• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1027-1035
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• 2015

A strain GP32 which produces a highly viscous extracellular polysaccharide was conducted with soil samples and identified as Pseudomonas species. The culture flask conditions for the production of extracellular polysaccharide by Pseudomonas sp. GP32 were investigated. The most suitable carbon and nitrogen source for extracellular polysaccharide production were galactose and (NH₄)₂SO₄. The optimum carbon/nitrogen ratio for the production of extracellular polysaccharide was around 50. The optimum pH and temperature for extracellular polysaccharide production was 7.5 and 32℃, respectively. In batch fermentation using a jar fermentor, the highest extracellular polysaccharide content (15.7 g/l) was obtained after 70 hr of cultivation. The extracellular polysaccharide produced by Pseudomonas sp. GP32 (designated Biopol32) was purified by ethanol precipitation, cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) precipitation, and gel permeation chromatography. Biopol32, which has an estimated molecular weight of over 3×10⁷ datons, is a novel polysaccharide derived from sugar components consisting of galactose, glucose, gulcouronic acid and galactouronic acid in an approximate molar ratio of 1.85 : 3.24 : 1.00 : 1.42. The solution of Biopol32 showed non-Newtonian characteristics. The viscosity of Biopol32 exhibited appeared to be higher at all concentration compared to that of zooglan from Zoogloea ramigera. An analysis of the flocculating efficiency of Biopol32 in industry wastewater (food, textile, and paper wastewater) revealed chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction rates 58.4-67.3% and suspended solid (SS) removal rates 82.6-91.3%. Based on these results, Biopol32 is a possible candidate for industrial applications such as wastewater treatment.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.864-872
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• 2017

Equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) consists of highly glycosylated ${\alpha}-$ and ${\beta}-subunits$ and is a unique member of the gonadotropin family, because it elicits the response characteristics of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in species other than the horse. To directly assess the biological function of $rec-eCG{\beta}/{\alpha}$, we constructed mammalian expressing vectors of equine luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptors (eLH/CGR). The activity of $rec-eCG{\beta}/{\alpha}$ in vitro assayed in transient transfected CHO-K1 cells and in stably transfected PathHunter Parental cells with eLH/CGR was investigated. $rec-eCG{\beta}/{\alpha}$ was efficiently secreted in the CHO-K1 suspension cell media, and the quantity detected was about 200 mIU/ml from 1 to 7 days after transfection. In the western blot analysis, the $rec-eCG{\beta}/{\alpha}$ protein was broadly identified to be about 40~45 kDa molecular weight. The cAMP stimulation in CHO-K1 cells expressing eLH/CGR was determined to evaluate the activity of $rec-eCG{\beta}/{\alpha}$. The cAMP concentration increased in direct proportion to the concentration of the $rec-eCG{\beta}/{\alpha}$. The $EC_{50}$ value in the transient transfected CHO-K1 cells was $8.1{\pm}6.5ng$. The stable cell lines of eLH/CGR were established in the PathHunter Parental cells expressing ${\beta}-arrestin$. We found that $rec-eCG{\beta}/{\alpha}$ had full LH activity in the PathHunter Parental cells expressing eLH/CGR. The $EC_{50}$ value in transient and stable cells was $5.0{\pm}4.7ng/ml$ and $4.5{\pm}5.2ng/ml$, respectively. These results suggest that $rec-eCG{\beta}/{\alpha}$ has a biological activity in a cell expressing eLH/CGR. These stable cells expressed in PathHunter Parental cells could be useful for elucidating the functional mechanisms of deglycosylated $rec-eCG{\beta}/{\alpha}$ mutants.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.323-330
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• 1998

Cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) was purified from the culture broth of the Bacillus firmus var. alkalophilus, using ultrafiltration, starch adsorption/desorption, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and gel filtration on Sephacryl HR-100. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was determined as 77,000 by SDS-PAGE. The optimum pH and temperature for the CD synthesis were 6.0 and 5$0^{\circ}C$, respectively. The activity of this enzyme was stably kept at the range of pH 6.0～9.5 and up to 5$0^{\circ}C$. However, in the presence of $Ca^{2+}$, the optimum temperature for CD synthesis was shifted 55~6$0^{\circ}C$ and this enzyme was stable up to 6$0^{\circ}C$ because of the stabilizing effect of $Ca^{2+}$. The purified CGTase produced CDs with high conversion yields of 45~51% from sweet potato starch, com starch and amylopectin as substrate, especially, and the product ratio of $\beta$-CD to ${\gamma}$-CD was obtained at range of from 5.8:1 to 8.4:1 according to the kind of substrate. The purified enzyme produced mainly $\beta$-CD without accumulation of $\alpha$-CD during enzyme reaction using various starches as the substrate, indicating that the purified enzyme is the typical $\beta$-CGTase. The purified CGTase produced 25 g/l of CDs from 5.0% (w/v) liquefied com starch and the conversion yield of CDs was 50%, and the content of $\beta$-CD was 84% of total CDs after 8 hours under the optimum reaction condition.ion.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.450-456
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• 2016

Rhizoctonia leaf blight (large patch) has become a serious problem in Korean lawn grass, which is extremely hard to treat and develops mostly from the roots of lawn grass to wither it away. Rhizoctonia leaf blight (large patch) is caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG2-2 (IV). To develop zoysia japonica with strong disease tolerance against this pathogenic bacterium, ${\beta}-1,3-glucanase$ was cloned from zoysia japonica, which is one of the PR-Proteins known to play a critical role in plant defense reaction. ${\beta}-1,3-glucanase$ is known to be generated within the cells when plant tissues have a hypersensitive reaction due to virus or bacterium infection and secreted outside the cells to play mainly the function of resistance against pathogenic bacteria in the space between the cells. This study utilized the commonly preserved part in the sequence of corn, wheat, barley, and rice which had been researched for their disease tolerance among the ${\beta}-1,3-glucanase$ monocotyledonous plants. Based on the part, degenerate PCR was performed to find out the sequence and full-length cDNA was cloned. E.coli over-expression was conducted in this study to mass purify target protein and implement in vitro activation measurement and antibacterial test. In addition, to interpret the functions of ZjGlu1 gene, each gene-incorporating plant transformation vectors were produced to make lawn grass transformant. Based on ZjGlu1 protein, antibacterial activity test was conducted on 9 strains. As a result, R. cerealis, F. culmorum, R.solani AG-1 (1B), and T. atroviride were found to have antibacterial activity. The gene-specific expression amount in each organ showed no huge difference in the organs based upon the transformant and against 18s gene expression amount.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2004

This study was conducted to discover new phytotoxins which may be used as lead molecules for the development of new herbicides. A total of 187 endophytic fungi were isolated from 11 plant species, which were collected from 8 locations in Korea. Their herbicidal activities were screened in vivo by herbicidal and duckweed bioassays after they were cultured in potato dextrose broth and rice solid media. Both fermentation broth and solid culture extract of Gliocladium catenulatum F0006 isolated from red pine (Pinus densiflora) showed 70% herbicidal activity only against cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium) out of the 10 weeds tested. Solid culture extract of F0034 isolated from arrowroot (Pueraria thunbergiana) exhibited 20 to 100% herbicidal activities against all of the weeds. Especially, shattercane (Sorghum bicolor), barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli), large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis), and fall pauicum (Panicum dichtomiflorum) were sensitive to the solid culture extract of F0034. In addition, solid culture extract of F0043 isolated from red pine displayed 20% to 70% herbicidal activities only against 5 grass species, but not against 5 broad-leaf plant species. On the other hand, as the results of duckweed assay, 8 fermentation broths showed 100% growth inhibitory activity at concentrations less than 5.0% of culture supernatants and 12 solid cultures had a potent inhibitory activity against duckweed growth. A toxic metabolite was purified from the solid cultures of G. catenulatum F0006 by repeated column chromatography and bioassay. It caused a phytotoxic syndrome only on cocklebur out of the 10 weeds tested; it completely killed cocklebur seedlings at $500\;{\mu}g/ml$ and showed 85% herbicidal activity against cocklebur at $100\;{\mu}g/ml$. The molecular weight of the toxic metabolite is 238 daltons and its structure determination is underway.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.355-362
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• 2016

