The Critical Roles of Zinc: Beyond Impact on Myocardial Signaling

Zinc has been considered as a vital constituent of proteins, including enzymes. Mobile reactive zinc (Zn2+) is the key form of zinc involved in signal transductions, which are mainly driven by its binding to proteins or the release of zinc from proteins, possibly via a redox switch. There has been growing evidence of zinc's critical role in cell signaling, due to its flexible coordination geometry and rapid shifts in protein conformation to perform biological reactions. The importance and complexity of Zn2+ activity has been presumed to parallel the degree of calcium's participation in cellular processes. Whole body and cellular Zn2+ levels are largely regulated by metallothioneins (MTs), Zn2+ importers (ZIPs), and Zn2+ transporters (ZnTs). Numerous proteins involved in signaling pathways, mitochondrial metabolism, and ion channels that play a pivotal role in controlling cardiac contractility are common targets of Zn2+. However, these regulatory actions of Zn2+ are not limited to the function of the heart, but also extend to numerous other organ systems, such as the central nervous system, immune system, cardiovascular tissue, and secretory glands, such as the pancreas, prostate, and mammary glands. In this review, the regulation of cellular Zn2+ levels, Zn2+-mediated signal transduction, impacts of Zn2+ on ion channels and mitochondrial metabolism, and finally, the implications of Zn2+ in health and disease development were outlined to help widen the current understanding of the versatile and complex roles of Zn2+.

Isolation, characterization, and evaluation of Bacillus thuringiensis isolated from cow milk / 대한수의학회지

Probiotics colonize the intestines and exert an antibacterial effect on pathogens. Therefore, probiotics could be used as a preventive agent against lethal infections. To isolate probiotic microorganisms, 116 bacterial strains were isolated from healthy cow's milk and were subjected to Gram-stain, morphology and biochemical analyses, Vitek analysis, and 16S rRNA analysis. One of the strains identified as Bacillus (B.) thuringiensis 87 was found to grow very well at pH 4.0~7.0 and to be resistant to high concentrations of bile salts (0.3~0.9% w/v). B. thuringiensis was susceptible to the antibiotics used in the treatment of bovine mastitis, yet it exhibited an antimicrobial effect against Staphylococcus (S.) aureus 305. Moreover, it protected mice from experimental lethal infections of E. coli O55, Salmonella typhimurium 01D, and S. aureus 305 through a significant induction of interferon-gamma, even at four-week post-administration of B. thuringiensis. Although oral administration of B. thuringiensis 87 did not provide significant protection against these lethal challenges, these results suggest that B. thuringiensis 87 could be a feasible candidate as a probiotic strain.