• Environmental Sciences Bulletin of The Korean Environmental Sciences Society
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.159-168
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• 1998

Effect of plant growth regulators and end-product on the enzyme activities in cotyledons of Vigna angularis during germination was investigated by measuring the changes of $\alpha-amylase$ activities in attached and detached cotyledons applied growth regulators and sugars. The higher levels of $\alpha-amylase$ in detached cotyledons than those in cotyledons attached to the embryonic axis were due to both faster synthesis and slower degradation of the enzyme in the detached cotyledons than in the attached cotyledons. Levels of $\alpha-amylase$ activity were reduced by high concentrations of glucose and sucrose, and it is suggested that this effect was caused mostly by osmotic stress and partly by end-product repression. In detached cotyledons exogenously supplied $GA_3,$ IAA, kinetin, or their combinations has a small promotive effect on the developmental patterns of $\alpha-amylase$ activity ABA and uniconazole both prevented the synthesis of $\alpha-amylase$. Glucose inhibition of enzyme activity was partly reversed by the application of $GA_3,$ and CAMP. $GA_3,$ and cAMP seemed to act through a similar mechanism. The addition of inhibitors of protein and RNA synthesis largely prevented the increase of enzyme activity in the presence or absence of exogenous $GA_3,$. The pretreatment experiments with canavanine indicated that the earlier the time of addition was, the lower the amylase activity was.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.293-296
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• 1996

The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of Ni on germination, cell elongation, ${\alpha}-amylase$ activity, contents of chlorophyll and protein in radish were determined in the water culture. As the concentration of Ni was increased in the water culture, germination of radish was 55% by Ni 10 mg/kg and 30% by Ni 20 mg/kg. The ratio of cell elongation injury was 50%, by two days after Ni 20 mg/kg treatment. The injury ratio of ${\alpha}-amylase$ activity was 45% in the same condition and as the time goes on, inhibition of ${\alpha}-amylase$ activity were slightly decreased. Contents of chlorophyll a and b were decreased two days after treatment and chlorophyll a was more inhibited than chlorophyll b. Also changes of the protein contents was slightly decreased. Activity of ${\alpha}-amylase$ was decreased at germination stage, contents of chlorophyll a and b were decreased at growing stage.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.867-872
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• 1994

Progesterone catabolizing enzyme, the enzyme $20{\alpha}$-hydroxysteroid dehydrgenase($20{\alpha}$-HSD) is pivotal in the regulation of ovarian function in rodents, which catabolizes progesterone into biologically inactive $20{\alpha}$-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one($20{\alpha}$-OHP). In this study was carried out the influence of $20{\alpha}$-HSD activity of ovarian function, we investigated changes in ovarian cytosol $20{\alpha}$-HSD activity and serume progesterone concentration during the estrous cycles and pregnancy in rat. During the estrous cycles, the $20{\alpha}$-HSD activities were highest on the progestrous, but serum progesterone concentration was lowest on this phase. During the pregnancy, the $20{\alpha}$-HSD activities were relatively higher early pregnancy(day-1-3 gestation) and late pregnancy(day 21 to parturition), serum progesterone concentration was maintained significantly high to day 19 of gestation. The $20{\alpha}$-HSD activities were lower during the middle pregnancy. From these results, ovarian $20{\alpha}$-HSD activities may possibly act as physiologically very important in the control and maintenance of estrous cycles in rat.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.189-199
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• 1996

