• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.87-93
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• 2013

Objectives : Degenerative arthritis arises from several physiological factors. The purpose of this study is to investigate the beneficial effects of Phyto-extract Complex (CME) on degenerative arthritis. Methods : CME is composed of extracts of mulberry (Morus alba L.) fruit, mulberry leaves and black beans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). To measure the toxicity of CME, we performed the single-dose toxicity study. For the evaluation of its effects on degenerative arthritis, we examined the inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity, using in vitro enzyme activity assay, the reduction of protein expression of COX-2, 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in RAW264.7 cells which were stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We also examined the serum level of prostaglandins (PGs) and injury of the knee joint cartilage, using animal model of degenerative arthritis induced by mono-sodium iodoacetate (MIA). Results : CME did not have any toxicity in single-dose toxicity study. The CME inhibited the activity of COX-2 and could reduce the protein expression of COX-2, 5-LO and iNOS in RAW264.7 cells. The CME also reduced the serum level of PGs and prevented from the cartilage injury of knee joint in animal model of degenerative arthritis induced by MIA. Conclusions : Taken altogether, the CME could be useful for the improvement of degenerative arthritis through its various anti-inflammatory activities and prevention from the cartilage injury of knee joint.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1609-1616
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• 2024

The Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) consists of opportunistic pathogens known to cause pneumonia in immunocompromised individuals, especially those with cystic fibrosis. Treating Bcc pneumonia is challenging due to the pathogens' high multidrug resistance. Therefore, inhalation therapy with tobramycin powder, which can achieve high antibiotic concentrations in the lungs, is a promising treatment option. In this study, we investigated potential mechanisms that could compromise the effectiveness of tobramycin therapy. By selecting for B. cenocepacia survivors against tobramycin, we identified three spontaneous mutations that disrupt a gene encoding a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of cobalamin (Vitamin B₁₂). This disruption may affect the production of succinyl-CoA by methylmalonyl-CoA mutase, which requires adenosylcobalamin as a cofactor. The depletion of cellular succinyl-CoA may impact the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, which becomes metabolically overloaded upon exposure to tobramycin. Consequently, the mutants exhibited significantly reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Both the wild-type and mutants showed tolerance to tobramycin and various other bactericidal antibiotics under microaerobic conditions. This suggests that compromised ROS-mediated killing, due to the impacted TCA cycle, underlies the mutants' tolerance to bactericidal antibiotics. The importance of ROS-mediated killing and the potential emergence of mutants that evade it through the depletion of cobalamin (Vitamin B₁₂) provide valuable insights for developing strategies to enhance antibiotic treatments of Bcc pneumonia.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1198-1204
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• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with multiple enzymes composed of phytase plus carbohydrolases (ROVABIO$^{(R)}$ Max, RM) on growth performance, nutritional availability and intestinal viscosity in broiler chicks. A total of one thousand, one-day-old male broiler chicks were randomly allotted into treatment groups that received one of five experimental diets for 32 days. Each group consisted of 40 birds and all experiments included five replicates. The dietary treatments included PC (a positive control diet), NC1 (65 kcal/kg, 0.15% and 0.10% less ME, available phosphorus and calcium levels, respectively, than the PC diet), NC2 (85 kcal/kg, 0.20% and 0.10% less ME, available phosphorus and calcium levels, respectively, than the PC diet), NC1+RM (NC1 plus ROVABIO$^{(R)}$ Max) and NC2+RM (NC2 plus ROVABIO$^{(R)}$ Max). The average body weights, daily body weight gains and feed conversion rates of the chicks fed a diet containing RM improved significantly or tended to improve. The treatments also had no effect on the carcass characteristics or blood parameters, but the viscosity of the intestinal contents of the chicks fed the diet containing RM was significantly lower than that of chicks in the NC without RM groups. Additionally, chicks fed the dietary RM showed increased breaking strength and ash content of the tibia when compared to chicks that received the non-RM diets. Taken together, the results of the present study indicated that the addition of multiple enzymes consisting of phytase plus NSP enzymes improved the growth performance and mineral status of the tibia in broiler chickens fed corn-wheat-soybean meal-based diets with reduced levels of nutrients. Further, these findings suggest that the improved animal performance is associated with reduced intestinal viscosity by the dietary enzyme complex.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.72-77
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• 2015

