• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.313-318
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• 2015

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc-dependent endopeptidases that degrade the extracellular matrix (ECM) and regulate the extracellular microenvironment. Despite the significant role that MMP activity plays in cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions, migration, and differentiation, analyses of MMPs in vitro and in vivo have relied upon their abundance using conventional immunoassays, rather than their enzymatic activities. To resolve this issue, diverse nanoprobes have emerged and proven useful as effective activity-based detection tools. Here, we review the recent advances in luminescent nanoprobes and their applications in in vitro diagnosis and in vivo imaging of MMP activity. Nanoprobes with the purpose of sensing MMP activity consist of recognition and detection units, which include MMP-specific substrates and luminescent (fluorescent or bioluminescent) nanoparticles, respectively. With further research into improvement of the optical performance, it is anticipated that luminescent nanoprobes will have great potential for the study of the functional roles of proteases in cancer biology and nanomedicine. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(6): 313-318]

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.103-110
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• 2014

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), also called matrixins, function in the extracellular environment of cells and degrade both matrix and non-matrix proteins. They are multidomain proteins and their activities are regulated by tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). The uncontrolled regulation of MMPs is involved in various pathologic processes, such as tumor invasion, migration, host immune escape, extravasation, angiogenesis, and tumor growth. Especially, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is one of the metastasis-accelerating genes involved in metastasis of various types of human cancers. Here, we review the member of MMP family and discusses their domain structure and function, enzyme activation, the mechanism of inhibition by TIMPs. In particular, we focus the role of MMP-9 in relation to cancer metastasis.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.259-266
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• 1994

The hyperthermophilic archaebacterium Thermococcus profundus Isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent system, produced several amylolytic enzymes such as extracellular amylase and pullulanase, intracellular a-1,4-91ucosidase in respone to the presence of complex carbohydrates In the growth medium. This strain showed high activities on 0.5% maltose than on complex carbohydrates One of the amylases was partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-Toyopearl chromatography. The amylase exhibited maximal activity at pH 5.5 and 80$^{\circ}C$, and was stable in the range of pH 5.5 to 9.5 and up to 80$^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. The enzyme activity was no dependence on Ca2+ and not inhibited by detergents. The amylase hydrolyzed soluble starch, amylose, amylopectin and glycogen to produce maltose and maltotriose with trace amounts of glucose, but not pullulan and ${\alpha}$-, ${\beta}$-, ${\gamma}$-cyclodextrin. Malto-oligosaccharides ranging from maltotetraose to maltoheptaose were hydrolyzed in an endo fashion.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.9-16
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• 2005

This study was carried out to investigate the characteristics of extracellular cellulase and xylanase from 4 selected different species, such as enzyme activity and stability by pH, temperature and metal ions, for application into enzymatic deinking system. The optimal temperature and pH for enzyme activity of Bacillus pumilus I, B. subtilis I, B. pumilus II and B. subtilis II were mainly $40{\sim}60^{\circ}C$ and pH $6.0{\sim}7.0$, respectively. Certain metal ions, calcium and cobalt, elevated enzyme activity, even though there were different results of enzyme activities based on various metal ions in 4 different species. With these results we suggest that enzymatic deinking system should be proceed at $50^{\circ}C$ with neutral pH condition.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.8
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• pp.523-528
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• 2009

Phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) catalyzes the interconversion of fructose-6-phosphate and mannose-6-phosphate in the extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) synthesis pathway. The gene encoding PMI in Sphingomonas chungbukensis DJ77 was cloned and expressed in E. coli. The pmi gene is 1,410 nucleotides long and the deduced amino acid sequence shares high homology with other bifunctional proteins that possess both PMI and GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase (GMP) activities. The sequence analysis of PMI revealed two domains with three conserved motifs: a GMP domain at the N-terminus and a PMI domain at the C-terminus. Enzyme assays using the PMI protein confirmed its bifunctional activity. Both activities required divalent metal ions such as $Co^{2+}$, $Ca^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$, $Ni^{2+}$ or $Zn^{2+}$. Of these ions, $Co^{2+}$ was found to be the most effective activator of PMI. GDP-D-mannose was found to inhibit the PMI activity, suggesting feedback regulation of this pathway.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.226-231
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• 2006

Several white-rot fungi are able to produce extracellular lignin-degrading enzymes such as manganese peroxidase (MnP), lignin peroxidase (LiP), and laccase. In order to enhance the production of laccase and MnP using Trametes versicolor KCTC 16781 in suspension culture, the effects of major medium ingredients, such as carbon and nitrogen sources, on the production of the enzymes were investigated. The decolorization mechanism in terms of biodegradation and biosorption was also investigated. Among the carbon sources used, glucose showed the highest potential for the production of laccase and MnP. Ammonium tartrate was a good nitrogen source for the enzyme production. No significant difference in the laccase production was observed, when glucose concentration was varied between 5 g/l and 30 g/l. As the concentration of nitrogen source increased, a lower MnP activity was observed. The optimal C/N ratio was 25 for the production of laccase and MnP. When the concentrations of glucose and ammonium tartrate were simultaneously increased, the laccase and MnP activities increased dramatically. The maximum laccase and MnP activities were 33.7 U/ml at 72 h and 475 U/ml at 96 h, respectively, in the optimal condition. In this condition, over 90% decolorization efficiency was observed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.277-288
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• 2017

