• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.122-126
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• 1995

The effects of treating bovine heart mitochondria with potassium chloride and surfactants such as digitonin and n-dodecy-$\beta$-maltoside (DMS) including plant saponins on extracting cytochrome c were examined. The spectra given by the cytochrome c-containing solutions from the extraction were inspected to ascertain whether ginseng and bellflower saponins could be used instead of the generally- employed surfactants of digitonin and DMS. These studies implied that the effect of ginseng saponins is superior to that of digitonin but inferior to that of DMS, and give rise to the idea of substitutional property of ginseng saponins for the widely-employed surfactants in the extraction of mitochondria intermembrane cytochrome c. The substitution for the solubilizing surfactants by bellflower saponins could, however, not presumably be anticipated; while ginseng saponin mixture are a suitable substitute.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.499-502
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• 2005

Methylophaga sp. strain SK1 is a new restricted facultative methanol-oxidizing bacterium that was isolated from seawater. The aim of this study was to characterize the electron carriers involved in the methanol oxidation process in Methylophaga sp. strain SK1. The gene encoding cytochrome $c_L$ (mxaG) was cloned and the recombinant gene was expressed in Escherichia coli $DH5\alpha$ under strict anaerobic conditions. The recombinant cytochrome $c_L$ had the same molecular weight and absorption spectra as the wild-type cytochrome $c_L$ both in the reduced and oxidized forms. The electron flow rate from methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) to the recombinant cytochrome $c_L$ was similar to that from MDH to the wild-type cytochrome $c_L$. These results suggest that recombinant cytochrome $c_L$ acts as a physiological primary electron acceptor for MDH.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.145-151
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• 1981

The effect of ginseng methanol extract on hepatic drug metabolizing enzyme in rat was investigated. The ginseng methanol extract (100mg/kg) was administered orally to Sprague Dawley rats for 7days and the contents of cytochrome $P_{450}$ and NADPH cytochrome c reductase in liver were measured by the method of Stanton et al. and Mazel respectively. The content of liver cytochrome $P_{450}$ and NADPH cytochrome c reductase in the rats treated with ginseng methanol extract (100mg/kg) were increased by 21.9% and l6.6% respectively and their increases were statistically significant. Single i.p. injection of phenobarbital (100mg/kg) to the rats produced approximately 25% increase in cytochrome $P_{450}$ content in this investigation and further stimulation was produced in the rats pretreated with ginseng methanol extract (100mg/kg). On the other hand, single i.p. injection of 95% $CCl_{4}$ (0.5ml/kg) showed 29% decrease in cytochrome $P_{450}$ content and 10.5% decrease in NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity. The degree of inhibition of cytochrome $P_{450}$ content in the rats pretreated with ginseng methanol extract (100mg/kg) was similar to that observed in the $CCl_{4}$ alone treated group, but NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity was increased by 65% in the rats pretreated with ginseng methanol extract (100mg/kg). These results suggest that ginseng is the hepatic drug metabolizing enzyme inducing agent in the rat and the effect is similar to phenobarbital.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.126-135
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• 2001

Quinacrine (QU), a phospholipase-A2 (PLA-2) inhibitor has been used clinically as a chemotherapeutic adjuvant. To understand the mechanisms leading to its chemotherapeutic effect, we have investigated QU-induced apoptotic signaling pathways in human cervical squamous carcinoma HeLa cells. In this study, we found that QU induced cytochrome c-dependent apoptotic signaling. The release of pro-apoptotic cytochrome c was QU concentration- and time-dependent, and preceded activation of caspase-9 and -3. Flow cytometric FACScan analysis using fluorescence intensities of $DiOC_6$/ demonstrated that QU-induced cytochrome c release was independent of mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), since the concentrations of QU that induced cytochrome c release did not alter mitochondrial membrane potential (${\blacktriangle}{\Psi}_m$). Moreover, kinetic analysis of caspase activities showed that cytochrome c release led to the activation of caspase-9 and downstream death effector caspase-3, Caspase-3 inhibitor (Ac-DEVD-CHO) partially blocked QU-induced apoptosis, suggesting the importance of caspase-3 in this apoptotic signaling mechanism. Supplementation with arachidonic acid (AA) sustained caspase-3 activation induced by QU. Using inhibitors against cellular arachidonate metabolism of lipooxygenase (Nordihydroxyguaiaretic Acid, NDGA) and cyclooxygenase (5,8,11,14-Eicosatetraynoic Acid, ETYA) demonstrated that QU-induced apoptotic signaling may be dependent on its role as a PLA-2 inhibitor. Interestingly, NDCA attenuated QU-induced cytochrome c release, caspase activity as well as apoptotic cell death. The blockade of cytochrome c release by NDCA was much more effective than that attained with cyclosporin A (CsA), a MPT inhibitor. ETYA was not effective in blocking cytochrome c release, except under very high concentrations. Caspase inhibitor z-VAD blocked the release of cytochrome c suggesting that this signaling event is caspase dependent, and caspase-8 activation may be upstream of the mitochondrial events. In summary, we report that QU induced cytochrome c-dependent apoptotic signaling cascade, which may be dependent on its role as a PLA-2 inhibitor. This apoptotic mechanism induced by QU may contribute to its known chemotherapeutic effects.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 1994

