• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2001

Silk sericin protein was extracted by treatment with enzyme or NaOH solution from raw silk and culled-cocoon shell. The extracted sericin was characterized and examined the functional properties as well as subjective properties for its use as a soap and a body cleaner. The optimum extraction conditions on specimen are NaOH (0.02 wt.%) or enzyme, Flavourzyme 3% under N2 gas. Molecular weights of sericin was decreased by treatment with enzyme, Actinase, from 10,000-30,000 to 2,700-4,200. Sericin showed important bioactive properties, for instance, lowering effect on blood glucose and alcohol. Subjective test of sericin soap and body cleaner showed superior in washability, foamability, and skin hydration, etc., to commercial soap and body cleaner. Therefore, it is thought that silk sericin can be expected as the source of bioactive and skin-compatible materials.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.38.1-38.17
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• 2021

Background: The feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia (FVRCP) vaccine, prepared from viruses grown in the Crandell-Rees feline kidney cell line, can induce antibodies to cross-react with feline kidney tissues. Objectives: This study surveyed the prevalence of autoantibodies to feline kidney tissues and their association with the frequency of FVRCP vaccination. Methods: Serum samples and kidneys were collected from 156 live and 26 cadaveric cats. Antibodies that bind to kidney tissues and antibodies to the FVRCP antigen were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and kidney-bound antibody patterns were investigated by examining immunofluorescence. Proteins recognized by antibodies were identified by Western blot analysis. Results: The prevalences of autoantibodies that bind to kidney tissues in cats were 41% and 13% by ELISA and immunofluorescence, respectively. Kidney-bound antibodies were observed at interstitial cells, apical border, and cytoplasm of proximal and distal tubules; the antibodies were bound to proteins with molecular weights of 40, 47, 38, and 20 kDa. There was no direct link between vaccination and anti-kidney antibodies, but positive antibodies to kidney tissues were significantly associated with the anti-FVRCP antibody. The odds ratio or association in finding the autoantibody in cats with the antibody to FVRCP was 2.8 times higher than that in cats without the antibody to FVRCP. Conclusions: These preliminary results demonstrate an association between anti-FVRCP and anti-cat kidney tissues. However, an increase in the risk of inducing kidney-bound antibodies by repeat vaccinations could not be shown directly. It will be interesting to expand the sample size and follow-up on whether these autoantibodies can lead to kidney function impairment.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.95-99
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• 2018

In insect defense system, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are one of important biological molecules to survive in a variety of environments. Insect can synthesize AMPs to protect against invading pathogens in humoral immune response. Taking more advantage of biological antimicrobial molecules, we report antibacterial activity of two cecropin type peptides, cecropin and moricin, isolated from the silkworm against four salmonella species. In this work, we purified antimicrobial candidate peptides (AMCP) from the extracts of immune challenged silkworm larval hemolymph by two-step chromatographic purification procedure, cation exchange and gel permeation chromatography. The molecular weights of purified peptides were estimated to be about 4 ~ 5 kDa by Tricin SDS-PAGE analysis, and identified as silkworm cecropin and moricin by NCBI BLAST homology search with their N-terminal amino acid sequences. As antibacterial activity assay, the purified peptides showed stronger antibacterial activity against Salmonella pathogens with an MIC value of $1{\sim}4{\mu}g/mL$. Therefore two cecropin type peptides purified from the silkworm will be valuable potential materials for development of new natural antibiotics.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.140-146
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• 2019

Objectives: Venomous fishes have different pharmacological effects and are useful. Among the venomous fish, stonefishes; especially Pseudosynanceia melanostigma has various pharmacological effects on the nervous, muscular and cardiovascular system of humans. In this study, toxicological characteristics, some blood effects, pharmacological and enzymatic properties of Pseudosynanceia melanostigma venom was investigated. Methods: Crude venom purified by using gel filtration chromatography and the molecular weights of the venom and its fractions were estimated. The approximate LD values of this venom were determinedand the effects of LD50 dose on the blood of rabbits were studied. Hemolytic and Hemorrhagic activity of the venom sample was determined. In this case coagulation tests were performed. Results: The LD50 of the Pseudosynanceia melanostigma crude venom was also determined to be $194.54{\mu}g/mouse$. The effect of two doses of LD50 showed a non-significant differences decrease in RBCs and MCV. In other cases, the results showed significant differences in WBC, Plt, Hb, MCH, MCHC and HCT; also it's showed a significant decrease. WBC count showed a significant increase with two doses of LD50 groups. The prothrombin time and partial prothrombin time were increased after venom treatment. As well as bleeding and clotting time were increased. According to the results, a minimum dose for Haemorrhagic effect $40{\mu}g$ was obtained. Conclusion: Venom of Pseudosynanceia melanostigma has inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation that can be used to design and develop of anticoagulant drugs.