The phosphomannomutase/phosphoglucomutase gene (pmm/pgm) of Vibrio anguillarum (the causative agent of fish vibriosis) was cloned, and the open reading frame corresponded to a protein with 446 amino acids. The pmm/pgm gene showed a significant degree of sequence homology with the previously reported genes from V. mimicus, V. vulnificus, V. splendidus, and V. harveyi, with 92.3%, 91.4%, 89.9%, and 89.9% amino acid identity, respectively. By reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, we found that the pmm/pgm gene was upregulated under cold stress condition. The PMM/PGM protein is known to catalyze the interconversion between mannose-1-phosphate and mannose-6-phosphate or glucose-1-phosphate and glucose-6-phosphate, which are important intermediates for lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis. To confirm the role of PMM/PGM in the LPS biosynthetic pathway, we constructed a knock out mutant by homologous recombination. The respective LPSs were isolated from the V. anguillarum wild-type and mutant strains, and changes were compared by subjecting them to sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Based on the different patterns of the LPSs, we expect the pmm/pgm gene to have an important role in LPS biosynthesis. The pmm/pgm-deficient mutant of V. anguillarum will contribute to further studies about the role of LPS in V. anguillarum pathogenesis.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.125-136
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• 1994

To characterize the SR Ca-release channel protein complex of crustacean, $^{45}Ca-release,\;[^3H]ryanodine$ binding, and immunoblot studies were carried out in the crayfish and/or lobster skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum. Bmax and affinity of crayfish SR to ryanodine were lower than those of lobster SR. AMP (5mM) increased $[^3H]ryanodine$ binding significantly in both vesicles (P<0.05). $Mg^{2+}$(5mM) or tetracaine(1mM) inhibited $[^3H]ryanodine$ binding significantly in both vesicles (P<0.001), but ruthenium red $(10\;{\mu}M)$ inhibited it moderately. In SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis of crayfish SR vesicles, there was a high molecular weight band that showed similar mobility with Ca-release channel protein of lobster skeletal SR, but more rapid mobility (HMWBr) than that of rabbit skeletal SR (HMWBS). Immunoblot analysis showed that polyclonal Ab to lobster skeletal SR Ca-release channel protein was react with HMWBr of crayfish skeletal SR, but not with that of HMWBs of rabbit skeletal SR. ^{45}Ca-release from crayfish skeletal SR vesicles was increased by the increase of extravesicular calcium from $1{\mu}M$ to 1mM. This Ca-release phenomenon was similar, but more sensitive in the low concentration of $Ca^{2+}$, compared to that from lobster SR vesicles. AMP (5mM) or caffeine (10mM) did not affect to $^{45}Ca-release.\;^{45}Ca-release$ was inhibited slightly ($3{\sim}8%\;by\;Mg^{2+}$) (5mM) or tetracaine (1mM), and moderately (23%) by high concentration of ruthenium red $(300\;{\mu}M)$. From the above results, it is suggested that SR Ca-release channel protein of crustacean has different properties from that of the rabbit, and similar properties between crayfish and lobster in functional and immunological aspects, but Ca-release via crayfish channel may be more sensitive to calcium.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.183-191
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• 2002