The free-livein nitrogen fixing bacterium, Arcobacter nitrofigilis which has been known to be a microaerophile, exhibited aerobic growth in brucella broth. In a level of oxygen equivalent to an air atmosphere (21% $O_2$), the maximum cell growth was observed in brucella broth. Low level of cell growth occurred in a level of low oxygen equivalent to lower than 2%, unless any other terminal electron acceptors other than oxygen were wupplied in brucella broth. Membrane-bound cytochrome b and c, and soluble cytochrome c were found. The growth in an aerobic atmosphere, little growth at low oxygen level, and occurrence of cytochrome c mean that this species is an aerobe and obtains energy using energy-yielding respiration.

• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.433-436
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• 1995

In order to assign NMR signals, conditions for the specific labeling of cytochrome $c_3$ of D. vulgaris Miyazaki F through the culture in a minimal medium were established. Phenylalanine residue was specifically deuterated at more than 85% efficiency. Cytochrome $c_3$ has two phenylalanine residues. The signals of one phenylalane were missing and this was tentatively assigned to Phe20.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.663-666
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• 2006

Carnosine, homocarnosine and anserine might act as anti-oxidants and free radical scavengers in vivo. In the present study, the protective effects of carnosine and related compounds on the $H_2O_2$-mediated cytochrome c modification were studied. Carnosine, homocarnosine and anserine significantly inhibited the oligomerization of cytchrome c induced by $H_2O_2$. All three compounds also inhibited the formation of carbonyl compound and dityrosine during the incubation of cytochrome c with $H_2O_2$. These compounds effectively inhibited the peroxidase activity in the cytchrome c treated with $H_2O_2$. The results suggested that carnosine, homocarnosine, and anserine might protect cytochrome c against $H_2O_2$-mediated oxidative damage through a free radical scavenging.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 1988

The yeast cytochrome c gene has been recloned, and the resulting cytochrome c mRNA has been translated in rabbit reticulocyte lysate translation system. The newly synthesized apocytochrome c could be methylated by exogenously added cytochrome c-lysine N-methyltransferase. Enzymatic methylation of in vitro synthesized apocytochrome c was found to facilitate specifically its import into mitochondria of yeast, but not of rat liver.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.41-51
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• 1994

The topology of the enzyme has been investigated by biochemical studies including chemical labeling and cross linking. Thirteen subunits(polypeptides) of the cytochrome-c-oxidase have localistic characteristics of existing in the matrix side or cytoplasmic side in the mitochondria. In order to observe the distribution of the enzyme subunit on the mitochondria membrane, immunogold-labeling methods were employed. Antibody was obtained from the serum of immunized rabbit with enzyme subunit antigen which was obtained from cytochrome-c-oxidase of the beef heart muscle mitochondria. Beef heart muscle tissue as a tissue antigen was stained with immunized rabbit IgG and protein A gold complex. Electron microscopy has identified the existance of cytochrome-c-oxidase subunit $Mt_I,\;Mt_{II}\;and\;Mt_{III}$ on the membrane of cristae and outer chamber of mitochondria and the subunit $C_{IV}$ on the membrane of cristae and matrix of mitochondria. Particularly, the subunit $C_{IV}$ was also observed to exist in the sarcoplasm of muscle tissue.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.169-176
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• 2000

As one of researches to clarify the taxonomic status of roe deer from Jeju island (C. pygargus tianschanicus), we analyzed partial sequences of mtDNA cytochrome b gene from six roe deers at Jeju island in Korea. Maximum nucleotide Tamura & Nei's distance among three haplotypes was 0.005, and this distance was comparable to the diversity within other roe deer subspecies: it is suggested that roe deers from the mainland dispersed rarely to Jejudo Island, although further analyses are ne-cessary to decide whether or not it was occurred by human introduction. Furthermore, nucleotide distance between cytochrome b sequences of roe deers from Jeju (C. pygargus tianschanicus) and the sequence of roe deer from west Siberia(C. p. pygargus), obtained from GenBank, was average 0.013, and it is suggested that C. p. tianschanicus diverged from C. p. pygargus of west Siberia 0.65 Myr ago.