Effect of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) Intake on the Female Reproductive Organs and Lipid Accumulation in Adult Rats.

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is widely used as sweetener, and its overconsumption is become a major health problem. In the present study, we used adult female rats and applied a 28 days HFCS feeding model to monitor the estrous cycle and changes in tissue weights and histology. Adult female rats were divided into three groups.

Acinetobacter sp. isolates from emergency departments in two hospitals of South Korea.

A total of 114 Acinetobacter sp. isolates were collected from patients in the emergency departments (EDs) of two Korean hospitals. Most isolates belonged to the Acinetobacter baumannii complex (105 isolates, 92.

Molecular cloning and characterization of active truncated dextransucrase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides B-1299CB4.

The open reading frame of dsrE563, a dextransucrase gene obtained from a constitutive mutant (CB4-BF563) of Leuconostoc mesenteroides B-1299, consists of 8,511 bp encoding 2,836 amino acid residues. DsrE563 contains two catalytic domains (CD1 and CD2). Two truncated derivative mutants DsrE563ΔCD2ΔGBD (DsrE563-1) and DsrE563ΔCD2ΔVR (DsrE563-2) of DsrE563 were constructed and expressed using the pRSETC vector in Escherichia coli.

Acinetobacter species isolates from a range of environments: species survey and observations of antimicrobial resistance.

Acinetobacter species isolates from a range of environments, including soil, were investigated. We determined 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequences for species identification and performed tests of antimicrobial resistance susceptibility. Twenty-nine of the isolates (8 from soil and 21 from life environment) belonged to the genus Acinetobacter.

Construction, expression and characterization of fusion enzyme from Arthrobacter oxydans dextranase and Klebsiella pneumoniae amylase.

An artificial fusion protein of Arthrobacter oxydans dextranase and Klebsiella pneumoniae alpha-amylase was constructed and expressed in Escherichia coli. Most of the expressed protein existed as an insoluble fraction, which was solubilized with urea. The purified fusion enzyme electrophoretically migrated as a single protein band; M = 137 kDa, and exhibited activities of both dextranase (10.

Maximization of dextransucrase activity expressed in E. coli by mutation and its functional characterization.

A novel dextransucrase gene, DSRN, was obtained by ultrasoft X-ray treatment of the DSRB742 gene. The DSRN gene was further mutated via site-directed mutagenesis producing four mutants: DSRN1 (F196S), DSRN2 (Y346N), DSRN3 (K395T) and DSRN4 (P980T). Dextransucrases derived from DSRB742 and its mutants were expressed in E.