천연물 유래 저분자 펩타이드들은 항산화, 고혈압 완화, 면역조절, 진통완화 및 항균작용 등 생리활성이 있는 것으로 알려져 왔다. 본 연구는 연산오계육 단백질을 상업용 프로티아제(alcalase, bromelain, flavourzyme, neutrase, papain, protamex)를 이용하여 저분자 펩타이드를 생산하고 항산화 활성(DPPH 소거능, 슈퍼옥사이드 라디칼 소거능, 하이드록시 라디칼 소거능 및 금속 킬레이션 능력), 펩타이드의 구성 아미노산 및 분자량을 분석하였다. 효소반응은 효소반응기에 다진 오계육 슬러리 50 g 와 단백질 효소 2%(w/v)를 넣고 pH6 와 온도 60℃ 조건에서 2시간 반응을 하였다. 반응 후 가수분해 도(%)의 범위는 36.65±4.10%에서 70.75±5.29% 사이의 범위를 보여주었는데 protamex의 가수분해도는 46.3%로 가장 높았으며, papain hydrolysate가 70.75±5.29%로 가장 높은 값을 보여주었으며, 반면에 alcalase hydrolysate가 36.65±4.10%로 가장 낮은 값을 보여주었다. DPPH 라디칼 소거능은 bromelain 처리 저분자 펩타이드가 가장 높게 나타났고, alcalase 처리 펩타이드에서 소거능이 가장 낮게 나타났다. 슈퍼옥사이드 라디칼 소거능 역시 bromelain 처리 저분자 펩타이드가 50% 이상의 가장 높은 라디칼 소거능을 보여주었다. 하이드록시 라디칼 소거능은 약 16.73에서 69.16% 사이의 분포를 보여 주었는데 bromelain 처리 저분자 펩타이드에서 가장 높게 나타났다. Fe2+ 킬레이션 능력은 약 17.85에서 47.84% 사이의 분포를 보여 주었다. hydrolysate들의 킬레이션 능력은 사용 효소들에 상관없이 큰 차이점이 없었다. 아미노산의 분석결과 alcalase, bromelain, flavourzyme, neutrase, papain, protamex 효소 가수분해 시켰을 때 차이점을 보여 주었고 가장 많은 아미노산은 glutamic acid이었다. 효소 hydrolysate들의 분자량의 분포는 처리 효소에 따라 분자량의 분포가 다르게 나타났지만 300-2,000 Da 범위에 있었다.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common oral malignancy and an increasing global public health problem. OSCC frequently invades the jaw bone. OSCC-induced bone invasion has a significant impact on tumor stage, treatment selection, patient outcome, and quality of life. A number of studies have shown that osteoclastmediated bone resorption is a major step in the progression of bone invasion by OSCC; however, the molecular mechanisms involved in OSCC bone invasion are not yet clear. In this review, we present the clinical types of OSCC bone invasion and summarize the role of key molecules, including proteases, cytokines, and growth factors, in the sequential process of bone invasion. A better understanding of bone invasion will facilitate the discovery of molecular targets for early detection and treatment of OSCC bone invasion.

We present evidence that the serine protease found in bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) venom exhibits fibrin(ogen)olytic activity. Compared to honeybee (Apis mellifera) venom, bumblebee venom contains a higher content of serine protease, which is one of its major components. Venom serine proteases from bumblebees did not cross-react with antibodies against the honeybee venom serine protease. We provide functional evidence indicating that B. terrestris venom serine protease (Bt-VSP) acts as a fibrin(ogen)olytic enzyme. Bt-VSP activates prothrombin and directly degrades fibrinogen into fibrin degradation products. However, Bt-VSP is not a plasminogen activator, and its fibrinolytic activity is less than that of plasmin. Taken together, our results define roles for Bt-VSP as a prothrombin activator, a thrombin-like protease, and a plasmin-like protease, providing significant support for thepotential use of bumblebee venom serine protease as a clinical agent.