Myocardial ${\alpha}_1-adrenoceptors$ have been shown to mediate a biphaslc inotropic response that was characterized by a transient decline followed by a sustained increasing phase in guinea pig ventricular muscle. Recently one group reported that an ${\alpha}_1-adrenoceptors-induced$ intracellular $Na^+$ decrease is linked to fast $Na^+$ channel inhibition and another group reported that it is linked to $Na^+$-$K^+$ pump activation by ${\alpha}_{1b}-adrenoceptors$. But until now, its mechanism is not clear. Therefore, to see whether the $Na^+$channel or $Na^+-K^+$ pump is related to a decrease in intracellular $Na^+$ activity and/or the negative inotropic response, and which ${\alpha}_1-adrenoceptor$ subtype was involved in the decrease in intracellular $Na^+$activity by phenylephrine, we used conventional and sodium selective microelectrodes, and tension transducer to determine the effects of ${\alpha}_1-adrenergic$ stimulation on membrane potential, intracellular $Na^+$ activity, and twitch force in guinea pig ventricular muscles. $10^{-5}$ M Phenylephrine produced a slight hyperpolarization of the diastolic membrane potential, a decrease or increase in $a_N^i_a$, and a biphasic inotropic response. The negative inotropic response accompanied by a decrease in intracellular $Na^+$activity, whereas in muscles showing a remarkable positive inotropic response without initial negative inotropic effect was accompanied by an increase in intracellular $Na^+$ activity. The decrease in intracellular $Na^+$ activity was apparently inhibited by WB4101, an antagonist of the ${\alpha}_{1a}-adrenoceptors$. The decrease in intracellular $Na^+$ activity caused by phenylephrine was not abolished or reduced by a block of the fast $Na^+$ channels. $V_{max}$ also was not affected by phenylephrine. Phenylephrine produced an increase in intracellular $Na^+$ activity in the presence of a high concentration of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ (in quiescent muscle) or phorbol dibutyrate, a protein kinase C activator(in beating muscle). These suggest that the ${\alpha}_{1a}-adrenoceptors-mediated$ decrease in intracellular $Na^+$ activity may be related to the protein kinase C.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.638-646
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• 1997

The steroid 9${alpha}$-hydroxylase activity has been detected in cytosol fraction, $100,00{\times}g$ supernatant of cell free extract of Mycobacterium fortuitum. The activity was not linear with protein concentration in the assay suggesting 9${alpha}$-hydroxylase is a multicomponent enzyme. The 9${alpha}$-hydroxylase system was partially purified through fractional saturation of ammonium sulfate, strong anion exchange (Mono Q) column chromatography, gel filtration (Superose 12) column chromatography, and testosterone affinity gel chromatography. Ammonium sulfate 50~60% saturated fraction of the cytosol gave 9${alpha}$-hydroxylase activity. For further purification, the half-saturated ammonium sulfate fraction was applied to Mono Q, Superose 12, or affinity gel column. The purification factors of 9${alpha}$-hydroxylase containing fraction after Mono Q, Superose 12, and affinity gel chromatography was 13, 11, and 17 respectively.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.269-274
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• 2002

A large number of factors such as osteotropic hormones, cytokines, or growth factors are related to the bone remodeling which is characterized by the coupling of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and osteoblast-mediated bone formation. Recent investigations have indicated that cytokines such as $interleukin-1{\beta}\;(IL-1{\beta})$ and tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}\;(TNF-{\alpha})$ play a potential role in the bone resorption associated with a variety of pathological conditions such as inflammatory osteolytic disease. Collagen is the most abundant protein of the extracellular matrix of bone, and the participation of collagenase in bone resorption has been widely investigated. In this study, effects of $IL-1{\beta}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ on the release of collagenase from osteoblastic cells were measured. The gelatinase activity was also measured by gel substrate analysis (zymography) after electrophoresis of conditioned media of osteoblastic cell culture. $IL-1{\beta}$ increased the collagenase activity in ROS17/2.8 and HOS cell culture. $TNF-{\alpha}$ also increased the collagenase activity of osteoblastic cells. When two kinds of cytokines were treated simultaneously in the culture of osteoblastic cells, synergistic increase of collagenase activity was seen in ROS17/2.8 cells. $IL-1{\beta}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ significantly increased the collagenase activity after 6 hour treatment in the osteoblastic cell culture, and there was no additional increase according to the culture period. Osteoblastic cells released the gelatinase and molecular weight of this enzyme was measured about 70 KDa as assessed by zymogram. $IL-1{\beta}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ showed increase of the gelatinase activity produced by ROS17/2.8 and HOS cells. Taken together, this study suggested that $IL-1{\beta}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ can modulate bone metabolism, at least in part, by increased release of collagenase and gelatinase from osteoblasts.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.237-239
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• 1985

The effects of red light on the $\alpha$-amylase activity of barley during germination was studied. The $\alpha$-amylase activity was highest at 5th day on germination, showing rapid increase from the 3rd-day of germination. The highest activity of $\alpha$-amylase was shown among the groups treated by red light at 100 Lux luminous intensity for 3 hours a day. The $\alpha$-amylase activity of barley during germination under the red light increased to 44% compared with that of barley during germination under the dark. The protein content was not increased by red light.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.600-608
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• 2013

