• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.275-281
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• 2004

Our previous research has demonstrated that the bacterium, Pseudomonas sp. NFQ-l capable of utilizing quin­oline (2,3-benzopyridine) as the sole source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy was isolated and characterized [Yoon et ai. (2003) Kor. J. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 18(3):174-179]. In this study, we have found that Pseudomonas sp. NFQ-l could degrade quinoline as well as benzoate, and extended this work to characterize the catechol 1,2­dioxygenase (C1,2O) purified from the bacterium cultured in benzoate media. Initially, C1,2O has been purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel permeation chromatography, and Source 15Q. After Source 15Q, puri­fication fold was increased to approximately 14.21 unit/mg. Molecular weight of C1,2O was about 33 kDa. Physicochemical characteristics (e.g., substrate specificity, Km, Vmax, pH, temperature and effect of inhibitors) of purified C1,2O were examined. C1,2O demonstrated the activity for catechol, 4-methylcatechol and 3-meth­ylcatechol as a substrate, respectively. The Km and Vmax value of C1,2O for catechol was 38.54 ${\mu}M$ and $25.10\;{\mu}mol{\cdot}min^{-1}{\cdot}mg^{-1}.$ The optimal temperature of C1,2O was $30^{\circ}C$ and the optimal pH was approximately 8.5. Metal ions such as $Ag^+,\;Hg^+,\;Ca^{2+},\;and\;Cu^{2+}$ show the inhibitory effect on the activity of C1,2O. N-terminal amino sequence of C1,2O was analyzed as ^1TVKISQSASIQKFFEEA^{17}.$ In this work, we found that the amino acid sequence of NFQ-l showed the sequence homology of 82, 71, 59 and $53\%$ compared with C1,2O from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA0l, Pseudomonas arvilla C-1., P. putida KT2440 and Pseudomonas sp. CA10, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.251-256
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• 2009

Leaf samples and bulbs showing characteristic symptoms of virus infection were collected from Gang-won, Chung-nam, and Jeju Province of Korea in 2008-2009. Three viruses, Lily symptomless virus (LSV), Lily mottle virus (LMoV), and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) were detected by RT-PCR. Virus-infected plant samples were identified; 12 plants with LSV, 20 plants with LMoV, and 1 plant with CMV. Of the twelve LSV infected samples, seven samples were found to be mix-infected with LMoV and LSV. Symptoms of LMoV and LSV mixed infection were fairly severe, like as vein clearing, leaf curling, leaf mottling, leaf mosaic, and yellow streaking. Mixed infection with LMoV and LSV was also found in lily bulbs which have been stored under unfavorable environmental conditions. LMoV predominated in our tests, whereas spread of Lilyvirus X (LVX) was not found. The nucleotide sequences of coat protein (CP) region of seven isolates (4 LMoV, 2 LSV, and 1 CMV) were compared with the corresponding regions of LMoV (AJ564636), LSV (AJ516059) and CMV(AJ296154). The nucleotide sequence homologies between reference viruses and seven isolates were 95-99%. Complete sequencing of seven isolates is necessary to obtain more information on the molecular characteristics of these viruses as well as to increase sensitivity and rapidity of viral detection.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.273-288
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• 2011

