속푸른 검정콩은 건강에 유익한 안토시아닌 및 루테인 성분을 많이 함유하고 있어 오래전부터 널리 재배되고 있다. 그러나, 성숙 콩 종자에는 비린 맛, 소화불량, 알러지 유발 및 품질저하을 일으키는 성분이 포함되어져 있다. 성숙 종자에서 lipoxygenase, KTI 및 lectin의 3가지 단백질이 부재하면서 stachyose의 함량이 매우 낮은 tetra null 유전자형을 가진 속푸른 검정콩 ‘자양’ 품종이 국내･외 최초로 육성되었다. ‘자양’품종은 (F1-37(8)) 모본과 18A1 부본과의 교배로부터 얻어진 육종집단에서 선발되었다. ‘자양’ 품종은 흰색 화색, 유한신육형, 갈색 모용색 및 성숙시 연한 갈색의 협색을 가지며, 종피 및 제색은 검정색이다. ‘자양 ’의 종실 조단백질 및 조지방 함량은 각각 41.7%와 16.5%이었고, stachyose의 함량은 2.09 g･kg-1으로 대조 품종인 '청자3호'의 10.23 g･kg-1 보다 훨씬 낮았다. '자양'은 콩 모자이크 바이러스, 불마름병, 콩 괴사병, 꼬투리 및 줄기 무름병 및 검은뿌리썩음병에 대하여 저항성 반응을 나타내었다. '자양'은 6월 22일경 파종시 성숙기는 10월 25일경이며, 경장은 78.3 ㎝, 백립중은 34.6 g 정도이고 2022년 3곳에서의 평균 수량은 3.04 ton･ha-1 정도였다.'자양'는 2025년 3월 17일 국립종자원에 콩 신품종으로 등록(등록번호: 제10519호) 되었다.

This study investigated the effects of high pressure (HP) treatment combined with enzymatic hydrolysis on the antigenicity and allergenicity of soybean 2S proteins. HP treatment alone (100–600 MPa) did not induce noticeable changes in the protein profiles or antigenicity. Enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in enzyme-dependent changes in protein degradation and antigenicity. Among the enzymes tested, alkaline protease showed the most substantial degradation of soybean 2S proteins, resulting in the residual antigenicity of < 10%. IgE-binding analysis using sera from patients with soybean allergy further demonstrated that alkaline protease treatment markedly decreased allergenicity to a level comparable to that of the negative control, whereas papain treatment only resulted in limited allergenicity reduction due to partial protein degradation. Alkaline protease treatment conditions were optimized to reduce the enzyme concentration or hydrolysis time while maintaining the low antigenicity level of soybean 2S proteins; however, the ideal conditions were not achieved yet, necessitating further investigation. These findings suggest that alkaline proteasemediated hydrolysis shows promise for hypoallergenic soybean protein production.

High-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) is a conserved nuclear protein that stabilizes the nucleosome and regulates gene transcription. Recent studies have reported that glycyrrhizic acid (GA), a HMGB1 inhibitor, blocks extracellular HMGB1 cytokine activity and has a protective effect in various diseases. This study was performed to investigate the effect of GA on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo culture of pig oocytes. HMGB1 was detected by immunofluorescence in the boar sperm post-acrosomal sheath and sperm tail mid-piece, as well as in the nucleus of immature, germinal vesicle stage porcine oocytes, the cytoplasm of mature metaphase II oocytes, and in the embryonic nuclei. A related protein, HMGB2, was also observed in spermatozoa and oocytes, co-localizing with HMGB1. Both HMGB1 and HMGB2 were detected in the protein extracts of spermatozoa and oocytes by Western blotting. Total fertilization rates (mono and polyspermic) increased, and more spermatozoa were bound to the zona pellucida of the oocytes when the IVF medium was supplemented with 20 μM GA compared to the control (p<0.05). In the presence of 20 μM GA, there was a significant increase in the percentage of cleaved embryos, blastocyst formation, and the mean cell numbers per blastocyst (p<0.05). GA treatment increased porcine fertilization rates and improved embryo development in vitro, possibly by blocking the cell-survival-limiting activities of HMGB proteins. Thus, GA could be a suitable therapeutic candidate in assisted reproductive technologies.

