• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.545-554
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• 2013

Plasmid isolation of kimchi-derived Weissella cibaria KLC140 revealed six different plasmids. The smallest plasmid, pKW2124, was DNA sequenced and characterized, showing 2,126 bp with a GC content of 36.39% and five putative open reading frames (ORFs). In silico analysis of these ORFs showed ORF1 encodes a putative replication protein similar to rolling circular replication proteins from other lactic acid bacteria. However, a single-stranded intermediate was not detected when S1 nuclease was treated, suggesting it may follow theta replication. Interestingly, the replication initiation site of this plasmid is 100% identical to other plasmids from lactic acid bacteria, suggesting it may function for replication initiation. To construct a surface layer expression vector, pTSLGFP, slpA encoding the surface layer protein from Lactobacillus acidophilus was PCR amplified and fused with the gfp gene, forming a SLGFP fused gene. The plasmid pKW2124 was cloned into the XbaI site of pUC19, forming an Weissella-E. coli shuttle vector pKUW22. NheI-linearized pTSLGFP was ligated into pKUWCAT containing pKUW22 and the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene from pEK104, resulting in an 8.6 kb pKWCSLGFP surface layer expression vector. After transformation of this vector into W. cibaria KLC140, a GFP fluorescence signal was detected on the surface of the transformant, substantiating production of SLGFP fused protein and its secretion. This is the first report for construction of a Weissella surface layer expression vector, which may be useful for surface layer production of beneficial proteins in Weissella.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1720-1728
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• 2020

We have previously characterized AprESJ4, the major fibrinolytic enzyme from Bacillus subtilis SJ4 (Yao et al., 2019). During that study, we observed a 68 kDa protein with fibrinolytic activity. In this study, we cloned the gene (vprSJ4) encoding the 68 kDa protein, a mature Vpr and minor protease secreted by Bacillus species. vprSJ4 encodes a preproenzyme consisting of 810 amino acids (aa) including signal sequence (28 aa) and prosequence (132 aa). The mature enzyme (650 aa) has a predicted molecular weight of 68,467.35. Unlike Vprs from other B. subtilis strains, VprSJ4 has 4 additional amino acids (DEFA) at the C-terminus. vprSJ4 was overexpressed in Escherichia coli. PreproVprSJ4 was localized in inclusion bodies, and subjected to in vitro renaturation and purification by an affinity column. SDS-PAGE and western blot showed that autoprocessing of preproVprSJ4 occurred and 68 kDa and smaller proteins were produced. The optimum pH and temperature of the recombinant VprSJ4 were pH 7.0 and 40℃, respectively. Kinetic parameters of recombinant VprSJ4 were measured by using an artificial substrate, N-succinyl-ala-ala-pro-phe-p-nitroanilide. Coexpression of vprSJ4 and aprESJ4 using pHY300PLK increased the fibrinolytic activity a further 117% when compared with aprESJ4 single expression using the same vector in B. subtilis WB600.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1659-1669
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• 2020

1,3-α-3,6-anhydro-L-galactosidase (α-neoagarooligosaccharide hydrolase) catalyzes the last step of agar degradation by hydrolyzing neoagarobiose into monomers, D-galactose, and 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose, which is important for the bioindustrial application of algal biomass. Ahg943, from the agarolytic marine bacterium Gayadomonas joobiniege G7, is composed of 423 amino acids (47.96 kDa), including a 22-amino acid signal peptide. It was found to have 67% identity with the α-neoagarooligosaccharide hydrolase ZgAhgA, from Zobellia galactanivorans, but low identity (< 40%) with the other α-neoagarooligosaccharide hydrolases reported. The recombinant Ahg943 (rAhg943, 47.89 kDa), purified from Escherichia coli, was estimated to be a monomer upon gel filtration chromatography, making it quite distinct from other α-neoagarooligosaccharide hydrolases. The rAhg943 hydrolyzed neoagarobiose, neoagarotetraose, and neoagarohexaose into D-galactose, neoagarotriose, and neoagaropentaose, respectively, with a common product, 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose, indicating that it is an exo-acting α-neoagarooligosaccharide hydrolase that releases 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose by hydrolyzing α-1,3 glycosidic bonds from the nonreducing ends of neoagarooligosaccharides. The optimum pH and temperature of Ahg943 activity were 6.0 and 20℃, respectively. In particular, rAhg943 could maintain enzyme activity at 10℃ (71% of the maximum). Complete inhibition of rAhg943 activity by 0.5 mM EDTA was restored and even, remarkably, enhanced by Ca²⁺ ions. rAhg943 activity was at maximum at 0.5 M NaCl and maintained above 73% of the maximum at 3M NaCl. K_m and V_max of rAhg943 toward neoagarobiose were 9.7 mg/ml and 250 μM/min (3 U/mg), respectively. Therefore, Ahg943 is a unique α-neoagarooligosaccharide hydrolase that has cold- and high-salt-adapted features, and possibly exists as a monomer.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.11-14
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• 2005

