• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.95-100
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• 1996

The effect of the extracellular protease of Salmonella schottmulleri on human serum constituents such as immunoglobulins, hemoglobin and lysozyme and tissue constituents such as fibronectin and collagens was investigated. This protease degraded collagens (type I and III), fibronectin and serum proteins such as human hemoglobin and lysozyme. Bovine serum albumin was degraded slightly. Thus, the present study suggested the possibility that this protease is not only played an important role in invasion of S. schottmulleri by degrading the constituent proteins such as collagens and fibronectin but also induced complications observed in septicemia and chronic infections by degrading the serum proteins. This protease is also capable of degrading defence-oriented humoral proteins, immunoglobulins (IgG and IgM). Furthermore, it is toxic to HEp-2 cells. These findings clarified the possible role of Salmonella protease as a virulence factor in the pathogenesis of Salmonella infections.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.71-79
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• 2011

Objectives : This study was undertaken to identify fibrinolytic proteases from Gloydius blomhoffii siniticus venom and to characterize a major fibrinolytic protease purified from the venom. Methods : The venom was subjected to chromatography using columns of Q-Sepharose and Sephadex G-75. The molecular weights of fibrinolytic proteases showing fibrinolytic zone in fibrin plate assay were determined in SDS-PAGE (Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) The effects of inhibitors and metal ions on fibrinolytic protease and the proteolysis patterns of fibrinogen, gelatin, and bovine serum albumin were investigated. Results : 1) The fibrinolytic fractions of the three peaks isolated from Gloydius blomhoffii siniticus venom contained two polypeptides of 46 and 59 kDa and three polypeptides of 32, 18, and 15 kDa and a major polypeptide of 54 kDa, respectively. 2) The fibrinolytic activity of the purified protease of 54 kDA was inhibited by metal chelators, such as EDTA, EGTA, and 1,10-phenanthroline, and disulfhydryl-reducing compounds, such as dithiothreitol and cysteine. 3) Calcium chloride promoted the fibrinolytic activity of the protease, but mercuric chloride and cobalt(II) chloride inhibited it. 4) The fibrinolytic protease cleaved preferentially A${\alpha}$-chain and slowly B${\beta}$-chain of fibrinogen. It also hydrolyzed gelatin but not bovine serum albumin. Conclusions : The Gloydius blomhoffii siniticus venom contained more than three fibrinolytic proteases. The major fibrinolytic protease was a metalloprotease which hydrolyzed both fibrinogen and gelatin, but not bovine serum albumin.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1291-1300
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• 2018

Objective: This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary crude protein (CP) level and exogenous protease supplementation on growth performance, serum metabolites, carcass traits, small intestinal morphology and endogenous protease activity in broiler chickens reared under a tropical climate. Methods: A total of 480 day-old male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to eight dietary treatments in a $4{\times}2$ factorial arrangement. The main effects were CP level (21.0%, 19.7%, 18.5%, or 17.2% from 1 to 21 days and 19.0%, 17.9%, 16.7%, or 15.6% from 22 to 35 days) and protease enzyme supplementation (0 ppm or 500 ppm). All experimental diets were fortified with synthetic feed-grade lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan to provide the minimum amino acid recommended levels for Cobb 500. Results: Reducing dietary CP linearly reduced (p<0.05) growth performance, serum albumin, total protein, and carcass traits and increased (p<0.05) serum triglycerides and abdominal fat. There was no consistent effect of reducing dietary CP on morphological parameters of the intestine and on the pancreatic and intestinal endogenous protease activity (p>0.05). Protease supplementation improved (p<0.05) feed conversion ratio, body weight gain, carcass yield and intestinal absorptive surface area. Conclusion: Protease supplementation, as measured by growth performance, intestinal morphology and carcass yield, may alleviate the detrimental effects of low protein diets in broiler chickens.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.199-212
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• 1984

A cytoplasmic endoprotease, named protease Ci, has been partially purified by classical chromatographic procedures. This enzyme degrades insulin, glucagon and bovine growth hormone to trichloroacetic acid-soluble materials, but shows little or no hydrolysis of bovine serum albumin, casein or globin. It has a molecular weight of about 120,000 as determined by gel filtration on Sephadex G200, and it appears to be consisted of two identical subunits having molecular weight of 54,000 when estimated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Protease Ci has an optimum pH of 7.5, and has an isoelectric point of 5.5. This enzyme is a metalloprotease, since it is inhibited by o-phenanthroline and can be activated by the addition of divalent metal cations, such as $Mn^++$ and $Co^++$. Protease ci is inhibited by p-hydroxymercuribenzoic acid, but not by either of leupeptin or Ep475 which are specific inhibitors of sulfhydryl protease. It is distinct from protease Pi, a perplasmic insulin degrading enzyme, since protease Ci is localized to the cytoplasm. The physiological function of protease Ci is presently unknown.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.162-168
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• 1992

