• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.928-937
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• 2016

S-Nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) metabolizes S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) and has been shown to play important roles in regulating cellular signaling and formulating host defense by modulating intracellular nitric oxide levels. The enzyme has been found in bacterial, yeast, mushroom, plant, and mammalian cells. However, to date, there is still no evidence of its occurrence in filamentous fungi. In this study, we cloned and investigated a GSNOR-like enzyme from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. The enzyme occurred in native form as a homodimer and exhibited low thermal stability. GSNO was an ideal substrate for the enzyme. The apparent K_m and k_cat values were 0.55 mM and 34,100 min^-1, respectively. Substrate binding sites and catalytic center amino acid residues based on those from known GSNORs were conserved in this enzyme, and the corresponding roles were verified using site-directed mutagenesis. Therefore, we demonstrated the presence of GSNOR in a filamentous fungus for the first time.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.419-425
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• 2007

In vitro directed evolution through DNA shuffling is a powerful molecular tool for creation of new biological phenotypes. E. coli $\beta$-galactosidase and $\beta$-glucuronidase are widely used, and their biological function, catalytic mechanism, and molecular structures are well characterized. We applied an in vitro directed evolution strategy through DNA shuffling and obtained five mutants named YG6764, YG6768, YG6769, YG6770 and YG6771 after two rounds of DNA shuffling and screening, which exhibited more $\beta$-glucuronidase activity than wild-type $\beta$-galactosidase. These variants had mutations at fourteen nucleic acid sites, resulting in changes in ten amino acids: S193N, T266A, Q267R, V411A, D448G, G466A, L527I, M543I, Q626R and Q951R. We expressed and purified those mutant proteins. Compared to the wild-type protein, five mutant proteins exhibited high $\beta$-glucuronidase activity. The comparison of molecular models of the mutated and wildtype enzymes revealed the relationship between protein function and structural modification.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2002

We have cloned a cDNA encoding a cysteine proteinase of the Acanthamoeba healui OC-3A strain isolated from the brain of a granulomatous amoebic encephalitis patient. A DNA probe for an A. healui cDNA library screening was amplified by PCR using degenerate oligonucleotide primers designed on the basis of conserved amino acids franking the active sites of cysteine and asparagine residues that are conserved in the eukaryotic cysteine proteinases. Cysteine proteinase gene of A. healui (AhCPI) was composed of 330 amino acids with signal sequence, a proposed pro-domain and a predicted active site made up of the catalytic residues, $Cys^{25},{\;}His^{159},{\;}and{\;}Asn^{175}$. Deduced amino acid sequence analysis indicates that AhCPI belong to ERFNIN subfamily of C 1 peptidases. By Northern blot analysis. no direct correlation was observed between AhCPI mRNA expression and virulence of Acanthamoeba, but the gene was expressed at higher level in amoebae isolated from soil than amoeba from clinical samples. These findings raise the possibility that AhCPI protein may play a role in protein metabolism and digestion of phagocytosed bacteria or host tissue debris rather than in invasion of amoebae into host tissue.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.295-304
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• 1994

$Mo-V-O/SnO_2$(VM/Sn) and $SnO_2/Mo-V-O$(Sn/VM) catalysts have been prepared and characterized by XRD, BET, SEM and TPD of ammonia. The catalytic reaction of acrolein oxidation with these catalysts, in a continuous-flow fixed-bed reactor, showed that they had higher conversion of acrolein and higher yield of acrylic acid than those of Mo-V-O itself. The origin of the observed synergy studied by TPD, TPR and TPO is explained by the cooperation of $SnO_2$ and Mo-V-O at their interfaces where electrons flow from Mo-V-O phase to $SnO_2$ and $SnO_2$ produces spill-over oxygens, which, by being transported onto the surface of Mo-V-O, reoxidize the partially reduced active sites.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.684-689
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• 2010

We synthesized a variety of SAPO catalysts with various structure directing agents by the hydrothermal method and applied them to the D-xylose dehydration. Single or mixtures of organic amines, viz. tetraethylammonium hydroxide(TEAOH), dipropylamine(DPA), diethylamine(DEA), morpholine and diethanolamine(DEtA) were used as structure directing agents. The $N_2$-isotherm, $NH_3$-temperature programmed desorption(TPD) and temperature programmed oxidation(TPO) were conducted to characterize SAPO catalysts. Among tested SAPO catalysts, the SAPO-34 synthesized with morpholine showed the highest furfural yield. The external surface area as well as the surface concentration of acid sites appeared to affect the catalytic activity for the dehydration of xylose into furfural.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.204-211
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• 2008

A platinum-catalyzed polyelectrolyte porous membrane was prepared by solid-state compression of electrospun polystyrene (PS) fibers and in-situ metallization of counter-balanced ionic metal sources on the polymer surface. Using this ion-exchange metal-polymer composite system, fiber entangled pores were formed in the interstitial space of the fibers, which were surrounded by sulfonic acid sites ($SO_3^-$) to give a cation-selective polyelectrolyte porous bed with an ion exchange capacity ($I_{EC}$) of 3.0 meq/g and an ionic conductivity of 0.09 S/cm. The Pt loading was estimated to be 16.32 wt% from the $SO_3^-$ ions on the surface of the sulfonated PS fibers, which interact with the cationic platinum complex, $Pt(NH_3)_4^{2+}$, at a ratio of 3:1 based on steric hindrance and the arrangement of interacting ions. This is in good agreement with the Pt loading of 15.82 wt% measured by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The Pt-loaded sulfonated PS media showed an ionic conductivity of 0.32 S/cm. The in-situ metallized platinum provided a nano-sized and strongly-bound catalyst in robust porous media, which highlights its potential use in various electrochemical and catalytic systems.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.869-877
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• 2000