Rhizomucor miehei NRRL 5282 and Rhizopus oryzae NRRL 1526 can produce lipases with high synthetic activities in wheat bran-based solid-state culture. In this study, the purification and biochemical characterization of the lipolytic activities of these lipases are presented. SDS-PAGE indicated a molecular mass of about 55 and 35 kDa for the purified R. miehei and Rh. oryzae enzymes, respectively. p-Nitrophenyl palmitate (pNPP) hydrolysis was maximal at $40^{\circ}C$ and pH 7.0 for the R. miehei lipase, and at $30^{\circ}C$ and pH 5.2 for the Rh. oryzae enzyme. The enzymes showed almost equal affinity to pNPP, but the $V_{max}$ of the Rh. oryzae lipase was about 1.13 times higher than that determined for R. miehei using the same substrate. For both enzymes, a dramatic loss of activity was observed in the presence of 5 mM $Hg^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, or $Mn^{2+}$, 10 mM N-bromosuccinimide or sodium dodecyl sulfate, and 5-10% (v/v) of hexanol or butanol. At the same time, they proved to be extraordinarily stable in the presence of n-hexane, cyclohexane, n-heptane, and isooctane. Moreover, isopentanol up to 10% (v/v) and propionic acid in 1 mM concentrations increased the pNPP hydrolyzing activity of R. miehei lipase. Both enzymes had 1,3-regioselectivity, and efficiently hydrolyzed p-nitrophenyl (pNP) esters with C8-C16 acids, exhibiting maximum activity towards pNP-caprylate (R. miehei) and pNP-dodecanoate (Rh. oryzae). The purified lipases are promising candidates for various biotechnological applications.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.5-11
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• 2016

Background: As the decomposition of lignocellulosic compounds is a rate-limiting stage in the nutrient mineralization from organic matters, elucidation of the changes in soil enzyme activity can provide insight into the nutrient dynamics and ecosystem functioning. The current study aimed to assess the effect of thinning intensities on soil conditions. Un-thinned control, 20 % thinning, and 30 % thinning treatments were applied to a Larix kaempferi forest, and total carbon and nitrogen, total carbon to total nitrogen ratio, extractable nutrients (inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium), and enzyme activities (acid phosphatase, ${\beta}$-glucosidase, ${\beta}$-xylosidase, ${\beta}$-glucosaminidase) were investigated. Results: Total carbon and nitrogen concentrations were significantly increased in the 30 % thinning treatment, whereas both the 20 and 30 % thinning treatments did not change total carbon to total nitrogen ratio. Inorganic nitrogen and extractable calcium and magnesium concentrations were significantly increased in the 20 % thinning treatment; however, no significant changes were found for extractable phosphorus and potassium concentrations either in the 20 or the 30 % thinning treatment. However, the applied thinning intensities had no significant influences on acid phosphatase, ${\beta}$-glucosidase, ${\beta}$-xylosidase, and ${\beta}$-glucosaminidase activities. Conclusions: These results indicated that thinning can elevate soil organic matter quantity and nutrient availability, and different thinning intensities may affect extractable soil nutrients inconsistently. The results also demonstrated that such inconsistent patterns in extractable nutrient concentrations after thinning might not be fully explained by the shifts in the enzyme-mediated nutrient mineralization.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.322-327
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• 2014

Subculture is the most common method for preservation fungi, but has a disadvantage of accumulation of spontaneous mutations during the repeated subculture. To reduce the subculture frequency, the effect of preservation period at $4^{\circ}C$ in a slant culture was examined on the mycelia growth and lignocellulolytic enzyme activities of various basidiomycetes. Mushrooms, including Stereum ostrea, Coprinellus micaeus, Trametes versicolor, Hypholoma fasciculare, Wolfiporia extensa, Pleurotus pulmonarius, Piptoporus betulinus and Ganoderma applanatum were not affected by the preservation period more than two years, indicating that they can be maintained by subculture every two years. Some other tested fungal strains showed a significant decrease in both viability and enzyme activity when they were maintained for two years, suggesting that they should be subcultured at least once in a year. A little correlation was found between the recovery of mycelial growth and extracellular enzyme activity. In conclusion, mycelial activity and enzyme activity according to storage period is expected to be a way of deciding on subculture times for fungal preservation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1018-1023
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• 2007

Bacillus subtilis CH3-5 was isolated from cheonggukjang prepared according to traditional methods. CH3-5 secreted at least four different fibrinolytic proteases (63, 47, 29, and 20 kDa) into the culture medium. A fibrinolytic enzyme gene, aprE2, encoding a 29kDa enzyme was cloned from the genomic DNA of CH3-5, and the DNA sequence determined. aprE2 was overexpressed in heterologous B. subtilis strains deficient in extracellular proteases using a E. coli-Bacillus shuttle vector. A 29 kDa AprE2 band was observed and AprE2 seemed to exhibit higher activities towards fibrin rather than casein.