Release characteristics of five different types of hydrophilic albumin microspheres (HAM) containing different ratios of methotrexate-albumin (MTX-HSA) conjugates to free MTX: 1 : 0 (HAMC), 3 :1 (HAMC 3F), 1 :1 (HAMCF), 1:3 (HAMCF3) and 0 : 1 (HAMF) were investigated in the absence or presence of protease using dissolution tester. In all the HAMs studied except HAMC, the MTX was released bi-exponentially in the absence of protease; an initial fast release period up to approximately 6h, and thereafter the release rate was very much slower. The fast release of MTX from the HAMs (such as HAMC3F, HAMCF, HAMCF3 and HAMF) at the initial phase in probably due to the release of "physically associated" MTX from the core of the HAMs. The initial rate constants were 7.2, 8.7, 8.5 and 5.9 times greater than the second rate constants for HAMF, HAMCF3, HAMCF and HAMC3F, respectively. MTX release from HAMC was very slow and mono-phasic. It was at most 2.2% of the total entrapped amount by 24 h. The protease accelerated the release of MTX from the HAMs. The percentages of MTX released from HAMs up to 24 h were 100, 89.0, 75.0, 66.0 and 61.0% for HAMF, HAMCF3, HAMCF, HAMC3F and HAMC, respectively in the presence of protease and the corresponding values in the absence of protease were 30.2 19.0, 10.0, 6.5 and 2.2%, respectively. In vitro release of MTX in the presence of protease varied according to the ratios of MTX-HSA conjugates to MTX; the data set from HAMF, HAMCF3 and HAMCF fits better to monophasic first-order profile more adequately than to zero-order profile, that of HAMC3 monophasic first-order, and that of HAMC to bi-phasic zero-order. Above results suggested that zero-order release rate can be achieved by adjusting the ratio of MTX-HSA conjugates to MTX in the preparation of HAMs such as HAMC3F.as HAMC3F.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.142-146
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• 2003

Three insect cell lines, Sf9, Sf21 and Tn5Bl-4, and four different kinds of serum free media (SFM), Sf 900 II, EX-CELL 420, EX-CELL 405 and Express Five, were used to compare the nutrient consumption, byproduct formation, production of recombinant protein and protease activity in suspension cultures. The Sf 900 II SFM was a ppropriate for the cell growth and protein production of the Sf9 and Sf21 cell lines. When the Tn5Bl-4 cell line was grown in the Express Five SFM, the specific growth rate was 1.6 fold higher than those of either the Sf9 or Sf21 cell lines. The glucose and glutamine consumption rates per cells, were 4 and 2.3 times higher than those of the Sf9 cell line, respectively. The overall yield coefficients of the lactate and ammoniumion were 2.8 and 1.5 times higher compared to those of the Sf9 cell line. respectively. The maximum specific ${\beta}$-galactosidase production rate was 4.5 fold that of the Sf9 cell line, a 3 times higher protease activity per cell.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.119-126
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• 1986

A periplasmic endoprotease, named protease Pi, was purified to homogeneity from Escherkchia coli by conventional procedure with insulin as substrate. This enzyme degrades insulin and glucagon to trichloroacetic acid-soluble meterials, but shows little or no hydrolysis of bovine serum albumin, casein or globin. Its molecular weight was 110, 000 when determined by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300 and was 105, 000 when estimated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Thus, it appears to be single polypeptide. This snzyme is metalloprotease, since it is completely inhibited by o-phenanthroline and can be activated by addition of divalent metal cations, such as $Mg^{2+}\;and\;Co^{2+}$. It is destinct from protease Ci, a cytoplasmic insulin degrading enzyme, since protease Pi is localized to the periplasm. Since protease Pi selectively degrades GTP cyclohydrolase I, it appears to play a role in the regulation of pteridine biosynthesis.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.203-212
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• 1989

A proteolytic enzyme was extracted from Sarcodon aspratus (Berk) S. Ito by percolation method. Proteolytic activity of the extracted proteolytic enzyme (SAP) was compared with several digestives containing proteolytic enzymes. Potency of SAP was higher than that of the other digestives except for protease. The optimum pH ranse of SAP was similar to that of pancveatin and protease. SAP was more stable than pancreatin and protease under various temperature, alkaline pH, and metal ions. Bovine serum albumin hydrolysing activity of SAP was equivalent to that of pancreatin and protease in small intestine of rats. SAP demonstrated lower adsorption to antacids than pancreatin and protease. Among the mixtures of SAP and several antacids, magnesium oxide-SAP showed the highest proteolytic activity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.509-516
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• 2001

A genomic DNA fragment that contains the gene, which codes for a novel extracellular serine protease in Burkholderia pseudomallei, was cloned by using pQE40 as a vector. It was maintained in Escherichia coli JM109. The expression of the gene(s) resulted in the production of a 52 kDa protease. The recombinant protease was purified from the culture filtrate via ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration, and anion-exchange chromatography. The purified protease had an optimum pH and temperature of pH 8.9 and $38^{\circ}C$, respectively. The protease activity was inhibited by EGTA, EDTA, and PMSF, but not 1,10-phenanthroline. The first 11 amino acid residues from the N-terminus of the purified protease were identified as LAPNDPYYYGY. PNDPYY was found to show homology to the Bacillus cereus microbial serine protease and B. subtilis PD498 serine protease. These results indicate that the protease that was purified in this study is an extracellular calcium-dependent serine protease. The purified protease was able to digest the human serum 19A, IgG, albumin, and transferrin, as well as bovine muscle actin and myosin. Furthermore, it was able to promote or cause dermonecrosis in experimental rabbits. These results propose the possible role of a novel B. pseudomallei extracellular calcium-dependent serine protease in the virulence of the pathogen.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1995.10b
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• pp.289.1-289
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• 1995

No Abstract, See Full Text