Amide analogs of tridecapeptide ${\alpha}$-factor (WHWLQLKPGQPMYCONH$_2$) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in which Trp at position 1 and 3 were replaced with other residues, were synthesized to ascertain whether cooperative interactions between two Trp residues occurred upon binding with its receptor. Analogs containing Ala or Aib at position 3 of the peptide $[Ala_3]{\alpha}$-factor amide (2) and $[Aib_3]{\alpha}$-factor amide (5) exhibited greater decreases in bioactivity than analogs with same residue at position one $[Ala^1]{\alpha}$-factor amide (1) and $[Aib^1]{\alpha}$-factor amide (4), reflecting that $Trp^3$ may plays more important role than $Trp^1$ for agonist activity. Analogs containing Ala or Aib in both position one and three 3, 6 exhibited complete loss of bioactivity, emphasizing both the essential role and the combined role of two indole rings for triggering cell signaling. In contrast, double substituted analog with D-Trp in both positions 9 exhibited greater activity than single substituted analog with D-Trp 8 or deleted analog 7, reflecting the combined contribution of two tryptophane residues of ${\alpha}$-factor ligand to activation of Ste2p through interaction with residue $Tyr^{266}$ and importance of the proper parallel orientation of two indole rings for efficient triggering of signal G protein coupled activation. Among ten amide analogs, $[Ala^{1,3}]{\alpha}$-factor amide (3), $[Aib^{1,3}]{\alpha}$-factor amide (6), [D-$Trp^3]{\alpha}$-factor amide (8) and [des-$Trp^1,Phe^3]{\alpha}$-factor amide (10) were found to have antagonistic activity. Analogs 3 and 6 showed greater antagonistic activity than analogs 8 and 10.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.454-458
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• 2008

Sex steroid hormone receptors play a central role in modulating telomerase activity, especially in cancer cells. However, information on the regulation of steroid hormone receptors and their distinct functions on telomerase activity within the mesenchymal stem cell are largely unavailable due to low telomerase activity in the cell. In this study, the effects of estrogen ($E_2$) treatment and function of estrogen receptor alpha ($ER{\alpha}$) and estrogen receptor beta ($ER{\beta}$) on telomerase activity were investigated in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Telomerase activity and mRNA expression of the catalytic subunit of telomerase (hTERT) were upregulated by treatment of the cells with $E_2$. The protein concentration of $ER{\alpha}$ was also increased by $E_2$ treatment, and enhancement of $ER{\alpha}$ accumulation in the nucleus was clearly detected with immunocytochemistry. When $ER{\alpha}$ expression was reduced by siRNA transfection into hMSCs, the effect of $E_2$ on the induction of hTERT expression and telomerase activity was diminished. In contrast, the transient overexpression of $ER{\alpha}$ increased the effect of $E_2$ on the expression of hTERT mRNA. These findings indicate that the activation of hTERT expression and telomerase activity by $E_2$ in hMSCs depends on $ER{\alpha}$, but not on $ER{\beta}$.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.12-18
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• 2008

Antioxidative activity and inhibitory activity of angiotensin I converting enzyme(ACE), aminopeptidase N(APN) and $\alpha$-amylase were investigated in the methanol extracts from 25 fern plants native to Jeju Island, in order to screen the plant species containing bioactive materials for functional foods or medicines. The antioxidative activity was higher in Cytomium fortunei(41.9%) and Rumohra standishii(34.1%) than in leaves of Thea sinensis(30.9%), a small tree for antioxidative beverage. Inhibitory activities of ACE and APN were relatively high in Cytomium fortunei as 26.7% and 28.2% respectively. $\alpha$-Amylase inhibitory activity was higher than 50% in 10 species. Particularly, Cytomium fortunei(87.4%) and Dryopteris erythrosora(71.6%) showed the inhibitory activities higher than those of other form plants. Of 25 fern plants investigated here, Cytomium fortunei showed not only the highest antioxidative activity but also the highest inhibitory activity of ACE, APN and $\alpha$-amylase. It suggests that Cytomium fortunei could be potentially used as a resource of bioactive materials for fuctional foods or medicines.