• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.736-745
• /
• 2016

This research was conducted to evaluate the impact of various pre-planting $NH_4{^+}:NO_3{^-}$ ratios on the growth of plug seedlings of 'Bool-am No.3' Chinese cabbage. With fixation of the pre-planting N concentrations to $300mg{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ in a peatmoss+coir dust+perlite (3.5:3.5:3, v/v/v) medium, the $NH_4{^+}:NO_3{^-}$ ratios were varied to 0:100, 27:73, 50:50, 73:27, 100:0. Then, the each of root media containing various ratios of $NH_4{^+}:NO_3{^-}$ as well as equal concentrations of other essential nutrients was packed into 72-cell plug trays. After seeds of 'Bool-am No.3' Chinese cabbage were sown, the seedling growths were measured 2 and 4 weeks after sowing. The weekly analysis of root media and end-crop tissue analysis for mineral nutrients 4 weeks after seed sowing were also conducted. As the seedlings grew up, the pH of the root media increased, however ECs in all treatments of $NH_4{^+}:NO_3{^-}$ ratios decreased. The concentrations of K, Ca and Mg in root media were higher in the treatments of $NH_4{^+}:NO_3{^-}$ (100:0) and $NH_4{^+}:NO_3{^-}$ (73:27) than those of $NH_4{^+}:NO_3{^-}$ (0:100) and $NH_4{^+}:NO_3{^-}$ (27:73) 2 weeks after seed sowing. But the concentrations of K, Ca, Mg and Zn were get lowered in all treatments and the differences among treatments were not significant 4 weeks after sowing. The highest $NH_4{^+}$ and lowest $NO_3{^-}$ concentrations of the root media were observed in the $NH_4{^+}:NO_3{^-}$ (100:0) among all treatments. Contrary to these, the treatment of $NH_4{^+}:NO_3{^-}$ (0:100) had the lowest $NH_4{^+}$ and highest $NO_3{^-}$ concentrations. The seedling growth in terms of fresh and dry weights of aerial part were the highest in the treatment of $NH_4{^+}:NO_3{^-}$ (23:73) at 2 weeks after sowing and those of $NH_4{^+}:NO_3{^-}$ (50:50) at 4 weeks after sowing. The survival rate of seedlings in $NH_4{^+}:NO_3{^-}$ (100:0) treatment were 19% and the growth of aerial part 4 weeks after sowing was the poorest among all treatments tested. The results mentioned above indicate that the pre-planting $NH_4{^+}$ ratio in inert media should not exceed 25% in plug stage 1 through 3 (until 2 true leaf development) and 50% in plug stage 4 (after 2 true leaves to transplant).

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.27 no.8
• /
• pp.909-918
• /
• 2017

Ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.) was fermented in brine in the form of mulkimchi (IPMB), and its contents of organic acid and cyclitols and biological activities were compared with those before fermentation. The pH of the IPMB continuously decreased until the sixth day of fermentation. The lactic acid yield was greatest on the fourth day. D-pinitol in ice plant mulkimchi solids (IPMS) decreased during fermentation. However, myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol increased. The radical scavenging activities of ABTS and DPPH, in addition to the activity of FRAP, of the IPMS extract were generally higher after fermentation, with the activities highest on the fifth ($79.09{\pm}0.69%$), fourth ($87.55{\pm}1.21%$), and sixth ($78.72{\pm}0.99%$) days of fermentation, respectively, when treated with 1 mg/ml of the extract. As shown by a lipid/MA assay, antioxidant activity was generally higher after fermentation. The viability of BNL CL.2 cells damaged by t-BHP, $H_2O_2$, and ethanol was $14.19{\pm}0.98$, $13.80{\pm}2.25$, and $25.89{\pm}2.90%$, respectively. When treated with $200{\mu}g/ml$ of IPMS extract, the cell viability was $57.06{\pm}4.52%$ on the first day, and $66.06{\pm}1.36%$ on the fourth day, and $50.07{\pm}04.85%$ on the sixth day of fermentation. Hepatocyte protective effects did not increase significantly after fermentation. ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ inhibitory activity was quite high, with a range of $83.52{\pm}2.69$ to $92.79{\pm}2.16%$, and the activity increased gradually in all the groups over the fermentation period. There was no clear correlation between ${\alpha}-amylase$ inhibitory activity and fermentation.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
• /
• 2000.10a
• /
• pp.10-12
• /
• 2000

