• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.105-110
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• 2006

We have screened 766 strains of fungi from the BIOTEC Culture Collection (BCC) for xylanases working in extreme pH and/or high temperature conditions, the so-called extreme xylanases. From a total number of 32 strains producing extreme xylanases, the strain BCC7928, identified by using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence of rRNA to be a Marasmius sp., was chosen for further characterization because of its high xylanolytic activity at temperature as high as $90^{\circ}C$. The crude enzyme possessed high thermostability and pH stability. Purification of this xylanase was carried out using an anion exchanger followed by hydrophobic interaction chromatography, yielding the enzyme with >90% homogeneity. The molecular mass of the enzyme was approximately 40 kDa. The purified enzyme retained broad working pH range of 4-8 and optimal temperature of $90^{\circ}C$. When using xylan from birchwood as substrate, it exhibits $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ values of $2.6{\pm}0.6\;mg/ml$ and $428{\pm}26\;U/mg$, respectively. The enzyme rapidly hydrolysed xylans from birchwood, beechwood, and exhibited lower activity on xylan from wheatbran, or celluloses from carboxymethylcellulose and Avicel. The purified enzyme was highly stable at temperature ranges from 50 to $70^{\circ}C$. It retained 84% of its maximal activity after incubation in standard buffer containing 1% xylan substrate at $70^{\circ}C$ for 3 h. This thermostable xylanase should therefore be useful for several industrial applications, such as agricultural, food and biofuel.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.245-253
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• 2014

A fibrinolytic enzyme was produced by an edible mushroom of Pleurotus ostreatus using submerged culture fermentation. The enzyme was purified from the culture supernatant by applying a combination of freeze-thaw treatment, ammonium sulfate precipitation, hydrophobic interaction, and gel filtration chromatographies. The enzyme was purified by a 147-fold, with a yield of 7.54%. The molecular masses of the enzyme an determined by gel filtration and SDS-PAGE were 13.6 and 18.2 kDa, respectively. The isoelectric point of the enzyme was 8.52. It hydrolyzed fibrinogen by cleaving the ${\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$ chains of fibrinogen followed by the ${\gamma}$ chains, and also activated plasminogen into plasmin. The enzyme was optimally active at $45^{\circ}C$ and pH 7.4. The enzyme activity was completely inhibited by EDTA, whereas protease inhibitors of TPCK, SBTI, PMSF, aprotinin and pepstatin showed no inhibition on its activity. The partial amino acid sequences of the enzyme as determined by Q-TOF2 were ATFVGCSATR, GGTLIHESSHFTR, and YTTWFGTFVTSR. These sequences showed a high degree of homology with those of metallo-endopeptidases from P. ostreatus and Armillaria mellea. The purified enzyme can also be applied as a natural agent for oral fibrinolytic therapy or prevention of thrombosis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.196-203
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• 2002

A novel process for urokinase purification was studied using p-aminobenzamidine as the ligand and sepharose 4B as the matrix. The adsorption, washing, and elution conditions were optimized by an unusual method. An adsorption buffer containing 2.5 M NaCl and $1\%$ Tween 80 facilitated the adsorption of urokinase on the affinity media and prevented contaminants from binding to the p-aminobenzamidine affinity gel. It was found that $5\%$ Tween 80 removed most of the contaminants from the affinity column. A 0.2 M glycine elution buffer containing 0.5 M NaCl (pH 3.0) was found to have a strong elution ability with a high recovery and purity of urokinase. A crude urokinase material of231 IU/mg protein from human urine was purified to 124,300 IU/mg protein with a purification factor of 538 and yield of $86.7\%$. As a result, a high purity urokinase was obtained with only a single affinity chromatography step. The purification process was successfully scaled-up to a 2-1 chromatography column. The resulting urokinase eluate could be directly lyophilized, thereby complying with Chinese pharmacopoeia (1995 version) standards.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.253-258
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• 2004