Purpose : X-linked agammaglobulinemia(XLA) is an immunodeficiency caused by abnormalities in Bruton's tyrosine kinase(Btk), and is characterized by a deficiency of peripheral blood B cells. We studied the cytoplasmic expression of Btk protein and analyzed the Btk gene in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from two siblings and one cousin with XLA, as well as additional family members. Methods : Btk protein expression was analyzed by flow cytometry. Isolation of the coding sequence of the Btk gene was performed by amplification using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) technique. Sequence alterations were screened by the single-stranded conformation polymorphism(SSCP) method and characterized by standard sequencing protocols. Results : Cytoplasmic expression of Btk protein in monocytes was not detected in three patients with XLA. In addition, Btk protein analysis clearly showed cellular mosaicism in monocytes from four obligate carriers, findings further supported by SSCP. A single base pair mutation(T to C) in Btk-exon three, which encodes the PH domain, was identified in four XLA patients. A diagnostic sequencing analysis was established to detect heterozygotic pattern in 4 carrier females. Furthermore, we found significant clinical heterogeneity in individuals with the same gene mutation. Conclusion : The implicating genetic alteration provided valuable clues to the pathogenesis of XLA in Korea and the flow cytometric analysis was suggested as a useful tool for rapid detection of XLA patients and carriers. The present study has identified a genetic mutation in the Btk coding region and demonstrated heterogeneity in clinical manifestations among patients with the same mutation. A flow cytometric analysis was found to be informative in establishing a deficiency of Btk protein in both patients and carriers and is recommended as a frontline procedure in the molecular diagnosis and work-up of XLA.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.302-310
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• 2002

Purpose : X-linked agammaglobulinemia(XLA) is an immunodeficiency caused by abnormalities in Bruton's tyrosine kinase(Btk), and is characterized by a deficiency of peripheral blood B cells. We studied cytoplasmic expression of Btk protein and analyzed the Btk gene in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC) from three XLA families in Korea. Methods : Heparinized venous blood samples were collected from four XLA patients and additional family members in three unrelated XLA families. Mononuclear cells were separated from their blood and the intracellular Btk protein was characterized by a flow cytometry. The mutation analysis was performed using direct sequencing. Results : Cytoplasmic expression of Btk protein in monocytes was not detected in the patients with XLA. We observed a novel deletion and two point mutations within introns(intron 1 and intron 18) resulting in alternative splicings. In XLA family 2, a 980 bp deletion(from intron 9+191 T to intron 10-215 C) including exon 10 was found in patient P2. He was the only sporadic case in this study, because his mother and brother showed a normal Btk expression by flow cytometry. Conclusion : These identified genetic alterations support the molecular heterogeneity of Btk gene in XLA disease. Additionally, by means of flow cytometric analysis, we diagnosed three hypogammaglobulinemia patients as XLA. Advancements in diagnostic methods has facilitated a prompt and definite diagnosis of this disease.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.59-66
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• 2003

Laccase produced by Pycnoporus cinnabarinus SCH-3 isolated from Korea was partially purified using ultrafiltration, anion exchange chromatography and affinity chromatography, The laccase was produced as the predominant extracellular phenoloxidase during primary metabolism. Neither lignin peroxidase nor manganese-dependent peroxidase were detected in the culture fluid. In order to examine the effect of inducers in laccase production, 2,5-xylidine was added in the culture of Pycnoporus cinnabarinus SCH-3. Addition of 2,5-xylidine enhanced 25-fold laccase production. Purified laccase was a single polypeptide having a molecular mass of approximately 66 kDa, as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and carbohydrate content of 9%. $K_{m}\;and\;V_{max}$ values for laccase with ABTS [2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline 6-sulfonic acid)] as a substrate (Lineweaver-Burk plot) was determined to be $44.4{\mu}M\;and\;56.0{\mu}mole$, respectively. The optimal pH for laccase activity was found to be 3.0. The enzyme was very stable for 1 hour at $60{\circ}C$. Half-life ($t_{1/2}$) of the enzyme was about 10 min at $80{\circ}C$. Spectroscopic analysis of purified enzyme indicated that the enzyme was typical of copper-containing protein. Substrate specificity and inhibitor studies for laccase also indicated to be a typical fungal laccase. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the P. cinnabarinus SCH-3 laccase showed 94% of homology to the N-terminal sequences of laccases from P. cinnabarinus PB and P. coccineus.