• Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Korea Conference
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• 1999.04a
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• pp.18-18
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• 1999

We characterized a cDNA clone for a low molecular weight heat-shock protein (LMW HSP) from tobacco named TLHS-l. Nucleotide sequence determination of TLHS-1 identified an open reading frame for 159 amino acids. To the upstream of the open reading frame, a sequence of 124 nucleotides was determined. To the 3' downstream of the open reading frame, 212 nucleotides were identified which carried poly(A)-tail. Comparison of the open reading frame and hydropathy plot of TLHS-1 with the previously reported class I LMW HSPs showed high identity which classified TLHS-1 as a class I LMW HSP cDNA clone. We proposed that there are six consensus regions in class I LMW HSPs. RNA blot hybridization for TLHS-1 showed a typical expression pattern of heat-shock-inducible gene from three common tobacco cultivars. The open reading frame of TLHS-1 was overexpressed in Escherichia coli. TLHS-1 protein confers thermal protection of other proteins in vitro and in vivo. Thermal induced aggregation of citrate synthase was reduced by purified TLHS-1 protein, and thermal death rate at $50^{\circ}C$ was reduced in E. coli expressing TLHS-l. From these data, we can expect that TLHS-1 acts as a molecular chaperone.perone.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.540-544
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• 1996

Ferritins from germinated pumpkin seeds were isolated by ammonium sulfate precipitation (0.55 saturation), ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, and gel filtration chromatographies on Sephacryl S-300 and Sephadex G-100. Pumpkin ferritin contains less iron than soybean ferritin. Pumpkin ferritin cross-reacted with anti-soybean ferritin antiserum made in rabbit, and showed two distinct antibody reactive bands, both of equal intensity. The pumpkin ferritins corresponding to the two bands were separable by centrifugation in a sucrose gradient (20~50%). The molecular weights of the native pumpkin ferritins based on the estimation of sucrose gradient centrifugation, gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300 and non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis appeared to be: 530~580 KD (the large molecular weight pumpkin ferritin) and 330-360 KD (the small molecular weight pumpkin ferritin) The large molecular weight pumpkin ferritin contains less iron. Both pumpkin ferritins cross-reacted with anti-soybean ferritin antibody with a spur formation suggesting partial antigenic recognition.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.13 no.4 s.57
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• pp.576-588
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• 2005

The effect of chitosan pretreatment on the dyeing of cotton fiber and silk fiber was investigated. However, it has been difficult to evaluate the effect of the chitosan precisely, since the characterization of the molecular weight and effect of the degree of deacetylation were not elucidated for the application. The treatment effect may change diversely since the chitosan solution viscosity differs a lot based on the chitosan molecular weight. In this study, three chitosan specimens, varying in molecular weight, were applied for the fabric pretreatment in order to investigate the effect of chitosan molecular weight. Also, in order to maximize the efficacy of the chitosan, highly deacetylated chitosan specimens, meeting the deacetylation degree of $100\%$, were selected far the application. The air-permeability change according to the chitosan molecular weight change, influence on the mordanting, color change, and wash fastness change were investigated.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.656-661
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• 2023

The aims of this study were to optimize the preparation of low-molecular-weight collagen using a proteolytic enzyme (alcalase) derived from the feet of Korean native chickens, and to characterize the process of collagen hydrolysis. Foreign bodies from chicken feet were removed using ultrasonication at 28 kHz with 1.36 kW for more than 25 min. The hydrolytic pattern and molecular weight distribution of enzyme-treated collagen from chicken feet were analyzed using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. Ideally, chicken feet should be treated at 100℃ for 8 h to obtain a high collagen content using hot water extraction. The collagen content of the chicken foot extract was 13.9 g/100 g, and the proportion of low-molecular-weight collagen increased with increasing proteolytic enzyme concentration and reaction time. When treated with 1% alcalase, the average molecular weight of collagen decreased rapidly to 4,929 Da within 5 h and thereafter decreased at a slower rate, reaching 4,916 Da after 7 h. Size exclusion chromatography revealed that low-molecular-weight collagen peptides of approximately 1,000-5,000 Da were obtained after hydrolysis with 1% alcalase for 1 h.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.46-55
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• 2007