White radish was minimally processed, packed with air, $CO_{2}$ (100%), and $CO_{2}/N_{2}$ (25/75%), and irradiated at 0, 1, and 2 kGy, and its microbiological quality and pH were investigated during storage for 2 weeks at $4^{\circ}C$. Irradiation significantly reduced total aerobic, coli-form, and lactic acid bacteria counts. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) enhanced microorganism control during storage. Acidity decreased by MAP but was restored during storage, Irradiation did not affect sample pH. Results show irradiation at 2 kGy combined with MAP can enhance microbiological safety and quality of minimally processed radish.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.305-311
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• 1997

Bacillus thuringiensis, a gram-positive soil bacterium, is characterized by its ability to produce crystalline inclusions during sporulation. The crystal proteins exhibit a highly specific insecticidal activity. An insecticidal crystal protein (ICP), Cry II A, is specifically toxic to both lepidopteran and dipteran insects. In this study, tobacco plants transformed by the cry II A gene have been generated. The Cry II A crystal protein was purified from E. coli JM103 harboring cry II A gene by differential solubility. The activated Cry II A was prepared by tryptic digestion. The purified protoxin (70 kDa) and the activated toxin (50 kDa) were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. To generate the transgenic tobacco having cry II A gene, the cry II A gene was subcloned to a plant expression vector, pSRL2, having two CaMV 35S promoters. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into tobacco (N. tabacum var. Petit Havana SR1) by Agrobacterium-mediated leaf disc transformation. Through the regeneration, six putative transgenic tobacco plants were obtained and three transformants were confirmed by Southern blot analysis. It has been found that one plant had single copy of cry II A gene, another had two copies of the gene, and the third had a truncated gene. After the immunochemical confirmation of cry II A expression in plants, the transgenic tobacco plants will be used to study the genetics of future generation with the insecticidal crystal protein gene cry II A.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.967-972
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• 2006

The antioxidative and antimicrobial activities were determined on the mushroom (Sarcodon aspratus) extracts in order to find out new food functional components. The antioxidative activities of water and ethanol extracts from the Sarcodon aspratus were measured by peroxide values (POV), electron-donating ability (EDA) using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydroxyl (DPPH), nitrite-scavenging ability and superoxide dismutase-like activity (SODA) by pyrogallol. The antioxidative activity of the ethanol extract measured by POV was higher than those of the water extract, BHT, and ${\alpha}-tocopherol$. The EDA of the water extract and ethanol extract using DPPH showed the highest values of 76.94% and 73.06%, respectively. The nitrite-scavenging abilities (pH 1.2, 1,000 ppm) of the water and ethanol extracts were 72.61% and 62.69%, respectively, and the nitrite-scavenging ability of the water extract was higher than that of the ethanol extract in all pH values. The SODA of the ethanol extract was higher than that of the water extract. The Sarcodon aspratus extracts had antimicrobial effects on Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1998.06a
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• pp.231-243
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• 1998

In the present study, we provide evidence that ginsenoside $Rh_2$ (G-$Rh_2$) as well as staurosporine induces apoptosis of human hepatoma SK-HEP-1 cells by caspase 3-mediated processing of $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ in the early stage of apoptosls. Immunoblottings showed that G-$Rh_2$ as well as statrosporine induced the processing of caspase-3 to an active form, pl7. In stable Bcl-2 transfectants however, G-$Rh_2$ induced DNA fragmentation, while staurosporine did not. In the early stage of apoptosis, $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ was detected to undergo proteolytic processing specifically conducted by caspase-3. $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ translated in vitro was cleaved into a p14 fragment, when incubated with cell extracts obtained from either G-$Rh_2$- or staurosporine-treated cells. Cleavage was equally inhibited in both cases by adding Ac-DEVD-cho, a specific caspase-3 inhibitor, but not by Ac-YVkD-cho, a specific caspase-l inhibitor. Similarly, $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ was efficiently leaved by recombinant caspase-3 overexpressed in E. coli. Moreover, the endogenous $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ of untreated-cell extracts was also cleaved by recombinant caspase-3. Mutation analysis allowed identification of two caspase-3 cleavage sites, $DHVD^{112}$/L and $SMTD^{149}$/F, which are located within, or near the interaction domains for cyclins, Cdks, and PCNA. Taken together, these results show that G-$Rh_2$ as well as staurosporine increases caspase-3 activity, which in turn directly cleaves $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ resulting in elevation of Cdk kinase activity in the early stages of apoptosis. We propose that proteolytic cleavage of $p21^{WAFI/CIPI}$ is a functionally relevant event that allows unleashing the cyclin/Cdk activity from the inhibitor seen in the earlier stage of apoptosis, the event of which may be associated with the triggering mechanism for the execution of apoptosis.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2018.04a
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• pp.67-67
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• 2018