쌀부산물인 탈지미강을 상업적으로 사용되는 8가지 protease를 최적화된 조건에서 단일 혹은 혼합 처리하여 수용성 단백질을 분리하였다. 이렇게 분리된 단백질을 Lowry, Kjeldahl 그리고 Gravimetric method 등 총 3가지 방법으로 분석을 한 결과 Protamex, Alcalase, Protease N이 가장 높은 분해율을 나타냈다. 3가지 방법에서 모두 Protamex, Alcalase, Protease N이 가장 높은 분해율을 나타내었고, Gravimetric method의 경우 다른 두 분석방법인 Lowry, Kjeldahl method에 비해 더 높은 단백질 함량을 보였다. 또한 위의 단일처리결과를 바탕으로 3가지 protease를 혼합하여 처리하였을 때 단일효소처리에 비해 상승효과가 나타나는 것을 알 수 있었는데, 이것은 protease의 경우 가수분해 할 수 있는 특정 peptide 혹은 amino acid가 있는데 각각의 protease가 분해하지 못하는 peptide 혹은 amino acid를 서로 분해해줌으로써 상승효과가 나타난 것으로 생각된다. 효소처리를 하여 얻어진 단백질의 사이즈를 알아보기 위해 SDS PAGE를 한 결과 어떠한 밴드도 형성이 되지 않았고 이는 분해된 단백질이 marker의 최소 사이즈인 15 kDa보다 작기때문인 것으로 생각된다. 따라서 일반 단백질보다 사이즈가 작은 polypeptide나 amino acid로써 분해된 것을 뜻하고 실제로 섭취하였을 때는 신체에서 생성되는 단백질 분해효소인 trypsin이나 chymotrypsin의 분해 없이도 쉽게 흡수 할 수 있을 것이라 판단된다. 또한 효소의 종류가 많을수록 총 아미노산의 함량이 높아짐으로써 식품첨가물로써 활용도가 높은 단백질가수분해물로 분해되었음을 확인할 수 있었다.

The black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, is known as a beneficial insect and feeds on organic materials derived from animals and human, resulting in reduction of food waste and conversion of organic materials. Despite of many studies on the BSF, there have been no reports of cloned genes encoding serine proteases in the BSF. Thus, the primary objective of this study is to clone and to investigate expression pattern of genes encoding serine proteases released from the midgut of the BSF larvae in order to gain a better understanding of expression mechanism of serine proteases. We cloned two serine proteases from the BSF larva. Based on phylogenetic tree analysis, one was chymotrypsin, the other was trypsin. The open reading frame (ORF) of chymotrypsin was 804bp, which encoded a polypeptide of 267 amino acids. In case of trypsin, the ORF was 744bp, which encoded a polypeptide of 247 amino acids. To investigate expression pattern of two serine proteases, we conducted semi-quantitative RT-PCR at different tissues and different developmental stages. A chymotrypsin and trypsin transcripts were revealed strongly in mid gut. Especially, a chymotrypsin was detected largely at feeding stage more than molting stage, while trypsin was expressed similarly between feeding stage and molting stage

Protease from various sources have been studied biotecnologically. For biotechnological applications, one highly preferred enzyme is protease. There have been no reports of cloned genes encoding digestive proteases in the Laccotrephes japonenis, Ranatra unicolor, Muljarus japonicus. These insects are considered to be a predator of aquatic insects. RT-PCR was used to amplify cDNA fragments for digestive proteases from total RNA the hole body of the insects. The flanking sequences of the 5'- and 3'- end of the these genes were characterized by RACE-PCR. Sequence analysis showed that these genes contained complete ORF. The deduced amino acid sequences of these protease showed 62% identity to the serine protease of Creontiades dilutus, 58% to Lygus loneolaris trypsin-like serine proteinase, 54% to Triatonatoma infestans salivary trypsin. To generate Laccotrephes japonensis serine protease, the DNA fragment coding for serine protease is cloning into suttle vector pBACⅠ, named pBAC1-JG and infected to Spodoptera frugiperda (sf9) insect cell. The cDNA encoding JG was expressed as a 32-kDa polypeptide in baculovirus infected insect cells and the recombinant protein showed activity in the protease enzyme assay using gelatin as a substrate.

Protease from various sources have been studied biotecnologically. For biotechnological applications, one highly preferred enzyme is protease. There have been no reports of cloned genes encoding digestive proteases in the Laccotrephes japonenis, Ranatra unicolor, Muljarus japonicus. These insects are considered to be a predator of aquatic insects. RT-PCR was used to amplify cDNA fragments for digestive proteases from total RNA the hole body of the insects. The flanking sequences of the 5'- and 3'- end of the these genes were characterized by RACE-PCR. Sequence analysis showed that these genes contained complete ORF. The deduced amino acid sequences of these protease showed 62% identity to the serine protease of Creontiades dilutus, 58% to Lygus loneolaris trypsin-like serine proteinase , 54% to Triatonatoma infestans salivary trypsin. In the further study, to generate digestive protease, the DNA fragment coding for serine protease, trypsin-like serine protease were cloning into suttle vector pBACⅠ, and infected to Spodoptera frugiperda (sf9) insect cell. After that, we expect to carry out the proteolytic activity of these recombinant proteases. This is intended as a basis for future studies on the digestive protease in the insects.