Chon-Ashuu copper mining claim area is located, in terms of the geotectonic setting, in the northern part of the suture line which is bounded with the marginal part of Issik-kul micro-continent on the southern part of North Tien-Shan terrane. The geological blocks of Chon-Ashuu districts belong to the southern tip of Kazakhstan orocline. The rock formation of this area are composed of the continental crust or/and arc collage and the paleo-continental fragments-accretionary wedge complex of pre-Altaid orogenic materials. ASI(Alumina Saturation Index) of Paleozoic plutonic rocks in Chon-Ashuu area belong to the peraluminous and metaluminous rocks which were generated from fractional crystallization of Island and volcanic arc crusts in syn-post collisional plate. The geology of the ChonAshuu area consists of upper Proterozoic and Paleozoic rock formations. According to Harker variation diagrams for Chon-Ashuu arenaceous sedimentary rocks, the silty sandstone of Chon-Ashuu area showing the mineralogical immaturity were derived from Island arc or the marginal environments of active continent in Cambro-Carboniferous period. Numerous intrusive rocks of Chon-Ashuu area are distributed along north east trending tectonic structures and are bounded on four sides by the conjugate pattern. The most common type of the plutonic rocks are granodiorite and monzodiorite. According to the molecular normative An-Ab-Or composition (Barker, 1979), the plutonic rocks in Chon-Ashuu area are classified into tonalite - trondhjemite - granodiorite (TTG) series which are an aggregation of rocks which is the country rock of copper mineralization, that are formed by melting of hydrous mafic crust at high pressure.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.3 s.70
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• pp.439-446
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• 2005

Ferritin is known to be the principle iron-storage protein in a wide variety of rganisms. The electro­phoretic mobility and immunological cross-reactivity of dog splenic ferritin were compared with those of horse, bovine, and pig splenic ferritin after isolation using heat treatment, salting out, column chromatography, and ultrafiltration. These isolation methods allowed the recovery of $\~84{\mu}g$ of the ferritin per g of spleen. The iron content in the dog ferritin was $22.7\%$, which appeared to be higher than those in the other mammalian ferritins tested. The electrophoretic mobility of the dog ferritin under nondenaturing conditions was similar to its bovine counterpart, whereas it was more identical to pig and horse ferritins on an SDS-polyacrylamide gel. The molecular weight of the dog ferritin subunit was 19.5 kDa on an SDS-polyacrylarnide gel, and the subunit was unable to bind with iron. The polyclonal anti-dog ferritin raised in rats was able to cross-react with the pig, bovine, and horse ferritins, upon Ouchterlony double immunodiffusiion. A Western blot analysis also revealed that the anti-dog ferritin, which specifically bound with the dog ferritin subunit, could also recognize the horse, bovine, and pig ferritin subunits and the maximum cross-reactivity was exhibited with the pig ferritin subunit, indicating that the dog ferritin is immunochemically more similar to the pig ferritin than its other mammalian counterparts. Accordingly, these results elucidate the biochemical and immunochemical characteristics of dog ferritin that might have a potential to be applied as an oral iron supplement to treat iron deficiency anemia.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.160-166
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• 2014

This study was aimed at looking into the distribution status and age structure of Abies holophylla population in Sudo-Am temple forest. It was found that a total of 302 individuals of Abies holophylla existed which were more than 2m in height within the study area. Furthermore the population size is one of the largest in the southern region of Korea. The CBH of Abies holophylla ranged from 1.5 cm to 500.8 cm. Age structure of Abies holophylla looks like a gourd-shaped bottle. This means that they have an unstable structure status and do not survive very long. This status results from a variety of factors including, vegetation succession, anthropogenic activities, and global warming. The environmental characteristics of Abies holophylla population was $931{\pm}64.5m$ in mean altitude, $19.2{\pm}8.7^{\circ}$ in mean slope in the northeastern and southeastern area of the slope direction, and $1,324,323{\pm}174,459wh\;m^{-2}$ in average of direct normal irradiation. Among the site environmental factors, the significant ones which influence the potential habitat for Abies holophylla distribution were chosen using the MaxEnt model. According to the results of this study, altitude and slope were found as the important factors. The average value of environmental conditions by ROC analysis were altitude 903.2 m, slope $20.04^{\circ}$, irradiation $1,352.248wh\;m^{-2}$, and the southeastern aspect.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.754-761
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• 2006

