• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.231-237
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• 2004

In this research we determined the levels of heavy metals in soil and metal-accumulating plants from a D military shooting site in the Kyungkido district of Korea. The data obtained may be useful in the development of methods for the efficient phytoremediation of contaminated soil. The total Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations in the soil were found to be 1.67-5.04 mg/kg, 52.51-106.26 mg/kg, 37.24-90.32mg/kg, and 111.45-188.19mg/kg, respectively. These results show that the soil is contaminated with Cd and Cu, and this contamination is particularly severe in the case of Cd because of its high bioavailability (25-57% of the total metal in the soil is exchangeable). The high concentrations of heavy metals in the shoots of Persicaria thunbergii and Artemisia princeps var. orientalis indicate that these plants (all perennial herbs) accumulate heavy metal efficiently. Further, these plants were found to contain more Cd in its shoots (＞60% of the total metal found in the plant) than any other plant; these results indicate that these native species are particularly suited to use in Cd phytoextraction.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.363-376
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• 2010

Vegetative communities of created wetlands often display lower species richness, less cover, higher occurrence of non-native or invasive species, and fewer obligate wetlands species than those in natural wetlands, thus failing to meet basic success criteria for wetland mitigation. This study examined the effects of two design elements, disking-induced microtopography and hydrologic regime, on the first year vegetation development pattern of a mitigation wetland newly created in the Virginia piedmont. Elevation and species cover were measured along replicate multiscale circular transects in two adjacent wetland sites that are different in their hydrologic regime. Two microtopographic indices, tortuosity (T) and limiting elevation difference (LD), were calculated from the elevation measurements. Both indices were higher in disked plots than non-disked plots, showing the effect of disking on microtopography. Out of forty-one vegetation taxa observed in the wetland, 29 taxa were naturally colonized and 12 taxa were seeded. All plots except one non-disked plot were dominated by wetland vegetation. Species richness and diversity were higher in disked than in non-disked plots. Vegetation community development seemed also influenced significantly by hydrologic regime of the site. The effect of microtopography on species richness and diversity was more pronounced in a relatively dry site compared to a wet site. In addition, percent cover, species richness and diversity of vegetation were positively correlated with microtopographic indices such as T and LD. Two design elements, microtopography and hydrologic regime, should be considered and incorporated in wetland creation to enhance plant community development.

• 한국조경학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.65-74
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• 1991

The purpose of this study was to find the basic application of Disporum genus in landscape-arc-hitectual space. Environment of native site (Daeducksan, Piseulsan) and growth characteristics of experiment plot were investigated and analyzed in this study. The results of this study were as follows; 1. In the case of environment of native site, the relative light intensity was about 10% and distribution of species were primarily north slope. Gradient of Daeducksan and Piseulsan were 10$^{\circ}$, 18$^{\circ}$ Soil textures was Lic both and field capacity of Daeducksan and Piseulsan were 69%, 73.5%. The soil pH of Daeducksan and Piseulsan were 6.1 and 5.8. The both content of organic matter and C.E.C. were high markedly. The P2O5 content of Daeducksan showed high but total nitrogen showed nearly the same level when comparing with the common dry field condition. 2. In tree layer, Daeducksan composed of broadleaved forest of 80% involving Quercus variabilis, and Piseulsan composed of coniferous forest of 80% involving Pinus densiflora on the other hand. Daeducksan, therefore, was more appearance species than Piseulsan in herbaceous layer. 3. Result in ANOVA Test, significance followed with light intensity was recognized in plant height, leaf width, leaf length, leaf thick and No. of leaf, while in the case of soil was not. Plant height was longest in 1% and leaf width, leaf length was largest in 25%. Therefore ornamental value of leaf was the very best in 25%. 4. Result in correlation coefficient analysis, plant height was correlated leaf width, leaf length. The longer plant height, the smaller leaf width, leaf length. In relative light intensity of 1%, flower was hardly expected because of the more shade, the less flower. Disporum smilacinum is expected great use as ground covers in the shades of tall-building or hdavy woods.

