• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.410-418
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• 2021

Helicobacter pylori causes chronic gastritis through cag pathogenicity island (cagPAI), vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA), lipopolysaccharides (LPS), and flagellin as pathogen-related molecular patterns (PAMPs), which, in combination with the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) of host cells promotes the expression and secretion of inflammation-causing cytokines and activates innate immune responses such as inflammasomes. To identify useful compounds against H. pylori-associated gastric disorders, the effect of chalcone derivatives to activate the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor family, pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome was examined in an H. pylori-infected human monocytic THP-1 cell line in this study. Among the five synthetic structurally-related chalcone derivatives examined, 2'-hydroxy-4',6'-dimethoxychalcone (8) and 2'-hydroxy-3,4,5-trimethoxychalcone (12) strongly blocked the NLRP3 inflammasome in H. pylori-infected THP-1 cells. At 10 μM, these compounds inhibited the production of active IL-1β, IL-18, and caspase-1, and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC) oligomerization, but did not affect the expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, and pro-caspase-1. The interruption of NLRP3 inflammasome activation by these compounds was found to be mediated via the inhibition of the interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4)/IκBα/NF-κB signaling pathway. These compounds also inhibited caspase-4 production associated with non-canonical NLRP3 inflammasome activation. These results show for the first time that certain chalcones could interrupt the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in H. pylori-infected THP-1 cells. Therefore, these chalcones may be helpful in alleviating H. pylori-related inflammatory disorders including chronic gastritis.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.662-683
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• 2024

Thai-Native×Anglo-Nubian goat meat cooked by grilling (GR), sous vide (SV), and microwave (MW), was compared to fresh meat (Raw) in terms of flavor development. Non-volatile [i.e., free amino acids, nucleotide-related compounds, taste active values (TAVs) and umami equivalency, sugars, lipid oxidation, Maillard reaction products] and volatile compounds, were investigated. Notably, inosine monophosphate and Glu/Gln were the major compounds contributing to umami taste, as indicated by the highest TAVs in all samples. Raw had higher TAVs than cooked ones, indicating that heat-cooking removes these desirable flavor and taste compounds. This could be proportionally associated with the increase in aldehyde, ketone, and nitrogen-containing volatiles in all cooked samples. GR showed the highest thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (1.46 mg malonaldehyde/kg sample) and browning intensity (0.73), indicating the greatest lipid oxidation and Maillard reaction due to the higher temperature among all cooked samples (p<0.05). In contrast, SV and Raw exhibited similar profiles, indicating that low cooking temperatures preserved natural goat meat flavor, particularly the goaty odor. The principal component analysis biplot linked volatiles and non-volatiles dominant for each cooked sample to their unique flavor and taste. Therefore, these findings shed light on cooking method selection based on desirable flavor and preferences.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.199-204
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• 1995

The changes of nucleotide and their related compounds, TMAO, TMA and total creatinine content of mackerel, pacific saury, yellow croaker and brown sole were investigated on heating conditions. The results were as follows. The content of inosine was the highest in all fish commonly, and white muscle fish showed higher than that of red muscle fish. The content of hypoxanthine showed increase by heat treatment but other compounds showed decrease. The contents of TMAO showed 31.1, 26.2, 49.4 and 58.5 mg% in each sample of raw materials, and brown sole showed the highest content than other fishes and TMAO contents showed decrease by heat treatment. The contents of TMA showed 3.7, 5.8, 22.9 and 16.9 mg% in each sample, and pacific saury showed the highest content than other fishes but TMA contents showed increase by heat treatment. The contents of total creatinine showed 341.2, 469.8, 52.3 and 87.6 mg% in each sample, and red muscle fish showed higher than that of white muscle fish and the highest content was shown in yellow croaker. All fish species showed decrease in contents of flavoring by heat treatment.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.1-18
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• 2008

The tetrachloroethylene (PCE) dehalogenase of Clostridium bifermentans DPH-1 (a halorespiring organism) was purified, cloned, and sequenced. This enzyme is a homodimer with a molecular mass of ca. 70 kDa and exhibits dehalogenation of dichloroethylene isomers along with PCE and trichloroethylene (TCE). Broad range of substrate specificity for chlorinated aliphatic compounds (PCE, TCE, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, 1,1-dichloroethylene, 1,2-dichloropropene, and 1,1,2-trichloroethane) for this enzyme was also observed. A mixture of propyl iodide and titanium citrate caused a light-reversible inhibition of enzymatic activity suggesting the involvement of a corrinoid cofactor. A partial sequence (81 bp) of the encoding gene for PCE dehalogenase was amplified and sequenced with degenerateprimers designed from the N-terminal sequence (27 amino acid residues). Southern analysis of C. bifermentans genomic DNA using the polymerase chain reaction product as a probe revealed restriction fragment bands. A 5.0 kb ClaI fragment, harboring the relevant gene (designated pceC) was cloned (pDEHAL5) and the complete nucleotide sequence of pceC was determined. The gene showed homology mainly with microbial membrane proteins and no homology with any known dehalogenase, suggesting a distinct PCE dehalogenase. So, C. bifermentans could play some important role in the initial breakdown of PCE and other chlorinated aliphatic compounds in sites contaminated with mixtures of halogenated substances.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.527-540
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• 2020

Donkey in China is well known for its draft purpose and transportation; however, donkey meat has attracted more and more consumers in recent years, yet it lacks sufficient information on its flavor components compared to other main meats. Therefore, in this study, volatile flavor compounds in neck meat of donkey, swine, bovine, and sheep were classified by electronic nose, then confirmed and quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography were used to quantify free fatty acid, amino acid, and flavor nucleotide. A total of 73 volatile compounds were identified, and aldehydes were identified as the characteristic flavor compounds in neck meat of donkey, bovine, swine and sheep in proportion of 76.39%, 46.62%, 31.64%, and 35.83%, respectively. Particularly, hexanal was the most abundant volatile flavor. Compared with other neck meat, much higher unsaturated free fatty acids were present in donkeys. Furthermore, neck meat of donkeys showed essential amino acid with highest content. Thus, special flavor and nutrition in donkey neck meat make it probably a candidate for consumers in other regions besides Asia.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.2-9
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• 2018

