• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2010

KGD1 gene was cloned by functional complementation of defects in $\beta$-1,3-glucan synthase activity of the previously isolated Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant LP0353, which displays a number of cell wall defects at restrictive temperature. We performed the gene disruption experiment to characterize the function of KGD1 gene, which encodes $\beta$-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, in cell wall biosynthesis. The disruption of KGD1 showed the decreased growth rate, the increase of chitin synthases activity, alterations in cell wall composition, and increase of susceptibility to cell wall inhibitors such as Calcofluor white and Nikkomycin Z. These results suggested that KGD1 might be involved in cell wall biogenesis, especially the biosynthesis of $\beta$-1,6-glucan and chitin in S. cerevisaie.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.967-973
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• 2020

The fungal cell wall is a major target of antifungals. In this study, we report the antifungal activity of an ethanol extract from Aucklandia lappa against Candida albicans. We found that the extract caused cell wall injury by decreasing chitin synthesis or assembly and (1,3)-β-D-glucan synthesis. A sorbitol protection assay demonstrated that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the A. lappa extract against C. albicans cells increased eight-fold from 0.78 to 6.24 mg/ml in 72 h. Cell aggregates, which indicate damage to the cell wall or membrane, were commonly observed in the A. lappatreated C. albicans cells through microscopic analysis. In addition, the relative fluorescence intensities of the C. albicans cells incubated with the A. lappa extract for 3, 5, and 6 h were 92.1, 84.6, and 79.8%, respectively, compared to the controls, estimated by Calcofluor White binding assay. This result indicates that chitin content was reduced by the A. lappa treatment. Furthermore, synthesis of (1,3)-β-D-glucan polymers was inhibited to 84.3, 79.7, and 70.2% of that of the control treatment following incubation of C. albicans microsomes with the A. lappa extract at a final concentration equal to its MIC, 2× MIC, and 4× MIC, respectively. These findings suggest that the A. lappa ethanol extract may aid the development of a new antifungal to successfully control Candidaassociated disease.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5733-5739
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• 2014

Background: Breast cancer is the most common female malignancy in the world. Beta glucan can be a hematopoietic and an immune modulator agent in cancer patients. The aim of this trial was to determine the effect of beta glucan on white blood cell counts and serum levels of IL-4 and IL-12 in women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on 30 women with breast carcinoma aged 28-65 years. The eligible participants were randomly assigned to intervention (n=15) or placebo (n=15) groups using a block randomization procedure with matching based on age, course of chemotherapy and menopause status. Patients in the intervention group received two 10-mg capsules of soluble 1-3, 1-6, D-beta glucan daily and the control group receiving placebo during 21 days, the interval between two courses of chemotherapy. White blood cells, neuthrophil, lymphocyte and monocyte counts as well as serum levels of IL-4 and IL-12 were measured at baseline and at the end of the study as primary outcomes of the study. Results: In both groups white blood cell counts decreased after 21 days of the intervention, however in the beta glucan group, WBC was less decreased non significantly than the placebo group. At the end of the study, the change in the serum level of IL-4 in the beta glucan group in comparison with the placebo group was statistically significant (p=0.001). The serum level of IL-12 in the beta glucan group statistically increased (p=0.03) and comparison between two groups at the end of the study was significant after adjusting for baseline values and covariates (p=0.007). Conclusions: The findings suggest that beta glucan can be useful as a complementary or adjuvant therapy and immunomodulary agent in breast cancer patients in combination with cancer therapies, but further studies are needed for confirmation.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2007

Chemical properties of spray-dried powders separated based on molecular weight from crude protein binding polysaccharide (CP-SD) of Agraricus blazei were examined. Contents of ${\beta}$-glucan in SD-1, SD-2 and SD-3 were 18.67%, 48.24%, and 37.15% respectively, and SD-2 (10-150 kDa) showed the highest molecular weight. Obtained ${\beta}$-glucans were not pure glucan, but was determined to be an acidic proteo-heteroglycan with a large amount of glucose (74.46-80.05%), galactose (8.91-15.2%), and mannose (4.9-5.46%). Composition of their amino acids was mainly aspartic and glutamic acids. FT-IR spectrum revealed SD-1, SD-2 and SD-3 were structures of ${\beta}$-1,3-glucans and ${\alpha}$-1,6-glucans at 890 and 930 $cm^{-1}$, respectively, signals of ${\alpha}$-1,6-glucans for CP-SD was not found. Useful CP-SD was recovered from A. blazei for preparation of three powder types as food materials.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.97-103
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• 2017

Due to increased consumption and demand for oat-related foods and processed food, this study examined physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, and ${\beta}-glucan$ contents of 5 Korean naked oat cultivars. Oat seeds had long-grain appearance in all cultivars except for Seonyang. The contents of main components such as protein, starch, and crude fat were significantly different among cultivars. The total ${\beta}-glucan$ content was 3.78-4.60% and the soluble ${\beta}-glucan$ ratio was 71-83%. Fatty acid composition was C18:1, C18:2, C16:0, C18:0, and C18:3. Unsaturated fatty acid (USFA) content was 75.4-81.2%. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethyl-benzo-thiaxoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activity were significantly different for each cultivar. Daeyang had the highest ${\beta}-glucan$, USFA content, and antioxidant activity. Protein content showed a negative correlation with starch content (r = -0.775). Antioxidant activity was positively correlated with total phenol content (r =0.760). Ash content and flour whiteness showed a positive correlation (r =0.732).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.12
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• pp.1740-1746
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• 2012

