Design of fully synthetic signal peptide library and its use for enhanced secretory production of recombinant proteins in Corynebacterium glutamicum.

Background: Corynebacterium glutamicum is an attractive host for secretory production of recombinant proteins, including high-value industrial enzymes and therapeutic proteins. The choice of an appropriate signaling peptide is crucial for efficient protein secretion. However, due to the limited availability of signal peptides in C.

Acceptor dependent catalytic properties of GH57 4-α-glucanotransferase from sp. ST04.

The 4-α-glucanotransferase (4-α-GTase or amylomaltase) is an essential enzyme in maltodextrin metabolism. Generally, most bacterial 4-α-GTase is classified into glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 77. However, hyperthermophiles have unique 4-α-GTases belonging to GH family 57.

Production of Cinnamaldehyde through Whole-Cell Bioconversion from -Cinnamic Acid Using Engineered .

Cinnamaldehyde (CAD) has various applications in foods and pharmaceuticals and has gained prominence as a potent nematicide in agricultural research owing to its nematicidal activity. However, conventional methods of CAD production, including extraction from plants or organic chemical synthesis, are environmentally hazardous and limit its utilization for downstream applications. Here, we engineered as a whole-cell biocatalyst for the efficient bioconversion of -cinnamic acid (-CA) into CAD.

Enhanced production of neoagarobiose from agar with Corynebacterium glutamicum producing exo-type and endo-type β-agarases.

Neoagarobiose (NA2) derived from agar marine biomass is a rare reagent that acts as an anti-melanogenesis reagent and moisturizer. Here, for the economical manufacturing of NA2, we developed the co-secretory production system of endo-type β-agarases (DagA) and exo-type β-agarases (EXB3) in Corynebacterium glutamicum. For this purpose, we first developed a secretory system of DagA via Tat pathway.

Production of trans-cinnamic acid by whole-cell bioconversion from L-phenylalanine in engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum.

Background: trans-cinnamic acid (t-CA) is a phenylpropanoid with a broad spectrum of biological activities including antioxidant and antibacterial activities, and it also has high potential in food and cosmetic applications. Although significant progress has been made in the production of t-CA using microorganisms, its relatively low product titers still need to be improved. In this study, we engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum as a whole-cell catalyst for the bioconversion of L-phenylalanine (L-Phe) into t-CA and developed a repeated bioconversion process.

Recent advances in engineering Corynebacterium glutamicum for utilization of hemicellulosic biomass.

Corynebacterium glutamicum has been mainly used for industrial production of amino acids, and in recent years, it has also been successfully engineered to broaden its range of substrate and product profiles. In particular, C. glutamicum has been engineered to use non-natural sugar substrates (mainly pentoses) derived from hemicellulosic feedstock, which is the second abundant component of lignocellulosic biomass.

Analysis of Factors Associated with the Severity of Acute Pancreatitis according to Etiology.

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the factors associated with severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) according to two major etiologies: alcohol and gallstones.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of consecutive patients who were admitted with AP between January 2003 and January 2013. A total of 905 patients with AP (660 alcohol-induced, 245 gallstone-induced) were enrolled.

Engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum for Consolidated Conversion of Hemicellulosic Biomass into Xylonic Acid.

Xylonic acid is a promising platform chemical with various applications in the fields of food, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture. However, in the current process, xylonic acid is mainly produced by the conversion of xylose, whose preparation requires substantial cost and time. Here, Corynebacterium glutamicum is engineered for the consolidated bioconversion of hemicellulosic biomass (xylan) into xylonic acid in a single cultivation.

Factor analysis of recurrent biliary events in long-term follow up of gallstone pancreatitis.

Objective: Recurrent attacks after acute gallstone pancreatitis (GSP) are substantial problems, together with associated morbidity and mortality. The recommended therapies for recurrent attacks are cholecystectomy and endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST). This study aimed to evaluate the long-term results of cholecystectomy and EST after clinical improvement of GSP.

Comparative evaluation of microbial diversity and metabolite profiles in doenjang, a fermented soybean paste, during the two different industrial manufacturing processes.

Two different doenjang manufacturing processes, the industrial process (IP) and the modified industrial process (mIP) with specific microbial assortments, were subjected to metabolite profiling using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS). The multivariate analyses indicated that both primary and secondary metabolites exhibited distinct patterns according to the fermentation processes (IP and mIP). Microbial community analysis for doenjang using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), exhibited that both bacteria and fungi contributed proportionally for each step in the process viz.

Dual-priming oligonucleotide-based multiplex PCR using tissue samples from the rapid urease test kit for the detection of Helicobacter pylori in bleeding peptic ulcers.

Background: In patients with peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB), diagnostic tests for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection have low sensitivity. The aim of our study was to investigate the diagnostic yield of dual-priming oligonucleotide-based multiplex (DPO)-PCR using tissue samples from the rapid urease test (RUT, CLO(®)test) kit in patients with PUB.

Clinical characteristics of Helicobacter pylori-negative drug-negative peptic ulcer bleeding.

Aim: To investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of idiopathic Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-negative and drug-negative] peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB).

Methods: A consecutive series of patients who experienced PUB between 2006 and 2012 was retrospectively analyzed.

