• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.393-400
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• 2009

NO released by myenteric neurons controls the off contraction induced by electrical field stimulation (EFS) in distal esophageal smooth muscle, but in the presence of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, L-NAME, contraction by EFS occurs at the same time. The authors investigated the intracellular signaling pathways related with G protein and ionic channel EFS-induced contraction using cat esophageal muscles. EFS-induced contractions were significantly suppressed by tetrodotoxin ($1\;{\mu}M$) and atropine ($1\;{\mu}M$). Furthermore, nimodipine inhibited both on and off contractions by EFS in a concentration dependent meaner. The characteristics of 'on' and 'off contraction and the effects of G-proteins, phospholipase, and $K^+$ channel on EFS-induced contraction in smooth muscle were also investigated. Pertussis toxin (PTX, a $G_i$ inactivator) attenuated both EFS-induced contractions. Cholera toxin (CTX, $G_s$ inactivator) also decreased the amplitudes of EFS-induced off and on contractions. However, phospholipase inhibitors did not affect these contractions. Pinacidil (a $K^+$ channel opener) decreased these contractions, and tetraethylammonium (TEA, ${K^+}_{Ca}$ channel blocker) increased them. These results suggest that EFS-induced on and off contractions can be mediated by the activations Gi or Gs proteins, and that L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel may be activated by G-protein ${\alpha}$ subunits. Furthermore, ${K^+}_{Ca^-}$ channel involve in the depolarization of esophageal smooth muscle. Further studies are required to characterize the physiological regulation of $Ca^{2+}$ channel and to investigate the effects of other $K^+$ channels on EFS-induced on and off contractions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.577-586
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• 2019

The engineered Aspergillus oryzae has a high NADPH demand for xylose utilization and overproduction of target metabolites. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH, E.C. 1.1.1.49) is one of two key enzymes in the oxidative part of the pentose phosphate pathway, and is also the main enzyme involved in NADPH regeneration. The open reading frame and cDNA of the putative A. oryzae G6PDH (AoG6PDH) were obtained, followed by heterogeneous expression in Escherichia coli and purification as a his6-tagged protein. The purified protein was characterized to be in possession of G6PDH activity with a molecular mass of 118.0 kDa. The enzyme displayed maximal activity at pH 7.5 and the optimal temperature was $50^{\circ}C$. This enzyme also had a half-life of 33.3 min at $40^{\circ}C$. Kinetics assay showed that AoG6PDH was strictly dependent on $NADP^+$ ($K_m=6.3{\mu}M$, $k_{cat}=1000.0s^{-1}$, $k_{cat}/K_m=158.7s^{-1}{\cdot}{\mu}M^{-1}$) as cofactor. The $K_m$ and $k_{cat}/K_m$ values of glucose-6-phosphate were $109.7s^{-1}{\cdot}{\mu}M^{-1}$ and $9.1s^{-1}{\cdot}{\mu}M^{-1}$ respectively. Initial velocity and product inhibition analyses indicated the catalytic reaction followed a two-substrate, steady-state, ordered BiBi mechanism, where $NADP^+$ was the first substrate bound to the enzyme and NADPH was the second product released from the catalytic complex. The established kinetic model could be applied in further regulation of the pentose phosphate pathway and NADPH regeneration of A. oryzae to improve its xylose utilization and yields of valued metabolites.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.486-491
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• 1999

An engineered cDNA from Phanerochaete chrysosporium encoding both the mature and propeptide-sequence regions of lignin peroxidase H2 (Lip H2) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) to evaluate its catalytic characteristics and potential application as a pollution scavenger. All expressed proteins were aggregated in an inactive inclusion body, which might be due to inherent disulfide bonds. Active enzyme was obtained by refolding with glutathione-mediated oxidation in refolding solution containing $Ca^{2+}$, heme, and urea. Propeptide-sequence region was not processed as evidenced by N-terminal sequence analysis. Recombinant Lip H2 (rLip H2) had the same physical properties of the native protein but differed in the $K_{cat}$. Catalytic efficiency ($k_{cat}/K_m$) of rLip H2 was slightly higher than that of the native enzyme. In order to express an active protein, fusion systems with thioredoxin or Dsb A, which have disulfide isomerase activity, were used. The fused proteins expressed by the Dsb A fusion vector were aggregated, whereas half of the thioredoxin fusion proteins were recovered as a soluble form but still catalytically inactive. These results suggest that Lip H2 may not be expressed as an active enzyme in Escherichia coli although the activity can be recovered by in vitro refolding.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.61-70
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• 1983

Synchronized cat kidney cells chronically infected with feline leukemia virus (FeLV) were used to study virus production, the synthesis of group specific antigen (gag) and envelope (env) proteins, the expression of env protein on the cell surface during the cell cycle, and the stability of viral RNA. As detecting method, we developed the radioimmunoassay (RIA) system using beta-emission of $^{131}I$ and demonstrated the validity of this system by comparison with routine RIA system using gamma-emission of $^{125}I$. The produced virus was analysed by developed RIA interval was determined by measuring reverse transcriptase activity. The results show that infected cells produce the complete virus particle containing products of gag, env and pol genes of FeLV, and maximum virus production occurs during mitosis of synchronized cells. Labeling of the cell surface of synchronized cells with $^{131}I$ shows that the amount of $gp70^{env}$ on the cell surface parallels cellular gorwth. Therefore, the cell cycle-dependent release of virus is not petition RIA of synchronized cells with $^{131}I$ labeled viral proteins synthesis during the cell cycle. The rate of synthesis of gag protein shows three peaks, corresponding to the $G_1,\;late\;S\;and\;late\;G_2$ phases of cell cycle. But the rate of synthesis of env protein dose not change, suggesting that in these cells the synthesis of these two gene products in controlled seperately. In Actionomycin D treated cells, the synthesis of viral proteins decreased sharply from 8 hours after treatment, and the late S and $G_2$ peaks of gag protein synthesis were disappeared. This shows the stability of viral RNA for about 6 hours in the absence of continuing viral RNA synthesis.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.137-142
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• 1998