Members of the glycoprotein family, which includes CG, LH, FSH and TSH, comprise two noncovalently linked $\alpha$- and $\beta$-subunits. Equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG), known as PMSG, has a number of interesting and unique characteristics since it appears to be a single molecule that possesses both LH- and FSH-like activities in other species than the horse. This dual activity of eCG in heterologous species is of fundamental interest to the study of the structure-function relationships of gonadotropins and their receptors. CG and LH $\beta$ genes are different in primates. In horse, however, a single gene encodes both eCG and eLH $\beta$-subunits. The subunit mRNA levels seem to be independently regulated and their imbalance may account for differences in the quantities of $\alpha$ - and $\beta$ -subunits in the placenta and pituitary. The dual activities of eCG could be separated by removal of the N-linked oligosaccharide on the $\alpha$-subunit Asn 56 or CTP-associated O-linked oligosaccharides. The tethered-eCG was. efficiently secreted and showed similar LH-like activity to the dimeric eCG. Interestingly, the FSH-like activity of the tethered-eCG was increased markedly in comparison with the native and wild type eCG. These results also suggest that this molecular can implay particular models of FSH-like activity not LH-like activity in the eCG/indicate that the constructs of tethered molecule will be useful in the study of mutants that affect subunit association and/or secretion. A single-chain analog can also be constructed to include additional hormone-specific bioactive generating potentially efficacious compounds that have only FSH-like activity. The LH/CG receptor (LH/CGR), a membrane glycoprotein that is present on testicular Leydig cells and ovarian theca, granulosa, luteal, and interstitial cells, plays a pivotal role in the regulation of gonadal development and function in males as well as in nonpregnant and pregnant females. The LH/CGR is a member of the family of G protein-coupled receptors and its structure is predicted to consist of a large extracellular domain connected to a bundle of seven membrane-spanning a-helices. The LH/CGR phosphorylation can be induced with a phorbol ester, but not with a calcium ionophore. The truncated form of LHR also was down-regulated normally in response to hCG stimulation. In contrast, the cell lines expressing LHR-t63I or LHR-628, the two phosphorylation-negative receptor mutant, showed a delay in the early phase of hCG-induced desensitization, a complete loss of PMA-induced desensitization, and an increase in the rate of hCG-induced receptor down-regulation. These results clearly show that residues 632-653 in the C-terminal tail of the LHR are involved in PMA-induced desensitization, hCG-induced desensitization, and hCG-induced down-regulation. Recently, constitutively activating mutations of the receptor have been identified that are associated with familial male-precocious puberty. Cells expressing LHR-D556Y bind hCG with normal affinity, exhibit a 25-fold increase in basal cAMP and respond to hCG with a normal increase in cAMP accumulation. This mutation enhances the internalization of the free and agonist-occupied receptors ~2- and ~17-fold, respectively. We conclude that the state of activation of the LHR can modulate its basal and/or agonist-stimulated internalization. Since the internalization of hCG is involved in the termination of hCG actions, we suggest that the lack of responsiveness detected in cells expressing LHR-L435R is due to the fast rate of internalization of the bound hCG. This statement is supported by the finding that hCG responsiveness is restored when the cells are lysed and signal transduction is measured in a subcellular fraction (membranes) that cannot internalize the bound hormone.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.23-31
• /
• 2011

