• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1821-1824
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• 2004

In order to investigate the effects of Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae (RAB) on the growth and differentiation of human osteoblast-like cells, we supplemented the culture medium of MG-63 cells with various concentrations of RAB water extracts. RAB extracts significantly stimulated cell growth, as confirmed by the colorimetric MTT (3-dimethylthiazol-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. RAB extracts also increased the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, which is a osteoblast differentiation marker. These results suggest that RAB can stimulate osteoblastic activity and may represent new pharmacological tools for the treatment of osteoporosis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.4 s.71
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• pp.673-677
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• 2005

This experiment was conducted to clarify the effect of pyroligneous liquor on endogenous substances that were GA (gibberelic acid)-like substances, starch, and protein of Neofinetia falcata cultured in vitro. When seedlings of Neofinetia falcata were treated with several concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 ml/L) of pyroligneous liquor, the growth of seedlings was enhanced in 1.0ml/L pyroligneous liquor added media. The activity of GA-like substances was lower in the leaf, but higher in the and root than that of the control. The content of starch in 1.0ml/L pyroligneous liquor was lower in the leaf, but higher in the root than that of the control. And the content of protein in 1.0ml/L pyroligneous liquor was also lower in the leaf, but higher in the root than that of the control.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.234-243
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• 2013

N-terminal kinase-like (NTKL) protein was initially identified as a protein binding to protein kinase B (PKB, also known as Akt). Though NTKL-BP1 (NTKL-binding protein 1) has been identified as an NTKL binding protein, its functions related to binding have not yet been elucidated. Here, a new alternative spliced variant of NTKL and its association with integrin ${\beta}1$ is described, in addition to the kinase activity of NTKL and its substrate candidates. Although the phosphorylation of the candidates must be further confirmed using other experimental methods, the observation that NTKL can phosphorylate ROCK1, DYRK3, and MST1 indicates that NTKL may act as a signaling protein to regulate actin assembly, cell migration, cell growth, and to facilitate differentiation and development in an integrin-associated manner.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.20-21
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• 2003

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are mitogenic peptide hormones that regulate embryonic development, postnatal growth and cellular differentiation in vertebrates IGFs are initially translated as pre-pro-peptides and then proteolytically processed to yield the mature IGFs and E-peptides. Like the C-peptide of pro-insulin, the E-peptides of pro-IGFs are generally believed to possess little or no biological activity other than their potential roles in the biosynthesis of the mature IGFs. Like human IGF-1, previous studies in our laboratory showed that the recombinant trout Ea4-peptide of pro-IGF-1 exhibited a dose-dependent mitegenic activity in cultured BALB/3T3 fibroblasts and other non-oncogenic transformed cells (Tian et al., 1999) We have also shown by in vitro and in vivo studies that Ea4-peptide possessed novel anti-tumor activities (Chen et al., 2002, Kuo and Chen, 2002; Kuo and Chen 2003). Recent results of studies conducted in chorionicallantoic membrane of developing chicken embryos revealed that Ea4-peptide of trout pro-IGF-1 also possesses a dose-dependent antiangiogenic activity. Together these results raised the question whether Ea4-peptide of trout pro-IGF-1 may affect heart and blood vessel development and hematopoiesis in fish embryos. (중략)

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.11-17
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• 2000

There are among the most relevant toxic emissions from incinerators such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Induction of cytochrome P4501A1 catalyzed 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase(EROD) activity in mammalian cell culture(EROD bioassay) is thought to be a selective and sensitive parameter used for the quantification of dioxin-like components. In this study, the toxic emissions from several school waste incinerators were evaluated by determination of CYPIA catalytic activity and cytotoxicity using cell culture microbioassay. The incinerator residue and soil samples were collected from the schools located in Kyunggi province from April to June 1999. The samples were extracted in a Soxhlet apparatus using toluene for 20 hours. In order to clean-up, concentrated crude extracts were applied to basic alumina column. The EROD activities of extracts in the H4IIE cells were from 1.91$\pm$0.32 ng-TEQ/g to 24.54$\pm$3.48 ng-TEQ/g of biochemical-TEQ value. In soil samples, CYP1A catalytic activity was 0.09~0.64 ng-TEQ/g. EROD bioassay, seems to be a useful short-term bioassay when information about the biological response of complex environmental samples is needed. Although further study is needed, these results indicate that the potent toxic emissions are produced from school waste semi-incinerators.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.166-166
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• 2002

The response of environmental pollutants can be detected bioanalytically focusing on the source and matrices of concern. Cell culture bioassays are rapid and inexpensive, and thus have great potential for determination of environmental pollution. We have examined the estrogenic and dioxin-like activites of industrial wastewater using E-screen assay and EROD microbioassay. Influent and effluent wastewater were collected from four different industrial wastewater treatment plants, such as cosmetics, paints, textile producing and metal coating plant, and extracted using solid-phase extraction with Oasis＠HLB plus cartridge. Pollutants adsorbed to the cartridge were eluted with MTBE. MCF-7 cells were treated with extracts showed various estrogenic potential. The textile wastewater showed strong estrogenic activity and the others showed weak estrogenic activity, No effect was observed in the wastewater from paints producing plant. All extracts showed CYPIA inducing effects, indicating these samples contain dioxin-like chemicals. Bioanalytical results of effluents compared with influents could give us information about the incomplete wastewater treatment and biological potency caused by pollutants. [Supported by a Grant from the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation]