Trichoderma species are a rich source of metabolites, but less known for biomedical potential. This work deals with antibacterial and antioxidant potentials of intracellular non-cytotoxic metabolites, extracted from Trichoderma atroviride (KNUP001). A total of 53 fractions was collected by column chromatography and tested for cytotoxicity by MTT assay. Only one fraction (F41) was found to be non-toxic to Vero cells with $95.4{\pm}0.61%$ of survival. The F41 was then subjected to chemical analysis, antibacterial and antioxidant assays. The F41 at $500{\mu}g.ml^{-1}$ showed the total antioxidant of $48.70{\pm}2.90%$, DPPH radical scavenging activity of $37.25{\pm}2.25$, nitric oxide (NO) radical scavenging activity of $54.55{\pm}1.95$ and $H_2O_2$ radical scavenging activity of $43.75{\pm}3.21$. The F41 at $25{\mu}g.ml^{-1}$ displayed antibacterial activity against E. coli ($14.25{\pm}0.2mm$), P. mirabilis ($10.4{\pm}0.6mm$), S. dysenteriae ($18.6{\pm}03mm$), S. paratyphi A ($14.1{\pm}1.1mm$), E. aerogenes ($5.6{\pm}0.4mm$) and S. marcescens ($14.25{\pm}0.2mm$). GC-MS analysis revealed the dominant presence of oleic acid C 18.1 (63.18%), n-hexadecanoic acid (6.17%), and ethyl oleate (4.93%) and potent molecules such as 8-[(2E)-2-(3-hydroxybenzylidene)hydrazinyl]-1,3,7-trimethyl-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione, 2-(Dimethylamino)ethyl (1Z)-N-hydroxy-2-(4-morpholinyl)-2-oxoethanimidothioate, Fluorene in the F41, and virtual study revealed that these molecules are likely responsible for the antibacterial activities of F41. Hence, further investigation deserves on purification and characterization of the active metabolites from T. atroviride strain KNUP001 towards developing molecular leads to effective antibacterial drugs, and non-toxic to host cells.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.570-578
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• 2009

The present study was conducted to investigate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of green tea at different harvest time. The leaves were collected in late March(Ilro), early April(Okro and Ujeon), late April(Sejak), and early May(Eoksu and Hanra). The total polyphenol content of Sejak was highest (28.87mg TAE/g). Electron donating abilities toward $\alpha$,$\alpha$-diphenyl-$\beta$-picyryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical were approximately 80%. SOD-like activities were above 30%, where ujeon showed the highest activity ($38.95{\pm}0.96%$). The nitrite scavenging ability was pH-dependent and shown to be highest at pH 1.2, and lowest at pH 6.0. The inhibitory effects against the angiotensin I converting enzyme were over 85%, except for Okro ($58.22{\pm}4.66%$) and Hanra ($77.96{\pm}3.83%$). The tyrosinase inhibition rate increased with harvest time. Okro showed the highest caffeine content ($3.86{\pm}0.32%$) and had the highest antimicrobial activities against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhimurium. The combined results of this work revealed that the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of green tea were independent of harvest time.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.576-582
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• 2017

This study evaluated the microbial quality of dried and powdered foods during storage with increased humidity because of climate change. Five types of dried and powdered foods (dried shredded squid, wheat flour, Sunsik, red pepper powder, and roasted sesame seed) were stored at different relative humidities (RH 23%, 43%, 68%, 85%, and 100%) and changes in water activity and microbial populations were measured during storage at $35^{\circ}C$ for 15 days. The results revealed that water activity values of dried and powdered foods were significantly increased during storage when samples were stored at RH 85 and 100%. In addition, levels of total mesophilic bacteria, yeast, and mold were significantly increased after storage for 6 days or 9 days at RH 85% and 100%. However, levels of Escherichia coli and coliform did not increase significantly during storage. Based on these findings, dried and powdered foods should not be stored at high RH because the increased water activity enables microbial growth.