A novel cold-adapted lipase, LP28, from a mesophilic Streptomyces strain.

Fossil fuel is limited but its usage has been growing rapidly, thus the fuel is predicted to be completely running out and causing an unbearable global energy crisis in the near future. To solve this potential crisis, incorporating with increasing environmental concerns, significant attentions have been given to biofuel production in the recent years. With the aim of isolating a microbial biocatalyst with potential application in the field of biofuel, a lipase from Streptomyces sp.

A neutral lipase applicable in biodiesel production from a newly isolated Streptomyces sp. CS326.

In an attempt to isolate a biocatalyst able to catalyze biodiesel production from microbial source, Streptomyces sp. CS326 was screened from hundreds of soil isolates collected from various parts of Korea. In 16S rRNA sequence analysis, the strain showed high degree of similarity with Streptomyces xanthocidicus (99.

A newly isolated Streptomyces sp. CS392 producing three antimicrobial compounds.

With the aim of isolating new microbes capable of producing strong antimicrobial substances, strain CS392 was screened from 700 soil isolates preserved in our laboratory. The strain was related to genus Streptomyces based on various characteristics. Three highly active antimicrobial compounds, C1, C2 and C3, produced by the strain were purified by solvent extraction followed by silica gel column chromatography.

A novel alkaline lipase from Ralstonia with potential application in biodiesel production.

With the aim of isolating a biocatalyst able to catalyze biodiesel production from microbial source, Ralstonia sp. CS274 was isolated and a lipase from the strain (RL74) was purified. Molecular weight of RL74 was estimated to be 28,000 Da by SDS-PAGE.

Improvement of clavulanic acid production in Streptomyces clavuligerus by genetic manipulation of structural biosynthesis genes.

To enhance clavulanic acid production, four structural clavulanic acid biosynthesis genes, carboxyethylarginine synthase (ceas2), β-lactam synthetase (bls2), clavaminate synthase (cas2) and proclavaminate amidinohydrolase (pah2), were amplified from Streptomyces clavuligerus genomic DNA. They were cloned in the pSET152 integration and pIBR25 expression vectors containing the strong ermE* promoter to generate pHN18 and pHN19, respectively, and both plasmids were introduced into S. clavuligerus by protoplast transformation.

An inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the ampulla of vater successfully managed with endoscopic papillectomy: report of a case.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) are solid neoplastic mesenchymal proliferations composed of myofibroblastic spindle cells admixed with inflammatory infiltrates. The documented sites in the gastrointestinal tract include the esophagus, small intestine, colon, appendix, rectum, pancreas, spleen, liver, and Meckel's diverticulum. Biliary IMTs are rare, and IMTs arising from the ampulla of Vater have not been reported previously.

Role of metabolism in 1-bromopropane-induced hepatotoxicity in mice.

A possible role of metabolism in 1-bromopropane (1-BP)-induced hepatotoxicity was investigated in male ICR mice. The depletion of glutathione (GSH) by formation of GSH conjugates was associated with increased hepatotoxicity in 1-BP-treated mice. The formation of S-propyl and 2-hydroxypropyl GSH conjugates were identified in the liver following 1-BP treatment.

[A case of central nervous system myelomatosis with complex chromosome aberrations].

Involvement of the central nervous system is very uncommon in multiple myeloma, observed in approximately 1% of the multiple myeloma patients. We report a case of central nervous system myelomatosis with complex chromosome aberrations in a 62-yr-old female patient, who had previously been diagnosed as multiple myeloma. Fluorescent in situ hybridization revealed 13q deletion, p53 gene deletion and IGH/FGFR3 rearrangement and chromosomal study showed complex chromosome aberrations.

Sorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor, enhances the response of melanoma to regional chemotherapy.

Melanoma responds poorly to standard chemotherapy due to its intrinsic chemoresistance. Multiple genetic and molecular defects, including an activating mutation in the BRaf kinase gene, are associated with melanoma, and the resulting alterations in signal transduction pathways regulating proliferation and apoptosis are thought to contribute to its chemoresistance. Sorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor that targets BRaf kinase, is Food and Drug Administration approved for use in advanced renal cell and hepatocellular carcinomas.

Genetic instability in gastric epithelial neoplasias categorized by the revised vienna classification.

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to determine the structural chromosomal aberrations, such as loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and microsatellite instability (MSI), at multiple tumor suppressor gene loci in gastric epithelial neoplasia categorized by the revised Vienna classification.

Methods: All tissue samples were excised by endoscopic mucosal resection. Sixty category 3 (low-grade adenoma) tissue samples and 51 category 4 samples (high-grade adenoma and intramucosal carcinoma with adenoma) were examined at the 7 sets of microsatellite loci linked to the tumor suppressor gene locus.

Biosynthetic approach for the production of new aminoglycoside derivative.

Aminoglycoside antibiotics can be classified into two major groups; streptamine containing and 2-deoxystreptamine containing antibiotics. Here, we report a biosynthetic approach for the fusion of spectinomycin and kanamycin biosynthetic gene clusters to yield the new aminoglycoside derivative, oxykanamycinC, in a non-aminoglycoside producing heterologous host.

Up-regulation of Idh3alpha causes reduction of neuronal differentiation in PC12 cells.

The PC12 is the widely used cell line to study neuronal differentiation. We had extensively investigated the details of protein expression in differentiated PC12 cells by proteomic analysis. The cells were incubated at the presence of nerve growth factor.

