• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7959-7965
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• 2015

Background: Identification of predictive markers for the efficacy of platinum-based chemotherapy is necessary to improve the quality of the life of cancer patients. Materials and Methods: We detected proteins recognized by autoantibodies in pretreated sera from patients with lung adenocarcinoma (AC) evaluated as showing progressive disease (PD) or a partial response (PR) after cisplatin-based chemotherapy by proteomic analysis. Then, the levels of the candidate autoantibodies in the pretreated serum were validated by dot-blot analysis for 22 AC patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy, and the expression of identified proteins was immunohistochemically analyzed in 40 AC biopsy specimens. Results: An autoantibody against galectin-3 (Gal-3) was detected in pretreated sera from an AC patient with PD. Serum IgG levels of anti-Gal-3 autoantibody were significantly higher in patients evaluated with PD than in those with PR and stable disease (SD) (p = 0.0084). Furthermore, pretreated biopsy specimens taken from patients evaluated as showing PD following platinumbased chemotherapy showed a tendency to have a higher positive rate of Gal-3 than those with PR and SD (p = 0.0601). Conclusions: These results suggest that serum IgG levels of anti-Gal-3 autoantibody may be useful to predict the efficacy of platinum-based chemotherapy for patients with lung AC.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.696-703
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• 2015

A gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producing microorganism was isolated from jeot-gal (anchovy), a Korean fermented seafood. The isolate, A156, produced GABA profusely when incubated in MRS broth with monosodium glutamate (3% (w/v)) at 37℃ for 48 h. A156 was identified as Lactobacillus sakei by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The GABA conversion yield was 86% as determined by GABase enzyme assay. The gadB gene encoding glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) was cloned by PCR. gadC encoding a glutamate/GABA antiporter was located immediately upstream of gadB. The operon structure of gadCB was confirmed by RT-PCR. gadB was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and recombinant GAD was purified. The purified GAD was 54.4 kDa in size by SDS-PAGE. Maximum GAD activity was observed at pH 5.0 and 55℃ and the activity was dependent on pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. The K_m and V_max of GAD were 0.045 mM and 0.011 mM/min, respectively, when glutamate was used as the substrate.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.488-495
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• 2000

Strain SA72 was isolated from Jeot-gal and identified as producer of a bacteriocin, which showed some bactericidal activity against Lactobacillus delbrueckii ATCC 4797. Strain SA72 was tentatively identified as Lactococcus lactis according to the AOI test. Lactococcus lactis SA72 showed a broad spectrum of microorganisms, tested by the modified deferred method. The activity of lacticion SA72, named tentatively as a bacteriocin produced by Lactococcus lactis SA72, was detected during the mid-lon growth phase, reached a maximum during the early stationary phase, and then declined after the late stationary phase. Lacticin SA72 also showed a relatively broad spectrum of activity against non-pathogenic and pathogenic microorganisms when assessed by the spot-on-lawn method. Its anitimicrobial activity on sensitive indicator cells disappeared completely by protease XIV treatment. The inhibitory activity of lacticin SA72 remained after treatment for 15 min at $121^{\circ}C$, 문 was stable in a pH range of 2.0 to 9.0 and all organic solvents examined. It demonstrated a typical bactericidal mode of inhibition against Lactobacillus delbrueckii ATCC 4797. The apparent molecular mass of lacticin SA72 was in the region of 3-3.5 kDa, determined by SDS-PAGE.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.737-740
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• 1998

Effect of oral administration with fibrinolytic enzyme isolated from fermented anchovy(the traditional fermented food in Korea called Myulchi Jeot-gal) and its functionally active enzyme to rat, activation of plasma fibrinolysis was observed. The euglobulin fibrinolytic activities and the plasma levels of H-D-Val-Leu-Lys-pNA(S-2251) amidolysis reached a maximum at 3 hours after the administration to rat. And euglobulin Iysis time(ELT) value after oral admi-nistration showed its activity 2∼3 hours later. From the above result, it was confirmed the enzyme activity in blood by oral administration fibrinolytic enzyme through animal experiment.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.139-146
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• 2001

This study was carry out to identify the distribution of calcium binding proteins; calbindin(CB), calretinin(CR) and parvalbumin(PA) in the suprachiasmatic nucleus(SCN) of the Korean native goat by immunohistochemical methods. The expression of substance P(SP), calcitonin gene-related peptide(CG-RP), neuropeptide Y(NPY), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide(VIP) and galanin(GAL) were also investigated. CR-immunoreactivity was found in both of the cell bodies and fibers in the SCN, which the CB-immunoreactivity was observed only in the fibers. The immunoreactivity for VIP was observed in both the cell bodies and fibers, but SP-, NPY, GAL-immunoreactivities were only found in the fibers. CGRP-immunoreactivity was not seen in cell body and fibers. These results suggest that VIP, SP, NPY and GAL play a neuromodulatory or/ and neurotransmitter roles in cooperation with CB and CR in SCN of the Korean native goat.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.800-808
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• 2005