Purpose: Deficits of the respiratory chain are reported to be the major cause of Leigh syndrome is said to be the underlying causes. The need for biochemical diagnosis to draw more accurate diagnosis or prognosis to support treatments is rapidly increasing. This study tried to analyze the aspects of clinical characteristics and biochemical diagnosis of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex (MRC) defect in Leigh syndrome, using methods of biochemical enzyme assay. Methods: We included total number of 47 patients who satisfied the clinical criteria of Leigh syndrome and confirmed by biochemical diagnosis. All those patients went through muscle biopsy to perform biochemical enzyme assay to analyze MRC enzyme in order to find the underlying cause of Leigh syndrome. Results: MRC I defect was seen in 23 (48.9%) cases taking the first place and MRC IV defect in 15 (31.9%) following it. There were 9 (19.2%) cases of combined MRC defect. Combined cases of type I and IV were detected in 7 (14.9%) patients while type I and V in 2 (4.3%). The onset age of symptom was less than 1 year old in 28 (59.6%). The most common early symptom, observed in 23 (48.9%), was delayed development, but there were other various neurological symptoms observed as well. In regard with the disease progression, 35 (74.5%) patients showed slowly progressive course, the one that progressed continuously but slowly over 2 years of period. As for Maximum motor development, 22 (46.8%) were bed-ridden state, most of them suffering serious delayed development. Patients showed various symptoms with different organs involved, though neuromuscular involvement was most prominent. Delayed development was seen in all cases. Multifocal lesion in brain MRI study was seen in 36 (76.6 %) cases, taking a greater percentage than 11 (23.4%) cases with single lesion. In MR spectroscopy study, the characteristic lactate peak of mitochondrial disease was identified in 20 (42.6%) patients. Conclusions: Further analysis of clinical and biochemical diagnosis on more extended group of patients with Leigh syndrome will enable us to improve diagnostic precision and to understand the natural course of mitochondrial disease.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.251-261
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• 2010

Cellulase from Formiptosis pinicola KMJ812 is an efficient cellulose degradation enzyme complex, especially with a high ${\beta}$-glucosidase activity. In this study, the change in enzymatic characteristics by immobilization and the reduction of immobilized enzyme activity by repeated usages were evaluated using cellulases from F. pinicola KMJ812. Among tested four resins, Duolite A568 resin had the best enzyme activity yield with 61.7% cellulase activity and 64.4% ${\beta}$- glucosidase activity during the cellulase immobilization. The best reaction temperature was $55^{\circ}C$ for both cellulase and ${\beta}$-glucosidase activities which were higher than the unimmobilized soluble cellulases. The best reaction pH was 4.0 for cellulase activity which was a little more basic than a soluble form and 4.5 for ${\beta}$-glucosidase activity. The immobilized cellulase activity was remained 98% of the beginning activity after 72 h incubation at $50^{\circ}C$ and 50% of the beginning activity after eight times usage at $50^{\circ}C$.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 1971

Kwanok, Fujisaka #5, Paldal, and Suwon #82 as japonica type and IR-262 and CP-slo as indica type of rice seeds were selected for this experiment among varieties grown in Korea. Activities of crude enzymes extracted from germinating seeds of these varieties on malathion and p-nitrophenyl acetate as substrates, esterase zymograms with 1-naphthyl acetate as substrate, and some observations are summarized as follows: 1. Activities per unit volume of crude enzyme preparations on malathion were in the order of Kwanok>IR-262>Fujisaka #5>CP-slo>Paldal>Suwon #82. 2. Esterase zymograms on agar-gel electrophoretograms exhibited three to four bands two electrodes with little difference among varieties, nevertheless showing a wide and strongly-colored band toward cathode. Suwon #82 has a somewhat different pattern from others. 3. Enzyme activities per milligram protein with p-nitrophenyl acetate as substrate were in the order of CP-slo>IR-262>Paldal>Kwanok>Suwon #82>Fujisaka #5, indicating that activities of indica type are much stronger than those of japonica type, but not in agreement with results with malathion. 4. Malathion did not much inhibit the esterase activity at the concentration of 0.2PPM on electrophoretograms. 5. It is supposed that there is a complex esterase system hydrolyzing malathion and p-nitrophenyl acetate in germinating rice seeds.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 1991

