• Molecules and Cells
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.252-257
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• 2007

Escherichia coli HslVU is an ATP-dependent protease consisting of two heat shock proteins, the HslU ATPase and HslV peptidase. In the reconstituted enzyme, HslU stimulates the proteolytic activity of HslV by one to two orders of magnitude, while HslV increases the rate of ATP hydrolysis by HslU several-fold. Here we show that HslV alone can efficiently degrade certain unfolded proteins, such as unfolded lactalbumin and lysozyme prepared by complete reduction of disulfide bonds, but not their native forms. Furthermore, HslV alone cleaved a lactalbumin fragment sandwiched by two thioredoxin molecules, indicating that it can hydrolyze the internal peptide bonds of lactalbumin. Surprisingly, ATP inhibited the degradation of unfolded proteins by HslV. This inhibitory effect of ATP was markedly diminished by substitution of the Arg86 residue located in the apical pore of HslV with Gly, suggesting that interaction of ATP with the Arg residue blocks access of unfolded proteins to the proteolytic chamber of HslV. These results suggest that uncomplexed HslV is inactive under normal conditions, but may can degrade unfolded proteins when the ATP level is low, as it is during carbon starvation.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.291-295
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• 2020

In order to increase the utilization of defatted sesame meal (DSM), a by-product of sesame oil production, the conditions of extraction of insoluble proteins from DSM by enzyme treatment were investigated. As a result of comparing the treatment results of proteolytic enzymes Alcalase, Flavorzyme, Neutrase, and Protamex with control, Protamex was effective in increasing the total solid and protein content. At the reaction conditions of Protamex (50 ℃, pH 6.0), the dosage of enzymes was appropriate for 1% of DSM and 3 h of enzyme reaction time. To improve the efficiency of enzymatic treatment, the protein content extracted increased as the heat treatment temperature increased, and slightly increased above 110 ℃. As a result of investigating the effect of the combination treatment of cell lytic enzyme (Tunicase) and protease (Protamex) on protein solubilization, it was most effective to treat the cell lytic enzyme after processing the protease. After heat treatment (110 ℃, 10 min), sequential treatment of Protamex and Tunicase increased the protein content by about 3.5 times (9.85→35.58 mg/mL) of the non-heated control and 2.2 times (15.83→35.58 mg/mL) of the heat treated control.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.16-26
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• 2007

Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a serine protease catalyzing the proteolytic conversion of plasminogen into plasmin, which is involved in thrombolysis. During last two decades, the role of tPA in brain physiology and pathology has been extensively investigated. tPA is expressed in brain regions such as cortex, hippocampus, amygdala and cerebellum, and major neural cell types such as neuron, astrocyte, microglia and endothelial cells express tPA in basal status. After strong neural stimulation such as seizure, tPA behaves as an immediate early gene increasing the expression level within an hour. Neural activity and/or postsynaptic stimulation increased the release of tPA from axonal terminal and presumably from dendritic compartment. Neuronal tPA regulates plastic changes in neuronal function and structure mediating key neurologic processes such as visual cortex plasticity, seizure spreading, cerebellar motor learning, long term potentiation and addictive or withdrawal behavior after morphine discontinuance. In addition to these physiological roles, tPA mediates excitotoxicity leading to the neurodegeneration in several pathological conditions including ischemic stroke. Increasing amount of evidence also suggest the role of tPA in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis even though beneficial effects was also reported in case of Alzheimer's disease based on the observation of tPA-induced degradation of $A{\beta}$ aggregates. Target proteins of tPA action include extracellular matrix protein laminin, proteoglycans and NMDA receptor. In addition, several receptors (or binding partners) for tPA has been reported such as low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) and annexin II, even though intracellular signaling mechanism underlying tPA action is not clear yet. Interestingly, the action of tPA comprises both proteolytic and non-proteolytic mechanism. In case of microglial activation, tPA showed non-proteolytic cytokine-like function. The search for exact target proteins and receptor molecules for tPA along with the identification of the mechanism regulating tPA expression and release in the nervous system will enable us to better understand several key neurological processes like teaming and memory as well as to obtain therapeutic tools against neurodegenerative diseases.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.554-558
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• 2010