Current status and clinical impact of pediatric endoscopy in Korea.

Background/aims: In pediatrics, endoscopic examination has become a common procedure for evaluation of gastrointestinal presentations. However, there are limited data on pediatric endoscopy in Korea. The aim of this study was to analyze the current status and clinical impacts of endoscopic examination in children and adolescents.

Primary and secondary metabolite profiling of doenjang, a fermented soybean paste during industrial processing.

In this study, a comprehensive metabolite profile analysis of doenjang, a fermented soybean paste, at various steps of its industrial 5-step production process was conducted, by combining gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques with multivariate analysis. From the partial least squares discriminant analysis of primary and secondary metabolites, the patterns were clearly distinguishable between the various processing steps (step 1: steaming, step 2: drying, step 3: meju fermentation, step 4: brining, step 5: doenjang aging). Of the primary metabolites, most of the monosaccharides, amino acids, and fatty acids increased in steps 3-5.

Bioinformatic and biochemical analysis of a novel maltose-forming α-amylase of the GH57 family in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus sp. CL1.

Maltose-forming α-amylase is a glycoside hydrolase family 57 (GH57) member that is unique because it displays dual hydrolysis activity toward α-1,4- and α-1,6-glycosidic linkages and only recognizes maltose. This enzyme was previously identified only in Pyrococcus sp. ST04 (PSMA); however, we recently found two homologs subgroups in Thermococcus species.

Is the AIMS65 score useful in predicting outcomes in peptic ulcer bleeding?

Aim: To evaluate the applicability of AIMS65 scores in predicting outcomes of peptic ulcer bleeding.

Methods: This was a retrospective study in a single center between January 2006 and December 2011. We enrolled 522 patients with upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage who visited the emergency room.

Complete genome sequence of hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus sp. ES1.

Thermococcus sp. strain ES1 is an anaerobic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a hydrothermal vent that catabolizes sugars and peptides and produces H2S from S°, H2, acetate and CO2 as its primary metabolites. We present the complete genome sequence of this strain (1,957,742bp) with a focus on its substrate utilization and metabolite production capabilities.

Clinical outcomes of the marginal ulcer bleeding after gastrectomy: as compared to the peptic ulcer bleeding with nonoperated stomach.

Background. Marginal ulcer is a well-known complication after gastrectomy. Its bleeding can be severe, but the severity has rarely been reported.

Mass spectrometry-based metabolite profiling and bacterial diversity characterization of Korean traditional meju during fermentation.

The metabolite profile of meju during fermentation was analyzed using mass spectrometry techniques, including GC-MS and LC-MS, and the bacterial diversity was characterized. The relative proportions of bacterial strains indicated that lactic acid bacteria, such as Enterococcus faecium and Leuconostoc lactis, were the dominant species. In partial least-squares discriminate analysis (PLS-DA), the componential changes, which depended on fermentation, proceeded gradually in both the GC-MS and LC-MS data sets.

Biotechnological production of arbutins (α- and β-arbutins), skin-lightening agents, and their derivatives.

Arbutins (α- and β-arbutins) are glycosylated hydroquinones that are commercially used in the cosmetic industry. These compounds have an inhibitory function against tyrosinase, a critical enzyme for generating pigments, which leads to the prevention of melanin formation, resulting in a whitening effect on the skin. Although β-arbutin is found in various plants including bearberry, wheat, and pear, α-arbutin and other arbutin derivatives are synthesized by chemical and enzymatic methods.

Incidence and clinical features of endoscopic ulcers developing after gastrectomy.

Aim: To determine the precise incidence and clinical features of endoscopic ulcers following gastrectomy.

Methods: A consecutive series of patients who underwent endoscopic examination following gastrectomy between 2005 and 2010 was retrospectively analyzed. A total of 78 patients with endoscopic ulcers and 759 without ulcers following gastrectomy were enrolled.

Theranostic nanoparticles based on PEGylated hyaluronic acid for the diagnosis, therapy and monitoring of colon cancer.

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. The considerable mortality from colon cancer is due to metastasis to other organs, mainly the liver. In the management of colon cancer, early detection and targeted therapy are crucial.

The gene-reduction effect of chromosomal losses detected in gastric cancers.

Background: The level of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) that reduces a gene dose and exerts a cell-adverse effect is known to be a parameter for the genetic staging of gastric cancers. This study investigated if the cell-adverse effect induced with the gene reduction was a rate-limiting factor for the LOH events in two distinct histologic types of gastric cancers, the diffuse- and intestinal-types.

Methods: The pathologic specimens obtained from 145 gastric cancer patients were examined for the level of LOH using 40 microsatellite markers on eight cancer-associated chromosomes (3p, 4p, 5q, 8p, 9p, 13q, 17p and 18q).

The overmethylated genes in Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric mucosa are demethylated in gastric cancers.

Background: The transitional-CpG sites between weakly methylated genes and densely methylated retroelements are overmethylated in the gastric mucosa infected with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and they are undermethylated in the gastric cancers depending on the level of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) events. This study delineated the transitional-CpG methylation patterns of CpG-island-containing and -lacking genes in view of the retroelements.