• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.22 no.12
• /
• pp.1621-1628
• /
• 2012

The agar-degrading bacterium GNUM-1 was isolated from the brown algal species Sargassum serratifolium, which was obtained from the West Sea of Korea, by using the selective artificial seawater agar plate. The cells were Gram-negative, $0.5-0.6{\mu}m$ wide and $2.0-2.5{\mu}m$ long curved rods with a single polar flagellum, forming nonpigmented, circular, smooth colonies. Cells grew at $20^{\circ}C-37^{\circ}C$, between pH 5.0 and 9.0, and at 1-10% (w/v) NaCl. The DNA G+C content of the GNUM-1 strain was 45.5 mol%. The 16S rRNA sequence of the GNUM-1 was very similar to those of Alteromonas stellipolaris LMG 21861 (99.86% sequence homology) and Alteromonas addita $R10SW13^T$(99.64% sequence homology), which led us to assign it to the genus Alteromonas. It showed positive activities for agarase, amylase, gelatinase, alkaline phosphatase, esterase (C8), lipase (C14), leucine arylamidase, valine arylamidase, ${\alpha}$-chymotrypsin, acid phosphatase, naphthol-AS-BI-phosphohydrolase, ${\alpha}$-galactosidase, ${\beta}$-galactosidase, ${\beta}$-glucosidase, catalase, and urease. It can utilize citrate, malic acid, and trisodium citrate. The major fatty acids were summed feature 3 (21.5%, comprising $C_{16:1}{\omega}7c/iso-C_{15:0}$ 2-OH) and C16:0 (15.04%). On the basis of the variations in many biochemical characteristics, GNUM-1 was considered as unique and thus was named Alteromonas sp. GNUM-1. It produced the highest agarase activity in modified ASW medium containing 0.4% sucrose, but lower activity in rich media despite superior growth, implying that agarase production is tightly regulated and repressed in a rich nutrient condition. The 30 kDa protein with agarase activity was identified by zymography, and this report serves as the very first account of such a protein in the genus Alteromonas.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.37-45
• /
• 1993

Enzyme activity changes in rat blood as biochemical indicator useful for evaluating exposure dose were experimentally studied. The experimental results obtained are as follows: 1) Alkaline phosphatase activities increased in the blood serum until 24 hours after 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 2 and 4Gy irradiation and its activities returned normal condition after 72 hours of post-irradiation. Creatine kinase activities increased in the blood serum until 72 hours after 2 and 4Gy irradiation but any significant activity changes were not detected after 0.1, 0.25Gy irradiation. 2) Malate dehydrogenase activities did not reveal available changes after 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 Gy irradiation and lactate dehynrogenase activities decreased in the blood serum after 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 Gy irradiation.3) Glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase activity changes were detected in the blood serum after 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 2, 4Gy(0.1Gy/min.) and GOT activities increased after 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 5, 7Gy(0.5Gy/sec.). Any acid phosphatase activities were detected in the blood serum after 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 2, 4Gy(0.1Gy/min.) and 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 5, 7Gy(0.5 Gy/sec.) irradiation. Potentially some of these enzymes can be used as indicator protein for radiation injury. Futher investigation is needed to find better biochemical indicators utilizing recent know-ledge and techniques of biochemistry.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.6
• /
• pp.1214-1220
• /
• 2008

Secondary metabolites from the fruit body of Phellinus linteus were evaluated for their proliferative effect on human osteoblast-like cells. 3-[4,5-Dimethylthiazole-2-y1]-2,5-diphenyl-tetraxolium bromide (MTT) assay and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay were used to assess the effect those isolates on the human osteoblast-like cell line (Saos-2). Activity-guided fractionation led to the isolation of ALP-activating phenolic compounds through the extraction of P. linteus, solvent partitioning, and repeated silica gel and octadecyl silica gel (ODS) column chromatographic separations. From the result of spectroscopic data including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry (MS), and infrared spectroscopy (IR), the chemical structures of the compounds were determined as 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-buten-2-one(1), 2-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-1,3-benzodioxole-5-aldehyde (2), 4-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-buten-2-one (3), 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (4), and protocatechuic acid methyl ester (5), respectively. This study reports the first isolation of compounds 1-3 and 5 from P. linteus. In addition, all phenolic compounds stimulated proliferation of the osteoblast-like cells and increased their ALP activity in a dose-dependent manner ($10^{-8}$ to $10^{-1}\;mg/mL$). The present data demonstrate that phenolic compounds in P. linteus stimulated mineralization in bone formation caused by osteoporosis. The bone-formation effect of P. linteus seems to be mediated, at least partly, by the stimulating effect of the phenolic compounds on the growth of osteoblasts.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.72-80
• /
• 2005