• BMB Reports
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.277-285
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• 1996

In Pseudomonas fluorescens grown on malonate as sole carbon source, acetyl-CoA synthetase was induced, suggesting that malonate is metabolized through acetate and then acetyl-CoA. Acetyl-CoA synthetase was purified 18.6-fold in 4 steps to apparent homogeneity. The native molecular mass of the enzyme estimated by a native acrylamide gel electrophoresis was 130 kDa. The enzyme was composed of two identical subunits with a molecular mass of 67 kDa. Optimum pH was 70. The acetyl-CoA synthetase showed typical Michaelis-Menten kinetics for the substrates, acetate, ATP and CoA, whose $K_m$ values were calculated to be 33.4, 74.8, and 40.7 mM respectively. Propionate. butyrate and pentanoate were also used as substrates by the enzyme, but the rate of the formation of the CoA derivatives was decreased in the order of the increase in carbon number. The enzyme was inhibited by the group-specific reagents diethylpyro-carbonate, 2,3-butanedione, pyridoxal-5'-phosphate and N-bromosuccinimide. In the presence of substrates the inactivation rate of the enzyme, by all of the group-specific reagents mentioned above decreased, indicating the presence of catalytically essential histidine, arginine, lysine and tryptophan residues at or near the active site. Preincubation of the enzyme with ATP, $Mg^{2+}$ resulted in the increase of its susceptibility to diethylpyrocarbonate, suggesting that ATP, $Mg^{2+}$ may induce a conformational change in the active site exposing the essential histidine residue to diethylpyrocarbonate. The enzyme was acetylated in the presence of acetyl-CoA, indicating that this is one of acyl-enzyme.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• 제21권5_3호
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• pp.589-602
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• 1998

Mt. Nam (265m), a city park of Seoul, was originally covered with a typical deciduous broad-leaved forests in Central Korea. However, the park forests have been changed the development for various purpose such as the construction of castle wall, road way, broadcasting station, theater, hotel and apartments, in addition, to thoughtless plantation or alien plant introduction. Human population growth from ca. 100 thousands persons less in that time established Seoul as the capital of choseon dynasty in 1394 to ten millions over persons at present, accelerated the vegetational changes of the park. mt. Nam boundary in those days of sunjong (1908) also was much shrinked as much the range of 300 m distance in the northern most to 700 or 800m distance in some places. The actual vegetation of Mt. Nam largely can be classified by floristic composition into two plant communities of Quercus mongolica community and Pinus densiflora community, four plantations of Pinus rigida, Robinia pseudo-acacia, Populus tomentiglandulosa and other tree species, and on mixed forest with native and alien tree species in secondary succession stage (Yim et al. 1987). The restoration movement of Mt. Nam toward to the natural condition of forest or biodiversity is moving now. However, in the movement there are some problems such as the lack of ecological consideration and the undesirable decision of priority in the practice. A warning should be given, especially, on the undesirable plantation of non-native tree species restricting the forest succession, as in the case of southern slope of Mt. Nam. First of all, the most importance in Mt. Nam management is that the restoration for natural forest and biodiversity should be carried on the basis of integrated ecological principles based on the site evaluation.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.67-74
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• 2005

The ethanolic extracts of the leaves and bulbs of Allium victorialis var. platyphyllum (Liliaceae) collected from Daegwallyoung (D) and Ullung Island (U) in Korea were obtained using three different extracting methods. The first extracts, DL-1 DB-1, UL-1 and UB-1, were obtained from leaves (L) and bulbs (B) dried at $90^{\circ}C$, respectively, and the second extracts, DL-2, DB-2, UL-2 and UB-2, were obtained by extracting the leaves and bulbs of fresh plant parts. The third extracts DL-3, DB-3, UL-3 and UB-3 were obtained by incubating leaves and bulbs at $36^{\circ}C$. The six extracts obtained from A. victorialis var. platyphyllum at Daegwanllyoung (cultivated site) were orally administered to examine for a possible antihepatotoxic effect in $CCl_4-induced$ rats. DL-1 exhibited the most pronounced effect. The extracts inhibited serum ALT, AST, SDH, ${\gamma}-GT$, ALP and LDH activities elevated by $CCl_4$ injection and attenuated decreased glutathione S-transferase, glutatione reductase and ${\gamma}-glutamylcysteine$ synthetase activities and a decreased hepatic glutathione. However, the extracts obtained from Ullung Is. (native site) were less active than the extracts from Daegwallyoung, suggesting that A. victorialis var. platyphyllum from the cultivated site is more useful for functional food than of native site. These results also suggest that the antihepatotoxic effect is due to a higher content of hepatic glutathione. Gas chromatography of the twelve extracts showed significantly different sulfides, disulfides or trisulfides contents belonging to volatile sulfur substances (VSS). Nine components were identified on the basis of their mass spectra, namely, dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, diallyl disulfide, dipropyl disulfide, allyl methyl sulfide, allyl methyl trisulfide, 2-vinyl-4H-1,3-dithiin, 3,4-dihydro-3-vinyl-1,2-dithiin, and allithiamine. Extract DL-1 had the highest VSS content. Dried plant materials contained larger amounts of the VSSs than other extracts, and the leaves contained larger amount than the bulbs. These results suggest that heat treatment increases the antiheaptotoxic ability of A. victorialis var. platyphyllum by increasing the proportion of VSSs.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제30권6호
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• pp.1360-1364
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• 2009