Domestic dairy industry is now standing at the crossroad for planning next fifty years, mainly because economic and environmental situations surrounding Korean peninsula are fast changing. For the aspects of dairy consumption, fresh milk consumed less, while consumption of the other milk and dairy products is slightly increasing every year. In 2010, it is approximately estimated that 1,939,000 tons of raw milk was used and the supply would be short by about 35,000 tons, based on the amounts in the previous year. Currently, multilateral negotiations against US and EU are underway. When it will be in effect in the future, significant damage would be expected in the dairy and livestock sectors, leading to cut domestic milk supply. Quality of farm-gate milk is graded as 1A on average 90% or more, loaded with very low in microbial and somatic cell counts. Therefore, policy implications have to be placed toward switch currently the UHT processing method to Pasteurization or the LTLT technology, by which natural flavors and nutrients in milk mostly remain after heat treatment. Domestic cheese products comprise only 10% and the rest is occupied by the various kinds of imported natural products. The market size keeps increasing up to 65,423,000 tons last year. When it comes to vitalization of our natural cheese industry, cheese whey, which is a main by-product in cheese manufacture, is a critical issue to be solved and also "On-Farm Processing" would be combined with a growth of big dairy companies when few immediate issues among the relevant regulations will be eased and alleviated in the near future. Fermented milk market is recorded as a single area of gradual increase in the past 10 years, Korea. Fermented yogurts with health claims targeted stomach, liver, and intestine are popular and has grown fast in sales amounts. In this context, researches on beneficial probiotic lactic acid bacteria are one of the important projects for domestic milk and dairy industries. Labelling regulations on efficacy or health-promoting effects of functional dairy products, which is the most important issue facing domestic dairy processors, should be urgently examined toward commercial expression of the functionality by lawful means. Colostrum, a nutrition-rich yellowish fluid, is roaded with immune, growth and tissue repair factors. Bovine colostrum, a raw material for immune milk preparations and infant formula, can be used to treat or prevent infections of the gastrointestinal tract. Nanotechnology can be applied to develop new milk and dairy products such as micro-encapsulated lactase milk for consumers suffering lactose intolerance. Raw milk is suggested to be managed by its usage in the processing line because imbalance of supply and demand is structural problem in every country and thus the usage systems as in the advanced dairy countries is worth of bench-marking to stabilize milk supply and demand. Raw milk produced is desirable to divide into the three parts; domestic, import, and buffering purposes. It is strongly recommended that a domestic dairy control center as an institutional framework should be urgently established as is Dairy Board in New Zealand and Australia. Lastly, government policy should be directed to foster the highly-educated people who are majoring in Dairy Sciences or working in the dairy industry by means of financial support in studying and training abroad as well.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.996-1002
• /
• 2010

Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to measure the ploidy level of three different sports from 'Campbell Early' ($Vitis$ $labruscana$) grape. Results of the study showed different ploidy levels. FCM analysis for 'Campbell Early' grape which contains 2C DNA diploid cells showed single peak around 35-40 while 'Kyoho' grape with 4C DNA tetraploid cells had a different level of 70-80. However, analysis of the sports displayed a histogram with 2 peaks containing both 2C and 4C nuclei. There was no difference in histograms of 2C DNA flesh and pericarp; on the other hand, 4C DNA flesh type of sports had a different histogram from that of the 2C DNA pericarp. Chromosome numbers of diploid ('Campbell Early'), tetraploid ('Kyoho'), and three sports were counted under the microscope. 'Campbell Early' and 'Kyoho' have 38 and 76 chromosomes, respectively. Three different sports are mixoploids with mixtures of diploid and tetraploid cells. Microscopic observations of shoot apical meristems in sports from 'Campbell Early' grape were carried out to determine the type of plant chimera. 'Campbell Early' grape (diploid) and 'Kyoho' grape (tetraploid) showed that both had 2 tunica layers covering corpus cells, while the three different sports had tunica layers showing mostly oblique division. Most cells from 'Kyoho' grape were larger than 'Campbell Early' grape. Cells from L-2 and L-3 layers of the three sports were similar to 'Kyoho' grape in size, although all cells in L-1 surface layer were uniform in size like 'Campbell Early' grape. Results of FCM analysis indicated that both normal and polyploid cells could be intermixed in sports and could become mixoploidy consisting of diploid and tetraploid. All sports used in the tests were periclinal chimera plants with two distinct L-1 and L-2 cell layers. The result of this study suggests that all three sports which originated from 'Campbell Early' grape might be 2-4-4 type chimera formation.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.144-152
• /
• 1993

