We reported previously that Muc1 on the surface of epithelial cells was a receptor for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Lillehoj EP, Kim BT, and Kim KC. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 282: L751-L756, 2002). Other studies showed that the Muc1 cytoplasmic tail (CT) contains multiple phosphorylation sites, some of which are phosphorylated constitutively and associated with signaling proteins. However, the relationship between extracellular P. aeruginosa binding and intracellular signaling is unknown. To investigate the signaling mechanism of Muc1, this study examined phosphorylation of its CT and activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in response to stimulation by P. aeruginosa or purified flagellin. Our results showed 1) the Muc1 CT was phosphorylated constitutively on serine and tyrosine, 2) serine phosphorylation was stimulated by bacterial cells or flagellin, and 3) binding of P. aeruginosa or flagellin to Muc1 induced phosphorylation of ERK. These results are the first to demonstrate Muc1 CT phosphorylation and ERK activation in response to a clinically important airway pathogen.

Structured lipids were synthesized by acidolysis of perilla oil and caprylic acid using two lipases, Lipozyme RM IM from Rhizomucor miehei and Lipozyme TL IM from Thermomyces lanuginosa. Effects of molar ratio, reaction time, reaction temperature, enzyme load, and solvent content on acidolysis reactions were studied. The solvent content ranged from 0.0 (solvent-free) to 85.3%. The results showed that the incorporation increased in parallel with solvent content to 49.0% with Lipozyme RM IM and to 63.8% with Lipozyme TL IM. After 24 h incubation in n-hexane, caprylic acids were incorporated to 48.5 mol% with Lipozyme RM IM and to 51.4 mol% with Lipozyme TL IM, respectively, whereas linolenic acid content was reduced from 61.4 to 31.5 mol% with Lipozyme RM IM and to 28.4 mol% with Lipozyme TL IM, respectively. Lipozyme TL IM showed a higher acyl migration rate than Lipozyme RM IM when acidolysis was performed in the reaction system containing n-hexane as a solvent, whereas the difference in acyl migration between the two lipases in the solvent-free system was negligible.

Tocol levels in the milling fractions of rice, barley, corn, wheat, and soybeans were analyzed by HPLC with a fluorescence detector. Among all milling fractions tested in this study, rice germ had the highest total tocol levels. In the four milling fractions of barley, except pearling flour, all eight tocol isomers were detected, and they were more uniformly distributed than in any other cereal grains measured in this study. The total tocol and α-tocopherol levels of wheat germ were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than the other wheat milling fractions. A significantly (P < 0.05) higher proportion of γ-tocopherol was obtained from corn germ (71.5%) and endosperm (50.3%) than from corn hulls. Only four tocol isomers (α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocopherol) were detected in soybean milling fractions; no tocotrienol isomers were detected. The δ-tocopherol level of soybean endosperm, although minor, was significantly higher than those in milling fractions of other cereal grains in this study.Paper no. J10476 in JAOCS 80, 585-589 (June 2003).a Results (mg/kg of fraction) are expressed on a dry weight basis, and means within columns followed by the same letter are not significantly different P < 0.05). Values in parentheses are the percent distribution of each tocol. For abbreviations see Table 1.

Oil yield from unheated rice bran was 17.6% whereas that of microwave-heated rice bran increased to up to 18.4%. Content and composition of vitamin E in rice bran oil were affected by microwave heating. Especially, contents of α-tocopherol, α-tocotrienol, and γ-tocotrienol as well as total vitamin E were significantly (P <0.05) increased when the rice bran was subjected to microwave heating for up to 30 s. When rice bran was heated in an electric roaster up to 20 min at 170 °C, 5 min at 180 °C, and 3 min at 190 °C, the total vitamin E content in rice bran oil increased significantly (P <0.05) followed by a considerable decline beyond those time points. Microwave heating was more effective for an increase in the vitamin E content than electric roaster heating. However, longer heating with both microwave and electric roaster caused a significant degradation of vitamin E resulting in a decreased content of total vitamin E.

Structured lipids were synthesized by the acidolysis of corn oil by caprylic acid in supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO 2 ) with Lipozyme RM IM from Rhizomucor miehei. The effects of pressure and temperature on the reaction were studied. To compare the degrees of acyl migration in the SCCO 2 and solvent-free reaction systems, the effects of reaction time on the degree of acyl migration were also studied. The highest mole percentage incorporation of caprylic acid (62.2 mol%) occurred at 24.13 MPa in SCCO 2 . The overall incorporation of caprylic acid in the SCCO 2 system remained higher than that in the solventfree system at every temperature tested. This trend was observed more clearly at lower temperatures (35-55°C) than at higher temperatures (65-75°C). Acyl migration with both reaction systems was low, with a negligible difference between them up to 12 h, after which the degree of acyl migration in the solvent-free system increased rapidly with time up to 24 h compared with the SCCO 2 system.