Isolation and Identification of Yeasts from Wild Flowers Collected around Jangseong Lake in Jeollanam-do, Republic of Korea, and Characterization of the Unrecorded Yeast Bullera coprosmaensis.

Several types of yeasts were isolated from wild flowers around Jangseong Lake in Jeollanam-do, Republic of Korea and identified by comparing the nucleotide sequences of the PCR amplicons for the D1/D2 variable domain of the 26S ribosomal DNA using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis. In total, 60 strains from 18 species were isolated, and Pseudozyma spp. (27 strains), which included Pseudozyma rugulosa (7 strains) and Pseudozyma aphidis (6 strains), was dominant species. Among the 60 strains, Bullera coprosmaensis JS00600 represented a newly recorded yeast strain in Korea, and its microbiological characteristics were investigated. The yeast cell has an oval-shaped morphology measuring 1.4 × 1.7 µm in size. Bullera coprosmaensis JS00600 is an asporous yeast that exhibits no pseudomycelium formation. It grew well in vitamin-free medium as well as in yeast extract-malt extract broth and yeast extract-peptone-dextrose (YPD) broth, and it is halotolerant growing in 10% NaCl-containing YPD broth.

Comparison of Microbial Diversity of Korean Commercial Makgeolli Showing High ß-Glucan Content and High Antihypertensive Activity, Respectively.

We measured physiological functionalities, including antihypertensive angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity and immun-stimulating ß-glucan content for sixty kinds of Makgeolli that is commercially available from the market. As a result, we selected R-12 commercial raw Makgeolli, with a high content of immuno-stimulating ß-glucan, and R-14 commercial raw Makgeolli, exhibiting high antihypertensive activity. Due to the similarities in their overall physicochemical properties and raw materials used for fermentation, we compared the microbial flora in order to investigate the reason for the differences in their functionalities. Nested PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis for yeasts and bacteria were performed for analysis of microbial diversity of two different kinds of Makgeolli (i.e., R-12, R-14), which showed immuno-stimulating ß-glucan content and exhibited a very high level of antihypertensive activity, respectively. Analysis of the 18S rDNA amplicon revealed a major presence of the yeast strain Pichia burtonii in every Makgeolli sample. Analysis of the 16S rDNA amplicon revealed a predominance of lactic acid bacteria, and the most frequent lactic acid bacteria were Lactobacillus ingluviei, L. fermentum, and L. harbinensis, and Lactobacillus sp. Among these, L. harbinensis was detected only in R-12 and L. ingluviei was found only in R-14. Different functionalities from the individual commercially available Makgeolli may be attributed to actions of different microbial flora during fermentation.

Two New Species of Cryptococcus sp. and Candida sp. from Wild Flowers in Korea.

Among 80 types of yeast isolated from wild flowers in Daejeon, Korea, two species that have not yet been identified by phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer-2 (ITS2) genes and 26S rDNA sequences were identified as Candida sp. 44-C-1 and Cryptococcus sp. 9-D-1. Neither of the newly identified species formed ascospores, while Candida sp. 44-C-1 formed pseudomycelium and Cryptococcus sp. 9-D-1 did not.

Dual function of protein kinase C (PKC) in 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) expression: activation of CREB and FOXO3a by PKC-alpha phosphorylation and by PKC-mediated inactivation of Akt, respectively.

12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) has been shown to induce transcriptional activation of human manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) mRNA in human lung carcinoma cells, A549, mediated by a protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent activation of cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB)-1/ATF-1-like factors. In this study, we showed that MnSOD protein expression was elevated in response to TPA or TNF-α, but not to hydrogen peroxide treatment. TPA-induced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was blocked by pretreatment of the PKC inhibitor BIM and NADPH oxidase inhibitor DPI. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) experiments indicated that knocking down the NADPH oxidase components e.g. Rac1, p22(phox), p67(phox), and NOXO1 in A549 cells impaired TPA-induced MnSOD expression. To identify the PKC isozyme involved, we used a sod2 gene response reporter plasmid, pSODLUC-3340-I2E-C, capable of sensing the effect of TNF-α and TPA, to monitor the effects of PKC isozyme-specific inhibitors and siRNA-induced knockdown of specific PKC isozyme. Our data indicate that TPA-induced MnSOD expression was independent of p53 and most likely mediated by PKC-α-, and -ε-dependent signaling pathways. Furthermore, siRNA-induced knock-down of CREB and Forkhead box class O (FOXO) 3a led to a reduction in TPA-induced MnSOD gene expression. Together, our results revealed that TPA up-regulates, in part, two PKC-dependent transcriptional pathways to induce MnSOD expression. One pathway involves PKC-α catalyzed phosphorylation of CREB and the other involves a PKC-mediated the PP2A catalyzed dephosphorylation of Akt at Ser(473) which in turn leads to FOXO3a Ser(253) dephosphorylation and its activation.