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.139-143
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• 2008

The antioxidant activities of Agrimony (Agrimonia pilosa L.) and Chinese lizardtail (Saururus chinensis Baill) according to extraction methods were measured. SOD-like activity showed greater antioxidant effects with ethanol solvent than those with water. Ethanol extracts of Agrimony leaves showed the highest SOD-like activity of 94.4%. SOD-like activity differed according to the extraction solvents. The contents of polyphenolic compounds were higher in water extracts than those in ethanol extracts. The contents were 161.4 mg for Agrimony roots, 100.2 mg for Agrimony leaves, and 79.1 mg for Agrimony stalks in order. EDA in Agrimony leaves that were highest among medicinal plants were 83.4% in the water extract and 81.7% in the ethanol extract. The anticancer effects of the extracts by water and ethanol from Agrimony and Chinese lizardtail were experimented. The growth of stomach cancer cells, SNU-719 was inhibited 94.5% by the hexane fractions of Agrimony and also the growth of liver cancer cells, Hep3B was inhibited 83.2% by the hexane fractions of Agrimony, while the growth of normal cell, DC2.4 was not affected.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.200-205
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• 1995

Nutritional factors regulating the morphological differentiation and physiological differentiation of Streptomyces exfoliatus SMF13 on surface cultures were evaluated. S. exfoliatus SMF13 produced leupeptin and chymotrypsin-like protease (CTP) at the stage of substrate mycelium growth, and leupeptin-inactivating enzyme (LIE) and trypsin-like protease (TLP) at the stage of aerial mycelium growth. The activity of leupeptin and CTP was high in the region of active growing substrate mycelium, whereas the activity of LIE and TLP was high in the region of aerial mycelium or spores. The differentiations were induced in glucose-limited conditions or by the addition of glucose anti-metabolite (methyl $\alpha$-glucopyranoside), but repressed by high concentrations of glucose or casamino acids. Morphological differentiation (formation of aerial mycelia and spores) was closely related with physiological differentiation (formation of brown-pigment, LIE and TLP). The local distribution of leupeptin, CTP, LIE, and TLP in a developing colony showed that colony development correlated with the production and functions of the compounds: CTP is essential for providing a nitrogen source for mycelium growth: leupeptin regulates TLP activity: LIE inactivates leupeptin: TLP hydrolyzes nongrowing mycelium.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.1395-1400
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• 2024

The antimicrobial activity of the natural compounds from plant and food have well discovered since the interest on the beneficial effect of the natural compounds was risen. Quercetin, a flavonoid derived from vegetables, including onions, red leaf lettuces and cherries has been studied for diverse biological characteristics as anti-cancer and anti-microbial activities. The aim of current study is to investigate the specific antibacterial modes of action of quercetin against Escherichia coli. Quercetin decreased the E. coli cell viability and induced the severe damages (oxidative stress, DNA fragmentation) leading to cell death. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was observed during the process, which we confirmed that oxidative stress was the key action of antibacterial activity of quercetin exerting its influence potently. Based on the results of Annexin V and Caspace FITC-VAD-FMK assay, the oxidative damage in E. coli has led to the bacterial apoptosis-like death in E. coli. To sum up, the contribution of ROS generation exerts crucial impact in antibacterial activity of quercetin.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.1385-1394
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• 2024

Collagenolytic proteases are widely used in the food, medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and textile industries. Mesophilic collagenases exhibit collagenolytic activity under physiological conditions, but have limitations in efficiently degrading collagen-rich wastes, such as collagen from fish scales, at high temperatures due to their poor thermostability. Bacterial collagenolytic proteases are members of various proteinase families, including the bacterial collagenolytic metalloproteinase M9 and the bacterial collagenolytic serine proteinase families S1, S8, and S53. Notably, the C-terminal domains of collagenolytic proteases, such as the pre-peptidase C-terminal domain, the polycystic kidney disease-like domain, the collagen-binding domain, the proprotein convertase domain, and the β-jelly roll domain, exhibit collagen-binding or -swelling activity. These activities can induce conformational changes in collagen or the enzyme active sites, thereby enhancing the collagen-degrading efficiency. In addition, thermostable bacterial collagenolytic proteases can function at high temperatures, which increases their degradation efficiency since heat-denatured collagen is more susceptible to proteolysis and minimizes the risk of microbial contamination. To date, only a few thermophile-derived collagenolytic proteases have been characterized. TSS, a thermostable and halotolerant subtilisin-like serine collagenolytic protease, exhibits high collagenolytic activity at 60℃. In this review, we present and summarize the current research on A) the classification and nomenclature of thermostable and mesophilic collagenolytic proteases derived from diverse microorganisms, and B) the functional roles of their C-terminal domains. Furthermore, we analyze the cleavage specificity of the thermostable collagenolytic proteases within each family and comprehensively discuss the thermostable collagenolytic protease TSS.