Olfactory receptors (ORs) in mammals are generally considered to function as chemosensors in the olfactory organs of animals. They are membrane proteins that traverse the cytoplasmic membrane seven times and work generally by coupling to heterotrimeric G protein. The OR is a G protein-coupled receptor that binds the guanine nucleotide-binding $G{\alpha}_{olf}$ subunit and the $G{\beta}{\gamma}$ dimer to recognize a wide spectrum of organic compounds in accordance with its cognate ligand. Mammalian ORs were originally identified from the olfactory epithelium of rat. However, it has been recently reported that the expression of ORs is not limited to the olfactory organ. In recent decades, they have been found to be expressed in diverse organs or tissues and even tumors in mammals. In this review, the expression and expected function of olfactory receptors that exist throughout an organism's system are discussed.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2007

Helicases are ubiquitous enzymes, which utilize the energy liberated during nucleotide triphosphate hydrolysis to separate double-stranded nucleic acids into single strands. These enzymes are very attractive targets for the development of new antibacterial compounds. The PcrA DNA helicase from Staphylococcus aureus is a good candidate for drug discovery. This enzyme is unique in the genome of S. aureus and essential for this bacterium. Furthermore, it has recently been published that it is possible to identify inhibitors of DNA helicases such as PcrA. In this report, we study the properties of recombinant PcrA from S. aureus purified from Escherichia coli to develop ATPase and helicase assays to screen for inhibitors.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.265-271
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• 2008

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most common form of human genetic variation. Non-synonymous SNPs (nsSNPs) change an amino acid. Organic anion transporters (OATs) play an important role in eliminating or reabsorbing endogenous and exogenous organic anionic compounds. Among OATs, hOAT4 mediates high affinity transport of estrone sulfate and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. The rapid bone loss that occurs in post-menopausal women is mainly due to a net decrease of estrogen. In the present study we searched for SNPs within the exon regions of hOAT4 in Korean women osteoporosis patients. Fifty healthy subjects and 50 subjects with osteoporosis were screened for genetic polymorphism in the coding region of SLC22A11 (hOAT4) using GC-clamp PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). We found three SNPs in the hOAT4 gene. Two were in the osteoporosis group (C483A and G832A) and one in the normal group (C847T). One of the SNPs, G832A, is an nsSNP that changes the $278^{th}$ amino acid from glutamic acid to lysine (E278K). Uptake of [$3^H$] estrone sulfate by oocytes injected with the hOAT4 E278K mutant was reduced compared with wild-type hOAT4. Km values for wild type and E278K were $0.7{\mu}M$ and $1.2{\mu}M$, and Vmax values were 1.8 and 0.47 pmol/oocyte/h, respectively. The present study demonstrates that hOAT4 variants can causing inter-individual variation in anionic drug uptake and, therefore, could be used as markers for certain diseases including osteoporosis.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.175-185
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• 2022

This study investigated the amino acid and nucleotide-related compound composition and taste characteristics of cultured muscle tissue (CMT) obtained by culturing satellite cells isolated from chicken and cattle and compared them to those of traditional meat (TM). The content of all amino acids except valine and tyrosine was significantly different between CMT and TM (p<0.05). The amount of glutamic acid was not significantly different between CMT and TM in cattle, but the glutamic acid in chicken CMT was lower than that of TM (p<0.05). Among the nucleotide-related compounds, only the content of inosine-5'-monophosphate (IMP) was significant, and the amount of IMP in CMT derived from chicken and cattle was significantly lower than that of TM (p<0.05). There were significant differences in the taste characteristics assessed by an electronic tongue system, and the umami, bitterness, and sourness values of CMT were significantly lower than those of TM from both chicken and cattle (p<0.05). The results of the present study suggest that it is necessary to develop a satellite cell culture method that could increase the umami and bitterness intensity of CMT and adjust the composition of the growth medium to produce cultured meat with a taste similar to that of TM.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.137-144
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• 2011

The current work was carried out to investigate the effect of crossbred Korean native chickens (KNC) on fatty acid, amino acid and nucleotide-related compounds contents of chicken meat. A total of 360 male chicks (1d of age) was used in this work and were divided 4 groups as A) (KNC egg-meat type C strains ${\times}$ KNC meat type S strains) ${\times}$ Ross broiler, B) (KNC egg-meat type C strains ${\times}$ KNC meat type H strains) ${\times}$ KNC meat type S strains, C) (KNC native R strains ${\times}$ KNC meat type S strains) ${\times}$ KNC meat type H strains and D(White Semibroiler Chickens) strains for 5 weeks at the flat house. Palmitic acid and vaccenic acid were highest in C strain meat, and myristic acid and linolenic acid were lowest in A strain meat (p<0.05). Saturated fatty acid was lowest in C strain meats (p<0.05). Valine, leucine, phenylalanine and lysine of essential acid were low in A strain meat. Cystine, aspartic acid, glycine, alanine and proline were also low in A strain meat. Hypoxanthin (Hx) was high compared other strains at 5 weeks and low at 10 weeks. IMP was high compared other strains at 5 and 10 weeks. AMP has not significant difference among strains at 5 weeks but B strain was high other strains at 10 weeks. These results showed that C stain was excellent on the fact of nutrients compared to other strains. Consequently, the result of this work gave the basic data that needed to develope the new strains.