• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.337-342
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• 2019

We published that bacterial heme was over-produced in a recombinant Corynebacterium glutamicum expressing 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase ($hemA^+$) under control of a constitutive promoter ($P_{180}$) and the heme-producing C. glutamicum had commercial potentials; as an iron feed additive for swine and as a preservative for lactic acid bacteria. To enhance the heme production, the $hemA^+$ gene was expressed under controls of various promoters in the recombinant C. glutamicum. The $hemA^+$ expression by $P_{gapA}$ (a constitutive glycolytic promoter of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) led 75% increase of heme production while the expression by $P_{H36}$ (a constitutive, very strong synthetic promoter) resulted in 50% decrease compared with the control ($hemA^+$ expression by $P_{180}$ constitutive promoter). The $hemA^+$ expression by a late log-phase activating $P_{sod}$ (an oxidative-stress responding promoter of superoxide dismutase) led 50% greater heme production than the control. The $hemA^+$ expression led by a heat-shock responding chaperone promoter ($P_{dnaK}$) resulted in 121% increase of heme production at the optimized heat-shock conditions. The promoter strength and induction phase are discussed based on the results for the heme production at an industrial scale.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.156-160
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• 2002

The whole gal/lae operon genes of Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis 7962 were reported as follows: galA-galM-galK-galT-lacA -lacZ-galE. The galK gene encoding a galactokinase involved in one of the Leloir pathways for galactose metabolism was found to be 1,197 bp in length and encodes a protein of 43,822 Da calculated molecular mass. The deduced amino acid sequence showed over 50% homology with GaIK proteins from several other lactic acid bacteria. The galK gene was expressed in E. coli and the product was identified as a 43 kDa protein which corresponds to the estimated size from the DNA sequence. The galactokinase activity of recombinant 5. coli was about 8 times greater against that of the host strain and more than 3 times higher than the induced L. lactis 7962.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Jowiseungcheung-tang (JWSCT) extract on the lipid metabolism, anti-oxidation and inflammatory reflex. Methods : Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high fat diet for 8 weeks and were randomly divided into 4 groups (10 mice in each group): control group, 100 mg/kg JWSCT group, 200 mg/kg JWSCT group, 300 mg/kg JWSCT group. The control group was administered 100 mg/kg of water, but the other three groups were administered 100, 200, 300 mg/kg JWSCT extract for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, we measured lipid level, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and cytokines in plasma and liver. The gene expression level and the ratio of apo-B and apo-E were then investigated by way of reverse transcription -polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results : In the JWSCT group, compared with the control, free fatty acid, triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, TBARS, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$ decreased significantly in plasma and liver. However HDL-cholesterol, IL-10, GSH-Px, SOD and CAT increased. In the JWSCT group, compared with the control, the gene expression level and the ratio of apo-A and apo-E decreased significantly in the RT-PCR analysis. Conclusions : The extract of JWSCT has anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.219-225
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• 2011

We studied oxidative stress in cinnamon clownfish exposed to hypoosmotic (35 psu ${\rightarrow}$ 17.5 psu and 17.5 psu with prolactin (PRL)) and low temperature ($28^{\circ}C{\rightarrow}24^{\circ}C$ and $20^{\circ}C$) conditions by measuring the expression and activity of Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX). The expression and activity of the antioxidant enzymes were significantly higher after the fish were exposed to $24^{\circ}C$, $20^{\circ}C$, and 17.5 psu, and expression was repressed by PRL treatment. Furthermore, we measured $H_2O_2$ and lipid peroxidation levels and found that they were significantly higher after exposure to the hypoosmotic and low-temperature environments. Additionally, we investigated changes in plasma AST and ALT levels after exposure to low temperature and hypoosmotic stress. These levels increased upon exposure of the clownfish to $24^{\circ}C$, $20^{\circ}C$, and 17.5 psu, but the levels of these parameters decreased in the 17.5 psu with PRL treatment during a salinity change. The results indicate that hypoosmotic and low-temperature conditions induce oxidative stress in cinnamon clownfish and that the parameters tested in this study may be indices of oxidative stress in the cinnamon clownfish.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.10-16
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• 2018