We examined mRNAs, isolated from the rat brain, to ascertain if there is any polymorphism for S-100 beta protein gene. As templates for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) the reverse-transcribed cDNA from the rat brain or phage DNAs isolated from the rat brain cDNA libraries were used. Although PCR products turned out to be exactly same as the expected size based on the previously reported mRNA sequence a single base substitution (CAT to CAC) was identified at nucleotide level. This change was considered as polymorphism since it did not cause any change of the primary structure for S-100 beta protein. This result should facilitate the understanding of the overall structure of the gene for S-100 beta protein.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.422-427
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• 2003

Streptomyces setonii (ATCC 39116) is a Gram-positive thermophilic soil actinomycetes capable of degrading single aromatic compounds including phenol and benzoate via ortho-cleavage pathway. we isolated approximately 6.3-kb S. setonii DNA fragment containing a thermophilic catechol 1,2-dioxygenase(C12O) gene. Here we further revealed that the 6.3-kb S. setonii DNA fragment was organized into two putative divergently-transcribed clusters with 6 complete and one incomplete open reading frames (ORFs). The first cluster with 3 ORFs showed significant homologies to previously known benA, benB, and benC, implying a part of benzoate catabolic operon. The second cluster revealed an ortho-cleavage catechol catabolic operon with three translationally-coupled ORFs (catR, catB, catA). Each of these individually-cloned ORFs was expressed in E. coli and identified as a distinct protein band with a theoretical molecular weight in SDS-PAGE. The expression of the cloned S. setonii catechol operon was induced in a heterologous S. lividans by specific single aromatic compounds including catechol, phenol, and 4-chlorophenol. The simitar induction pattern was also observed using a luciferase gene-fused reporter system, implying that S. setonii employs an inducer-specific regulatory mechanism for aromatic compound metabolism.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.342-350
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• 1995

To determine the factors which affect the flow of dentinal fluid through cat dentinal tubules in vivo, the flow of fluid was measured by observing the movement of the fat droplets of dilute milk in a glass capillary with a microscope connected to the monitor. After measuring the exposed area of dentin, hydraulic conductances of dentin were calculated. The mean pressure which stoped the outward flow of dentinal fluid was 9.5mmHg. The hydraulic conductance of dentin under the condition of pulp exposed was increased by 21 % from that under the condition of dentin exposed. Under the conditions of pulp cut and pulp removed, the hydraulic conductances of dentin were increased by 22 % and 31 % respectively from that under the condition of dentin exposed. These results show that the direction and rate of dentinal fluid flow in cat dentin is affected mainly by the hydrostatic pressure of interstitial fluid of pulp tissue in the state of low compliance. Both of the osmotic effect produced by the protein constituents of interstitial fluid across the odontoblast tell layer and the change of interstitial fluid pressure produced by the state of the microcirculation of the pulp also affect the direction and rate of dentinal fluid in some degree.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.317-322
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• 1989

A gene can be selectively overexpressed in E. coli by utilizing the phage T7 RNA polymerase's stringent recognition and active transcription of the T7 promoter. The T7 expression system was constructed such that the T7 RNA polymerase gene is under the control of lacUV5 promoter in one plasmid, and that the target gene, the promoterless chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene with E. coli ribosome binding site is under the control of T7 promoter in the other plasmid. Only the E. coli cells containing both plasmids show high resistance to chloramphenicol. When the copy number of the runaway plasmid containing the polymerase gene was varied by a temperature shift, amounts of the CAT protein synthesized upon induction was correspondingly changed as shown in SDS gel electrophoresis.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.211-217
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• 2002

Hepatoprotective activity of methanol extract of Angelica tenuissima Nakai on the $CCl_4$-induced hepatotoxicity was investigated. To elucidate the hepatoprotective activity and free radical scavenging effect, we examined alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin, total protein, cholesterol, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in serum and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) in hepatic tissue as compared with those of carbon tetrachloride-induced rats. The action mechanism also has been estimated by quantative analysis of cytochrome P450 (CYP), NADPH-CYP reductase for phase I metabolism and glutathion (GSH), glutathion S-transferase (GST) level for phase II metabolsim. Treatment of Angelica tenuissima methanol extract significantly lowered the levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase. In addition, the levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, MDA, CAT were decreased, and SOD was activated. This result indicates that the hepatoprotective effect of Angelica tenuissima methanol extract on the CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity would be originated from reduction of the NADPH-CYP reductase, GSH and the enhancement of the activities of GST, CYP.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.427-430
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• 2011

A 6-month-old intact female, domestic short hair cat was presented with dyspnea and anorexia for 2 days. Physical examination revealed muffled heart sound with labored breaths. Hyperproteinemia and hyperglobulinemia with polyclonal gammapathy was revealed. Pleural effusion was non-septic exudates, it also had hyperglobulinemia with decreased albumin: globuline ration. In addition, effusion RT-PCR for feline coronavirus was positive in this cat. Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) was strongly suspected and aggressive treatments with human interferon-alpha, pentoxifylline, and glucocorticoids were initiated. The cat remained healthy without recurrence of pleural effusion during 5 months follow-up periods. To the author's knowledge, this is the first case report describing successful management of FIP with human interferon-alpha and pentoxifylline in Korea.