• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.542-547
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• 2016

The thermal properties of ramie leaf ${\beta}$-amylase (RBA) were examined to develop a novel process for enzyme purification. The thermostability of RBA extract prepared from ramie leaf powder was examined at various temperatures. RBA activity decreased slightly, whereas other carbohydrate-active enzymes, such as $\small{D}$-enzyme, were rapidly inactivated during 30 min incubation at $60^{\circ}C$. When the heat-treated extract was incubated with various substrates, maltose was produced exclusively as the major product, whereas the untreated crude extract produced maltose and other maltooligosaccharides. In sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis, fewer protein bands were observed for the heat-treated extract than the untreated extract, indicating that the thermostable RBA was partially purified and other thermolabile enzymes were eliminated. Thus, the treatment of the RBA extract at $60^{\circ}C$ for 30 min resulted in 5.4-fold purification with a recovery yield of 90%.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.89-92
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• 2002

The cysteine proteases of Paragonimus westermani metacercariae are involved in metacercarial excystment, host immune modulation, and possibly in tissue penetration. In order to clarify the origin of the enzymes, 28 and 27 kDa cysteine proteases in metacercarial excretory-secretory products were purified through the FPLC system using Mono Q column chromatography. The polyclonal antibodies to the enzymes were produced in BALB/c mice. Immunolocalization studies revealed that both cysteine proteases were distributed at the linings of excretory bladder and excretory concretions of the metacercariae. It was suggested that the excretory epithelium of P. westermani undertake the secretory function of metacercarial cysteine proteases, in addition to its role as a route for eliminating waste products.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1647-1652
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• 2010

Autophagy refers to the bulk degradation of cellular proteins and organelles through an autophagosome and plays a pivotal role in the development, cellular differentiation, aging, and elimination of aberrant structures. A failure of autophagy has been implicated in a growing list of mammalian disease states, including cancer and cardiomyopathy. Two ubiquitin-like systems are highly involved in autophagy, especially in the formation of autophagosomes. Here, we purified and characterized Atg7 (an E1-like enzyme), and Atg3 and Atg10 (E2-like enzymes) in order to gain an insight into the role played by ubiquitin-like systems in the formation of autophagosomes. Interestingly, we observed that Atg7 forms a homodimer to construct an active conformation, unlike other E1-like enzymes. Although Atg3 was detected as a monomer under physiological conditions, Atg10 existed in an oligomeric form, indicating that the mechanism by which Atg10 functions may differ from that of Atg3.

• 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.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.571-576
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• 1993

The substrate specificity of the purified rabbit plasma alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) was determined towards a extended range of potential substrates including relatively simple phosphate derivatives as p-NPP and indolyl phosphate, and several synthetic peptides and phosphoproteins. These results further estabilish the broad substrate specificity of these circulating enzymes. Interestingly, the plasma ALPase preferentially dephosphorylates Thr over Ser residues, as demonstrated with a series of synthetic peptides. The latter result is in contradiction to the behaviour of the tissue ALPase, which is thought to the ultimate source of plasma ALPase, and open therefore new perspectives with respective to the origin and "solubilisation" processes of these enzymes. Dephsphrylation of protein substrates by endogenous and isolated plasma ALPases indicates that ALPase probably displays protein phosphatase activity in vivo.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.100-108
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• 2007

$\beta$-Glucosidase from Laetiporus sulphureus among the enzymes related to lignocellulosic biomass degradation to sugars for using alternative bioethanol production was characterized. The highest activity of $\beta$-glucosidase was obtained on cellobiose at shaking culture. For the characterization and purification of $\beta$-glucosidase culture solution was concentrated and then purified by FPLC using ion exchange and size exclusion column. According to the results of SDS-PAGE, native PAGE and microfluidic system of purified enzyme, protein band was observed at about 132 kDa. Optimal pH and temperature of purified $\beta$-glucosi-dase were 5.0 and $60^{\circ}C$, respectively. In the kinetic properties of $\beta$-glucosidase on various substrates such as sophorose, gentiobiose and cellobiose, $K_m$ was 0.81, 1.07 and 1.70 mM, respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.1014-1021
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• 2004

