• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2009

Skin aging appears to be principally attributed to a decrease in both levels of Type I collagen and regeneration ability of dermal fibroblasts. It is important to introduce an efficient and safe agent for effective management of skin aging. To this end, we performed screening for anti-ageing agents and then found that vegetable peptones (pea and wheat) promoted cell proliferation of adult stem cells. Vegetable peptones may be considered as useful medium additives because it can supply nutrients, peptides, amino acids or growth factor analogues. This study was designed to investigate effects of vegetable peptones on cell proliferation/collagen production and their possible mechanisms in human dermal fibroblasts. In cell proliferation assay, vegetable peptones significantly promoted cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, human COL1A2 promoter luciferase and type I procollagen synthesis assays showed that vegetable peptones induce type I procollagen production through the activation of COLlA2 promoter. In both TGF-${\beta}1$ luciferase reporter and ELISA assays, vegetable peptones was found to induce TGF-${\beta}1$ production, suggesting that vegetable peptones induce type I procollagen production through the activation of TGF-${\beta}1$. When applied topically in a human skin twice a day for an 4-week period of time, vegetable peptones did not induce any adverse reactions. Theretore, based on these results, we suggest the possibility that vegetable peptones may be considered as an attractive, wrinkle-reducing candidate for topical application.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.112-118
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• 2002

Sporulation in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe has been regarded as an important model of cellular development and differentiation. S. pombe cells proliferate by mitosis and binary fission on growth medium. Deprivation of nutrients especially nitrogen sources, causes the cessation of mitosis and initiates sexual reproduction by matting between two sexually compatible cell types. Meiosis is then followed in a diploid cell in the absence of nitrogen source. DNA fragment complemented with the mutations of sporulation gene was isolated from the S. pombe gene library constructed in the vector, pDB 248' and designated as pDB(spo5)1. We futher analyzed six recombinant plasmids, pDB(spo5)2, pDB(spo5)3, pDB(spo5)4, pDB(spo5)5, pDB (spo5)6, pDB(spo5)7 and found each of these plasmids is able to rescue the spo5-2, spo5-3, spo5-4, spo5-5, spo5-6, spo5-7 mutations, respectively. Mapping of the integrated plasmid into the homologous site of the S. pombe chromosomes demonstrated that pDB(spo5)1, and pDB(spu5)Rl contained the spo5 gene. Transcripts of spo5 gene were analyzed by Northern hybridization. Two transcripts of 3.2 kb and 2.5kb were detected with 5kb Hind Ⅲ fragment containing a part of the spo5 gene as a probe. The small mRNA(2.5kb) appeared only when a wild-type strain was cultured in the absence of nitrogen source in which condition the large mRNA (3.2kb) was produced constitutively. Appearance of a 2.5kb spo5-mRNA depends upon the function of the meil, mei2 and mei3 genes.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.143-148
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• 2003

Bax, a mammalian pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family induces cell death when expressed in yeast. To investigate whether Bax expression can induce cell death in plant, we produced transgenic Arabidopsis plants that contained murine Bax cDNA under control of a glucocorticoid-inducible promoter. Transgenic plants treated with dexamethasone, a strong synthetic glucocorticoid, induced Bax accumulation and cell death, suggesting that some elements of cell death mechanism by Bax may be conserved among various organisms. Therefore, we developed novel yeast genetic system, and cloned several Plant Bax Inhibitors (PBIs). Here, we report the function of two PBIs in detail. PBI1 is ascorbate peroxidase (sAPX). Fluorescence method of dihydrorhodamine123 oxidation revealed that expression of Bax in yeast cells generated reactive oxygen species (ROS), and which was greatly reduced by co-expression with sAPX. These results suggest that sAPX inhibits the generation of ROS by Bax, which in turn suppresses Baxinduced cell death in yeast. PBI2 encodes nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK). ROS stress strongly induces the expression of the NDPK2 gene in Arabidopsis thaliana (AtNDPK2). Transgenic plants overexpressing AtNDPK2 have lower levels of ROS than wildtype plants. Mutants lacking AtNDPK2 had higher levels of ROS than wildtype. $H_2O_2$ treatment induced the phosphorylation of two endogenous proteins whose molecular weights suggested they are AtMPK3 and AtMPK6. In the absence of $H_2O_2$ treatment, phosphorylation of these proteins was slightly elevated in plants overexpressing AtNDPK2 but markedly decreased in the AtNDPK2 deletion mutant. Yeast two-hybrid and in vitro protein pull-down assays revealed that AtNDPK2 specifically interacts with AtMPK3 and AtMPK6. Furthermore, AtNDPK2 also enhances the MSP phosphorylation activity of AtMPK3 in vitro. Finally, constitutive overexpression of AtNDPK2 in Arabidopsis plants conferred an enhanced tolerance to multiple environmental stresses that elicit ROS accumulation in situ. Thus, AtNDPK2 appears to playa novel regulatory role in $H_2O_2$-mediated MAPK signaling in plants.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.158-167
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• 2007