Leuconostoc mesenteroides SY1, an isolate from kimchi, was able to ferment $\alpha$-galactosides, such as melibiose and raffinose. $\alpha$-Galactosidase ($\alpha$-Gal) activity was higher in cells grown on melibiose and raffinose than cells grown on galactose, sucrose, and fructose. $\alpha$-Gal activity was not detected in cells grown on glucose, indicating the operation of carbon catabolite repression (CCR). A 6 kb DNA fragment was PCR amplified using a primer set based on the nucleotide sequence of a putative $\alpha$-galactosidase gene (aga) from L. mesenteroides ATCC 8293. Nucleotide sequencing of the 6 kb fragment confirmed the presence of aga and other genes involved in the galactosides utilization, and the gene order was galR (transcriptional regulator)-aga-gaIK (galactokinase)-gaIT (galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase). Northern blotting experiment showed that aga, gaIK, and gaIT constituted the same operon, that the transcription was induced by galactosides, such as melibiose and raffinose, whereas gaIR was independently transcribed as a monocistronic gene, and that the level of transcription was fairly constant. The aga was overexpressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) using pET26b(+) vector, and $\alpha$-Gal was accumulated in E. coli as an inclusion body.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.1388-1393
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• 2007

The protective effect of xBrassicoraphanus (BR) on liver inhury was evaluated in the rats with liver injury induced by i.p. injection of D-galactosamine (GalN) following 2 week oral treatment of ethanol extract of xBrassicoraphanus (EBR). EBR (200 mg/kg) significantly suppressed the levels of ALT, AST, SDH, ${\gamma}-GT$, ALP, LDH and lipid peroxidation compared with GalN treated control, while EBR at 100 mg/kg significantly suppressed AST and ${\gamma}-GT$. Similarly, EBR at 200 mg/kg significantly attenuated the levels of Phase I enzymes such as XO, AO, AH and AD as well as significantly increased the levels of Phase II enzymes such as SOD, catalase and GSH-Px in the GalN treated rats. Taken together, these results indicate that the ethanol extract of xBrassicoraphanus may have a hepatoprotective effect against GalN induced liver injury, suggesting the ethanol extract of xBrassicoraphanus can be applied as hepatoprotective functional food. However, its mechanism should be further studied in molecular and cellular view points.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.1469-1476
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• 2007

Jeot-gal is a traditional Korean fermented seafood and has long been used for seasoning. We isolated 188 strains from shrimp, anchovy, and yellow corvina Jeot-gal, and screened sixteen strains that showed strong fibrinolytic activities on a fibrin plate. Among those strains, the strain that had the largest halo zone was chosen and identified as Bacillus licheniformis by using 16S rDNA sequencing and an API CHB kit. The fibrinolytic activity of Bacillus licheniformis was characterized and designated as bpKJ-31. The active component of bpKJ-31 was identified as a 37 kDa protein, designated bacillopeptidase F, by internal peptide mapping and N-terminal sequencing. The optimum activity of bpKJ-31 was shown at pH 9 and $40^{\circ}C$, with a chromogenic substrate for plasmin. It had high degrading activity for the $B{\beta}$-chain and $A{\alpha}$-chain of fibrin(ogen), and also acted on thrombin, but not skim milk and casein. The amidolytic activity of bpKJ-31 was inhibited by 1 mM phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride, but 1 mM EDTA did not affect the enzyme activity, indicating that bpKJ-31 is an alkaline serine protease, like a plasmin. The bpKJ-31 showed approximately 14.3% higher fibrinolytic activity than the plasmin. These features of bpKJ-31 make it attractive as a health-promoting biomaterial.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.460-465
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• 2013

The hepatoprotective activity of Acanthopanax koreanum Nakai extract (AE) was investigated against D-Galactosamine/Lipopolysaccharide (D-GalN/LPS)-induced liver failure rats compared with that of acanthoic acid (AA) isolated from AE. Although D-GalN/LPS (250 mg/kg body weight/$10{\mu}g/kg$ body weight, i.p.) induced hepatic damage, pretreatments with AE (1 and 3% AE/g day) and AA (0.037% AA, equivalent to 3% AE/g day) alleviated the hepatic damage. This effect was the result of a significant decrease in the activity of alanine transaminase. Concomitantly, both the nitric oxide and IL-6 levels in the plasma were significantly decreased by high-dose AE (AE3) treatment compared to the GalN/LPS control (AE0). This response resulted from the regulation of pro-inflammatory signaling via a decrease in TLR4 and CD14 mRNA levels in the liver. While a high degree of necrosis and hemorrhage were observed in the AE0, pretreatment with AE3 and AA reduced the extent of hepatocyte degeneration, necrosis, hemorrhage and inflammatory cell infiltrates compared to the AE0. In conclusion, these results suggest that especially high-dose AE are capable of alleviating D-GalN/LPS-induced hepatic injury by decreasing hepatic toxicity, thereby mitigating the TLR 4-dependent cytokine release. The anti-inflammatory effect of AE could be contributing to that of AA and AE is better than AA.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.429-434
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• 2004

Levansucrase gene (levU) from Zymomonas mobilis was subcloned downstream of GALl promoter in pYES 2.0 and pYInu-AT [GALl0 promoter＋exoinulinase signal sequence of Kluyveromyces marxianus], resulting pYES-levU and pYInu-levU, respectively. The two expression plasmids were introduced into an invertase-deficient strain, Saccharomyces cerevisiae SEY2102, and then transformants showing high activity of levansucrase were selected. When each yeast transformants was cultivated in medium containing galactose, the extracellular and intracellular activities of levansucrase reached about 7.17 U/㎖ with the strain harboring pYES-levU and 6.61 U/㎖ with the strain harboring pYInu-levU. It was found that about 50% of levansucrase were detected in the medium and periplasmic space, and exoinulinase signal sequence didn't enhance the secretion efficiency. Furthermore, the recombinant levansucrase expressed in yeast seems to be produced as a hyper-glycosylated form.