• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.192-197
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• 1996

L-Xylosone was detected as its quinoxaline derivative in the degradation solution of dehydro-L-ascorbic acid. The production rate of L-xylosone was much faster in aerated phosphate-cirate buffer (pH 5. 6) than in pure water. L-Xylosone and dehydro-L-ascorbic acid were identified in the crude extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The concentration of L-xylosone in the crude cell extracts was calculated to be about 0.2 nmol $(mg protein)^{-1}$. When L-xylosone was added to asynchronous culture of S. cerevisiae, it inhibited primarily the synthesis of protein and RNA. Examination of the effect of L- xylosone on synchronous culture of the yeast indicated that L-xylosone inhibited the initiation of DNA replication and that the cells were arrested at $G_1$, stage of cell division cycle. These results suggested a possibility that L-xylosone can act as an inhibitor of cell growth.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.302-308
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• 1985

It is shown by means of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy that 3,4,5-trihydroxy-2-keto-L-valeraldehyde (L-xylosone), an ${\alpha}$-ketoaldehyde, is formed during the oxidative catabolism of L-ascorbic acid. It is proposed that this substance serves as a substrate for the glyoxalase system by which it is transformed to L-xylonic acid. As L-xylonic acid is further oxidized to L-erythroascorbic acid, a biochemical pathway is proposed for the action of vitamin C which consists of two further ${\gamma}$-lactones and three different substrates of the glyoxalase system.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.315-321
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• 1994

Glyoxalase I was purified 2,294-fold from Pleurotus ostreatus by S-hexylglutathione affinity chromatography, Sephadex G-150 gel filtration chromatography and DEAE-sepharose A-50 CL-6B ion exchange chromatography with an overall yield of 21.7%. The molecular mass determined by gel filtration was found to be approx. 34 kDa. SDS-PAGE revealed that the enzyme consists of two identical subunits with a molecular mass of approx. 17 kDa. The K sub(m) values of this enzyme for methylglyoxal and phenylglyoxal were 0.39 mM and 0.22 mM, respectively. And this enzyme had a strong affinity for L-xylosone and hydroxypyruvaldehyde. The enzyme showed its optimal activity at pH 6.5-7.5 and at $40^{\circ}C$. $^1H$-NMR spectroscopic analysis of enzymic reaction showed that this enzyme catalyzes intramolecular proton transfer.