새우는 지질과 칼로리가 낮은 고단백질 공급원으로, 분말 또는 소스 형태로 가공되어 다양한 식품에 첨가된다. 그러 나 새우 알레르기가 있는 환자가 섭취할 경우 심각한 건강 상의 위험을 초래할 수 있으며, 특히 가공식품에 포함된 알 레르기 유발물질은 인지하고 섭취를 피하기 어렵다. 이에 따 라 가공식품 중 새우를 신속하고 정확하게 검출할 수 있는 분석법 개발이 요구된다. 본 연구에서는 새우의 열안정성 수 용성 단백질(TSSP)의 존재를 확인하고, 이를 이용하여 생산 한 다클론성 항체(pAb)를 기반으로 간접 효소결합면역흡착 분석법(indirect ELISA)을 개발하였다. 생산된 pAb는 Penaeus japonicus, Metapenaeus joyneri, Penaeus chinensis, Pandalus borealis, Penaeus monodon 등 5종의 새우에만 특이적으로 반응하였으며, 다른 식품 성분과 교차 반응을 보이지 않았 다. 개발된 pAb 기반 indirect ELISA의 검출한계(LOD)는 0.001%였다. 또한 삶음(100oC, 60분), 멸균(121oC, 60분), 튀 김(170oC, 8분) 처리된 새우 시료에서도 검출이 가능하여, 다양한 조리 조건 적용 후에도 검출이 가능함을 확인하였다. 이러한 결과는 새우 TSSP가 열처리 식품에서 새우 혼입 여 부를 식별할 수 있는 항원 및 바이오마커로 활용될 수 있 음을 시사한다. 더 나아가, 본 연구에서 개발된 pAb는 가공 식품에 혼입된 새우 검출을 위한 면역분석 및 바이오센서 개발에 유용한 생체수용체로 활용될 수 있다.

콩은 식물성 단백질과 지방을 얻기 위하여 가장 널리 재배되는 주요 콩과 작물이다. 그러나, 성숙 콩 실에는 가공적성과 품질 저하, 알러지 유발 및 소화 불량을 일으키는 성분이 포함되어져 있다. 콩 성숙 종실에서 주요 항영양성분으로 알려진 lectin, KTI, lipoxygenase 및 7S α' subunit의 4가지 단백질이 모두 부재하면서 stachyose의 함량이 낮은 대립 노란콩 ‘백세’ 품종이 국내 최초로 육성되었다. ‘백세’ 품종은 F-1-9와 F-1-6의 육성계통간 교배로 얻어진 집단에서 선발되었다. ‘백세’ 품종은 보라색 화색, 유한신육형, 회색 모용색 및 성숙시 연한 갈색의 협색을 가지며, 종피 및 제색은 노란색이다. ‘백세’의 종실 조단백질 및 조지방 함량은 각각 41.1%와 15.8%이었고, stachyose의 함량은 2.9 g/kg으로 대조 품종인 ‘대원’의 12.7 g/kg보다 훨씬 낮았다. ‘백세’는 콩 모자이크 바이러스, 콩 괴사병, 검은뿌리썩음병, 꼬투리 및 줄기 무름병, 불마름병에 대한 저항성을 나타내었다. ‘백세’는 6월 20일경 파종시 성숙기는 10월 16일경이며, 경장은 53 ㎝, 백립중은 31.0 g 정도이고 2020년 3곳에서의 평균 수량은 2.95 ton/ha-1 정도였다.‘백세’는 2023년 4월 6일 국립종자원에 콩 품종 등록(등록번호: 9515) 되었다.

In this study, proteins were extracted from sesame and perilla meals (agricultural by-products) by using hot-water defatting and acid precipitation, and their functional properties were compared with those of a commercial soy protein isolate (SPI). According to the SDS-PAGE results, the sesame meal protein extract (SMPE) exhibited a higher content of hydrophobic amino acids than the perilla meal protein extract (PMPE), alongside a relatively lower intensity of the 7S globulin band. SMPE showed 1.41-fold higher solubility than SPI at pH 10 and 1.72- and 1.66-fold higher emulsifying activity indices (EAIs) at pH 8 and 10, respectively. PMPE exhibited similar trends in solubility and EAI as SPI at the corresponding pH values. However, the emulsifying stability indices of SMPE and PMPE were lower than that of SPI. In particular, the fat absorption capacity of SMPE was significantly higher than those of SPI and PMPE, likely because of its higher content of hydrophobic or nonpolar amino acid residues. These results suggest that SMPE and PMPE are promising alternative protein sources for food applications and may promote value-added utilization of plant-derived by-products in the food industry.