• Entomological Research
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.416-428
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• 2018

To gain an insight into the function of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in insects during thermal stress, three HSP cDNAs were identified in the transcriptome of adult Heortia vitessoides, one of the most destructive defoliating pests in Aquilaria sinensis (Loureiro) Sprenger forests. The open reading frames of HvHsp60, HvHsp70, and HvHsp90 were 1,719, 2,070, and 2,151 bp in length, respectively, and encoded proteins with molecular weights of 61.05, 75.02, and 82.23 kDa, respectively. Sequence analysis revealed that all three HSPs were highly conserved in structure. Regarding the stage-specific expression profiles, HvHsp60, HvHsp70, and HvHsp90 mRNAs were detected in all developmental stages. Regarding the tissue-specific expression profiles, the expression levels of the three HSP genes were different in various larval and adult tissues. Moreover, the expression patterns of heat-stressed larvae, pupae, and adults indicated that HvHsp60, HvHsp70, and HvHsp90 were heat-inducible. In particular, HvHsp60 transcripts increased dramatically in larvae and pupae that were heat-stressed at $40^{\circ}C$ and were upregulated in adults that were heat-stressed at $35^{\circ}C$ and $40^{\circ}C$. The expression of HvHsp70 significantly increased in all of the three different developmental stages at $35^{\circ}C$, $40^{\circ}C$, and $45^{\circ}C$. The expression of HvHsp90 obviously increased at $30^{\circ}C$, $35^{\circ}C$, and $40^{\circ}C$ in larvae and could be induced at $35^{\circ}C$ in pupae and adults. The results suggest that HSP60, HSP70, and HSP90 play a major role in protecting H. vitessoides against high-temperature stress.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.406-414
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• 2021

The objective of this study was to investigate the yield and characteristics of collagen protein extracted from the muscle of four different species of mantis shrimp: Miyakella nepa, Harpiosquilla harpax, Erugosquilla woodmasoni, and Odontodactylus cultrifer. Mantis shrimp muscle was extracted by using a pepsin-solubilization technique, with 0.5 M acetic acid and 5% pepsin enzyme. The highest collagen yield was from M. nepa muscle (0.478 ± 0.06%), which was significantly greater (p < 0.05) than that from H. harpax, O. cultrifer, and E. woodmasoni (0.313 ± 0.03%, 0.123 ± 0.02%, and 0.015 ± 0.00%, respectively). The freeze-dried collagen appeared as thin fibers, and formed an opaque film. The pepsin-soluble collagen (PSC) from four mantis shrimp species was analyzed by gel electrophoresis. The results showed that all species of mantis shrimp contained type I collagen, consisting of β, α1, and α2 subunits with average molecular weights of 250, 145, and 118 kDa, respectively. The study of the solubility of collagen showed that, for NaCl, collagen had the highest relative solubility in 2% NaCl (80.20 ± 4.95%). In contrast, the solubility decreased at higher NaCl concentrations. However, in terms of pH, collagen had the highest relative solubility at pH 3 (91.32 ± 5.14%), and its solubility decreased at higher pH. FT-IR spectroscopy was used to compare the collagen with a model compound. Five wavenumbers in the spectrum for model collagen were identified: Amide A (3,406-3,421 cm^-1), amide B (2,916-2,940 cm^-1), amide I (1,639-1,640 cm^-1), amide II (1,539-1,570 cm^-1), and amide III (1,234-1,250 cm^-1).

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.133-142
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• 2022

Natural organic matter (NOM) is a heterogeneous mixture of organic matter with various polarities and molecular weights in an aquatic environment. This study investigated the effects of separation conditions (resin volume, organic matter, etc.) and the repeated use of the resin for the fractionation of organic components in the DAX resin fractionation method. The distribution characteristics of the organic components ((hydrophilic [Hi], hydrophobic acid [HoA], and hydrophobic neutral [HoN]) under the derived fractionation conditions were also analyzed. Constant fractionation results (i.e. HoA/Hi ratio) were obtained in the column capacity factor (i.e. the packed resin volume) in the range of 50 to 100. The resin-packed column maintained constant separation efficiency for up to two repeated uses. The above conditions were applied to wastewater and stream water samples (before and after rainfall). The results showed that the concentration of organic matter in the wastewater effluent was 2-15 times lower with an increased ratio of hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity (i.e. Ho/Hi) compared to the influent depending on the industrial wastewater classification. Particularly, HoN was found to have a high content distribution, 10.2-50.4% of the total dissolved organic matter (DOM), in the effluents. For the stream water, the content of Hi or HoN increased significantly after rainfall, suggesting a correlation with the distribution characteristics of pollutants from the stream watershed. The results provide useful data to enhance the reliability of the DAX resin fractionation and its application to environmental samples.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.855-866
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• 2021

