• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.463-468
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• 2000

Anthrax lethal toxin, which consists of two separate protein, protective antigen (83 KDa) and lethal factor (85 KDa) is responsible for major symptoms and death from systemic infection of Bacillus anthracis. High concentrations of this toxin are cytolytic to macrophages, whereas sublytic concentrations of lethal toxin induce these cells to produce interleukin $1{\beta}$ ($IL-1{\beta}$). It is proposed that melatonin and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) may play an important role in modifying immune dysfunction. In this study, we investigated whether or not melatonin and DHEA could prevent $IL-1{\beta}$ production that is induced by anthrax lethal toxin in mouse peritoneal macrophages. Treatment of melatonin or DHEA alone, as well as together, prevented the production of $IL-1{\beta}$ caused by anthrax lethal toxin. We found that melatonin at a concentration of $10^{-6}-10^{-7}$ M inhibits $IL-1{\beta}$ production induced by anthrax lethal toxin. As expect, treatment of DHEA at a concentration $10^{-6}-10^{-7}$ M also suppressed production of $IL-1{\beta}$ by lethal toxin stimulated macrophages. The results of these studies suggest that melatonin and DHEA, immunomodulators, may have an important role in reducing the increase of cytokine production in anthrax lethal toxin-treated macrophages.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.323-325
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• 2002

Bacillus Anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax. The major virulence factors are a poly-D glutamic acid capsule and three-protein component exotoxin, which is collectively known as anthrax toxin, protective antigen (PA, 83 kDa), lethal factor (LF, 90 kDa), and edema factor (EF, 89 kDa). These three proteins individually have no known toxic activities, but in combination with PA form two toxins (lethal toxin and edema toxin), causing different pathogenic responses in animals and cultured cells. However, it remains to be elucidated for pathogenic mechanism of anthrax toxin. In this study, we constructed toxin component in bacterial overexpression system and purified the native toxin from Bacillus anthracis delta sterne F32 using FPLC system. Recombinant toxin showed high homogeneity and rapid purification processes. Also, this recombinant toxin was comparable to B. anthracis native toxin in terms of cytotoxic effects on cultured cell lines.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.221-226
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• 1985

To screen biologically active components of the higher fungi of Korea, the dried carpophores of Auricularia polytricha were extracted with water. The extract was examined for acute toxicity in ICR mice. A low molecular weight toxin of this fungus was purified by acetone precipitation followed by cellulose, silica gel and LH-20 Sephadex column chromatography. Major symptoms of this toxin were eye extrusion, hair erection, trembling of head, paralysis, rapid running or moving before death and depression of respiration. The median lethal doses of the total extract were 1.25 g/kg and 4.18 g/kg by i.p. and p.o. administrations, respectively. The amounts of one mouse lethal unit (MLU) of the total extract and final fraction that killed a 20-g mouse within 30 minutes were 28.5 mg/mouse and 12 mg/mouse, respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.1630-1633
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• 2008

A novel putative toxin-antitoxin segregational stability system named KyAB system was identified in a novel native plasmid pBMB8240 from Bacillus thuringiensis strain YBT-1520, based on sequences homology with other toxin-antitoxin systems, the lethal activity of the KyB putative toxin in Escherichia coli and the stabilizing effect of the kyAB system in Bacillus thuringiensis. Secondarily, the native plasmid pBMB9741 from the same strain was resequenced and the corrected plasmid was named as pBMB7635. Based on sequence homology with the tasAB system and the lethal activity of toxin protein in Escherichia coli, a tasAB-like putative toxin-antitoxin system was identified on pBMB7635.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.265-271
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• 1986

To screen biologically active components of the higher fungi of Korea, the dried carpophores of Auricularia polytricha were extracted with water. The extract was examined for acute toxicity in ICR mice. A low molecular weight toxin of this fungus was purified by a acetone precipitation followed by cellulose, silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Major symptoms of this toxin were decreasing of normal motility, eye extrusion, hair erection, shivering, trembling of head, paralysis, rapid running or moving before death and depression of respiration. The median lethal doses of the total extract were 1. 28 g/kg and 4. 31 g/kg by i.p. and p.o. administrations, respectively. The amounts of one mouse lethal unit of the total extract and final fraction that killed a 20 g mouse within 30 minutes were 28.5 and 12.0 mg/mouse, respectively.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.205-209
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• 1982