In this study, we have cloned a novel cDNA encoding for a papain-family cysteine protease from the Uni-ZAP XR cDNA library of the polychaete, Periserrula leucophryna. This gene was expressed in Escherichia coli using the T7 promoter system, and the protease was characterized after partial purification. First, the partial DNA fragment (498 bp) was amplified from the total RNA via RT-PCR using degenerated primers derived from the conserved region of cysteine protease. The full-length cDNA of cysteine protease (PLCP) was prepared via the screening of the Uni-ZAP XR cDNA library using the $^{32}P-labeled$ partial DNA fragment. As a result, the PLCP gene was determined to consist of a 2591 bp nucleotide sequence (CDS: 173-1024 bp) which encodes for a 283-amino acid polypeptide, which is itself composed of an 59-residue signal sequence, a 6-residue propeptide, a 218-residue mature protein, and a long 3'-noncoding region encompassing 1564 bp. The predicted molecular weights of the preproprotein and the mature protein were calculated as 31.8 kDa and 25 kDa, respectively. The results of sequence analysis and alignment revealed a significant degree of sequence similarity with other eukaryotic cysteine proteases, including the conserved catalytic triad of the $Cys^{90},\;His^{226},\;and\;Asn^{250}$ residues which characterize the C1 family of papain-like cysteine protease. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the novel gene were deposited into the GenBank database under the accession numbers, AY390282 and AAR27011, respectively. The results of Northern blot analysis revealed the 2.5 kb size of the transcript and ubiquitous expression throughout the entirety of the body, head, gut, and skin, which suggested that the PLCP may be grouped within the cathepsin F-like proteases. The region encoding for the mature form of the protease was then subcloned into the pT7-7 expression vector following PCR amplification using the designed primers, including the initiation and termination codons. The recombinant cysteine proteases were generated in a range of 6.3 % to 12.5 % of the total cell proteins in the E. coli BL21(DE3) strain for 8 transformants. The results of SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis indicated that a cysteine protease of approximately 25 kDa (mature form) was generated. The optimal pH and temperature of the enzyme were determined to be approximately 9.5 and $35^{\circ}C$, respectively, thereby indicating that the cysteine protease is a member of the alkaline protease group. The evaluation of substrate specificity indicated that the purified protease was more active towards Arg-X or Lys-X and did not efficiently cleave the substrates with non-polar amino acids at the P1 site. The PLCP evidenced fibrinolytic activity on the plasminogen-free fibrin plate test.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Biotechnology Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.65-71
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• 2003

Bax, a mammalian pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, induces cell death when expressed in yeast. To investigate whether Bax expression can induce cell death in plant, we produced transgenic Arabidopsis plants that contained murine Bax cDNA under control of a glucocorticoid-inducible promoter. Transgenic plants treated with dexamethasone, a strong synthetic glucocorticoid, induced Bax accumulation and cell death, suggesting that some elements of cell death mechanism by Bax may be conserved among various organisms. Therefore, we developed novel yeast genetic system, and cloned several Plant Bax Inhibitors (PBIs). Here, we report the function of two PBIs in detail. PBI1 is ascorbate peroxidase (sAPX). Fluorescence method of dihydrorho-damine 123 oxidation revealed that expression of Bax in yeast cells generated reactive oxygen species (ROS), and which was greatly reduced by co-expression with sAPX. These results suggest that sAPX inhibits the generation of ROS by Bax, which in turn suppresses Baxinduced cell death in yeast. PBI2 encodes nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK). ROS stress strongly induces the expression of the NDPK2 gene in Arabidopsis thaliana (AtNDPK2). Transgenic plants overexpressing AtNDPK2 have lower levels of ROS than wildtype plants. Mutants lacking AtNDPK2 had higher levels of ROS than wildtype. $H_2O_2$ treatment induced the phosphorylation of two endogenous proteins whose molecular weights suggested they are AtMPK3 and AtMPK6. In the absence of $H_2O_2$ treatment, phosphorylation of these proteins was slightly elevated in plants overexpressing AtNDPK2 but markedly decreased in the AtNDPK2 deletion mutant. Yeast two-hybrid and in vitro protein pull-down assays revealed that AtNDPK2 specifically interacts with AtMPK3 and AtMPK6. Furthermore, AtNDPK2 also enhances the MBP phosphorylation activity of AtMPK3 in vitro. Finally, constitutive overexpression of AtNDPK2 in Arabidopsis plants conferred an enhanced tolerance to multiple environmental stresses that elicit ROS accumulation in situ. Thus, AtNDPK2 appears to play a novel regulatory role in $H_2O_2$-mediated MAPK signaling in plants.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1519-1528
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• 2013