A bacterium which degrades efficiently synthetic detergents was isolated from the polluted waters, activated sludge of wastewater treatment plants or polluted soil. This bacterium showed considerably higher growth rate in the agar plate containing $2,000{\mu}g/ml$ of synthetic detergents than any other isolated strains, was identified as a Pseudomonas fluorescens or strains similar to it. The strain was named as a Pseudomonas fluorescens S1. Optimum pH and temperature for the growth of the Pseudomonas fluorescens S1 were pH 7.0 and $30^{\circ}C$, respectively. The strain was resistant to streptomycin and gentamycin, but sensitive to kanamycin. The strain was greatly resistant to zinc chloride, lead nitrate and copper sulfate, but unable to grow in the presence of relatively low concentrations of mercury chloride and silver nitrate. This strain utilized benzene, catechol, cyclohexane and xylene as a sole carbon source. The strain was well grown in the medium containing ABS 10,000${\mu}g$/ml. Degradation of ABS was 55% and 60% at 20${\mu}g$/ml and 100${\mu}g$/ml of ABS, respectively. Benzene ring was degraded 45% in 100${\mu}g$/ml of ABS. During the incubation of the strain in the medium containing ABS 100${\mu}g$/ml and COD 10,000${\mu}g$/ml for 4 days, degradation of ABS and COD were reduced to 40${\mu}g$/ml and 3,200${\mu}g$/ml, respectively. Total amino acid content of the Pseudomonas fluorescens S1 grown with 1,000${\mu}g$/ml of ABS was 115mg/g cell, whereas its content was decreased in the bacterium grown without synthetic detergent by 9.4%.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.44 no.1
• /
• pp.74-83
• /
• 2016

In order to improve the sour taste and foul odor of fermented soymilk, bacteria were isolated from kimchi and identified. Of the 89 bacterial strains isolated from kimchi, 3 isolates produced fermented soymilk with a sour taste and foul odor. The selected bacterial strains R53, R83, and R84 were identified by morphological, biochemical, and 16S rRNA analyses as Weissella koreensis. The strain R83, which produced fermented soymilk having the mildest sour taste and foul odor, was selected for further investigation and named W. koreensis KO3. The optimum culture condition for the fermentation of soymilk by W. koreensis KO3 was at $30^{\circ}C$ for 12 h. When soymilk was fermented under the optimum culture conditions, the viable cell count reached up to $8.71{\times}10^8CFU/ml$ and pH and acidity reached as low as 6.02 and as high as 0.33%, respectively. Twenty-seven amino acids and their derivatives were detected in fermented soymilk. The amounts of serine, glycine, threonine, alanine, and aspartic acid, which contribute to a sweeter taste, increased during fermentation. Orinithine, which was not detected before fermentation, increased during fermentation. Sensory evaluation showed that W. koreensis KO3-fermented soymilk has improved bean, roasted nut, and sour flavors as well as an enhanced mouthfeel, appearance, preferability, and overall acceptability compared with those of standard fermented soymilk. With further study and development, soymilk fermented by W. koreensis KO3 could serve as a health-promoting food with favorable sensory qualities.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.20 no.10
• /
• pp.1532-1537
• /
• 2010

This study compared the inhibitory effects of methanol extracts from yellow and black soybeans (black soybean, Seomoktae and Seoritae) on mutagenicity using the Ames test and growth of human cancer cells (AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma, HT-29 human colon cancer, Hep 3B hepatocellular carcinoma cells). In the Ames test system using Salmonella typhimurium TA100, aflatoxin $B_1$ ($AFB_1$)-induced mutagenicity was significantly inhibited by treatments with the methanol extracts from either yellow or black soybeans in a dose dependent manner (p<0.05). The methanol extracts from various black soybeans tended to have a greater inhibitory effect compared to those from yellow soybeans. As for N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguamidine (MNNG)-induced mutagenicity, the methanol extracts (5 mg/assay) from black soybean, Seomoktae and Seoritae showed 51%, 61% and 53% inhibitory rates, respectively, indicating that Seomoktae, a type of black soybean, had a stronger antimutagenic activity against mutagens (both $AFB_1$ and MNNG). Methanol extracts from black soybeans showed an inhibitory rate of greater than 50% on the growth of human cancer cells (AGS, HT-29 and Hep 3B) and the inhibition was more effective in the methanol extract from Seomoktae. Our results suggested that the methanol extracts from black soybeans showed stronger inhibitory effects on mutagenicity and growth of cancer cells than those from yellow soybean. It is concluded that intake of black soybean can be recommended for improving health.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.305-312
• /
• 2007

