본 연구는 국내에서 흔히 유통되는 박류 단미사료의 정확한 사료 유래 대사 단백질(metabolizable protein from feed, MPfeed) 함량을 제시하기 위해 수행되었다. MPfeed를 측정하기 위해 반추위 미분해 단백질(rumen undegradable protein, RUP) 함량과 RUP의 소장소화율을 평가하였다. 시료 각각의 RUP 함량을 측정하기 위해 홀스타인 거세우 2두를 이용하여 in situ 반추위 분해율 실험을 수행하였다(0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120 h). 각 시료의 소장소화율을 측정하기 위해 12 h in situ 배양을 마친 시료들은 인공 4위액과 인공 소장액에 순차적으로 배양된 후 잔량 측정되었다. RUP와 소장 분해율을 측정을 통해 측정된 MPfeed는 전지대두가 45.1%로 가장 높았으며, 국산 대두박(44.3%), 팜박(42.7%), 옥수수 주정박(dried distiller’s grains with solubles, DDGS, 40.7%), 수입산 대두박(40.2%), 호마박(39.7%), 야자박(39.3%), 채종박(28.4%), 옥 글루텐 밀(26.5%), 옥 배아박(20.5%), 해바라기박(15.3%), 옥 글루텐 피드(14.5%), 아몬드박(5.25%) 순으로 나타났다. 본 연구에서 사용된 시료들의 MPfeed는 미국사양표준에서 제시하고 있는 수치와 차이를 나타내었는데, 이는 MPfeed를 측정하기 위해 사용되는 RUP 함량과 RUP의 소장소화율에서 차이를 보임에 의한 것으로 추정된다.

This study investigated the physicochemical properties of protein-fortified rice flour by mixing rice flour (RF) with untreated and fermented plant proteins. Fermented faba bean protein concentrate (FMFP) and chickpea flour (FMCF) were prepared by solid-state fermentation of faba bean protein concentrate (UTFP) and chickpea flour (UTCF) using Bacillus subtilis. FMFP and FMCF exhibited higher crude protein, reducing sugar and starch contents more than their counterparts. The increased rate of essential and branched-chain amino acids in FMFP and FMCF exceeded that of crude protein. Adding plant proteins to RF decreased swelling power (SP) and increased solubility in RF-UTFP and RF-FMFP mixtures, while SP and solubility increased in RF-UTCF and RF-FMCF mixtures. All RF-plant protein mixtures showed higher gelatinization temperature and lower gelatinization enthalpy than RF. Thermal gelation was found in all RF-plant protein mixtures, but the RF-FMCF mixture may form weak and unstable gel structures. The increase in pasting viscosity was minimal for the RF-UTFP and RF-FMFP mixtures but more pronounced for the RF-UTCF and RF-FMCF mixtures. Overall, FMFP may be a potential protein source to supplement the protein deficiency in RF with minimal changes in RF-based foods’ rheological and textural properties.

Previous studies have shown that proline mutations in the heptad repeat region stabilize the coronavirus spike (S) protein in a pre-fusion state. To understand the impact of proline substitutions on the fusogenicity of the S protein, we engineered the swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) S protein with two proline substitutions (S-PP) and examined its fusogenicity using dual-split-protein based cell-cell fusion assay. Unlike the wild-type S (S-WT), S-PP rarely formed syncytia. Additionally, protein expression of S-PP was impaired compared to S-WT, as previously reported. Our results indicate that pre-fusion stabilized S protein is unable to induce membrane fusion and provide a better understanding of SADS-CoV S and vaccine antigen design.

UV and O3 are materials used in the water treatment process, and many studies have been reported to remove organic matters, contaminants, and microorganisms. In this study, we were investigated effects of Chirnomidae (Chironomus flaviplumus, Chironomus riparius), which are contamination indicator species to exposure UV and O3 for the survival rate, body color change and gene expression response. The survival rate of C. flaviplumus exposed to UV decreased to about 70% after 24 hours, and C. riparius about 50%. There was no change in the survival rate of C. flaviplumus exposed to O3, and C. riparius decreased to 95% after 10 minutes of exposure, but there was no change during the subsequent exposure time. In addition, UV and O3 exposure to the two species in body color faded in a time-dependent. In the HSP70 gene expression, C. riparius showed an increase in expression after UV exposure compared to the control group, and a significant difference was shown 12 hours after exposure (P<0.05). C. flaviplumus exposed to O3 showed a relatively low expression compared to the control group, and showed a significant difference at 10 minutes and 1 hour after exposure (P<0.05). These results reported the ecotoxicological effects on Chironomidae according to UV and O3 exposure. Therefore, the results of this study can be used as basic data to understand the effects of UV and O3, which are disinfectants used in water treatment plants, on Chirnomidae entering plants. Key words: Chironomus flaviplumus, Chironomus riparius, UV, O3, acute toxicity, survival

Protein is an essential nutrient for humans to sustain life, but it is predicted that it will be challenging to secure protein through the traditional livestock industry in the future. Microalgae has high future value as an alternative protein food source due to resource utilization and sustainability advantages. In order to increase productivity, the culture conditions of microalgae, Chlorella vulgaris, Dunaliella salina, and Scenedesmus obliquus were examined in this study. The optimal culture conditions of C. vulgaris were mixotrophic culture, 25oC culture temperature, 7.0 initial pH, 10% initial inoculation, stirring culture, 3000 Lux light intensity, and 24L:0D light/dark cycle period with red LED. For D. salina, the optimal culture conditions were mixotrophic culture, 20oC culture temperature, 8.0 initial pH, 10% initial inoculation, stirring culture, 6000 Lux light intensity, and 12L:12D light/dark cycle period with white LED. For S. obliquus, the optimal culture conditions were mixotrophic culture, 30oC culture temperature, 8.0 initial pH, 10% initial inoculation, stirring culture, 4500 Lux light intensity, and 14L:10D light/dark cycle period with fluorescent light. These findings can be used as important information for increasing the production of microalgae as an alternative protein material resource in the future.