The convergence of molecular and genetic disciplines with non-invasive imaging technologies has provided an opportunity for earlier detection of disease processes which begin with molecular and cellular abnormalities. This emerging field, known as molecular imaging, is a relatively new discipline that has been rapidly developed over the past decade. It endeavors to construct a visual representation, characterization, and quantification of biological processes at the molecular and cellular level within living organisms. One of the goals of molecular imaging is to translate our expanding knowledge of molecular biology and genomic sciences into good patient care. The practice of molecular imaging is still largely experimental, and only limited clinical success has been achieved. However, it is anticipated that molecular imaging will move increasingly out of the research laboratory and into the clinic over the next decade. Non-invasive in vivo molecular imaging makes use of nuclear, magnetic resonance, and in vivo optical imaging systems. Recently, an interest in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) has been revived, and along with optical imaging systems PET is assuming new, important roles in molecular genetic imaging studies. Current PET molecular imaging strategies mostly rely on the detection of probe accumulation directly related to the physiology or the level of reporter gene expression. PET imaging of both endogenous and exogenous gene expression can be achieved in animals using reporter constructs and radio-labeled probes. As increasing numbers of genetic markers become available for imaging targets, it is anticipated that a better understanding of genomics will contribute to the advancement of the molecular genetic imaging field. In this report, the principles of non-invasive molecular genetic imaging, its applications and future directions are discussed.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.4581-4585
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• 2012

Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) performs a vital role in the pathogenesis of hematopoietic malignancies. Therefore in recent times, the focus of several studies was on use of FLT3 as a prognostic marker. The present study investigated the molecular characterization and incidence of FLT3 mutations in acute leukemia patients in Pakistan. A total of 55 patients were studied, of which 25 were suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 30 were suffering from acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The polymerase chain reaction demonstrated FLT3/ITD mutations in 1 (4%) of 25 ALL patients, a male with the L2 subtype. In AML cases the rate was 4 (13.3%) of 30, three males and one female. The AML-M4 subtype was found in three and the AML M2 subtype in the other. In the AML cases, a statistically significant (p=0.009) relationship was found between WBC (109/L) and FLT3/ITD positivity. However, no significant relationship was found with other clinical parameters (p>0.05). In acute myeloid leukemia (AML) $FLT3/ITD^+$ mutation was more prevalent in elderly patients 31-40 age groups, 21-30 and 51-60 age groups respectively. In acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) statistically no significant relationship was found between clinical features and FLT3/ITD positivity (p>0.05). However, in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) $FLT3/ITD^+$ mutation was more commonly found in age groups of 21-30.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.547-551
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• 2013

We recently reported a Philyra pisum lectin (PPL) that exerts mitogenic effects on human lymphocytes, and its molecular characterization. The present study provides a more detailed characterization of PPL based on the results from a monosaccharide analysis indicating that PPL is a glycoprotein, and circular dichroism spectra revealing its estimated ${\alpha}$-helix, ${\beta}$-sheet, ${\beta}$-turn, and random coil contents to be 14.0%, 39.6%, 15.8%, and 30.6%, respectively. These contents are quite similar to those of deglycosylated PPL, indicating that glycans do not affect its intact structure. The binding properties to different pathogen-associated molecular patterns were investigated with hemagglutination inhibition assays using lipoteichoic acid from Gram-positive bacteria, lipopolysaccharide from Gram-negative bacteria, and both mannan and ${\beta}$-1,3-glucan from fungi. PPL binds to lipoteichoic acids and mannan, but not to lipopolysaccharides or ${\beta}$-1,3-glucan. PPL exerted no significant antiproliferative effects against human breast or bladder cancer cells. These results indicate that PPL is a glycoprotein with a lipoteichoic acid or mannan-binding specificity and which contains low and high proportions of ${\alpha}$-helix and ${\beta}$-structures, respectively. These properties are inherent to the innate immune system of P. pisum and indicate that PPL could be involved in signal transmission into Gram-positive bacteria or fungi.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.344-350
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• 2006