To prevent and treat the osteoporosis, diverse therapies have been applied, which is still need to solve negative side effects. We investigated the effects of the extract from alternative medicine(AM) on the progress of bone loss in ovariectomized-rats fed with Ca-deficient diet for 7 or 14 weeks. Ovariectomy(OVX) concomitant with Ca-deficiency caused bone loss evidently decreased in bone mineral density and bone strength of femoral epiphysis and vertebrae, which were ameliorated with administration of AM extract. Also, the effect of AM extract on the biochemical markers were measured. The increased serum alkaline phosphatase caused by OVX and Ca-deficiency were observed, which were not affected by administration of AM extract. Administration of AM extract may have preventive effect on the elevated serum acid phosphatase concentrations caused by OVX and Ca-deficiency at 14 wks, implicating that AM extract possibly acts toward reducing born resorption, even though the results were not statistically significant. Serum osteocalcin and urinary deoxypyridinoline, the markers of bone turn over, were not changed by estrogen deficiency or AM extract. We concluded that the AM extract treatment had potently preventive effects on the decreased bone density and bone strength induced by OVX and Ca-deficiency. The changes of biochemical markers related to the effect of AM extract were not manifested but it still suggest that AM extract may inhibit the bone resorption derived from OVX and Ca-deficiency.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.40 no.7
• /
• pp.919-927
• /
• 2011

Avocado (Persea americana Mill., Family Lauraceae) is an important subtropical crop in the Americas where it has been cultivated for several thousand years. To investigate the bioactivities of avocado, which acts on bone formation, we prepared methanol extracts from the sarcocarp, peels, and seeds of avocado. The methanol extracts of peels and seeds showed higher bone-forming activity than avocado sarcocarp extracts accompanied by MC3T3-E1 osteoblast proliferation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. Additionally, the extracts of sarcocarp and peel from avocado also decreased tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity against differentiation of osteoclasts, derived from mouse bone marrow macrophages. The hexane fraction from avocado peels showed strong bone-forming activity accompanied by osteoblast proliferation and ALP activity (170.7${\pm}$8.4%), and the ethyl acetate fraction from avocado peel decreased TRAP activity (5.2${\pm}$0.3%) and differentiated osteoclasts at 50 ${\mu}g$/mL. Therefore, avocado is expected to be a natural source for developing medicinal agents to prevent bone-related diseases, such as osteoporosis, by increasing osteoblast differentiation and reducing osteoclast activity.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.156-163
• /
• 2017

A greenhouse experiment was conducted for evaluation of ecological effects of transgenic melon plants in the rhizospheric soil in terms of soil properties, enzyme activities and microbial communities. Organic matter content of soil under transgenic melon plants was significantly higher than that of soil with non-transgenic melon plants. Significant variations were observed in organic matter, total P and K in soil cultivation with transgenic melon plants. There were also significant variations in the total numbers of colony forming units of fungi, actinomycetes and bacteria between soils treated with transgenic and non-transgenic melon plants. Transgenic and non-transgenic melon significantly enhanced several enzymes activities including urease, acid phosphatase, alkalin phosphatase, arysulphtase, ${\beta}$ glucosidase, dehydrogenase, protease and catalase. Soil polyphenoloxidase activity of $T_1$ transgenic melon was lower than that of $T_0$ transgenic melon and a non-melon plant during the same period. The first generation transgenic melon plants ($T_0$) showed significantly greater (p<0.05) effect on the activitiy of arylsulfatase, which increased from $2.540{\times}10^6CFU\;g^{-1}$ (control) to $19.860{\times}10^6CFU\;g^{-1}$ ($T_0$). These results clearly indicated that transgenic melon might change microbial communities, enzyme activities and soil chemical properties.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.52 no.2
• /
• pp.111-112
• /
• 2019

Although many studies have reported that the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) represents one of the major pathological changes in aging, the mechanism underlying this process remains relatively unexplored. In this study, we described that acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) derived from endothelial cells plays a critical role in BBB disruption in aging. ASM levels were elevated in the brain endothelium and plasma of aged humans and mice, resulting in BBB leakage through an increase in caveolae-mediated transcytosis. Moreover, ASM caused damage to the caveolae-cytoskeleton via protein phosphatase 1-mediated ezrin/radixin/moesin dephosphorylation in primary mouse brain endothelial cells. Mice overexpressing brain endothelial cell-specific ASM exhibited acceleration of BBB impairment and neuronal dysfunction. However, genetic inhibition and endothelial specific knock-down of ASM in mice improved BBB disruption and neurocognitive impairment during aging. Results of this study revealed a novel role of ASM in the regulation of BBB integrity and neuronal function in aging, thus highlighting the potential of ASM as a new therapeutic target for anti-aging.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.33 no.12
• /
• pp.3943-3949
• /
• 2012