This study focuses on heat-induced gelation of pea (Pisum sativum L.) proteins to assess the potential of pea protein aggregates (PPA) as novel plant-based meat alternatives. The microstructural (SEM, CLSM), mechanical (TPA analysis), and rheological properties (G', G'') of heat-induced gels at pH 2 were systematically investigated as a function of a different pea protein concentration (7.5, 10, 12.5%) and a varying heating time (1, 3, 6, 16 h). The result showed that PPA formation at higher protein concentration and heating time contributed to a homogenous and compact heat-induced gel formation. Such gel network strengthened mechanical properties in terms of high gel hardness (40 g) and elastic texture (2.7 mm springiness). For the rheological studies, the storage modulus (G') showed an increase during both the heating and cooling phases and then stabilized during the cooled-holding phase. This suggested that the formation of durable and stable gel was induced due to the decreased mobility of protein aggregates at low temperatures. Therefore, the PPA is indicated as a potential additive for enhancing the food texture quality in the plant-based meat food industry.

The striped fruit fly (SFF), Zeugodacus scutellata, is an agricultural pest species with a strong and rapid reproductive ability that can cause significant harm. To control the population of these kind of pests, the sterile insect technique (SIT) is being used as one of the effective methods. SIT involves the introduction of sexually transmitted factors that reduce the reproductive capacity of males. This study shows that knocking down the testis-specific serine/threonine protein kinase 1 (Zs-Tssk1) gene alters male fertility and male-initiated types of communication. Since Zs-Tssk1 influences the physiology of the testes, spermatogenesis is also affected, which in turn alters the lifespan of Zs-Tssk1 knock down group in comparison with the control. Based on these results, Zs-Tssk1 may be crucial in reproductive function, and its down-regulation may be helpful in controlling SFF through SIT.

Ischemic stroke causes severe neuronal damage. Chlorogenic acid is a phenolic substance present in fruits and coffee. It also exerts neuroprotective effects against various brain injuries. The 14-3-3 family protein perform a variety of functions including metabolism, signal transduction, cell differentiation, and apoptosis. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether chlorogenic acid regulates the expression of 14-3-3 protein in stroke animal models. Ischemic stroke was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery. Phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or chlorogenic acid (30 mg/kg) were intraperitoneally injected to adult male rats 2 h before MCAO surgery. Adhesive-removal test was performed 24 h after MCAO surgery and cerebral cortical tissues were collected for further study. MCAO damage caused severe neurological impairment and chlorogenic acid treatment ameliorated this disorder. Our proteomic approach showed a decrease in 14-3-3 expression in MCAO animals with PBS. The decrease in 14-3-3 expression alleviated in MCAO animal with chlorogenic acid. We confirmed changes in various 14-3-3 protein isoforms, including beta/alpha, zeta/delta, gamma, epsilon, eta, and tau through reverse transcription-PCR. These results explained that chlorogenic acid regulates the expression of 14-3-3 protein in MCAO-induced cerebral ischemia. 14-3-3 is considered to be an important protein for cell survival through binding to pro-apoptotic proteins. The maintenance of 14-3-3 levels is an important event in neuroprotection against ischemic injury. Therefore, we can demonstrate that the 14-3-3 protein contributes to the neuroprotective effect of chlorogenic acid in stroke animal models.

Extensive research and testing continue to be conducted for the development of vaccines targeting zoonotic diseases such as brucellosis. In this study, the potential of the DapB as a recombinant protein vaccine to effectively combat Brucella abortus 544 infection in BALB/c mice was evaluated. Western blotting assay results showed that recombinant protein DapB reacted with Brucella-positive serum, indicating its potential immunoreactivity. In vivo results showed that the peripheral blood CD4+ and CD8+ T cell population significantly increased in the DapB-immunized mice group after the first, second and third blood collection, compared to the control group that received PBS. Additionally, at the fourth blood collection, an increase in CD4+ T cell activation was observed in three vaccination groups compared to PBS negative control group. These results indicate the potential of DapB in stimulating cellular immunity. Fourteen days after infection, the bacterial load in the spleen was evaluated. The reduction in bacterial replication in the spleen by both DapB and RB51 highlights their protective efficacy against Brucella infection. These findings contribute to the ongoing efforts in developing effective vaccines against brucellosis and provide valuable insights for further research in this field.

Canine parvovirus-2 (CPV-2) has been reported worldwide as a major pathogen associated with acute hemorrhagic enteritis. The disease is a major infectious cause of death, particularly in young dogs. The earliest type of CPV-2 was replaced with three main subspecies, CPV-2a, CPV-2b, and CPV-2c, within a few years. Vaccination is carried out regularly, but the emergence of antigenic variants and the influence of maternal antibodies have limited the efficacy of commercial vaccines. New vaccines, such as the subunit vaccine, have been developed for alternative, safe, and effective vaccination. The baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is an excellent eukaryotic expression system with a high-level expression of foreign proteins and the ability of post-translational modification. Therefore, it is used widely to produce recombinant protein and subunit vaccines. In this study, the VP2 protein of CPV-2b cloned in the gateway vector system was generated using a baculovirus expression system in Spodoptera frugiperda (SF9) insect cells. Hemagglutination assay (HA) titers (24) were obtained, and the expression was detected in 6-His tagged VP2 and monoclonal antibody (mAb) against CPV-2 by western blotting. The VP2 protein of CPV-2b expressed in this study may provide a basis for a clinical diagnosis and vaccination applications for CPV-2.