA), genistein (GEN), 2-bromopropane (2-BP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), and butylparaben (BP). To assess the estrogenicity of NP, the result of the in vitro recombinant yeast assay was compared with an E-screen assay using MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and an uterotrophid assay using ovariectomized mice. In the YER yeast cells, E2, NP, BPA, GEN, and BP exhibited estrogenicity in a doseresponse manner, while TCDD did not. All the chemicals tested, except T, did not show androgenicity in the YAR yeast cell. The sensitivity of the yeast (YER) assay system to the estrogenic effect of NP was similar to that of the E-screen assay. NP was also estrogenic in the uterotrophic assay. However, in terms of convenience and costs, the yeast assay was superior to the E-screen assay or uterotrophic assay. These results suggest that the recombinant yeast assay can be used as a rapid tool for detecting chemicals with hormonal activities.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.549-556
• /
• 2005

Estrogenic and antioxidant activities of ethanol extracts of 45 edible and medicinal plants were evaluated by ${\beta}-galactosidase$ assay, and DPPH radical scavenging assay, and TBARS inhibition rate, respectively. Total polyphenol contents were in the range of 8.6 (Panax notoginseng Buck F.H. Chen.)-594.7 (Amomum globosum Loureiro) mg/g. Direct correlation between the DPPH radical scavenging activity and polyphenol content $(r^2=0.61)$ was established through simple regression analysis, whereas no correlation was observed between TBARS inhibition rate or ${\beta}-galactosidase$ activity and polyphenol content. Among medicinal plants screened, Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and Rheum undulatum L. showed strong antioxidant and estrogenic activities. Results of this study could be used as fundamental data for selecting potential phytoestrogen candidates.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.20 no.11
• /
• pp.1563-1570
• /
• 2010

To construct a highly sensitive detection system for endocrine disruptors (EDs), we have compared the activity of promoters with the n-alkane-inducible cytochrome P450 gene (ALK1), isocitrate lyase gene (ICL1), ribosomal protein S7 gene (RPS7), and the translation elongation factor-1${\alpha}$ gene (TEF1) for the heterologous gene in Yarrowia lipolytica. The promoters were introduced into the upstream of the lacZ or hERa reporter genes, respectively, and the activity was evaluated by ${\beta}$-galactosidase assay for lacZ and Western blot analysis for hER${\alpha}$. The expression analysis revealed that the ALK1 and ICL1 promoters were induced by n-decane and by EtOH, respectively. The constitutive promoter of RPS7 and TEF1 showed mostly a high level of expression in the presence of glucose and glycerol, respectively. In particular, the TEF1 promoter showed the highest ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity and a significant signal by Western blotting with the anti-estrogen receptor, compared with the other promoters. Moreover, the detection system was constructed with promoters linked to the upstream of the expression vector for the hER${\alpha}$ gene transformed into the Y. lipolytica with a chromosome-integrated lacZ reporter gene under the control of estrogen response elements (EREs). It was indicated that a combination of pTEF1p-hER${\alpha}$ and CXAU1-2XERE was the most effective system for the $E_2$-dependent induction of the ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity. This system showed the highest ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity at $10^{-6}\;M\;E_2$, and the activity could be detected at even the concentration of $10^{-10}\;M\;E_2$. As a result, we have constructed a strongly sensitive detection system with Y. lipolitica to evaluate recognized/suspected ED chemicals, such as natural/synthetic hormones, pesticides, and commercial chemicals. The results demonstrate the utility, sensitivity, and reproducibility of the system for identifying and characterizing environmental estrogens.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.109-119
• /
• 2012

This study analyzed the antibacterial activity of the ethanol extract of Schizandra chinensis Baillon against food pathogenic microorganisms to determine its capabilities as a natural antimicrobial agent. A paper disc diffusion test, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination, and time-kill assay showed that the ethanol extract strongly inhibits the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Release of cytoplasmic ${\beta}$-galactosidase was detected in E. coli, E. coli O157:H7, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa treated with the ethanol extract. An increase of outer membrane permeability caused by the ethanol extract was also observed. An outward flow of cell constituents was detected in the Gram negative strains treated with the ethanol extract. These results imply that the inner and outer membranes of cells were partially destroyed and cell constituents were released by the treatment of the S. chinensis Baillon ethanol extract. The results of this study indicate that ethanol extract of S. chinensis Baillon evidences a fairly good antibacterial effect.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.218-222
• /
• 2007