DNA double-strand break (DSB) is a serious treat for the cells including mutations, chromosome rearrangements, and even cell death if not repaired or misrepaired. Ku heterodimer regulatory DNA binding subunits (Ku70/Ku80) bound to double strand DNA breaks are able to interact with 470-kDa DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), and the interaction is essential for DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) activity. The Ku80 mutants were designed to bind Ku70 but not DNA end binding activity and the peptides were treated in breast cancer cells for co-therapy strategy to see whether the targeted inhibition of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) activity sensitized breast cancer cells to ionizing irradiation or chemotherapy drug to develop a treatment of breast tumors by targeting proteins involved in damage-signaling pathway and/or DNA repair. We designed domains of Ku80 mutants, 26 residues of amino acids (HN-26) as a control peptide or 38 (HNI-38) residues of amino acids which contain domains of the membrane-translocation hydrophobic signal sequence and the nuclear localization sequence, but HNI-38 has additional twelve residues of peptide inhibitor region. We observed that the synthesized peptide (HNI-38) prevented DNA-PKcs from binding to Ku70/Ku80, resulting in inactivation of DNA-PK complex activity in breast cancer cells (MDA-465 and MDA-468). Consequently, the peptide treated cells exhibited poor to no DNA repair, and became highly sensitive to irradiation or chemotherapy drugs. The growth of breast cancer cells was also inhibited. These results demonstrate the possibility of synthetic peptide to apply breast cancer therapy to induce apoptosis of cancer cells.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.39 no.10
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• pp.776-782
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• 1995

A theory of the helix/coil transition for $\alpha$ helical dimer such as $\alpha$ tropomycin and paramycin is developed. The treatment differs from those formulated previously for oligopeptide dimer which is explained by the matrix method using Zimm-Bragg parameter: In the present treatement, it is explained by the zipper model which can account for the dangling H-bond. We calculate the fractional helicity in $\alpha$ helical dimer as a function of helix initiation $constant(\sigma)$, helix stability constant(${\xi}$) and hydrophobic interaction parameter(w). For $\alpha$ tropomycin, the helix stability profile is also calculated. The transitions of this oligomer due to the change of temperature and the concentration of oligopeptide involve simultaneous dissociation of the dimer. The transitions of dimers which have cross-linked S-S bonds or have long chains don't occur, because they keep always helical structures. The transitons due to the concentration of the oligopeptides are steeper than those due to the chain length or temperature.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.3665-3670
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• 2013

The R3V6 peptide includes a hydrophilic arginine stretch and a hydrophobic valine stretch. In previous studies, the R3V6 peptide was evaluated as a gene carrier and was found to have low cytotoxicity. However, the transfection efficiency of R3V6 was lower than that of poly-L-lysine (PLL) in N2A neuroblastoma cells. In this study, the transfection efficiency of R3V6 was improved in combination with high mobility group box 1A domain (HMGA). HMGA is originated from the nuclear protein and has many positively-charged amino acids. Therefore, HMGA binds to DNA via charge interaction. In addition, HMGA has a nuclear localization signal peptide and may increase the delivery efficiency of DNA into the nucleus. The ternary complex with HMGA, R3V6, and DNA was prepared and evaluated as a gene carrier. First, the HMGA/DNA complex was prepared with a negative surface charge. Then, R3V6 was added to the complex to coat the negative charges of the HMGA/DNA complex, forming the ternary complex of HMGA, R3V6, and DNA. A physical characterization study showed that the ternary complex was more stable than the PLL/DNA complex. The HMGA/R3V6/DNA complex had a higher transfection efficiency than the PLL/DNA, HMGA/DNA, or R3V6/DNA complexes in N2A cells. Furthermore, the HMGA/R3V6/DNA complex was not toxic to cells. Therefore, the HMGA/R3V6/DNA complex may be a useful gene delivery carrier.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.1009-1017
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• 2013

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctyl sulfonate (PFOS) is a new persistent organic pollutants of substantial environmental concern. This study investigated the potential of magnetic ion exchange resin (MIEX$^{(R)}$) as the adsorbent for the removal of PFOA and PFOS from Nakdong River water. In our batch experiments, we studied the effect of some parameters (pH, temperature, sulfate concentration) on the removal of PFOA and PFOS. The results of sorption kinetics on MIEX$^{(R)}$ show that it takes 90 min to reach equilibrium but the economical contact time and dosage were 30 min and 10 mL/L. An increase in pH (pH 6~10) leads to a decrease in PFOA (2.0%) and PFOS (3.6%) sorption on MIEX$^{(R)}$. The sorption of both PFOA and PFOS decreases with an increase in ionic strength for sulfate ion (${SO_4}^{2-}$), due to the competition phenomenon. An increase in water temperature ($8^{\circ}C{\sim}28^{\circ}C$) in water leads to a increase in PFOA (2.8%) and PFOS (4.3%) sorption on MIEX$^{(R)}$. Based on the sorption behaviors and characteristics of the adsorbents and adsorbates, ion exchange and hydrophobic interaction were deduced to be involved in the sorption, and hemi-micelles possibly formed in the intraparticle pores.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.304-308
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• 2008