Effect of CCS on the accumulation of FALS SOD1 mutant-containing aggregates and on mitochondrial translocation of SOD1 mutants: implication of a free radical hypothesis.

Missense mutations of SOD1 are linked to familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS) through a yet-to-be identified toxic-gain-of-function. One of the proposed mechanisms involves enhanced aggregate formation. However, a recent study showed that dual transgenic mice overexpressing both G93A and CCS copper chaperone (G93A/CCS) exhibit no SOD1-positive aggregates yet show accelerated FALS symptoms with enhanced mitochondrial pathology compared to G93A mice. Using a dicistronic mRNA to simultaneously generate hSOD1 mutants, G93A, A4V and G85R, and hCCS in AAV293 cells, we revealed: (i) CCS is degraded primarily via a macroautophagy pathway. It forms a stable heterodimer with inactive G85R, and via its novel copper chaperone-independent molecular chaperone activity facilitates G85R degradation via a macroautophagy-mediated pathway. For active G93A and A4V, CCS catalyzes their maturation to form active and soluble homodimers. (ii) CCS reduces, under non-oxidative conditions, yet facilitates in the presence of H(2)O(2), mitochondrial translocation of inactive SOD1 mutants. These results, together with previous reports showing FALS SOD1 mutants enhanced free radical-generating activity, provide a mechanistic explanation for the observations with G93A/CCS dual transgenic mice and suggest that free radical generation by FALS SOD1, enhanced by CCS, may, in part, be responsible for the FALS SOD1 mutant-linked aggregation, mitochondrial translocation, and degradation.

Production of Antihypertensive Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor-Enriched Edible Yeast Using Gugija (Lycium chinesis Mill).

To produce bioactive compound enriched yeast using medicinal Gugiga (Lycium chinensis Mill), several edible Saccharomyces species were cultured in Gugija extracts added yeast extract, peptone and dextrose medium (GE - YEPD medium) at 30℃ for 24 hr, and their growth were determined. Growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae K-7 and Sacchromyces cerevisiae ACTC 7904 were better than those of the other yeasts. Two yeasts were selected and then determined their some physiological functionalities after cultivated the yeasts in the GE - YEPD medium and compared those grown on YEPD medium. Antihypertensive angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of S. cerevisiae K-7 grown on GE - YEPD medium was about 20% higher than that grown on YEPD medium. Superoxide dismutase-like activity of S. cerevisiae ACTC 7904 was also about 12% more high. However, the other physiological functionalities were almost same or lower. Optimal addition concentration of Gugija extract was 10%, and maximally growth and ACE inhibitory activity of S. cerevisiae K-7 were shown when the strain was cultured in 10% Gugija extracts containing YEPD medium at 30℃ for 12 hr.

Nocardioides kongjuensis sp. nov., an N-acylhomoserine lactone-degrading bacterium.

A Gram-positive, rod- or coccoid-shaped and N-hexanoyl-l-homoserine lactone-degrading bacterial strain, A2-4(T), was isolated from a soil in Korea, and its taxonomic position was investigated by using a polyphasic approach. Strain A2-4(T) grew optimally at pH 7.0-8.0 and 30 degrees C without NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain A2-4(T) is most closely related to members of the genus Nocardioides. Strain A2-4(T) possessed chemotaxonomic properties indicative of members of the genus Nocardioides; the cell-wall peptidoglycan type was based on ll-diaminopimelic acid, MK-8(H(4)) was the predominant menaquinone and iso-C(16 : 0) was the predominant fatty acid. The DNA G+C content was 72.1 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain A2-4(T) was 98.3-99.1 % similar to those of the type strains of Nocardioides simplex, Nocardioides aromaticivorans and Nocardioides nitrophenolicus and 93.8-96.3 % similar to those of the type strains of other Nocardioides species. Strain A2-4(T) could be distinguished from the three phylogenetic relatives, N. nitrophenolicus, N. aromaticivorans and N. simplex, by DNA-DNA relatedness (25-42 %) and by differences in some phenotypic characteristics. On the basis of the phenotypic, phylogenetic and genetic data, the strain represents a novel species of the genus Nocardioides, for which the name Nocardioides kongjuensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is A2-4(T) (=KCTC 19054(T)=JCM 12609(T)).