Serratia marcescens CK-3, decomposing chitin which is a mar component of cell wall in phyitopathogenic fungi, was isolated from the continuous cropping rhizosphere of pepper and cucumber and its enzymatic property was examined. S. marcescens CK-3 was found tn have an tagonistic effects against, Fusarium axysporum and Rhizoctonia solani and to have complex enzyme system such as chitinase, laminarinase, and proteinase. The preferable composition of the medium for production of chitinase was fond and was as follows : colloidal chitin 1.5%, tryptone 0.5%, glucose 1.0%, peptone 0.2%, $MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O\;0.1%,\;K_2HPO_4\;0.1%,\;and\;NaCl\;0.1%$(w/v), pH 6.8. The maximum enzyme production was observed after culture of 72 hours at $30^{\circ}C$ using a medium containing the above chemical composition. The optimal pH and temperature for in vitro activity of chitinase from S. marcescens CK-3 were pH 7.5 and $50^{\circ}C$, respectively. The enzyme activity in-creased by metal ions such as$Ag^+$ and $Mn^{++}$.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.9
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• pp.552-560
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• 2009

Cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and COX-2) are ER-resident proteins that catalyze the committed step in prostanoid synthesis. COX-1 is constitutively expressed in many mammalian cells, whereas COX-2 is usually expressed inducibly and transiently. Abnormal expression of COX-2 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammation and various cancers; therefore, it is subject to tight and complex regulation. Differences in regulation of the COX enzymes at the posttranscriptional and posttranslational levels also contribute significantly to their distinct patterns of expression. Rapid degradation of COX-2 mRNA has been attributed to AU-rich elements (AREs) at its 3’UTR. Recently, microRNAs that can selectively repress COX-2 protein synthesis have been identified. The mature forms of these COX proteins are very similar in structure except that COX-2 has a unique 19-amino acid (19-aa) segment located near the C-terminus. This C-terminal 19-aa cassette plays an important role in mediation of the entry of COX-2 into the ER-associated degradation (ERAD) system, which transports ER proteins to the cytoplasm for degradation by the 26S proteasome. A second pathway for COX-2 protein degradation is initiated after the enzyme undergoes suicide inactivation following cyclooxygenase catalysis. Here, we discuss these molecular determinants of COX-2 expression in detail.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.14-19
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• 2011

A cyclic undecapeptide-family natural product, cyclosporin A (CyA), which is one of the most valuable immunosuppressive drugs, is produced nonribosomally by a multifunctional cyclosporin synthetase enzyme complex in a filamentous fungal strain named Tolypocladium niveum. Previously, structural modifications of cyclosporins such as a regionspecific hydroxylation at the $4^{th}$ N-methyl leucine in a rare actinomycetes called Sebekia benihana were reported to lead to dramatic changes in their bioactive spectra. However, the reason behind this change could not be determined since a system to genetically manipulate S. benihana has not yet been developed. To address this limitation, in this study, we utilized the most commonly practiced gene manipulation techniques including conjugation-based foreign gene transfer-and-expression as well as targeted gene disruption to genetically manipulate S. benihana. Using these optimized genetic manipulation systems, a putative cytochrome P450 hydroxylase (CYP) gene named CYP506, which is involved in CyA hydroxylation in S. benihana, was specifically disrupted and genetically complemented. The S. benihana${\Delta}$CYP506 exhibited a significantly reduced CyA hydroxylation yield as well as considerable yield restoration by functional complementation of the S. benihana CYP506 gene, suggesting that the genetically manipulated S. benihana CYP mutant strains may serve as a more efficient bioconversion host for various valuable metabolites including CyA.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.3048-3054
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• 2012

The use of aspirin is widely recommended for the prevention of heart attacks owing to its ability to inhibit platelet activation by irreversibly blocking cyclooxygenase 1. However, aspirin also affects the fibrinolytic and hemostatic pathways by mechanisms that are not well understood, causing severe hemorrhagic complications. Here, we investigated the ability of aspirin and aspirin metabolites to inhibit thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI), the major inhibitor of plasma fibrinolysis. TAFI is activated via proteolytic cleavage by the thrombin-thrombomodulin complex to TAFIa, a carboxypeptidase B-like enzyme. TAFIa modulates fibrinolysis by removing the C-terminal arginine and lysine residues from partially degraded fibrin, which in turn inhibits the binding of plasminogen to fibrin clots. Aspirin and its major metabolites, salicylic acid, gentisic acid, and salicyluric acid, inhibit TAFIa carboxypeptidase activity. Salicyluric acid effectively blocks activation of TAFI by thrombin-thrombomodulin; however, salicylates do not inhibit carboxypeptidase N or pancreatic carboxypeptidase B. Aspirin and other salicylates accelerated the dissolution of fibrin clots and reduced thrombus formation in an in vitro model of fibrinolysis. Inhibition of TAFI represents a novel hemostatic mechanism that contributes to aspirin's therapy-associated antithrombotic activity and hemorrhagic complications.