Noble Poly (lithium 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonate) and its copolymer with N-vinyl formamide based on trihexyl (tetradecyl) phosphonium acetate [$(C_6H_{13})_3$ P ($C_{14}H_{29}$) $CH_3COO$; $P_{66614}$ $CH_3COO$] and trihexyl (tetradecyl)phosphonium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl) amide ([$(C_6H_{13})_3P(C_{14}H_{29})$] [TFSA];$P_{66614}TFSA$) were prepared and analyzed to determine their characteristics and properties. The ionic conductivity of a copolymer based $P_{66614}TFSA$ ionic liquid system exhibits a higher conductivity ($8.9{\times}10^{-5}Scm^{-1}$) than that of a copolymer based $P_{66614}CH_3COO$ system ($1.57{\times}10^{-5}Scm^{-1})$. The charge on the TFSA anion is spread very diffusely through the S-N-S core and particularly in the trifluoromethane groups, and this diffusion results in a decreased interaction between the cation and the anion. The viscosity of $P_{66614}TFSA$ (39 cP at 343 K) and $P_{66614}CH_3COO$ (124 cP at 343 K), which is very hydrophobic, was fairly high. High viscosity leads to a slow rate of diffusion of redox species. The ionic conductivity of copolymer of a phosphonium ionic liquid system also exhibits higher conductivity than that of a homopolymer system. Phosphonium ionic liquids were thermally stable at temperatures up to $400^{\circ}C$.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1315-1327
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• 2002

The model compounds, 8-methoxypsoralen-CH2O(CH2)n-adenine (MOPCH2OCnAd, n=2, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 10) in which 5 position of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) is linked by various lengths of polymethylene bridge to N9 of adenine. UV absorption spectra are identical with the sum of MOPCH2OC3 and adenine absorption spectra. Solvent effects on the UV absorption and fluorescence emission spectra indicate that the lowest excited singlet state is the $(\pi${\rightarrow}$\pi*)$ state. The spectral characteristics of the fluorescence of MOPCH2OCnAd are strongly dependent upon the nature of the solvents. The fluorescence emission spectra in aprotic solvents are broad and structureless due to the excimer formation through the folded conformation accelerated by hydrophobic ${\pi}-{\pi}$ stacking interaction. Increasing polarity of the protic solvents leads to higher population of unfolded conformation stabilized through favorable solvation and H-bonding, and consequently to an increase in the fluorescence intensity, fluorescence lifetime, and a shift of fluorescence maximum to longer wavelengths. The decay characteristics of the fluorescence in polar protic solvents shows two exponential decays with the lifetimes of 0.6-0.8 and 1.6-1.9 ns in 5% ethanol/water, while MOPCH2OC3 shows 0.5 and 1.7 ns fluorescence lifetimes. The long-lived component of fluorescence can be attributed to the relaxed species (i.e., the species for which the solvent reorientation (or relaxation) has occurred), while the short-lived components can be associated with the unrelaxed, or only partially relaxed, species.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.51-55
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• 2016

Phytochemical investigation of Pistacia integerrima has highlighted isolation of two known compounds naringenin (1) and dihydrokaempferol (2). A crude extract and these isolated compounds were here evaluated for their effects on reversion of multidrug resistance (MDR) mediated by P-glycoprotein (P-gp). The multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein is a target for chemotherapeutic drugs from cancer cells. In the present study rhodamine-123 exclusion screening test on human mdr1 gene transfected mouse gene transfected L5178 and L5178Y mouse T-cell lymphoma cells showed excellent MDR reversing effects in a dose dependent manner. In-silico molecular docking investigations demonstrated a common binding site for Rhodamine123, and compounds naringenin and dihydrokaempferol. Our results showed that the relative docking energies estimated by docking softwares were in satisfactory correlation with the experimental activities. Preliminary interaction profile of P-gp docked complexes were also analysed in order to understand the nature of binding modes of these compounds. Our computational investigation suggested that the compounds interactions with the hydrophobic pocket of P-gp are mainly related to the inhibitory activity. Moreover this study s a platform for the discovery of novel natural compounds from herbal origin, as inhibitor molecules against the P-glycoprotein for the treatment of cancer.