A series of aromatic hydrazides 3a-j were prepared by refluxing esters 2a-j with hydrazine hydrate in methanol, which were prepared by the esterification of 1a-j. Acetohydrazides 3a-j upon treatment with carbon disulfide and methanolic potassium hydroxide yielded potassium dithiocarbazate salts 4a-j, which on refluxing with hydrazine hydrate yielded substituted 4-amino-5-aryl-3H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiones 5a-j. The target compounds 6a-j were synthesized by condensing furan-3-carboxylic acid in the presence of polyphosphoric acid under reflux. The structures of newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, $^1H$ NMR, $^{13}C$ NMR, elemental analysis and mass spectrometric studies. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their urease, acetylcholine esterase inhibition, antioxidant and alkaline phosphatase inhibition activity. Almost all of the compounds 6a-j showed good to excellent activities against urease and acetylcholine esterase more than the reference drugs. Compounds 6f and 6g were more potent scavenger of free radicals than the reference n-propyl gallate. Compound 6b and 6h showed excellent activities of alkaline phosphatase as compare to the reference $KH_2PO_4$.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.95-106
• /
• 1988

Specific or non-specific cytolytic processes of free-living amoebae causing meningoencephalitls have been emphasized and the cytolytic ability related to hydrolases in Entantoeba sp. and Naegleria sp. has also been reported since the latter half of 1970's. However, no information on hydrolase activities in Acanthamoeba sp. is available. Hydrolases in Acanthamoeba culbertsoni, a pathogenic species of free-living amoebae, were assayed and compared with those in a non-pathogenic species, A. royreba. Pathogenicity of these two species was confirmed through experimental infection to BALB/c mice. Hydrolase activities and cytotoxic effects between pathogenic and non.pathogenic species were compared in the trophozoites cultured in CGV media and in CHO cell line, respectively. The results are summarized as follows: 1. The mice infected with A. culbertseni were all dead 15 days after nasal inoculation, and the mean survival time was 8.5 days. Also the mice infected with this pathogenic species manifested typical meningoencephalitis, whereas the mice infected with A. royreba did not. 2. Hydrolases detected both in the cell extracts and culture media were acid phosphatase, ${\beta}-N-acetyl$ galactosaminidase, ${\beta}-N-acetyl$ glucosaminidase, ${\alpha}-mannosidase$, neutral proteinase and acid proteinase, all of which were detected with remarkably higher rate in A. culbertsoni than in A. royreba. 3. A. cuzbertsoni revealed strong cytotoxicity for the target CHO cells, whereas A. royreba did not show any specific cytotoxicity. About 80% of the target cells mixed with A. culbertsoni were dead 48 hours after cultivation, and more than 95% of the target cells were dead 72 hours after cultivation. 4. Hydrolase activities in A. culbertsoni cultured with the target cell line were assayed according to the culture time. The activities of acid phosphatase, ${\beta}-N-acetyl$ galactosaminidase, ${\beta}-N-acetyl$ glucosaminidase, ${\alpha}-mannosidase$ and acid proteinase in this pathogenic amoeba were detected higher in amoeba extracts than in culture media up to 120 hours after cultivation, but after 120 hours of cultivation those activities were detected higher in culture media than in the amoeba Iysates. Neutral proteinase activity in A. culbertsoni increased more in EBSS medium than in the Iysate specimens although the activity in the extracts was generally steady according to the cultivation time. Summarizing the above results, it is concluded that there were differences in hydrolase activities between Pathogenic A. culbertsoni and non-pathogenic A. royreba, and that some hydrolase activities were detected remarkably higher in A. culbertsoni which revealed strong cytotoxicity to the target CHO cell line.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.17-27
• /
• 2014

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the inhibitory effect of polygoni cuspidati radix (PCR) extract on osteoclast differentiation. Methods: MTT-assay was performed to estimate cytotoxicity of PCR extract in BMMs stimulated with RANKL. Tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining, TRAP activity and RT-PCR were performed to know the inhibitory effect on osteoclast differentiation. actin ring formation were analysed to observe the effect of PCR extract. Results: PCR decreased the number of TRAP positive cells and TRAP activities in BMMs stimulated with RANKL and M-CSF. PCR restrained the formation of actin ring. PCR down regulated the induction of NFATc1, c-Fos, TRAP and OSCAR by RANKL. PCR inhibited NF-${\kappa}B$ activity by inducing degradation of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$. Conclusions: We suggest that PCR Extracts can be an effective therapeutic agent on osteoclast differentiation caused by diseases such as osteoporosis.