• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.295-303
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• 2003

Physiological cellular activities responses to cadmium (Cd) exposure in green algae with several reductases activities and viability of the cell were examined. The cell division of green algae, Selenastrum capricornutum treated with 5ppm was significantly decreased than that of normal algae. The mean cell number of normal algal culture was as twice much as than that of algae at 6 days after Cd treatment. The cellular viability of algae was analysed by flow-cytometry with fluorescent dye after esterase reaction on cell membrane. The 85.35% of cellular viability of normal culture was decreased to 34.35% when algae was treated with 5 ppm of Cd at 6 days after treatment. It was considered that those method of flow-cytometry is useful tool for toxicity test on micro-organisms in the respect of identifying cellular viability. Also, the activities of both glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), which are indirectly react against oxidative stress through reduction of glutathione by Cd were significantly increased with 25%. It is considered that both GPX and APX are involved in the metabolic pathway of Cd -detoxification with similar portion in Selenasturm capricornutum.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.451-455
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• 1999

The concentrations of L-ascorbic acid (AsA, ascorbate, vitamin C) and its biosynthetic and metabolically-related enzymes such as L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (GLDase), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and ascorbate oxidase (ASO) were investigated in suspension cultures of Scutellaria baicalensis. Cells growing from 4 days after subculture (DAS) to 9 DAS and from 16 DAS to 19 DAS showed a diauxic growth, and then growth rapidly decreased with further culturing. The AsA content slowly increased to 19 DAS, reached a maximum at 21 DAS (ca $120\;{\mu}g/g$ dry cell wt), and then rapidly decreased with further culturing. GLDase and ASO activity were well correlated with the cell growth curve, showing a maximum at 19 DAS, whereas APX activity showed a good correlation with the changes in AsA content, showing a maximum at 21 DAS. The total ascorbate contents (reduced form, AsA, and oxidized form, dehydroascorbate, DHA) were markedly enhanced at 10 DAS when L-galactose and L-galactono-1,4-lactone (25 mM) were added to SH medium supplemented with 20 g/l sucrose at 9 DAS, by 5.5 and 6.8 times, respectively. DHA composed more than 90% of the total ascorbate contents in suspension cultures of S. baicalensis, even though the ratio of reduced to oxidized form slightly varied with cell growth stage. The results indicate that L-galactose and L-galactono-1,4-lactone are effective precursors of AsA in cell cultures of S. baicalensis, and that in vitro cultured cells provide suitable biomaterials for the study of biosynthesis and metabolism of AsA.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 2011

Korean bennudagrass collections showed diverse genetic variations in their morphology, growth habit, and cytological aspects. Chromosome number and nuclear DNA content of the bennudagrasses indicated a ploidy level ranging from triploid (2n=3x) to hexaploid (2n=6x). In this study, we investigated the different responses of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase) and cell membrane stability of those bennudagrass cytotypes to lower temperature and shorter day length, which meets a dormant induction in Korea. All the antioxidant enzymes were found to be higher during dormant stage, while the heme-containing catalase which converts hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) to water and oxygen molecules was activated before dormant initiation in the three cytotypes except for hexaploid bennudagrass. The triploid and tetraploid which exhibited relatively finer leaves and a rapid establishment speed were found to show increased activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase enzyme. The malondialdehyde(MDA) which is a product of lipid peroxidation in the cell membrane damaged by the hydroxyl radical was increased in all cytotypes as temperature declined, and tri- and tetraploids which had more protective antioxidant enzymes demonstrated a significantly lower MDA production. Similarly electrolyte leakage was higher in penta- and hexaploidy, seemingly more damage to cell membrane when low temperature was implemented. Results indicated that antioxidant responses of different cytotypes were genetically specific, which needs to be investigated the relevance with the low temperature tolerance in the bermudagrass further at the molecular level.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1506-1512
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• 2010

The present study examined the salinity-induced oxidative damage and differential response of enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants of Nostoc muscorum. As compared with carotenoid content that showed induction, the chlorophyll and phycocyanin contents were inhibited after salt stress. Acceleration of lipid peroxidation and peroxide production suggested the onset of oxidative damage. The activities of all studied enzymatic antioxidants were significantly increased by salt stress, with maximum induction occuring with superoxide dismutase (154.8% at 200 mM NaCl treatment). Interestingly, under severe stress condition (250 mM NaCl), ascorbate peroxidase seemed to be more crucial than catalase for peroxide scavenging. Among the studied nonenzymatic antioxidants, ${\alpha}$-tocopherol was induced maximally (56.0%); however, ascorbate and reduced glutathione were increased by only 8.9% after 250 mM NaCl treatment as compared with control cells. Therefore, salinity was found to induce the antioxidative defense system of N. muscorum.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2010.10a
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• pp.14-14
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• 2010