In the study, the protease activity of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa Planch) cultivated in Korea was estimated, with specific examination of proteolytic effects on myofibrilar protein. The crude protease extract of kiwifruit was prepared in two ways; one in which the kiwifruit was homogenized with buffer followed by centrifugation, and the other were the supernatant was precipitated by saturated ammonium sulfate followed by dialysis. The former had 21.23 mM/mL of protease activity, which corresponded to 112.28 mM/g kiwifruit utilized, and the latter had 11.58 mM/mL and 45.80 mM/g of kiwifruit. The crude protease extract of the kiwifruit showed high specificity for casein substrate followed by bovine serum albumin, egg white, collagen, and elastin, in order. The enzyme lost proteolytic activity in acidic conditions such as pH 2-3, and at high temperatures over $60^{\circ}C$. It showed optimal activity in both pH 3.0 and pH 7.5 as well as at $40^{\circ}C$ for casein substrate and at $50^{\circ}C$ for myofibrilar protein substrate. The proteolytic activity toward casein was high with up to 0.5M salt, followed by a sharp decrease beyond this concentration. On the other hand the proteolytic activity for myofibrilar protein decreased steadily with increasing of salt concentration. Kiwifruit has been used as a for meat tenderizer for in home cooking and these results support the its tenderizing effectiveness of kiwifruit especially for Korean style marinating of meat for cooking.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.216-224
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• 1983

This work was undertaken to obtain some characteristics of proteolytic enzyme of marine gastropods such as sea hare, Aplysia kurodai, top shell, Turbo cornutus, and abalone, Haliotis discus hannai. An influence of pH, temperature and some chemicals on proteolytic activity of the crude enzyme extracted from digestive tract of the samples was taken into account and the stability of the enzyme during the storage at low temperature was also discussed. In comparison of the activities of the crude enzyme from the samples to the optimum conditions, it was characterized that abalone has twice or the more times higher activities than the other two species of the gastropoda in the acid and weak acid region, while, in the alkaline region, sea hare has six or the more times higher acitivities than the other two species. The proteolytic activity was facilitated by $Mn^{2+}$, some reducing agents, EDTA and DTT, and inhibited by $Hg^{2+}$ and SDS, but the other chemicals were not significantly affected to the activity. The low temperature storage of the enzymes of sea hare and top shell at $0^{\circ}C\;or\;-20^{\circ}C$ was not affected to the enzymic activity under the optimum pH condition except in the alkaline region. On the other hand, the low temperature storage was brought about no significant effect on the activity of the enzymes extracted from abalone under the optimum condition of the weak acid region, but apparently influenced to the activity under the optimum condition of the acid and alkaline region.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.168-172
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• 2014

It has recently been shown that hypothermia treatment improves brain ischemia injury and is being increasingly considered by many clinicians. However, the precise roles of hypothermia for brain ischemia are not yet clear. In the present study we demonstrated firstly that hypothermia induced beta-catenin-interacting protein 1 (CTNNBIP1) gene expression and its expression was dramatically decreased under ischemic conditions. It was also demonstrated that hypothermia activated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress sensors especially both, the phosphorylation of $eIF2{\alpha}$, and ATF6 proteolytic cleavage. However, the factors of apoptosis and autophagy were not associated with hypothermia. These findings suggested that hypothermia controlled CTNNBIP1 gene expression under ischemia, which may provide a clue to the development of treatments and diagnostic methods for brain ischemia.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.515-524
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• 2020

With the increasing demand for enzymes in industrial applications there is a growing need to easily produce industrially important microbial enzymes. This study was carried out to screen the indigenous refinery bacterial isolates for their production of two industrially important enzymes i.e. lipase and protease. A total of 15 bacterial strains were isolated using Soil Extract Agar media from the oil-contaminated environment and one was shown to produce high quality lipase and protease enzymes. The culture conditions (culture duration, temperature, source of nitrogen, carbon, and pH) were optimized to produce the optimum amount of both the lipase (37.6 ± 0.2 Uml-1) and the protease (41 ± 0.4 Uml-1) from this isolate. Productivity of both enzymes was shown to be maximized at pH 7.5 in a medium containing yeast extract and peptone as nitrogen sources and sucrose and galactose as carbon sources when incubated at 35 ± 1℃ for 48 h. Bacterial strain SAB06 was identified as Bacillus licheniformis (MT250345) based on biochemical, morphological, and molecular characteristics. Further studies are required to evaluate and optimize the purification and characterization of these enzymes before they can be recommended for industrial or environmental applications.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.93-101
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• 1993