N-acylhomoserine lactonase producing Rhodococcus spp. with different AHL-degrading activities.

N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) are conserved signal molecules that control diverse biological activities in quorum sensing system of Gram-negative bacteria. Recently, several soil bacteria were found to degrade AHLs, thereby interfering with the quorum sensing system. Previously, Rhodococcus erythropolis W2 was reported to degrade AHLs by both oxido-reductase and AHL-acylase. In the present study, two AHL-utilizing bacteria, strains LS31 and PI33, were isolated and identified as the genus Rhodococcus. They exhibited different AHL-utilization abilities: Rhodococcus sp. strain LS31 rapidly degraded a wide range of AHLs, including N-3-oxo-hexanoyl-l-homoserine lactone (OHHL), whereas Rhodococcus sp. strain PI33 showed relatively less activity towards 3-oxo substituents. Coculture of strain LS31 with Erwinia carotovora effectively reduced the amount of OHHL and pectate lyase activity, compared with coculture of strain PI33 with E. carotovora. A mass spectrometry analysis indicated that both strains hydrolyzed the lactone ring of AHL to generate acylhomoserine, suggesting that AHL-lactonases (AHLases) from the two Rhodococcus strains are involved in the degradation of AHL, in contrast to R. erythropolis W2. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on AHLases of Rhodococcus spp.

Expression of the cationic antimicrobial peptide lactoferricin fused with the anionic peptide in Escherichia coli.

Direct expression of lactoferricin, an antimicrobial peptide, is lethal to Escherichia coli. For the efficient production of lactoferricin in E. coli, we developed an expression system in which the gene for the lysine- and arginine-rich cationic lactoferricin was fused to an anionic peptide gene to neutralize the basic property of lactoferricin, and successfully overexpressed the concatemeric fusion gene in E. coli. The lactoferricin gene was linked to a modified magainin intervening sequence gene by a recombinational polymerase chain reaction, thus producing an acidic peptide-lactoferricin fusion gene. The monomeric acidic peptide-lactoferricin fusion gene was multimerized and expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3) upon induction with isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside. The expression levels of the fusion peptide reached the maximum at the tetramer, while further increases in the copy number of the fusion gene substantially reduced the peptide expression level. The fusion peptides were isolated and cleaved to generate the separate lactoferricin and acidic peptide. About 60 mg of pure recombinant lactoferricin was obtained from 1 L of E. coli culture. The purified recombinant lactoferricin was found to have a molecular weight similar to that of chemically synthesized lactoferricin. The recombinant lactoferricin showed antimicrobial activity and disrupted bacterial membrane permeability, as the native lactoferricin peptide does.

Proteome analysis of red deer antlers.

Deer antlers are the only mammalian organs capable of repeated regeneration. Although antlers are known to develop from pedicles, which arise from antlerogenic cells of cranial periosteum, their developmental process is not fully elucidated. For example, while endocrine and environmental factors influence the antler development, it is still unclear which signaling pathways are involved in the transduction of such stimuli. To study the developmental process of antlers and identify proteins functioning in their growth, we have established proteome maps of red deer (Cervus elaphus) antlers. With two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, we analyzed more than 800 protein spots and identified approximately 130 individual proteins derived from the growing tip of antlers. The overall profile of the antler proteome was dissimilar to those of other types of tissue. Also comparison of proteomes derived from proximal bony tissue and the growing tip of antlers revealed substantial differences. Moreover several cell growth or signaling-related proteins are expressed exclusively in the growing tip, suggesting that these proteins function in the growth and differentiation of antlers. Currently, using the antler proteome maps, we are actively searching for the regulatory factor(s) that may control the antler development.