• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.187-191
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• 1993

In order to find out an anticariogenic substance, antibacterial activities of some medical herbs and spices against Streptococcus mutans were investigated. The essential oils of oregano, thyme, sage, fennel, nutmeg, rosemary, calamus and cassia cortex were shown antibacterial effect against S. mutans. The essential oil of oregano among other tested medical herbs and spices showed the most active antimicrobial activity. The essential oil of oregano inhibited the activity of glucosyltransferase from S. mutans. The minimal inhibition concentration of oregano essential oil was determined as 0.05nl/ml. The activity of glucosyltransferase from S. mutans was inhibited in the presence of oregano essential oil.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.839-842
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• 1995

In its study, We investigated the effects of Areca catechu L on the growth and acid production of Streptococcus mutans JC-2 in broth system and the activity of glucosyltransferase. The results were summarized as follow; 1. The growth of Streptococcus mutans JC-2 was suppressed by adding Areca catechu L in broth system. Especially, its inhibitory effect was significant at 2,000ppm of concentration. 2. Areca catechu L decreased the acid production of Streptococcus mutans JC-2. Decrease of pH according to acid production was less in presence of Areca catechu L than in absence. 3. Areca catechu L exerted the inhibitory effect against glucosyltransferase activity form Streptococcus mutans JC-2.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.999-999
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• 2005

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1680-1682
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• 2003

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.169-174
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• 2004

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus(BmNPV) ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase gene (egt) promoter fragments of different lengths were amplified from BmNPV ZJ-8 genomic DNA by PCR. Reporter plasmids pBmegt542-luc, pBmegt309-luc and pBmegtl59-luc with luciferase (lue) driven by egt promoters were constructed. Both in vitro and in vivo expressions showed that BmNPV egt promoter activity requires the transactivation of viral factor(s), and expression of luc was detected earliest at 24 hrs post infection (pi). BmNPV ZJ-8 homologous region 3 (hr3) increased the expression of luc by over 1,600-fold. Molting hormone of 1.0 - 2.0 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ can dramatically down regulate expression of luc. Juvenile hormone analogue of 0.5-2.0 ${\mu}g$/$m\ell$ increased expression of luc by 145.8% to 75.7%. Deletion assay revealed that the promoter fragment of 159 bp contains the basal promoter structure; Promoter fragments of 309 bp and 542 bp showed similar but much higher transcriptional activities than that of 159 bp, suggesting that nucleotide from -159 to -309 nt upstream the translation initiation site harbors the main cis-acting elements.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.10 no.10
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• pp.2990-2996
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• 2009

S. mutans, one of a major causal agents of dental caries, is component of the dental plaque and produces various organic acids such as lactic acid as the end-product of glycolysis. In this study, we are interested in comparing the gene expression of acid-shocked and control cells of S. mutans isolated from Korean with caries. Expression levels of gtfB, gtfC, gtfD and ftf were analyzed by Real-time PCR, when the cells were grown under 20 mM lactic acid stress in the exponential phase. The data showed reduced expression of these genes. S. mutans is known to have developed a variety of mechanisms to tolerate acid sterss. A more detailed analysis of the functions and interactions of acid stress proteins connecting the growth, stress tolerance, biofilm formation is under way.

• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2000

Most baculoviruses have an ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase (egt) gene, whose product inactivates ecdysteroid within the infected host. Bomhyx mori larvae infected with BmEGTZ, a mutant B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) in which the egt gene has been inactivated, die more rapidly compared to larvae infected with wild-type BmNPV. In this study, the profile of hemolymph proteins, and progression of virus infection in BmEGTZ- and BmNPV-infected B. mori larvae, was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and histochemically. These analyses showed that virus-encoded and virus-induced proteins were expressed quicker in BmEGTZ-infected larvae than in BmNPV-infected larvae. This suggests that the decrease in time to death, following BmEGTZ infection, results from the stimulation of virus-specific protein expression. In order to examine the effect of ecdysteroid on virus transmission, the profile of hemolymph proteins, and progression of virus infection, were analyzed following an ecdysteroid injection of BmEGTZ- or BmNPV-infected larvae. In the BmNPV-infected larvae, ecdysteroid treatment had no apparent effect on hemolymph protein expression. This suggests that the injected ecdysteroid was inactivated by the BmNPV-expressed ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyltransferase. An Ecdysteroid injection into BmEGTZ-infected larvae increased the speed of virus-specific protein expression and virus transmission. These results suggest that ecdysteroid stimulates protein expression, which in tum results in the stimulation of virus transmission.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.336-341
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• 2007

To investigate anticariogenic effects of extracts from pine needles and twigs, we measured the extracts' antimicrobial activities against Streptococcus mutans, their glucosyltransferase (GTase) inhibitory effects and their stabilities under various conditions of heat and pH. The 70% ethanol extracts of pine needles and twigs showed greater antimicrobial activities against S. mutans than the hot water extracts, and the pine twig extracts showed greater antimicrobial activity than the pine needle extracts. More specifically, the n-hexane fractions of the pine needles and twigs had the greatest effects against S. mutans, and their minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) was 0.6 mg/mL. The results of the extracts' GTase inhibitory effects indicated that the 70% ethanol extracts had greater effects than hot water extracts, and the pine twig extracts showed greater effects than the pine needle extracts. The antimicrobial activity against S. mutans for the pine needle n-hexane traction was greatly reduced as temperature increased, and was also largely affected by changes in pH. These results suggest that extracts from pine needles and twigs have anticariogenic effects and could be used as anticariogenic food additives.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.208-211
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• 2011

Limonoids are abundant as bitter taste in citrus fruit and other plants. Interestingly. limonoid UDP-glucosyltransferase (LUGT) effectively ameliorates the bitterness from limonoid. The high level of LUGT expression in Escherichia coli can result in the formation of insoluble aggregates known as inclusion bodies. We isolated the soluble LUGT protein when this inclusion body was renaturated with ${\beta}$-cyclidextrin treatment after protein denaturation by urea. Our present results suggest that the isolation of LUGT from inclusion body in cells leads to shed light to characterize the enzyme for food industry purposes.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 2003

Streptococcus mutans is known to be a major causative organism of human dental caries. The development of a vaccine against dental caries involves identification of appropriate antigens of mutans streptococci against which protective immune responses can be mounted, and the selection of a method of immunization that will generate sustained levels of protective antibodies. Antigens receiving most attention include streptococcal surface proteins that are involved in attachment to tooth surfaces and glucosyltransferases (GTF) that synthesize adhesive glucans from sucrose. The induction of antibody responses to orally administered antigens is often difficult due to digestive destruction of antigens and immune tolerance. Here we report the induction of antibody responses to an anti-caries vaccine containing retinoic acid (RA). Subcutaneous immunization with formalin-fixed bacteria or GTF supplemented with RA induced higher serum IgM and IgA responses to GTF compaired to oral adminstration. Antisera induced by Ingbritt strain showed partial cross-reaction with LM-7 strain, but not with OMZ175. These results suggest that subcutaneous immunization with GTF combined with an immunomodulator, RA, may be applied to anti-caries vaccine.