Overexpression of peroxiredoxin I and thioredoxin1 in human breast carcinoma.

Background: Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are a novel group of peroxidases containing high antioxidant efficiency. The mammalian Prx family has six distinct members (Prx I-VI) in various subcellular locations, including peroxisomes and mitochondria, places where oxidative stress is most evident. The function of Prx I in particular has been implicated in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis.

Screening and Optimal Extraction of a New Antidementia β-Secretase Inhibitor-Containing Mushroom.

To produce a potent antidementia β-secretase inhibitor from a mushroom, the β-secretase inhibitory activities of various mushroom extracts were determined. Methanol extracts of Lentinula edodes exhibited the highest inhibitory activity (40.1%).

Production of the Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor from Yarrowia lipolytica S-3.

The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor of Yarrowia lipolytica S-3 was maximally produced when it was incubated at 30℃ for 36 h in an optimal medium containing 1% yeast extract, 2% peptone and 2% glucose, with an initial pH 6.0. The final AChE inhibitory activity under these conditions was an IC50 value of 64 mg/ml.

In vitro biocompatibility of equal channel angular processed (ECAP) titanium.

This work attempts to understand the in vitro biocompatibility of ultrafine grained titanium prepared by the ECAP route. The results obtained from the mouse fibroblast cell line 3T3 showed a better cell adherence and cell proliferation on ECAP titanium specimen compared to the coarse grain Grade-2 Ti and Ti6Al4V alloy. This could be attributed to the increased surface energy and grain boundary energy and possibly the presence of a large number of nano-size conical groove-like structures (at triple point junctions of grain boundaries on the surface) in the ECAP Ti specimen compared to the coarse grain Grade-2 Ti and Ti6Al4V alloy.

A glutaredoxin-fused thiol peroxidase acts as an important player in hydrogen peroxide detoxification in late-phased growth of Anabaena sp. PCC7120.

The Anabaena sp. genome contains an open reading frame with homology to a novel hybrid form of thiol peroxidase, fused with a glutaredoxin domain. The gene was expressed in Escherichia coli.

Phospholipase C-epsilon augments epidermal growth factor-dependent cell growth by inhibiting epidermal growth factor receptor down-regulation.

The down-regulation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor is critical for the termination of EGF-dependent signaling, and the dysregulation of this process can lead to oncogenesis. In the present study, we suggest a novel mechanism for the regulation of EGF receptor down-regulation by phospholipase C-epsilon. The overexpression of PLC-epsilon led to an increase in receptor recycling and decreased the down-regulation of the EGF receptor in COS-7 cells.

FAF1 suppresses IkappaB kinase (IKK) activation by disrupting the IKK complex assembly.

This study presents a molecular inhibitory mechanism by Fas-associated factor 1 (FAF1) on IkappaB kinase (IKK) activation, where divergent NF-kappaB-activating stimuli converge. FAF1 interacts with IKKbeta in response to proinflammatory stimuli (such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1beta, and lipopolysaccharide) and suppresses IKK activation. Interaction of the leucine-zipper domain of IKKbeta with FAF1 affected the IKK heterocomplex (IKKalpha/beta) and homocomplex (IKKalpha/alpha, IKKbeta/beta) formations and attenuated IKKgamma recruitment to IKKbeta.

In vitro fibroblast response to ultra fine grained titanium produced by a severe plastic deformation process.

The in vitro response of the mouse fibroblast cell line 3T3 on the surface of ultrafine grained titanium [produced by a severe plastic deformation (SPD) process] has been studied in this work. SPD Ti showed much higher strength than the coarse grained Ti and equivalent to that of Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Better cell proliferation was observed on SPD Ti compared to conventional Ti and Ti-6Al-4V alloy.

Four thiol peroxidases contain a conserved GCT catalytic motif and act as a versatile array of lipid peroxidases in Anabaena sp. PCC7120.

The Anabaena sp. (ANASP) genome contains seven open reading frames with homology to thiol peroxidase (TPx), also known as peroxiredoxin (Prx). Based on sequence similarities among putative TPx's derived from various cyanobacteria genomes, we designated the seven putative TPx members as VCP, VCT, TCS, and GCT clusters according to the sequence of their conserved catalytic motif.

Recognition of body image and food behavior factors among middle school students in San Francisco area.

The purpose of this study was to determine the recognition of body image and food behavior factors according to the BMI. The subjects of this study were 242 7th grade students resided in San Francisco area. The degree of recognition for self-estimated physique of subjects by gender and by race showed no significant differences by gender but significant differences by race, showing that 20.

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.