The effects of various carbon sources on mycelial growth and polysaccharide synthesis of the medicinal fungus Inonotus obliquus in liquid fermentation were investigated. After 12-d fermentation, mycelial biomass, polysaccharide yield, and polysaccharide content were significantly higher in Glc+Lac group (glucose and lactose used as combined carbon source) than in other groups. Crude polysaccharides (CIOPs) and the derivative neutral polysaccharides (NIOPs) were obtained from mycelia fermented using Glc, fructose (Fru), Lac, or Glc+Lac as carbon source. Molecular weights of four NIOPs (termed as NIOPG, NIOPF, NIOPL, and NIOPGL) were respectively 780.90, 1105.00, 25.32, and 10.28 kDa. Monosaccharide composition analyses revealed that NIOPs were composed of Glc, Man, and Gal at different molar ratios. The NIOPs were classified as α-type heteropolysaccharides with 1→2, 1→3, 1→4, 1→6 linkages in differing proportions. In in vitro cell proliferation assays, viability of RAW264.7 macrophages was more strongly enhanced by NIOPL or NIOPGL than by NIOPG or NIOPF, and proliferation of HeLa or S180 tumor cells was more strongly inhibited by NIOPG or NIOPGL than by NIOPF or NIOPL, indicating that immune-enhancing and anti-tumor activities of NIOPs were substantially affected by carbon source. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that expression levels of phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) and UDP-Glc 4-epimerase (UGE), two key genes involved in polysaccharide synthesis, varied depending on carbon source. Our findings, taken together, clearly demonstrate that carbon source plays an essential role in determining structure and activities of I. obliquus polysaccharides by regulating expression of key genes in polysaccharide biosynthetic pathway.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.157-166
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• 2023

Three lactic acid bacteria (LAB) producing exopolysaccharides (EPSs) were isolated from Pa (green onion)-kimchi, and identified as Weissella confusa (SKP 173), Weissella cibaria (SKP 182), and Leuconostoc citreum (SKP 281), respectively by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The yields of EPS were 21.27, 18.53, and 15.4 g/l for EPS from SKP 173, 182, and 281, respectively when grown in MRS broth containing sucrose (5%, w/v). Total sugar contents were 64.39, 62.84, and 65.16% (w/w) for EPS from SKP 173, 182, and 281, respectively while the protein contents were 0.33, 0.31, and 0.25% (w/w), respectively. EPSs from W. confusa SKP 173 and W. cibaria SKP 182 contained glucose only but EPS from L. citreum SKP 281 contained glucose and glucitol. Viscosities of the 2% (w/w) freeze-dried EPS solution were 9.60, 8.00, and 8.20 centipoise (cP) for EPS from SKP 173, 182, and 281, respectively. Viscosities of culture grown in MRS broth with 5% sucrose (no glucose) were 92.98, 57.19, and 18.8 cP, respectively. The average molecular weights of EPSs were larger than 2 × 10⁷ Da. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analyses of EPSs showed typical carbohydrate peaks, suggesting that the EPSs consisted of pyranose saccharides with α-(1,6) and α-(1,3) glycosidic linkages. L. citreim SKP 281 was used as the starter for yogurt fermentation, and EPS production was confirmed.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.331-340
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• 1997

Hyalophora cecropia attacin-like antibacterial gene was isolated from Bombyx mori induced with nonpathogenic bacteria. It was expressed in Spodopfera frugiperda 9 (Sf9 cells using baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS), and examined its antibacterial activity. With a cDNA library constructed from fifthinstar B. mori injected with Escherichia coli(4 X IOhcellsllarva), differential screening was performed using naive and induced mRNA probes. BmInc6 clone was screened by partial nucleotide sequence and GenBank database analysis. A complete nucleotide sequence of Bmlnc6 cDNA was determined (GenBank, AF005384). Its insert size was 852 bp and had open reading frame that started translation at position 35 and stopped at 679. And its putative polyadenylational signal existed at 812 bp. The number of amino acid deduced from Bmlnc6 cDNA was 214 and hydropathy analysis showed that this peptide was hydrophilic. This peptide deduced by BmInc6 was named nuecin. When the nuecin gene was expressed in Sf9 cells using BEVS, about 950 bp of the transcripts was detected. In addition, SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the molecular weights of intracellular expressed protein and the mature protein secreted to culture media were approximately 23 and 20 kDa, respectively. The antibacterial activity of nuecin against E. coli and Bacillus subtilis was significantly high, demonstrating that nuecin had a wider antibacterial spectrum with gram negative and positive bacteria than attacin.