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an essential component for collagen biosynthesis and also for the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system in humans. Unlike most of the animals, humans lack the ability to synthesize ascorbic acid on their own due to a mutation in the gene encoding the last enzyme of ascorbate biosynthesis. As a result, vitamin C must be obtained from dietary sources like plants. In this study, we have developed two different kinds of transgenic potato plants (Solanumtuberosum L. cv. Taedong Valley) overexpressing strawberry GalUR and mouse GLoase gene under the control of CaMV 35S promoter with increased ascorbic acid levels. Integration of the these genes in the plant genome was confirmed by PCR and Southern blotting. Ascorbic acid(AsA) levels in transgenic tubers were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). The over-expression of these genes resulted in 2-4 folds increase in AsA intransgenic potato and the levels of AsA were positively correlated with increased geneactivity. The transgenic lines with enhanced vitamin C content showed enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses induced by methyl viologen(MV), NaCl or mannitol as compared to untransformed control plants. The leaf disc senescence assay showed better tolerance in transgenic lines by retaining higher chlorophyll as compared to the untransformed control plants. Present study demonstrated that the over-expression of these gene enhanced the level of AsA in potato tubers and these transgenics performed better under different abiotic stresses as compared to untransformed control. We have also investigated the mechanism of the abiotic stress tolerance upon enhancing the level of the ascorbate in transgenic potato. The transgenic potato plants overexpressing GalUR gene with enhanced accumulation of ascorbate were investigated to analyze the antioxidants activity of enzymes involved in the ascorbate-glutathione cycle and their tolerance mechanism against different abiotic stresses under invitro conditions. Transformed potato tubers subjected to various abiotic stresses induced by methyl viologen, sodium chloride and zinc chloride showed significant increase in the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD, EC 1.15.1.1), catalase, enzymes of ascorbate-glutathione cycle enzymes such as ascorbate peroxidase(APX, EC 1.11.1.11), dehydroascorbate reductase(DHAR, EC 1.8.5.1), and glutathione reductase(GR, EC 1.8.1.7) as well as the levels of ascorbate, GSH and proline when compared to the untransformed tubers. The increased enzyme activities correlated with their mRNA transcript accumulation in the stressed transgenic tubers. Pronounced differences in redox status were also observed in stressed transgenic potato tubers that showed more tolerance to abiotic stresses when compared to untransformed tubers. From the present study, it is evident that improved to lerance against abiotic stresses in transgenic tubers is due to the increased activity of enzymes involved in the antioxidant system together with enhanced ascorbate accumulated in transformed tubers when compared to untransformed tubers. At moment we also investigating the role of enhanced reduced glutathione level for the maintenance of the methylglyoxal level as it is evident that methylglyoxal is a potent cytotoxic compound produced under the abiotic stress and the maintenance of the methylglyoxal level is important to survive the plant under stress conditions.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.487-494
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• 2013

An AlaAT knock-out mutant (alaat) of rice (Oryza sativa L.) was isolated from T-DNA tagging lines and the genotypes of its progeny were determined with AlaAT1-specific primers. The alaat phenotypes showed decreased growth and grain yield when compared with control plants. The activity of AlaAT1 in the mutant plants was practically undetectable. The responses of alaat plants to growth under salt stress were compared with those of control plants by measuring chlorophyll fluorescence and the activities and mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes. All abiotic stresses tested (salt, drought, and chilling) caused a similar decrease in chlorophyll fluorescence in both alaat and wild type plants. The activity of peroxidase (POX), an antioxidant enzyme, decreased following salt treatment of alaat plants, while control plant showed an increased activity. The mRNA levels for cAPX (cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase), POX2, and AlaAT were determined by RT-PCR following salt stress. No AlaAT1 mRNA was detected in alaat plants. The POX2 mRNA showed a slightly increased level in the wild type but was not detected in alaat plants, in agreement with the activity assays. The levels of cAPX mRNA were greatly increased in both the wild type and alaat plants. The salt stress effects on rice plant growth are therefore proposed to reflect a loss of function of AlaAT, which alters the activity and synthesis of antioxidant enzymes (especially peroxidases), rather than a direct effect on photosynthesis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1091-1097
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• 2015

We have isolated and characterized an ascorbate peroxidase (APx) gene, OsAPx1 from rice. Northern and Western blot analyses indicated that at young seedling stage, OsAPx1 mRNA was expressed highly in root, shoot apical meristem (SAM) and leaf sheath than leaf. In mature plant, OsAPx1 gene expressed highly in root, stem and flower but weakly in leaf. OsAPx1 gene and protein expression level was induced in leaves inoculated with Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae) and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). Phytohormones treatment showed that OsAPx1 was up-regulated by jasmonic acid (JA), but was down regulated by ABA and SA co-treatments with JA, resulting that they have antagonistic effect on pathogen responsive OsAPx1 expression. Phylogenetic analysis illustrated that Arabidopsis AtAPx1 has a close relationship with OsAPx1. In AtAPx1 knock out lines, the accumulation of O₂^- and H₂O₂ are all highly detected than wild type, revealing that the high concentration of exogenous H₂O₂ cause the intercellular superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide accumulation in AtAPx1 knockout plant. These results suggested that OsAPx1 gene may be associated with the pathogen defense cascades as the mediator for balancing redox state by acting ROS scavenger and is associated with response to the pathogen defense via Jasmonic acid signaling pathway.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Biotechnology Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.109-109
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Biotechnology Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.119-119
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• 2004

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.300-306
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• 2008

We investigated high light-induced alterations in antioxidant enzymes by exposing green vegetative cells of the alga Haematococcus pluvialis to excess irradiance to induce the production of astaxanthin, a carotenoid pigment. Total activity of catalase decreased approximately 70% after high light exposure, whereas glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity was slightly enhanced. Total activity of superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) also slightly decreased. Overall, we did not observe dramatically elevated levels of antioxidant isozymes, although APXn, GPX2, and GPX3 isozyme increased slightly. ${H_2}{O_2}$ content increased about sixfold after high light exposure, demonstrating severe cellular oxidative stress, whereas lipid peroxidation was notably reduced. Concomitantly, astaxanthin accumulation increased about sevenfold. This result suggests that probably massively accumulated astaxanthin may be one of the antioxidant protector against high light stress.