- Ethanol Extract of Fermented Soybean, Chungkookjang, Inhibits the Apoptosis of Mouse Spleen, and Thymus Cells
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Han Bok Kim , Hye Sung Lee , Sook Jin Kim , Hyung Jae Yoo , Jae Sung Hwang , Gang Chen , Hyun Joo Youn
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J. Microbiol. 2007;45(3):256-261.
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DOI: https://doi.org/2534 [pii]
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Apoptosis is a step of the cell cycle which is important in the regulation of immune cell populations. Chungkookjang is a Korean traditional fermented soybean containing microorganisms, enzymes, and bioactive compounds which was used in the treatment of mouse spleen as well as thymus cells (CH1-fermented soybean containing barley, wormwood, and sea tangle; CH2-fermented soybean) and was found to exhibit substantially reduced small DNA fragmentation. An MTT assay showed that the treatment of CH1 and CH2 into the mouse splenocytes and thymocytes sharply increased their survival. Moreover, a FACS analysis also showed that CH1 and CH2 are effective at suppressing the apoptosis of splenocytes and thymocytes. The fermented soybean isoflavone concentrations, which are implicated in lowering breast and prostate cancers, lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and improving bone health, were determined using Capillary Electrophoresis-Electrochemical Detection (CE-ED). The amount of Daidzein in fermented soybean significantly increased by 44-fold dramatically, compared with those in unfermented soybean. In this study, we demonstrated that ethanol extracts of Chungkookjang promote the survival of the mouse spleen and thymus cells in culture by suppressing their apoptotic death. Future studies should investigate which genes are related to apoptosis of the immune cells.
- Continuous Synthesis of Escherichia coli GroEL at a High Temperature
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Young Hak Kwak , Kyong Sun Lee , Ji Yeon Kim , Dong Seok Lee , Han Bok Kim
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J. Microbiol. 2000;38(3):145-149.
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GroEL is a typical molecular chaperone. GroEL synthesis patterns at various culture temperatures in Escherichia coli were investigated in this study. No significant differences in the amount of GroEL produced from the chromosome were found at 30 and 37 C. However, GroEL production increased 3.4-fold at 42 C. GroEL synthesis was not transient but continuous at 42 C, although most heat shock gene expression is known to be transient. To understand the role of the groEL structural gene, a groE promoter-lacZ fusion was constructed. Interestingly, while transcriptional fusion is not thermally inducible, it is inducible by ethanol, suggesting that the secondary structure of the groEL transcript is involved in thermal regulation of the groEL gene. Secondary structures of groE mRNA at 37 and 42 C were compared using the computer program RNAdraw. Distinct structures at the two temperatures were found, and these structures may be related to a high level of GroEL expression at 42 C.
- Characterization of Bacillus cereus SH-7 Extracellular Protease
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Hak Kyu Yi , Young Jin Chum , Han Bok Kim
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J. Microbiol. 1999;37(4):213-217.
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An extracellular endopeptidase from Bacillus cereus SH-7 was purified to homogeneity. The protease was most active at pH 8 and 40 C, respectively. The molecular mass of the protease was 40 kDa on SDS-PAGE, and 120 kDa by gel filtration, suggesting that the native enzyme is composed of three homogeneous subunits. The K_m and V_max values of the protease for N-succinyl-(Ala)_2-Pro-Phe-p-nitroanilide were 11.11 mM and 170 nmol/mg of protein/min, respectively. The protease was also identified as a metalloprotease. The bioactivity of the SH-7 protease will need further study in the future.
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