This study was to investigate the effect of chitosan-ascorbate (CA) prepared with different molecular weight (223, 746, 1110 and 2025 kDa) on the fermentation and quality of mul-kimchi, and also, the effect of the mul-kimchi juice fermented with 0.1% chitosan-ascorbate prepared with 2025 kDa chitosan (CA2025) on the serum lipids of rae fed with high cholesterol diet (HC). The mul-kimchi fermented in 0.1% CA2025 has lower turbidity, longer shelf-life, higher glucosamine content and SOD activity than those of control and the other treatments. In the animal experiment the HC-CA2025 and HC-2CA2025 groups which were administered 0.5 mL per 100 g body weight of mul-kimchi juice fermented with 0.1% CA2025 and administered the same volume of the juice concentrated 112 per nay fed for 5 week, respectively. The average body weight of the HC-CA2025 and HC-2CA2025 group was lower 6.9% and 8.4% than that of HC control group respectively. Total serum cholesterol contents of these groups were 88.33 and 85.00 mg/uL, which were 17.45% and 20.56% lower than HC control group respectively. While, HDL-cholesterol content of these groups were 7% and 23%, higher the LDL-cholesterol content were 13% and 26% lower than those of HC control group respectively. And also, though the atherogenic index, AST and ALT activities were not reached to normal control group, the values were remarkably lower than those of HC control group. This study indicates the possibility of utility for kimchi industry by adding chitosan-ascorbate, especially CA2025 showing not only quality enhancing and shelf-life prolongation but also improving serum lipids and atherogenic index in rats fed with high cholesterol diet.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1487-1492
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• 2012

Peach (Prunus persica) has been recognized as a food allergen for over 20 years. However, there is little information about cross-reactivity with other foods. The aim of this study was to research cross-reactivity of Korean cherry and hot pepper on patients allergic to peach and its stability by digestive enzyme treatment. Peach, Korean cherry, and hot pepper proteins were extracted and separated by Tricine-SDS-PAGE analysis. The protein extracts had a wide range of molecular weight, from 3 kDa to more than 26 kDa, and displayed different patterns of protein bands on Tricine-SDS-PAGE. Peach allergic patients' sera were used to detect the allergenic protein in three samples. Three peach allergic patients' sera reacted strongly with 9 kDa protein of peach, which was the expected lipid transfer protein (LTP) as the major allergen of peach and was detected with anti-LTP1 polyclonal antibody. However, the reactivity of the 23 kDa protein in Korean cherry and hot pepper protein was stronger than that of the 9 kDa protein. The stability of protein extracts on digestive enzyme treatment was examined using simulated gastric fluids (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluids (SIF), in which digestive enzyme stability is one of the characteristics of allergen potentially causing food allergy. Findings confirmed that allergenic proteins in peach, Korean cherry, and hot pepper were not completely digested by SGF and SIF treatments from results of SDS-PAGE analysis. These results confirmed that Korean cherry and hot pepper might cause cross-reactivity in peach allergic patients, and its allergenic proteins have stability against digestive enzymes.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1637-1643
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• 2009

Shikonin, a component of Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc, exerts various characteristics such as anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-obesity functions. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of shikonin-induced inhibition of adipogenesis, we analyzed the mRNA expression level of various adipogenesis-related factors including C/EBPs (CCAAT/enhancerbinding proteins) and $PPAR{\gamma}$ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor $\gamma$). The data showed that mRNA expressions of C/$EBP{\beta}$ and C/$EPB{\delta}$ were only slightly changed by shikonin treatment, but mRNA expressions of $PPAR{\gamma}$ and C/$EPB{\alpha}$ were significantly down-regulated. Then, we tested whether upstream regulators of C/$EBP{\beta}$ and $PPAR{\gamma}$ were involved in anti-adipogenesis of shikonin. C/$EBP{\gamma}$ and CHOP (C/EBP homologous protein), which are upstream regulators of C/$EBP{\beta}$, were not affected by shikonin treatment. On the contrary, the mRNA level of KROX20 was markedly down-regulated by shikonin treatment. These results suggest that KROX20 might regulate downstream factors of adipogenesis through C/$EBP{\beta}$-independent pathway. The expression of KLF15 (Kruppel-like factor15), which is a member of KLF family and is a upstream regulator of $PPAR{\gamma}$, was dramatically decreased by shikonin treatment, but KLF2 was not changed. Shikonin had no impact on the expression of KLF5 in the early stage of adipogenesis, but shikonin increased expression of KLF5 in the late stage of adipogenesis. Even though mRNA expression of KLF5 was moderately changed by shikonin treatment, its effect may be small compared with the effect of KLF15, which was markedly inhibited. Taken together, these results suggest that shikonin inhibits adipogenesis through the down-regulation of $PPAR{\gamma}$ and C/$EPB{\alpha}$, which is mediated by the down-regulation of two pro-adipogenic factors, KROX20 and KLF15.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.139-148
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• 1993