The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using the so-called "double-sandwich"technique was applied to determine Clostridium botulinum type F toxin. Polystyrene tubes were coated with horse anti-type F toxin serum and then toxin sample was added. The tubes were subsequently treated with rabbit anti-type F toxin IgG and sheep anti-rabbit serum IgG-horseradish peroxidase conjugate. By this technique, about 10 mouse intraperitoneal 50% lethal doses (ip LD/50/) of type F toxin could be detected. Low back-ground reading was achieved with the use of phosphate-buffered saline containing 0.05% Tween 20 and 1% bovine serum albumin as diluents of rabbit IgG and conjugate. Addition of EDTA in the diluents of toxin increased ELISA extinction value significantly. No cross-reaction was observed with botulinum type A and B toxin, but type E toxin gave sleight cross-reaction.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 1989

Toxins from Vibrio vulnificus cause Vibrio septicemia. Study was carried out for localization, characterization and toxicity of these toxins by injection thorough introspectional route to ICR(Insititude cancer research) mouse using Vibrio vulnificus M -1 isolated from patient and Vibrio vulnificus S-1 from sea water. No significant differences in lethal toxicity were observed between Vibrio vulnificus M-1 and Vibrio vulnificus $S-1.\;LD_{50}$ was $7.80{\times}10^6$ cells when these bacteria were injected to ICR mouse thorough intraperitoneal route. Crude hemolysin from Vibrio vulnificus S-1 did not show lethal toxiity and this lethal toxin were found to be endotoxin. This endotoxin were completely inactivated upon incubation at $80^{\circ}C$ for 20min.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.12
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• pp.811-815
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• 2011

Inhalational anthrax is caused by B. anthracis, a virulent sporeforming bacterium which secretes anthrax toxins consisting of protective antigen (PA), lethal factor (LF) and edema factor (EF). LF is a Zn-dependent metalloprotease and is the main determinant in the pathogenesis of anthrax. Here we report the identification of a lead small-molecule inhibitor of anthrax lethal factor by screening an available synthetic small-molecule inhibitor library using fluorescence-based high-throughput screening (HTS) approach. Seven small molecules were found to have inhibitory effect against LF activity, among which SM157 had the highest inhibitory activity. All theses small molecule inhibitors inhibited LF in a noncompetitive inhibition mode. SM157 and SM167 are from the same family, both having an identical group complex, which is predicted to insert into S1' pocket of LF. More potent small-molecule inhibitors could be developed by modifying SM157 based on this identical group complex.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.195-198
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• 2006

Lethal toxin is a critical virulence factor of anthrax. It is composed two protein: protective antigen (PA) and lethal factor (LF). PA binds to specific cell surface receptors and, forms a membrane channel that mediates entry of LF into the cell. LF is a zinc-dependent metalloprotease, which cleaves MKKs [MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) kinases] at peptide bonds very close to their N-termini. In this study, we suggest application of cell-based assays in the early phase of drug discovery, with a particular focus on the use of yeast cells. We constructed MEK1 expression system in yeast to determine LF activity and approached cell-based assay system to screen inhibitors, in which the results covering the construction of LF-substrate in yeast expression vector, expression, and LF-mediated proteolysis of substrate were described. These results could provided the basic steps in design of cell-based assay system with the high efficiency, rapidly and easy way to screening of inhibitors.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.79-87
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• 1997

To determine the cause of Vibrio septicemia by understanding the characteristics endotoxin from Vibrio vulnificus, lethal dose, heat resistance and vascular permeability enhancing activity were svaluated using vegestative cell and cell homogenate and the result is as follows: 1. Vibrio vulnificus CDC B3547 of patient origin did not exihibit any significant difference in toxicity compared to Vibrio vulnificus B57 of enviroment origin. 2. Strong toxicity was observed when viable cell count of Vibrio vulnificus CDC B3547 was more than 10$^{7}$/ml. 3. Toxicity of cell homogenate was completely inactivited upon geating at 80$^{\circ}$C for 20min. 4. Cell homogenate did not show hemolyic activity but was acknowleged to have cytotoxicity. 5. Major lethal toxin against mouse was existed in Vibrio vulnificus CDC B3547; however, separation of LPS and LPS-protein complex was not successful using the current technique.