Two thermostable xylanases, designated XynA and XynB, were purified to homogeneity from the culture supernatant of Paenibacillus sp. DG-22 by ion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography. The molecular masses of xylanases A and B were 20 and 30 kDa, respectively, as determined by SDS-PAGE, and their isoelectric points were 9.1 and 8.9, respectively. Both enzymes had similar pH and temperature optima (pH 5.0-6.5 and $70^{\circ}C$), but their stability at various temperatures differed. Xylanase B was comparatively more stable than xylanase A at higher temperatures. Xylanases A and B differed in their $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ values. XynA had a $K_m$ of 2.0 mg/ml and a $V_{max}$ of 2,553 U/mg, whereas XynB had a K_m$ of 1.2 mg/ml and a $V_{max}$, of 754 U/mg. Both enzymes were endo-acting, as revealed by their hydrolysis product profiles on birchwood xylan, but showed different modes of action. Xylotriose was the major product of XynA activity, whereas XynB produced mainly xylobiose. These enzymes utilized small oligosaccharides such as xylotriose and xylotetraose as substrates, but did not hydrolyzed xylobiose. The amino terminal sequences of XynA and XynB were determined. Xylanase A showed high similarity with low molecular mass xylanases of family 11.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.1118-1126
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• 2012

Four putative GH12 genes were found in the Fusarium graminearum genome. The corresponding proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and evaluated. FGSG_05851 and FGSG_11037 displayed high activities towards xyloglucan ($V_{max}$ of 4 and $11{\mu}mol/min$, respectively), whereas FGSG_07892 and FGSG_16349 were much less active with this substrate (0.081 and $0.004{\mu}mol/min$, respectively). However, all four of these enzymes had a similar binding affinity for xyloglucan. Xyloglucan was the substrate preferred by FGSG_05851, in contrast to the three other enzymes, which preferred ${\beta}$-glucan or lichenan. Therefore, FGSG_05851 is a xyloglucan-specific glucanase (E.C. 3.2.1.151) rather than an endoglucanase (E.C. 3.2.1.4) with broad substrate specificity. FGSG_11037 displayed a peculiar behavior in that the xyloglucan binding was highly cooperative, with a Hill coefficient of 2.5. Finally, FGSG_05851 essentially degraded xyloglucan into hepta-, octa-, and nonasaccharides, whereas the three other enzymes yielded hepta- and octa-saccharides as well as larger molecules.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.87-93
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• 1993

This study was undertaken to investigate the characteristics and the productivities of lignin olytic enzymes: laccase (Lac) and Mn-dependent peroxidase (MnP) from Coriolus versicolor and Lentinus edodes respectively. Enzymes were isolated from cultural filterates and purified according to the standard methods. These enzymes showed one band in SDS-PAGE and their molecular weights were found 62,000 and 45,000 dalton respectively. Polyclonal antibodies against Lac and MnP were raised against mouse. In the ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), Lac and MnP-antiserum produced a strong positive reaction with Lac and MnP antigen($A_{405}$=2.50 and 3.53 respectively). The sera to negative (S/N) ratio was determined by the dividing the mean absorbance of antibodies by the corresponding diluted samples from normal mouse serum. The sera produced showed 2 times more positive reaction in S/N ratio than negative sera.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.540-547
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• 2011

High consumption of fruits and vegetables has been suggested to provide some protection to smokers who are exposed to an increased risk of numerous cancers and other degenerative diseases. Carrot is the most important source of dietary ${\beta}$-carotene. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate whether carrot juice supplementation to smokers can protect against lymphocyte DNA damage and to compare the effect of supplementationof capsules containing purified ${\beta}$-carotene or a placebo (simple lactose). The study was conducted in a randomized and placebo-controlled design. After a depletion period of 14 days, 48 smokers were supplemented with either carrot juice (n = 18), purified ${\beta}$-carotene (n = 16) or placebo (n = 14). Each group was supplemented for 8 weeks with approximately 20.49 mg of ${\beta}$-carotene/day and 1.2 mg of vitamin C/day, as carrot juice (300 ml/day) or purified ${\beta}$-carotene (20.49 mg of ${\beta}$-carotene, 1 capsule/day). Lymphocyte DNA damage was determined using the COMET assay under alkaline conditions and damage was quantified by measuring tail moment (TM), tail length (TL), and% DNA in the tail. Lymphocyte DNA damage was significantly decreased in the carrot juice group in all three measurements. The group that received purified ${\beta}$-carotene also showed a significant decrease in lymphocyte DNA damage in all three measurements. However, no significant changes in DNA damage was observed for the placebo group except TM (P = 0.016). Erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme was not significantly changed after supplementation. Similarly plasma lipid profiles were not different after carrot juice, ${\beta}$-carotene and placebo supplementation. These results suggest that while the placebo group failed to show any protective effect, carrot juice containing beta-carotene or purified ${\beta}$-carotene itself had great antioxidative potential in preventing damage to lymphocyte DNA in smokers.