Isolation and characterization of a novel glutathione S-transferase-activating peptide from the oriental medicinal plant Phellodendron amurense.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the characteristics of glutathione S-transferase (GST)-activating compounds from medicinal plants. Among 265 kinds of medicinal plants, Phellodendron amurense showed the highest GST activity at 174.8%.

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.

Specific protein interaction of human Pag with Omi/HtrA2 and the activation of the protease activity of Omi/HtrA2.

The human PAG gene product (hPag), one member of the TSA/AhpC family, is overexpressed by oxidative stress, which causes apoptosis. To investigate the apoptotic signal transduction mediated by hPag, hPag-binding protein was screened using the yeast two-hybrid system. Omi/HtrA2 was identified as the hPag-binding protein.

Disulfide between Cys392 and Cys438 of human serum albumin is redox-active, which is responsible for the thioredoxin-supported lipid peroxidase activity.

Human serum albumin (HSA) is an abundant protein found in blood plasma and extracellular fluids. Previously, we found that HSA has a distinct thioredoxin (Trx)-dependent lipid peroxidase activity in the presence of palmitoyl-CoA. In this paper, we identified the redox-active disulfide, which can be specifically reduced by Trx, responsible for the Trx-dependent lipid peroxidase activity.

Isolation and characterization of a novel platelet aggregation inhibitory peptide from the medicinal mushroom, Inonotus obliquus.

This study describes the extraction and characterization of a platelet aggregation inhibitory peptide from Inonotus obliquus. Ethanol extract from I. obliquus ASI 74006 mycelia showed the highest platelet aggregation inhibitory activity (81.

Effect of Ganoderma lucidum on the quality and functionality of Korean traditional rice wine, yakju.

The goal of this study was to develop a high value Korean traditional rice wine possessing the pharmaceutical functionality of Ganoderma lucidum. The effects of the fruiting body of G. lucidum on the alcohol fermentation of Korean traditional rice wine, yakju, were investigated.

Production of ribonucleotides by autolysis of Hansenula anomala grown on Korean ginseng steaming effluent.

Hansenula anomala KCCM 11473, which grew well in Korean ginseng steaming effluent, was selected for the production of 5'-ribonucleotides. This strain had high RNA content. Optimal autolysis conditions were established to produce 5'-ribonucleotides (13.

SUMO-1 represses apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 activation through physical interaction and not through covalent modification.

This study examined whether small ubiquitin-related modifier-1 (SUMO-1) regulates apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK 1). ASK 1 interacted with SUMO-1 in vitro as well as in BOSC 23 cells. Endogenous ASK 1-SUMO-1 interaction was disrupted following H(2)O(2) signal.

Production of Antihypertensive Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor from Malassezia pachydermatis G-14.

To produce a novel antihypertensive angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor from yeast, a yeast isolate, designated G-14 showing the highest ACE inhibitory activity was obtained and identified as Malassezia pachydermatis based on morphological, biochemical and cultural characteristics. The maximal extracellular ACE inhibitor production was obtained from M. pachydermatis G-14 when the strain was cultured in YEPD medium containing 0.

Characterization of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor from Pueraria thunbergiana.

This study describes the extraction and characterization of an inhibitor for beta-hydroxy-beta-methylglutaryl (HMG) coenzyme A (CoA) reductase from Pueraria thunbergiana. The maximum HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory activity (IC(50) = 79 microg) was obtained when P. thunbergiana was extracted with 70% ethanol at 30 degrees C for 12 h.

Inhibition of human cytochrome P450 3A4 activity by zinc(II) ion.

Effects of Zn2+ on the activity and conformation of cytochorome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) were investigated. Zn2+ specifically inhibited the testosterone 6beta-hydroxylation activity of CYP3A4 with an IC50 value of 27 microM. Zn2+ inhibited the CO-binding spectra of CYP3A4 reduced by NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) and NADPH only in the presence of b5.

KR-31378 protects cardiac H9c2 cells from chemical hypoxia-induced cell death via inhibition of JNK/p38 MAPK activation.

Using a metabolic inhibition buffer as an ischemic model, we show here that KR-31378, a cardioselective ATP-sensitive potassium channel opener, protects H9c2 cells from chemical hypoxia (CH)-induced cell death. Our previous study showed that CH downregulated caspase activities, but led to differential activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in H9c2 cells. The repression of CH-induced c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/p38 MAPK activation resulted in partial protection against CH- induced cell death, implying JNK/p38 MAPK's causative role in CH-induced cell death.

Light-dependent expression of superoxide dismutase from cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803.

The oxygenic phototrophic cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 inevitably evolves superoxide during photosynthesis. Synechocystis 6803 contains only one type of superoxide dismutase, designated as SodB; therefore, this protein plays an important role in preventing oxidative damages caused by light.