A mechanism of ozonation of simulated soil slurry contaminated by phenanthrene and benzo[a]pyrene has been studied under various conditions. The effects of soil media(BS, S, GB), radical scavenger, ozone input ratio(0.17~0.73mg/min), bicarbonate ion, and humic acid were investigated, BS showed the highest removal efficiency in media tested. The generation of OH-radical via the catalytic decomposition of ozone on active sites of the natural sand was confirmed by OH-radical scavenger experiments. The enhanced removal efficiency by OH-radical was indirectly quantified to be about 22%. As initial concentration of humic acid(as sodium salt) was increased, pseudo first-order rate constant ($k_o$) of phenanthrene was decreased from $1.37{\times}10^{-2}s^{-1}$ to $0.53{\times}10^{-2}s^{-1}$. The amount of ozone required to oxidize 80% of the initial mass of phenanthrene(10mg/kg) and benzo[a]pyrene(10mg/kg) was 67.2mg/kg-soil and 48.0mg/kg-soil, respectively.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.419-424
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• 2016

$H_5PMo_{10}V_2O_{40}$ ($PMo_{10}V_2$) catalyst chemically immobilized on sulfur-containing mesoporous carbon (S-MC) was prepared, and it was applied to the benzyl alcohol oxidation reaction. S-MC was synthesized by a templating method using SBA-15 and p-toluenesulfonic acid as a templating agent and a carbon precursor, respectively. S-MC was then modified to have a positive charge, and thus, to provide sites for the immobilization of $PMo_{10}V_2$. By taking advantage of the overall negative charge of $[PMo_{10}V_2O4_{40}]^{5-}$, $PMo_{10}V_2$ catalyst was immobilized on the S-MC support as a charge matching component. It was revealed that $PMo_{10}V_2$ species were finely and molecularly dispersed on the S-MC via chemical immobilization. In the vapor-phase oxidation of benzyl alcohol, $PMo_{10}V_2$/S-MC catalyst showed higher conversion of benzyl alcohol and higher yield for benzaldehyde and benzoic acid than unsupported $PMo_{10}V_2$ catalyst. The enhanced catalytic performance of $PMo_{10}V_2$/S-MC was due to fine dispersion of $PMo_{10}V_2$ species on the S-MC via chemical immobilization.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.399-404
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• 2010

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in chicken lysozyme (LYZ) gene were investigated in this study. The identification of SNPs in both exon and intron in LYZ gene has led to understanding of evolution for the domestic chicken populations. A total of 24 samples from two Korean native commercial chicken populations (CCPs) were used for the initial identification of SNPs by mixing three DNA samples for sequencing experiments. By comparing with red jungle fowl (RJF), two commercial chicken populations have 18 common polymorphisms. Between two commercial chicken populations, 15 polymorphisms were identified. Of the 33 polymorphisms identified, two indels (21 and 4 bp) were found. Whereas, only one polymorphism in exon 2 at the bp position 1426 was a non-synonymous substitution (p.Ala49Val), indicating the amino acid changes. The identified non-synonymous substitution (p.Ala49Val) is located close to the catalytic sites of the enzyme, which might affect its activity. In our investigation, the polymorphisms in LYZ gene can provide broad ideas for the variation of Korean native chicken populations from the ancestor of chicken breeds as well as the some biological functions of the LYZ gene.

• Clean Technology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.38-45
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• 2022

CuCl₂-loaded V₂O₅-WO₃/TiO₂ catalyst showed excellent activity in the catalytic oxidation of elemental mercury to oxidized mercury even under SCR condition in the presence of NH₃, which is well known to significantly inhibit the oxidation activity of elemental mercury by HCl. Moreover, it was confirmed that, when SO₂ was present in the reaction gas together with HCl, excellent elemental mercury oxidation activity was maintained even though CuCl₂ supported on the catalyst surface was converted to CuSO₄. This is thought to be because not only HCl but also the SO₄ component generated on the catalyst surface promotes the oxidation of elemental mercury. However, in the presence of SO₂, the total mercury balance before and after the catalytic reaction was not matched, especially as the concentration of SO₂ increased. In order to understand the cause of this, further studies are needed to investigate the effect of SO₂ in the SnCl₂ aqueous solution employed for mercury species analysis and the effect of sulfate ions generated on elemental mercury oxidation. It was confirmed that SO₂ also promotes NO_x removal activity, which is thought to be because the increase in acid sites by SO₄ generated on the catalyst surface by SO₂ facilitates NH₃ adsorption. The composition change and structure of the components present on the catalyst surface under various reaction conditions were measured by XRD and XRF. These measurement results were presented as a rational explanation for the results that SO₂ enhances the oxidation activity of elemental mercury and the NO_x removal activity in this catalyst system.