Aldose reductase inhibitor ameliorates renal vascular endothelial growth factor expression in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Purpose: The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression of podocyte is one of the well-known major factors in development of diabetic nephropathy. In this study, we investigated the effects of aldose reductase inhibitor, fidarestat on diabetic nephropathy, and renal VEGF expression in a type 1 diabetic rat model.

Materials And Methods: Twenty four Sprague-Dawley male rats which were performed intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin and normal six rats were divided into four groups including a normal control group, untreated diabetic control group, aldose reductase (AR) inhibitor (fidarestat, 16 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) treated diabetic group, and angiotensin receptor blocker (losartan, 20 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) treated diabetic group.

Gene expression signatures as a guide to treatment strategies for in-transit metastatic melanoma.

In-transit metastatic melanoma, which typically presents as multifocal lesions, provides a unique setting to evaluate the utility of gene signatures for defining optimal regional therapeutic strategies and assessing the efficacy of treatment. The goal of this study was to determine whether a single multifocal lesion is representative of residual tumor burden in terms of gene expression signatures predictive of response to therapy. Using microarray-based gene expression profiling, we examined 55 in-transit melanoma lesions across 29 patients with multifocal disease.

A functional murine model of hindlimb demand ischemia.

Background: To date, murine models of treadmill exercise have been used to study general exercise physiology and angiogenesis in ischemic hindlimbs. The purpose of these experiments was to develop a murine model of demand ischemia in an ischemic limb to mimic claudication in humans. The primary goal was to determine whether treadmill exercise reflected a hemodynamic picture which might be consistent with the hyperemic response observed in humans.

An oxidant- and organic solvent-resistant alkaline metalloprotease from Streptomyces olivochromogenes.

Organic solvent- and detergent-resistant proteases are important from an industrial viewpoint. However, they have been less frequently reported and only few of them are from actinomycetes. A metalloprotease from Streptomyces olivochromogenes (SOMP) was purified by ion exchange with Poros HQ and gel filtration with Sepharose CL-6B.

Synthesis and anti-HCV evaluation of 4'(alpha)-ethyl and 2'(beta)-methyl-carbodine analogues.

Novel 4'(alpha)-ethyl-2'(beta)-methyl carbocyclic nucleoside analogues have been prepared and evaluated for inhibition of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA replication in cell culture. The construction of cyclopentene intermediate 12 beta was successfully made via sequential Johnson-Claisen orthoester rearrangement and ring-closing metathesis (RCM) starting from Weinreb amide 5. Selective dihydroxylation and desilylation gave the target carbodine analogues.

Inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase enhances the effect of chemotherapy in an animal model of regional therapy for the treatment of advanced extremity malignant melanoma.

Background: Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is an important regulator of programmed cell death in response to alkylating agents such as temozolomide (TMZ). The goal of this study was to determine if a systemically administered PARP-inhibitor (INO-1001) could augment the efficacy of TMZ in a rat model of extremity malignant melanoma.

Materials And Methods: PARP activity was measured in vitro across a panel of 5 human malignant melanoma-derived cell lines.

Prevention of covered enteral stent migration in patients with malignant gastric outlet obstruction: a pilot study of anchoring with endoscopic clips.

Objective: Placement of a self-expandable metal stent is a palliative treatment of choice for patients with malignant gastric outlet obstruction (GOO). Although covering an enteral stent with a membrane almost solves the problem of tumor ingrowth, stent migration continues to be a major unresolved problem. Our aim was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of endoscopic clipping for prevention of covered stent migration in the treatment of malignant GOO.

Functional characterization of KanP, a methyltransferase from the kanamycin biosynthetic gene cluster of Streptomyces kanamyceticus.

KanP, a putative methyltransferase, is located in the kanamycin biosynthetic gene cluster of Streptomyces kanamyceticus ATCC12853. Amino acid sequence analysis of KanP revealed the presence of S-adenosyl-L-methionine binding motifs, which are present in other O-methyltransferases. The kanP gene was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) to generate the E.

Effects and action mechanism of Diospyros kaki on the differentiation of human leukemia HL-60 cells.

Diospyros kaki Thunb. (Ebenaceae) is widely distributed in North-East Asian countries. Almost all parts of this plant have been traditionally used as medicine.

A novel Ca2+-dependent phospholipase D from Streptomyces tendae, possessing only hydrolytic activity.

An extracellular phospholipase D (PLD(St)) was purified from Streptomyces tendae by two successive chromatographic steps on Sepharose CL-6B and DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B. Molecular weight of the PLD(St) was estimated to be approximately 43 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Maximal activity was at pH 8 and 60 degrees C, and the enzyme was stable at or below 60 degrees C and between pH 8 and 10, when assayed after 1.

Dyspnea after supraclavicular brachial plexus block in a morbidly obese patient due to phrenic nerve block: A case report.

A 57-year-old woman with morbid obesity (BMI: 37.39) was scheduled for ligament reconstruction with tendon interposition of the carpometacarpal joint. A difficult supraclavicular brachial plexus block was performed using a 22-gauge regional block needle with a nerve stimulator and 40 ml of 1% mepivacaine.

In-line coupling of two-phase single drop microextraction and large volume stacking using an electroosmotic flow pump in nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis.

In order to improve the concentration sensitivity of capillary electrophoresis (CE), two sample preconcentration techniques, single drop microextraction (SDME) and large volume stacking using an electroosmotic flow pump (LVSEP), were coupled in-line in a commercial CE instrument. By simple programming of liquid handling sequences, a pentanol drop was prepared at the tip of a fused silica capillary over which a Teflon tube had been sleeved to serve as a hydrophobic support. After extraction of the analytes from an aqueous donor solution into the drop, the entire capillary column was filled with enriched pentanol extract.