Cerebral ischemia is a serious neurological disorder that can lead to high morbidity and mortality. Baicalin is a naturally bioactive flavonoid derived from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, which has neuroprotective activity. Baicalin exerts a neuroprotective effect against hypoxic ischemic injury. In this study, we investigated whether baicalin regulates specific proteins in the cerebral cortex of ischemic stroke animals. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery was performed to induce ischemic brain injury, and baicalin (30 mg/kg) or vehicle was injected into the abdominal cavity before MCAO surgery. Neurological behavior tests were performed 24 h after MCAO surgery and proteomics approach was performed using proteins extracted from cortical tissue. Two-dimensional electrophoresis analysis and MALDI-TOF were performed to identify the regulated protein by baicalin. MCAO damage caused severe behavioral disorders, but baicalin treatment improved these behavioral deficits. Baicalin also induced changes in the expression of various proteins in the cerebral cortex of MCAO animals. Proteins changed by baicalin administration are as follow: adenosylhomocysteinase, isocitrate dehydrogenase [NAD] subunit alpha, apolipoprotein A-I, Rab GDP dissociation inhibitor beta, eukaryotic initiation factor 4A, and mu-crystallin. These proteins were involved in metabolism and protein synthesis. The results of this study demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of baicalin by improving behavioral disorders caused by MCAO damage. The results also showed that baicalin regulates the expression of a variety of proteins involved in neuroprotective functions. Therefore, our findings provide evidence that baicalin plays a neuroprotective role in stroke animal models by regulating specific proteins.

The primary therapeutic approach for Brucella species infections has mainly been based on antibiotic treatment. However, the development of vaccines for brucellosis control remains controversial. Furthermore, there is currently no licensed vaccine available for human brucellosis. This study aims to evaluate the effect of a combination of recombinant protein vaccines against Brucella (B.) abortus infection using a mouse model. Two B. abortus genes, namely dapB and gpm, were cloned and expressed in competent Escherichia (E.) coli DH5α using the pCold-TF vector. Successfully cloned vectors were subjected to PCR amplification using specific primer pairs. The apparent sizes of dapB and gpm were detected at 807 bp and 621 bp, respectively. Besides, the purified recombinant proteins dapB and gpm were detected using SDS-PAGE electrophoresis with correct sizes of 82.86 kDa and 87.61 kDa, respectively. These recombinant proteins were used to immunize mice as a combined subunit vaccine (CSV) to elicit host immunity against B. abortus infection. Mice immunized with CSV exhibited increased proliferation of CD4+ and/or CD8+ T cells at week 7th and 9th before sacrifice, in comparison to the control group. Notably, CSV immunization showed a significant decrease in bacterial burden in the spleen compared to the control group. Altogether, CSV using dapB and gpm induced host adaptive immune response against Brucella infection, suggesting its potential as an effective new subunit vaccine candidate.

This study was conducted to evaluate in vitro antioxidant activity of goat meat hot water extracts and the changes in apoptosis-related protein expression levels in the cancer cells treated with these extracts. Goat meat hot water extracts were prepared using different cuts of goat meat, including foreleg, hindleg, loin, and rib. Among these extracts, the foreleg and hindleg extracts displayed higher (P<0.05) ABTS radical scavenging activity than the other two extracts. Protein expression levels of BAX, p53, and p21 were not different in the cells treated with the extracts from different cuts, regardless of the cell type. Only p53 expression in HT-29 cells was elevated (P<0.05) after loin extract treatment. These results suggest that antioxidant activity and apoptosis-related effects of goat meat hot water extract varied with cut of meat under in vitro conditions. Because all data was obtained from the in vitro experiment, the ability to generalize conclusions is limited. Additional in vivo studies are necessary.