Thermoplasma acidophilum is a thermoacidophilic archaeon that grows optimally at $59^{\circ}C$ and pH 2. Along with another thermoacidophilic archaeon, Sulfolobus solfataricus, it is known to metabolize glucose by the non-phosphorylated Entner-Doudoroff (nED) pathway. In the course of these studies, the specific activities of glyceraldehyde dehydrogenase and glycerate kinase, two enzymes that are involved in the downstream part of the nED pathway, were found to be much higher in T. acidophilum than in S. solfataricus. To characterize glycerate kinase, the enzyme was purified to homogeneity from T. acidophilum cell extracts. The N-terminal sequence of the purified enzyme was in exact agreement with that of Ta0453m in the genome database, with the removal of the initiator methionine. Furthermore, the enzyme was a monomer with a molecular weight of 49kDa and followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics with $K_m$ values of 0.56 and 0.32mM for DL-glycerate and ATP, respectively. The enzyme also exhibited excellent thermal stability at $70^{\circ}C$. Of the seven sugars and four phosphate donors tested, only DL-glycerate and ATP were utilized by glycerate kinase as substrates. In addition, a coupled enzyme assay indicated that 2-phosphoglycerate was produced as a product. When divalent metal ions, such as $Mn^{2+},\;CO^{2+},\;Ni^{2+},\;Zn^{2+},\;Ca^{2+},\;and\;Sr^{2+}$, were substituted for $Mg^{2+}$ the enzyme activities were less than 10% of that obtained in the presence of $Mg^{2+}$. The amino acid sequence of T. acidophilum glycerate kinase showed no similarity with E. coli glycerate kinases, which belong to the first glycerate kinase family. This is the first report on the biochemical characterization of an enzyme which belongs to a member of the second glycerate kinase family.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.68-73
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• 1996

An nprX gene of Bacillus subtilis NS15-4 encoding a neutral protease was cloned and its molecular characteristics were analyzed. The complete nucleotide sequence indicated that there is an open reading frame (0RF) possibly encoding 521 amino acid polypeptide. The ORF used all codons expected two cysteine and a proline having a codon bias index (CBI) of 0.09 in Escherichia coli. There were homologous sequences to the consensus sequence of -35 and -10 regions of E. coli promoters and to a Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence located 25 bp downstream of a mojor transcription initiation site. Moreover, there were also five minor transcription initiation sites at 6. 7. 8. 14 and 15 nt downstream of the major site. Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of about 1.8 kb mRNA transcript in E. coli having the nprX gene. The nucleotide sequence was identified in GenBank to be a gene for a neutral protease of B. sutilis with six nucleotide difference in the ORF region. The flanking regions of the NprX ORF showed much more differences form those of other neutral protease genes except the nprE gene of B. subtilis, which has the most homology to the nprX gene, and of which the flanking regions were identical to those of the nprX gene.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.621-628
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• 1991

Heat-stable enterotoxin(ST) from enterotoxigenic E. coli eKT-53($ST^{+}\;LT^{-}$, transformant from isolate KM-7) that was produced in succinate salts medium. The culture supernatant(crude ST) was purifed by mulitpled steps and investigated some characterization of the ST. The heatstability of purified ST activity was completely lost by treating at $100^{\circ}C$ for 30minutes. ST activity was lost by treatment at pH 1 and 12 conditions, while the activity was not reduced by treatment at pH 2~10, and then the ${\alpha}-amylase$ and pepsin was not decreased activity but disulfide reducing agnets was lost the activity. The molecular weight of the purified ST was approximately 4,200, the isoelectric point was about 4.0.