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) were screened for estrogenic activity using a recombinant yeast screening system consisted with estrogen receptors and ${\beta}-galactosidase$ as reporter gene. The chemicals showed estrogenic activity in ranges of $1{\times}10^{-10}\;to\;1{\times}10^{-7}M(DEHP)\;and\;of\;1{\times}10^{-9}M\;to\;1{\times}10^{-6}M(DBP)$ respectively. $17{\beta}-estradiol$, as a positive control of, showed maximal activity at $1{\times}10^{-9}M$. The concentration of half-maximal estrogenic activity was $1{\times}10^{-9}M$ for both chemicals. However, the concentration of maximal estrogenic activity was $1{\times}10^{-7}M$ for DEHP and $1{\times}10^{-8}M$ M for DBP. These results suggested that DBP was higher in relative potencies and more sensitive than DEHP. In conclusion, DEHP and DBP were both estrogenic, even though DBP was more reactive to estrogen receptor.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.197-202
• /
• 1997

Kyoaesamultang(KAT) has been used as an important prescription for various diseases including threatened abortion, associated with pregnancy in traditional medicine. In oder to identify the safety of KAT, this study was designed to determine mutagenicity and hepato-toxicity. In Rec-assay, Bacillus subtills H-17($Rec{^+}$) and M-45($Rec{^-}$) strains were used to clarify the DNA damage property. In Ames test, Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 were used for mutagenicity testing. In SOS umu test, Salmonella typhimurium TA1535 containing plasmid pSK1002 was used as a tester strain, and the levels of umu operon expression were monitored by measuring the $\beta$-galactosidase activity. From tested results, KAT did not show DNA damage and mutagenicity. On the other hand, hepato-toxicity of KAT to female ICR mice was monitored by the measurements of s-GOT, s-GPT and LDH activities after oral feeding for 15days. KAT showed 34% increase of s-GOT and s-GPT activities, also exhibited 35% increase of LDH activity in mice sera.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.8 no.6
• /
• pp.676-684
• /
• 1998

Baculovirus transfer and expression vectors with Hyphantria cunea nuclear polyhedrosis virus (HcNPV) were constructed. An initial transfer vector, pHcEV, constructed using HcNPV was previously reported (Park et al. 1993. J. Kor. Soc. Viral. 23: 141-151). Herein, the size of the vector was properly reduced, and a functionally perfect vector was constructed and named pHcEV-IV (6.7 kb). The vector has a 2.2-kb HcNPV DNA sequence in the 5'-flanking region of the vector's polyhedrin gene promoter. The 1.8-kb HcNPV DNA sequence, poly A signal sequence, T3 primer sequence, and 13 multicloning site sequences, in order, were ligated in front of the translation start codon of the polyhedrin gene. The cloning indicating marker lacZ gene was inserted into the pHcEV-IV, named pHcEV-IV-lacZ, and transferred into the wild-type virus. Recombinant expression virus, lacZ-HcNPV, was constructed by replacing the lacZ gene in the pHcEV-IV-lacZ with the polyhedrin gene of the wild-type virus. The recombinant virus was isolated from blue plaques that produce $\beta$-galactosidase without polyhedra. The lacZ gene insertion was confirmed by Southern hybridization analysis. The expression of the lacZ gene in Spodoptera frugiperda cells infected with the lacZ-HcNPV was examined by SDS-PAGE and colorimetric assay. One 116-kDa LacZ protein band appeared on the PAGE. The production rate of the $\beta$-galactosidase was approximately 50 international units (IU) per min per ml between 2 to 5 days postinfection (p.i.). The highest activity occurred at five days p.i. was 170 IU/min/$m\ell$. The enzyme activity first appeared about 20 h p.i. as measured by colorimetric assay.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.322-328
• /
• 2005

Acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) are known to be the triggering molecules in the quorum sensing mechanism of many gram-negative bacteria. In order to detect AHL inhibitors that are potential biofilm inhibitors, a convenient and sensitive bioassay was developed based on the $\beta$-galactosidase activity ($\beta$-GAL) of a recombinant Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain. A series of commercially available AHLs were tested for inducing $\beta$-GAL at varying concentrations in agar-plate and liquid cultures of the reporter strain. All AHLs tested exhibited a concentration­dependent induction, and octanoyl homoserine lactone (OHL) showed the highest sensitivity with a detection limit of 0.1 nM in the liquid culture assay. When fimbrolide, a known quorum sensing inhibitor, was added, induction of $\beta$-GAL by OHL was repressed. The repression at a constant OHL concentration was dependent on the fimbrolide concentration with the detection limit below 1 ppm, indicating that this assay is a sensitive method for screening AHL inhibitors.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.17 no.6
• /
• pp.863-868
• /
• 2004

Lectin activities and chemical characteristics of Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. originating from the porcine cecal mucosal layer were studied based on hemagglutination assay (HA) and hemagglutination inhibition assay (HIA). Although all the bacterial strains were able to agglutinate erythrocytes of porcine or rabbit origin, much higher HA titers were consistently observed for Lactobacillus spp. than for E. coli or for Bifidobacterium spp. A remarkable reduction in HA titers occurred by the treatment of E. coli and Lactobacillus spp. with protease or trypsin and of Bifidobacterium spp. with protease, trypsin or periodate. There were no significant effects on the HA titers of the three groups of bacteria after the treatment with lipase. Hemagglutination of E. coli was strongly inhibited by D (+)-mannose and D (+)-galactose; Lactobacillus spp. by $\alpha$-L-rhamnose and methyl-$\beta$-galactopyranoside; Bifidobacterium spp. by D (+)-alactose, $\alpha$-L-rhamnose, $\alpha$-L-fucose, L (+)-arabinose, D (+)-mannose, D (-)-fructose at a relatively low concentration (1.43 to 3.75 mg/ml). These results, combined with the enhanced HA activities of the three bacterial strains by modification of rabbit erythrocytes with neuraminidase and abolished HA activity of E. coli after treatment with $\beta$-galactosidase, indicate that it might be the glycoproteinous substances surrounding the surface of the bacterial cells that are responsible for the adhesions of these microorganisms by recognizing the specific receptors on the red blood cell.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.524-528
• /
• 2001

The measurement of radiation response using simple and informative techniques would be of great value in studying the genetic risk following occupational, therapeutic, or accidental exposure to radiation. When patients receive radiation therapy, many suffer from side effects. Since each patient receives a different dose due to different physical conditions, it is important to measure the exact dose of radiation received by each patient to lessen the side effects. Even though several biological dosimetric systems have already been developed, there is no ideal system that can satisfy all the criteria for an idean dosimetric system, especially for low-dose radiation as used in radiation therapy. In this study, an SOS Chromotest of E. coli PQ37 was evaluated as a novel dosimeter for low-dose gamma-rays. E. coli PQ37 was originally developed to screen chemical mutagens using the SOS Chromotest-a colorimtric assay, based on the induction of ${\beta}$-galactosidase ue to DNA damage. The survival fraction of E. coli PQ37 decreased dose-dependently with an increasing dose of cobalt-60 gamma-rays. Also, a good linear correlation was found between the biological damage revealed by the ${\beta}$-galactosidase expression and the doses of gamma-rays. The expression of ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity that responded to low-dose radiation under 1 Gy was $Y=0.404+(0.089{\pm}0.3)D+(-0.018{\pm}0.16)D^2$ (Y, absorbance at 420 nm; D, Dose of irradiation) as calculated using Graph Pad In Plot and Excel. When a rabbit was fed with capsules containing an agar block embdded with E. coli PQ37 showed a linear response to the radiation doses. Accordingly, the results confirm that E. coli PQ37 can be used as a sensitive biological dosimeter fro cobalt-60 gamma-rays. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a bacterium has been used as a biological dosimeter, especially for low-dose radiation.