Objective: Placental oxidative stress is known to be a factor that contributes to pregnancy failure. The aim of this study was to determine whether selenium could induce antioxidant gene expression and regulate invasive activity and mitochondrial activity in trophoblasts, which are a major cell type of the placenta. Methods: To understand the effects of selenium on trophoblast cells exposed to hypoxia, the viability and invasive activity of trophoblasts were analyzed. The expression of antioxidant enzymes was assessed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. In addition, the effects of selenium treatment on mitochondrial activity were evaluated in terms of adenosine triphosphate production, mitochondrial membrane potential, and reactive oxygen species levels. Results: Selenium showed positive effects on the viability and migration activity of trophoblast cells when exposed to hypoxia. Interestingly, the increased heme oxygenase 1 expression under hypoxic conditions was decreased by selenium treatment, whereas superoxide dismutase expression was increased in trophoblast cells by selenium treatment for 72 hours, regardless of hypoxia. Selenium-treated trophoblast cells showed increased mitochondrial membrane potential and decreased reactive oxygen species levels under hypoxic conditions for 72 hours. Conclusion: These results will be used as basic data for understanding the mechanism of how trophoblast cells respond to oxidative stress and how selenium promotes the upregulation of related genes and improves the survival rate and invasive ability of trophoblasts through regulating mitochondrial activity. These results suggest that selenium may be used in reproductive medicine for purposes including infertility treatment.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.479-487
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• 2009

Glutathione reductase (GR) is an enzyme that recycles a key cellular antioxidant molecule glutathione (GSH) from its oxidized form (GSSG) thus maintaining cellular redox homeostasis. A recombinant plasmid to overexpress a GR of Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis (BrGR) in E. coli BL21 (DE3) was constructed using an expression vector pKM260. Expression of the introduced gene was confirmed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, immunoblotting and enzyme assays. Purification of the BrGR protein was performed by IMAC method and indicated that the BrGR was a dimmer. The BrGR required NADPH as a cofactor and specific activity was approximately 458 U. The BrGR-expressing E. coli cells showed increased GR activity and tolerance to $H_2O_2$, menadione, and heavy metal ($CdCl_2$, $ZnCl_2$ and $AlCl_2$)-mediated growth inhibition. The ectopic expression of BrGR provoked the co-regulation of a variety of antioxidant enzymes including catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Consequently, the transformed cells showed decreased hydroperoxide levels when exposed to stressful conditions. A proteomic analysis demonstrated the higher level of induction of proteins involved in glycolysis, detoxification/oxidative stress response, protein folding, transport/binding proteins, cell envelope/porins, and protein translation and modification when exposed to $H_2O_2$ stress. Taken together, these results indicate that the plant GR protein is functional in a cooperative way in the E. coli system to protect cells against oxidative stress.

• Mycobiology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.301-307
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• 2019

The $11{\alpha}$-hydroxylation of $16{\alpha}$, 17-epoxyprogesterone (EP) catalyzed by Rhizopus nigricans is crucial for the steroid industry. However, lower conversion rate of the biohydroxylation restricts its potential industrial application. The $11{\alpha}$-steroid hydroxylase CYP509C12 from R. oryzae were reported to play a crucial role in the $11{\alpha}$-hydroxylation in recombinant fission yeast. In the present study, the CYP509C12 of R. oryzae (RoCYP) was introduced into R. nigricans using the liposome-mediated mycelial transformation. Heterologous expression of RoCYP resulted in increased fungal growth and improved intracellular reactive oxygen species content in R. nigricans. The $H_2O_2$ levels in RoCYP transformants were approximately 2-folder that of the R. nigricans wild type (RnWT) strain, with the superoxide dismutase activities increased approximately 45% and catalase activities decreased approximately 68%. Furthermore, the $11{\alpha}$-hydroxylation rates of EP in RoCYP transformants (C4, C6 and C9) were 39.7%, 38.3% and 38.7%, which were 12.1%, 8.2% and 9.4% higher than the rate of the RnWT strain, respectively. This paper investigated the effect of heterologous expression of RoCYP in R. nigricans, providing an effective genetic method to construct the engineered strains for steroid industry.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1041-1054
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• 2004