Sparassis (S.) crispa is an edible mushroom abundant in dietary fiber and ${\beta}$-glucan. The aim of this study was to prepare extracts and residues of the fruit bodies of S. crispa fermented with Lactobacillus (L.) brevis and Monascus (M.) pilosus and to measure the remaining dietary fiber and ${\beta}$-glucan. Dried powder of S. crispa containing 64.4 g/100 g total dietary fiber (2.6 g/100 g soluble and 61.8 g/100 g insoluble dietary fibers) and 24.0 g/100 g ${\beta}$-glucan was used as the starting material for the extraction. Raw and fermented S. crispa were extracted with hot water and three kinds of aqueous ethanol (50, 70, and 90%, v/v), respectively. A hot water extract from S. crispa fermented with M. pilosus had greater soluble dietary fiber content (19.3 g/100 g) than that from raw S. crispa with 14.6 g/100 g soluble dietary fiber or that from L. brevis-fermented S. crispa with 8.2 g/100 g soluble dietary fiber. The yield of the extract was 16.6% of intial weight of dried S. crispa. After hot water extraction of S. crispa fermented with M. pilosus, residues containing 90.5 g/100 g total dietary fiber (1.3 g/100 g soluble and 89.2 g/100 g insoluble dietary fibers) were obtained, and the yield was 69.6% of intial weight of dried S. crispa. The residue (31.0 g/100 g) contained more ${\beta}$-glucan than raw S. crispa or M. pilosus-fermented S. crispa (24.4 g/100 g). The resulting hot water extract and residue from S. crispa fermented with M. pilosus would be suitable for use in preparing liquid and powdered health functional foods, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.62-62
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• 2002

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.215-222
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• 1984

A fungus producing cell wall lytic enzyme for Rhodotorula glutinis was isolated from local soil and identified partially as a species of Aspergillus fumigatus group. Thd cell wall lytic enzyme was an inducible exoenzyme and composed of at least lytic polysaccharidase and protease which act cooperatively in the lysis of intact cells. The lytic polysaccharidase was not able to hydrolyze ${\beta}-1,\;3\;and\;{\beta}-1$, 6-glucan which have the same types of bond as found in the cell wall of Ascomycetous yeasts. The lytic polysaccharidase alone was sufficient to hydrolyze the fractionated cell wall (alkali-insoluble residues) of R. glutinis, whereas it showed low activity against intact cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.1954-1960
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• 2006

The effects of the exopolymers of Aureobasidium pullulans SM-2001 containing $\beta$-1,3/1,6-glucan on formalin-induced chronic inflammation were observed. Doses of 62.5, 125, and 250 mg/kg of the exopolymers were orally administered once a day for 10 days to formalin-induced chronic inflammatory mice (0.02 ml of 3.75% formalin was subaponeurotically injected into the left hind paw), and then the bilateral hind-paw thickness and volume were measured daily, while the paw wet-weight, histological profiles, and histomorphometrical analyses were conducted at termination. The results were compared with those for diclofenac, indomethacin, and dexamethasone (intraperitoneally injected) 15 mg/kg-dosed groups. All the animals were sacrificed 10 days after dosing. As a result of the formalin injection, a marked increase in the difference between the intact and formalin-induced paw thickness and volume was detected in the formalin-injected control compared with that in the intact control with time, plus at the time of sacrifice, the difference in the paw wet-weights was also dramatically increased. In a histological and histomorphometrical analysis, severe histological profiles of chronic inflammation were detected in the formalin-injected control with a marked increase in the thickness of the skin of the dorsum pedis. However, these formalin-induced chronic inflammatory changes were significantly and dose-dependently decreased by the exopolymer treatment. In conclusion, the exopolymer treatment inhibited the chronic inflammatory response induced by formalin injection in the mice. However, somewhat low efficacies were detected compared with those for the diclofenac-, indomethacin-, and dexamethasone-treated groups.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.219-223
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• 2002

In order to investigate the function of Soo1p/${\alpha}$-COP during post-translational modification and intra-cellular transport of cell wall proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, cell wall proteins from the soo1-1/ret1-1 mutant cells were analyzed. SDS-PAGE analysis of biotin labeled cell wall proteins suggested that the soo1-1 mutation impairs post-translational modification of cell wall proteins, such as N- and/ or Ο-glycosylation. Analysis of cell wall proteins with antibodies against ${\beta}$-1,3-glucan and ${\beta}$-1,6-glucan revealed alteration of the linkage between cell wall proteins and ${\beta}$-glucans in the soo1-1 mutant cells. Compositional sugar analysis of the cell wall proteins also suggested that the soo1-1 mutation impairs glycosylation of cell wall protein in the ER, which is crucial for the maintenance of cell wall integrity.