Bacillus pumilus SG2, a halotolerant strain, expresses two major chitinases designated ChiS and ChiL that were induced by chitin and secreted into the supernatant. The present work aimed to obtain a mutant with higher chitinolytic activity through mutagenesis of Bacillus pumilus SG2 using a combination of UV irradiation and nitrous acid treatment. Following mutagenesis and screening on chitin agar and subsequent formation of halos, the mutated strains were examined for degradation of chitin under different conditions. A mutant designated AV2-9 was selected owing to its higher chitinase activity. To search for possible mutations in the whole operon including ChiS and ChiL, the entire chitinase operon, including the intergenic region, promoter, and two areas corresponding to the ChiS and ChiL ORF, was suquenced. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the complete chitinase operon from the SG2 and AV2-9 strains showed the presence of a mutation in the catalytic domain (GH18) of chitinase (ChiL). The results demonstrated that a single base change had occurred in the ChiL sequence in AV2-9. The wild-type chitinase, ChiL, and the mutant (designated ChiLm) were cloned, expressed, and purified in E. coli. Both enzymes showed similar profiles of activity at different ranges of pH, NaCl concentration, and temperature, but the mutant enzyme showed approximately 30% higher catalytic activity under all the conditions tested. The results obtained in this study showed that the thermal stability of chitinase increased in the mutant strain. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to predict changes in the stability of proteins caused by mutation.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2017

Methylation of CpG islands in the promoter region of genes acts as a significant mechanism of epigenetic gene silencing in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). DNA methylation markers are particularly advantageous because DNA methylation is an early event in tumorigenesis, and the epigenetic modification, 5-methylcytosine, is a stable mark. In the present study, we assessed the genome-wide preliminary screening and were to identify novel methylation biomarker candidate in HNSCC. Genome-wide methylation analysis was performed on 10 HNSCC tumors using the Methylated DNA Isolation Assay (MeDIA) CpG island microarray. Validation was done using immunohistochemistry using tissue microarray of 135 independent HNSCC tumors. In addition, in vitro proliferation, migration/invasion assays, RT-PCR and immunoblotting were performed to elucidate molecular regulating mechanisms. Our preliminary validation using CpG microarray data set, immunohisto-chemistry for HNSCC tumor tissues and in vitro functional assays revealed that methylation of the Homeobox B5 (HOXB5) and H6 Family Homeobox 2 (HMX2) could be possible novel methylation biomarkers in HNSCC.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.490-496
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• 2002

In order to detect the DNA heteropolymorphism of chum salmon, selected essential genes were examined in different regional chum salmons, i.e., Korean, Japanese and American by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and real time PCR methods. From the promoter regions and introns of growth hormone, mtDNA NDI region, D-loop region, IGF-I, histone H3 and MCH2 several representative primer pairs were obtained and employed for the DGGE with the PCR products from the genomic DNAs of the different regional chum salmons. mtDNA NDI, D-loop region and IGE-I genes showed marked heteropolymorphism between Korean and American chum salmons. Intron C of growth hormone also showed a heteropolymorphism between Korean and Japanese chum salmons. Whereas heteropolnnorphism of histone liH and MCH2 genes was detected among in Korean, Japanese and Asnerican chum salmons in the examined region. The real time PCR disclosed the characteristic incremental production of target DNAs dependent on the heteropolymorphic conditions of genomic DNAa of chum salmons, thus the different regional chum salmons could be grouped by the variable incremental curies. Although the DGGE and real time PCR did not produce the identical results in this study, we suggest that the DGGE and real time PCR could be used for the primary screening of the DNA heteropolymorphism of different animal genome.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.301-310
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• 2006

Two pathways of ammonium assimilation and glutamate biosynthesis have been identified in microorganisms. One pathway involves the NADP-linked glutamate dehydrogenase, which catalyzes the amination of 2-oxoglutarate to form glutamate. An alternative pathway involves the combined activities of glutamine synthetase, which aminates glutamate to form glutamine, and glutamate synthase, which transfers the amide group of glutamine to 2-oxoglutarate to yield two molecules of glutamate. We have cloned the large subunit of the glutamate synthase (GOGAT) from Salmonella typhimurium by screening the expression of GOGAT and complementing the gene in E. coli GOGAT large subunit-deficient mutants. Three positive clones (named pUC19C12, pUC19C13 and pUC19C15) contained identical Sau3AI fragments, as determined by restriction mapping and Southern hybridization, and expressed GOGAT efficiently and constitutively using its own promoter in the heterologous host. The coding region expressed in Escherichia coli was about 170 kDa on SDS-PAGE. This gene spans 4,732 bases, contains an open reading frame of 4,458 nucleotides, and encodes a mature protein of 1,486 amino acid residues (Mr =166,208). The EMN-binding domain of GOGAT contains 12 glycine residues, and the 3Fe-4S cluster has 3 cysteine residues. The comparison of the translated amino acid sequence of the Salmonella GOGAT with sequences from other bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Shigella flexneri, Yersinia pestis, Vibrio vulnificus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa shows sequence identity between 87 and 95%.