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been reported to increase pain threshold, and to enhance the NK cell activity by up-regulation of IFN-γ and endogenous β-endolphin. For the purpose of understanding the molecular mechanism of EA stimulation, we analyzed the gene expression profile of rat hypothalamus, treated on Zusanli (ST36) with EA, in comparison with control group by oligonucleotide chip microarray (Affymetrix GeneChip Rat Neurobiology U34 Array) and real-time RT-PCR. Sprague-Dawley (S-D) male rats were stimulated at the Zusanli (ST36) acupoint in restriction holder. Simultaneously the control group was given only holder stress without EA stimulation. In order to prove the appropriateness of EA treatment, we measured spleen NK cell activity with standard 51Cr release assay. NK cell activity of EA group was significantly increased comparing to control group. The microarray and PCR results show that EA treatment up-regulates expression of genes associated with 1) nerve growth such as NGF induced factor A and VGF, 2) signal transduction such as 5HT3 receptor subunit, AMPA receptor binding protein and Na-dependent neurotransmitter transporter, and 3) anti-oxidation such as superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase. In addition, the activity of the anti-oxidative enzyme, SOD of hypothalamus, liver and RBC was enhanced compared to that of control. The list of differentially expressed genes may implicate further insight on the mechanism of acupuncture effects.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.17-26
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• 2018

Objective : In this study, we investigated the effect of SAL5(mixing extracts of Schisandra chinensis Baillon, Artemisia capillaris Thunb., and Aloe vera Linne) on chronic ethanol-induced fatty liver model. Methods : Sprague-Dawley male rats were fed Liber-DeCarli (normal), ethanol liquid diet (control), SAL5 (200 mg/kg). We administrated the SAL5 on chronic ethanol-induced fatty liver model for 5 weeks. We measured alkaline phosphtase (ALP), alanine transminase (ALT), aspartate transminase (AST) and ${\gamma}-glutamyl$ transpeptase (${\gamma}-GTP$) in serum and triglyceride (TG), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) level in liver. Liver histopathology was examined by Hematoxylin-eosin and Oil red O staining of the fixed liver tissues. Real-time PCR was performed to measure the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines and MMP-2, MMP-9. Results : SAL5 administration resulted in significantly decreased liver marker enzymes activities of alanine transminase (ALT), ${\gamma}-glutamyl$ transpeptase (${\gamma}-GTP$) in serum and triglyceride (TG) activities in liver. The control group decreased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) with the reduced level of glutathione (GSH) in liver. On the other hand, SAL5 group increased the activities of SOD, CAT and the level of GSH. SAL5 delayed the development of an alcoholic fatty liver by reversing fat accumulation in the liver, as evidenced in histological observations. The gene expression of mRNA were significantly decreased at the $IL-1{\beta}$, $TNF-{\alpha}$, NOS-II and MMP-2 by SAL5. Conclusions : These results indicate that SAL5 might have protective effect chronic ethanol-induced fatty liver models.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.299-304
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• 2019

In order to research the anti-oxidative activity of methanol extract of Phellinus baumii Pilat (Hymenochaetaceae), Caenorhabditis elegans model system was used. Ethyl acetate soluble fraction of the methanol extract showed the most potent DPPH radical scavenging activity. The ethyl acetate fraction was measured on its activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and oxidative stress tolerance with reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in C. elegans. Furthermore, to see if regulation of stress-response gene is responsible for the increased stress tolerance of C. elegans which treated by the ethyl acetate fraction, we checked SOD-3 expression using a transgenic strain. Consequently, the ethyl acetate fraction of P. baumii increased SOD and the catalase activities in a dose-dependent manner in C. elegans, reduced ROS accumulation dose-dependently. Besides, the ethyl acetate fraction-treated CF1553 worms showed higher SOD-3::GFP intensity than the control worms.