The bacterium Sphingomonas chungbukensis DJ77 produces the extracellular polysaccharide gellan in high yield. Gellan produced by this bacterium is widely used as a gelling agent, and the enzyme UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGP) is thought to play a key role in the gellan biosynthetic pathway. The UGP gene has been successfully cloned and over-expressed in E. coli. The expressed enzyme was purified with a molecular weight of approximately 32 kDa, as determined by a SDS-polyacrylamide gel, but the enzyme appears as ca. 63 kDa on a native gel, suggesting that the enzyme is present in a homodimer. Kinetic analysis of UDP-glucose for UGP indicates $K_m$ = 1.14 mM and $V_{max}$ = 10.09 mM/min/mg at pH 8.0, which was determined to be the optimal pH for UGP catalytic activity. Amino acid sequence alignment against other bacteria suggests that the UGP contains two conserved domains: An activator binding site and a glucose-1-phosphate binding site. Site-directed mutagenesis of Lys194, located within the glucose-1-phosphate binding site, indicates that substitution of the charge-reversible residue Asp for Lys194 dramatically impairs the UGP activity, supporting the hypothesis that Lys194 plays a critical role in the catalysis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제2권1호
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• pp.66-71
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• 1992

The ecological distribution of endomycorrhizas in evergreen woody species native to the evergreen forest ecosystem of Tadohae-haesang National Park in southern Korea in February, 1989 was studied. The abundance and diversity of vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungi were also determined. The spore densities ranged from 14 to 326 per 100 g of soil. Most of the spores of mycorrhizal fungi collected from 25 soil samples belonged to the genera Glomus and Gigaspora. The frequency and number of spores in Camellia japonica varied with location. Spores belonging to the genus Gigaspora were not found in Camellia japonica in Yesongri evergreen forests adjacent to the sea. Glomus sp. was the major constituent of the spore assemblage at this site. The most abundant species in Camellia japonica in the Yesongri evergreen forests in Pogildo was Glomus borealis. In the soil of a mountain at Buwhangri, in the central location of the island at an elevation of 250 m, Gigaspora sp. was present and Glomus sp. was a major constituent of the spore assemblage. In the urban area of Haenam spore densities were much higher than in the Pogildo area. The most abundant species in Camellia japonica in the urban area of Haenam was Gigaspora sp..

• BMB Reports
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• 제32권6호
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• pp.573-578
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• 1999

Treatment of Hafnia alvei aspartase with limited tryptic digestion resulted in a marked increase in enzymatic activity. The activation required a few minutes to attain maximum level and, thereafter, the activity gradually decreased to complete inactivation. The degree of cleavage associated with the activation was extremely small as judged by SDS-PAGE. Upon activation, the optimum pH and temperature were essentially unchanged. When trypsin-activated enzyme was denatured in 4 M guanidine-HCI followed by removal of the denaturant by dilution, the restoration of activity was similar (40%) to that of the native enzyme, indicating a degree of stability. The $pK_a$ obtained on the acidic side and the $pK_b$ obtained on the basic side of trypsin-activated aspartase were 6.6 and 8.6, respectively, the same as those of the native aspartase, indicating that aspartase may exist in a stable conformation after limited tryptic digestion. These results indicate that the activation of H. alvei may be mediated by a conformational change away from the active site of individual subunits.

• BMB Reports
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.150-157
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• 2006

Native grass carp (Ctenopharygodon idellus) growth hormone, has 5 cysteine amino acid residues, forms two disulphide bridges in its mature form. Recombinant grass carp growth hormone, when over-expressed in E. coli, forms inclusion bodies. In vitro oxidative renaturation of guanidine-hydrochloride dissolved recombinant grass carp growth hormone was achieved by sequential dilution and stepwise dialysis at pH 8.5. The redox potential of the refolding cocktail was maintained by glutathione disulphide/glutathione couple. The oxidative refolded protein is heterogeneous, and contains multimers, oligomers and monomers. The presence of non-disulphide-bond-forming cysteine in recombinant grass carp growth hormone enhances intermolecular disulphide bond formation and also non-native intramolecular disulphide bond formation during protein folding. The non-disulphide-bond-forming cysteine was converted to serine by PCR-mediated site-directed mutagenesis. The resulting 4-cysteine grass carp growth hormone has improved in vitro oxidative refolding properties when studied by gel filtration and reverse phase chromatography. The refolded 4-cysteine form has less hydrophobic aggregate and has only one monomeric isoform. Both refolded 4-cysteine and 5-cystiene forms are active in radioreceptor binding assay.