It is crucial to develop a miniaturized cultivation method for large and rapid screening of high-yielding mutants of monacolin-K, a powerful anti-hypercholesterolemic secondary metabolite biosynthesized by the fungal cells of Monascus ruber. In order to investigate as many strains as possible in a short time, a miniaturized fermentation method especially suitable for the cultivation of the filamentous Monascus mutants was developed using $50m{\ell}$ culture-tube ($7m{\ell}$ of working volume) instead of the traditional $250m{\ell}$ flask ($50m{\ell}$ of working volume). Generally, in filamentous fungal cell fermentations, morphologies in growth and production cultures should be maintained as thick filamentous and compact-pelleted (usually less than 1 mm in diameter) forms, respectively, for enhanced production of secondary metabolites in final production cultures. In this study, we intended to induce the respective optimal morphologies in the miniaturized culture system for the purpose of rapid screening of overproducers. Miniaturized growth culture system was successfully developed due to the mass production of spores in the statistically optimized solid medium. When large amounts of spores were inoculated into the growth cultures, and brown rice flour (20 g/L) was also supplemented to the growth medium, dense filamentous morphologies were successfully induced in the growth cultures performed with the 50 ml culture tubes. It was implied that the amounts of spores inoculated into the growth tube-cultures and the growth medium components should be the key factors for the induction of the filamentous forms in the growth fermentations. Furthermore, in order to statistically optimize production medium, multiple experiments based on Plackett-Burman design and response surface method (RSM) were carried out, resulting in more than 2 fold enhanced production of monacolin-K in the final production cultures with the optimized production medium. Notably, under the production culture conditions with the statistically optimized medium, optimal pellet sizes below 1 mm in diameter were reproducibly induced, in contrast to the thick and viscous filamentous morphologies observed in the previous production cultures.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.297-304
• /
• 2007

For large and rapid screening of high-yielding mutants of lovastatin produced by filamentous fungal cells of Aspergillus terreus, one of the most important stage is to test as large amounts of mutated strains as possible. For this purpose, we intended to develop a miniaturized cultivation method using $7m{\ell}$ culture tube instead of traditional $250m{\ell}$ flask (working volume $50m{\ell}$). For obtaining large amounts of conidiospores to be used as inoculums for miniaturized cultures, 4 components i.e., glucose, sucrose, yeast extract and $KH_2PO_4$ were intensively investigated, which had been observed to show positive effect on enhancement of spore production through Plackett-Burman design experimet. When optimum concentrations of these components that were determined through application of response surface method (RSM) based on central composite design (CCD) were used, maximum spore numbers amounting to $1.9\times10^{10}$ spores/plate were obtained, resulting in approximately 190 fold increase as compared to the commonly used PDA sporulation medium. Using the miniaturized cultures, intensive strain development programs were carried out for screening of lovastatin high-yielding as well as highly reproducible mutants. It was observed that, for maximum production of lovastatin, the producers should be activated through 'PaB' adaptation process during the early solid culture stage. In addition, they should be proliferated in condensed filamentous forms in miniaturized growth cultures, so that optimum amounts of highly active cells could be transferred to the production culture-tube as reproducible inoculums. Under these highly controlled fermentation conditions, compact-pelleted morphology of optimum size (less than 1 mm in diameter) was successfully induced in the miniaturized production cultures, which proved essential for maximal utilization of the producers' physiology leading to significantly enhanced production of lovastatin. As a result of continuous screening in the miniaturized cultures, lovastatin production levels of the 81% of the daughter cells derived from the high-yielding producers turned out to be in the range of 80%$\sim$120% of the lovastatin production level of the parallel flask cultures. These results demonstrate that the miniaturized cultivation method developed in this study is efficient high throughput system for large and rapid screening of highly stable and productive strains.