Both SCC 12 and SCC 13 cell lines were derived from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin (Wu and Rheinwald, 1981). In the present study, we compared the inherent invasive activity in their raft cultures where most in vivo characteristics of epidermis can be reproduced by cell culture method. The raft culture of SCC 12 cell line produced many invading colonies within the collagen lattice and basal-like cells in the middle of differentiating cell layers, but no invasive activity was observed in the SCC 13 raft culture. We investigated which factors are implicated in inherent invasive activity of SCC 12 cell line by examining basal levels of type I collagenase, EGF receptor, fibronectin, and its receptor in two cell lines. Among them, only type I collagenase was significantly higher in invasive SCC 12 cells than in non-invasive SCC 13 cells. Furthermore, we tried to investigate mechanisms underlying between SCC 12 cell's inherent invasive activity and its high basal level of type I collagenase. As one of them, discrepancy in TGF alpha mediated responses between two cell lines was observed. In SCC 13 cells, TGF alpha initially stimulated type I collagenase at 12 h after TGF alpha treatment and then its down regulation was followed from 24 h even though TGF alpha was continuously present in the medium. However in SCC 12 cells, TGF alpha continuously stimulated type I collegenase up to 48 h. We propose that defect in EGF receptor's down-regulation may be involved in lack of type I collagenase's down-regulation and its possible connection to invasive activity of SCC 12 cell line.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.547-557
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• 1986

The characteristics of the three alkaline proteinases, Enz. A, B and C, from the pyloric caeca of mackerel have been investigated. The optimum condition for the activity of the Enz. A, B and C was pH 9.4, 9.8 and 9.8 at $45^{\circ}C$ for $2\%$ casein solution, and was pH 9.2 10.2 and 9.8 at $45^{\circ}C$ for $5\%$ hemoglobin denatured by urea, respectively. Enz. A, B and C by heat treatment at $50^{\circ}C$ for 5 min were inactivated 90, 33 and $37\%$, respectively, over the original activity. The reaction rate of the three alkaline proteinases was constant to the reaction time to 40 min in the reaction condition of $2{\mu}g/ml$ of enzyme concentration and $2\%$ casein solution. The reaction rate equation and Km value against casein substrate determined by the method of Lineweaver and Burk were: Enz. A, Y=3.6X and $Km=5.0{\times}10^{-3}\%$; Enz. B, Y=6.0X and $Km=1.0{\times}10^{-3}\%$; Enz. C, Y=4.2X and $Km=3.6{\times}10^{-3}\%$. The three alkaline proteinases were inactivated by $Ag^+$ and $Hg^{2+}$, but activated by $Mn^{2+},\;Sn^{2+}\;and\;Pb^{2+}$, Enz. B and C were remarkably inhibited by the soybean trypsin inhibitor. Molecular weight of Enz. A, B and C determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Sephadex G-100 gel filtration was in the range of $27,500{\pm}2,500,\;20,500{\pm}1,500\;and\;15,250{\pm}250$, respectively.