These experiments were carried out to investigate whether zona hardening affect the efficiency of in vitro fertilization in mouse oocytes. The soluble properties for zona pellucida of oocytes matured in vivo, aged oocytes, and ovarian oocytes matured in vitro have been analyzed with proteolytic enzyme, 3mg/ml of $\alpha$-chymotrypsin. The mean solubility(t50) for the zona of unfertilized oocytes, oocytes not fertilized at the first inseminati and in vitro produced zygotes were 10.1, 20.3 and 32.3min., respectively. The t50 for zona lysis of fertilized oocytes was significantly difference than those observed for unfertilized oocytes and oocytes not fertilized at the first insemination(P<0.01). In addition, the t50 of zona in ovulated oocytes with and without cumulus cells incubated for 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 hr in vitro, t50 were 13.9, 11.1, 20.7 and 28.0min., and 22.3, 21.0, 30.0 and 33.5min., respectively. In these experiments, the zona pellucida showed a gradual increase in resistance to dissolution by $\alpha$-chyjotrypsin with in vitro aging for more than 6 hrs. This effect was greater in cumulus-free as compared to cumulus-intact oocytes. Finally, in cumulus-intact and cumulus-free ovarian oocytes matured for 0, 5, 10 and 15 hr in vitro the t50 of zona pellucida were 3.0, 10.6, 18.4 and 24.5 min., and 3.0, 14.0, 26.2 and 32.0 min., respectively. Clear differences in solubility between the zona pellucida of oocytes matured in vivo and in vitro. This data were found suggest that under in vitro conditions there is a gradual change in the soluble properties of the zona pellucida, particularly in the absence of the cumulus cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.666-674
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• 2016

The bacterial strains were screened as potential starters for fermenting low-salt doenjang (a Korean traditional fermented soybean paste) using Korean doenjang based on proteolytic and antipathogenic activities under 6.5-7.5% NaCl conditions. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that they all belonged to the genus Bacillus. Proteolytic and antipathogenic activities against Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Aspergillus flavus, as well as fibrinolytic, amylase, and cellulase activities of the 10 strains were quantitatively evaluated. Of these, strains D2-2, JJ-D34, and D12-5 were selected, based on their activities. The functional, phenotypic, and safety-related characteristics of these three strains were additionally investigated and strains D2-2 and D12-5, which lacked antibiotic resistance, were finally selected. Strains D2-2 and D12-5 produced poly-γ-glutamic acid and showed various enzyme activities, including α-glucosidase and β-glucosidase. Growth properties of strains D2-2 and D12-5 included wide temperature and pH ranges, growth in up to 16% NaCl, and weak anaerobic growth, suggesting that they facilitate low-salt doenjang fermentation. Strains D2-2 and D12-5 were not hemolytic, carried no toxin genes, and did not produce biogenic amines. These results suggest that strains D2-2 and D12-5 can serve as appropriate starter cultures for fermenting low-salt doenjang with high quality and safety.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.435-446
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• 2012

The present study identified volatile flavor components of Hanwoo longissimus muscle and other Korean foods (Doenjang, Chungukjang, sesame oil) and their traits were compared in relation with flavor precursors that include fatty acids and protein degradation products. Hanwoo longissimus muscle was purchased from a commercial abattoir while the other foods were sampled from three separate households. The results showed totals of 68 ($9.94{\mu}g/g$), 60 ($15.75{\mu}g/g$), 49 ($107.61{\mu}g/ml$) and 50 ($7.20{\mu}g/g$) volatile components for Doenjang, Chungukjang, sesame oil and Hanwoo beef longissimus, respectively (p<0.05). Aldehydes were the most predominant components in beef, but alcohols, acids and esters, and pyrazines are probably the major contributors to the flavor characteristics of other foods. SDS-PAGE revealed that beef longissimus muscle and Doenjang showed higher protein degradation than other foods which could be likely related to chiller ageing and ripening process. The total polyunsaturated fatty acids were approximately 50, 60, 41 and 5% for Doenjang, Chungukjang, sesame oil and beef longissimus muscle, respectively. Based on the mechanism(s) of generation of the volatile compounds and the chemical composition of each food sample, differences and traits of volatile flavor components among the four food types are likely due to fatty acid profiles, proteolytic activity and processing conditions. Aroma intense compounds like pyrazines and sulfur-containing compounds were limited in cooked beef in the current experimental condition (i.e., relatively low heating temperature). This suggests that higher heating temperature as in the case of roasting is needed for the generation of high aroma notes in meat. Furthermore, proteolytic activity and stability of fatty acids during ageing have a great influence on the generation of flavor components in cooked beef.