• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.64-71
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• 2023

In October 2021, soft rot disease seriously affected radish crop in Dangjin, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea. The infected radishes were stunted and turned dark green, with yellowish leaf foliage. A slimy, wet, and decayed pith region was observed in the infected roots. The bacterial strain KNUB-03-21 was isolated from infected roots. The biochemical and morphological characteristics of the isolate were similar to those of Pectobacterium brasiliense. Phylogenetic analysis based on the sequences of the 16S rRNA region and the concatenated DNA polymerase III subunit tau (dnaX), leucine-tRNA ligase (leuS), and recombinase subunit A (recA) genes confirmed that the isolate is a novel strain of P. brasiliense. Artificial inoculation of radish with P. brasiliense KNUB-03-21 resulted in soft rot symptoms similar to those observed in infected radish in the field; subsequently, P. brasiliense KNUB-03-21 was reisolated and reidentified. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. brasiliense as a causal pathogen of radish soft rot in Korea.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.501-510
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• 2007

Sex-related genes expressed in vitellogenic ovaries of the giant tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, were identified by an EST approach. A total of 1051 clones were unidirectionally sequenced from the 5 terminus. Nucleotide sequences of 743 EST (70.7%) significantly matched known genes previously deposited in the GenBank (E-value <$10^{-4}$) whereas 308 ESTs (29.3%) were regarded as newly unidentified transcripts (E-value >$10^{-4}$). A total of 559 transcripts (87 contigs and 472 singletons) were obtained. Thrombospondin (TSP) and peritrophin (79 and 87 clones accounting for 7.5 and 8.3% of clones sequenced, respectively) predominated among characterized transcripts. everal full length transcripts (e.g. cyclophilin, profillin and thioredoxin peroxidase) were also isolated. A gene homologue encoding chromobox protein (PMCBX, ORF of 567 nucleotides encoding a protein of 188 amino acids) which is recognized as a new member of the HP1 family was identified. Expression patterns of 14 of 25 sex-related gene homologues in ovaries and testes of P. monodon broodstock were examined by RT-PCR. Female sterile and ovarian lipoprotein receptor homologues were only expressed in ovaries whereas the remaining transcripts except disulfide isomerase related P5 precursor and adenine nucleotide translocator 2 were higher expressed in ovaries than testes of P. monodon broodstock. A homologue of ubiquitin specific proteinase 9, X chromosome (Usp9X) revealed a preferential expression level in ovaries than testes of broodstock-sized P. monodon (N = 13 and 11, P<0.05) but was only expressed in ovaries of 4-month-old shrimp (N = 5 for each sex).

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.508-514
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• 2001

A stuructural gene (ycl) encoding novel yeast cell wall hydrolase, YCL, was cloned from alkalophilic Bacillus alcalophilus subsp. YB380 by PCR, and transformed into E. coli JM83. Based on the N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences of the enzyme, primers were designed for PCr. The positive clone that harbors 1.8 kb of the yeast cell wall hydrolase gene was selected by the colony hybridization method with a PCR fragment as a probe. According to the computer analysis, this gene contained a 400-base-paired N-terminal domain of the enzyme. Based on nucletide homology of the cloned gene, a 850 bp fragment was amplified and the C-terminal domain of the enzyme was sequenced. With a combination of the two sequences, a full nucleotide sequence for YCL was obtained. This gene, ycl, consisted of 1,297 nucleotides with 27 nucleotides with 27 amino acids of signal sequence, 83 redundant amino acids of prosequence, and 265 amino acids of the mature protein. This gene was then cloned into the pJH27 shuttle vector and transformed into the Bacillus subtilis DB104 to express the enzyme. It was confirmed that the expressed cell wall hydrolase that was produced by Bacillus subtilis DB104 was the same as that of the donor strain, by Western blot using polyclonal antibody (IgY) prepared from White Leghorn hen. Purified yeast cell wall hydrolase and expressed recombinant protein showed a single band at the same position in the Western blot analysis.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.347-353
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• 1997

We have characterized a phage library displaying random 22mer peptides which were produced as N-terminal fusions to the pIII coat protein of M13 filamentous phages. Among the sixty phages randomly picked from the library, 25 phages had the 22mer peptide inserts. The DNA sequence analysis of the 25 inserts showed the following results: first, each nucleotide was represented almost equally at each codon position except that there were some biases toward G bases at the first position of the codons. Secondly, the expected 47 sense codons were represented. The deduced amino acid sequences of the 25 inserts were analyzed to examine its diversity. Glycine and glutamate were the two most overrepresented residues above the expected value, whereas cysteine and threonine residues were underrepresented. The range of dicersity in dipeptide sequences showed that the amino acid residues were randomly distributed along the peptide insert. Acidic, basic, polar, and nonpolar amino acid residues were represented to the extent expected at most positions of the peptide inserts. The predicted isoelectric points and hydropathy indices of the 25 peptides showed that a variety of the peptide were represented in the library. These results indicate that this phage display library could be useful in fiuding ligands for a broad spectrum of receptors by affinity screening.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.337-345
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• 1998

Hantaviruses are distributed in rodent population world-widely even in geographical areas where hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) has not been reported. Various species of Family Muridae and Arvicolidae serve as the natural reservoirs of hantaviruses. Hantaan virus, Seoul virus, Puumala virus, Prospect HII virus, Sin Nombre virus and New York virus are members of genus Hantavirus and isolated from lungs of A. agrarius, R. norvegicus, C. glareolus, M. pennsylvanicus, P. maniculatus and P. leucopus respectively. This experiment was intended to find the distribution of hantavirus infection among wild rodents and isolate the hantavirus from lung tissue of seropositve Apodemus peninsulae, and compared the nucleotide and amino acid sequences with prototype of hantaan virus 76-118 strain. Hantaviral sequences were amplified from lung tissues of A. peninsulae by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Alignment and comparison of the 324 nucleotide of G2 region of M-genomic segment diverged 4.6% and 0% at the nucleotide and amino acid levels, and complete N protein-coding region of S-genomic segment diverged 3.7% and 1.4% nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively. This is the report to spill-over on the hantaan virus from A. agrarius to A. peninsulae in Korea.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.352-362
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• 2005

Statement of problem. Accurate impression is essential to success of implant prostheses. But there have been few studies about the accuracy of fixture-level impression techniques in internal connection implant systems. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of two fixture-level impression techniques in two conditions (parallel and divergent) and to assess the effect of tightening sequences and forces on stresses generated on superstructures in internal connection implant system (Astra Tech). Material and methods. Two metal master frameworks made from two abutments (Cast-to Abutment ST) each and a corresponding, passively fitting, dental stone master cast with four fixture replicas (Fixture Replica ST) were fabricated. Ten dental stone casts for each impression techniques (direct unsplinted & splinted technique) were made with vinyl polysiloxane impressions from the master cast. Strain gauges for each framework were fixed midway between abutments to measure the degree of framework deformation on each stone cast. Pairs of strain gauges placed opposite each other constituted one channel (half Wheatstone bridge) to read deformation in four directions (superior, inferior, anterior, and posterior). Deformation data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and the Tukey test at the .01 level of significance. And the effect of tightening sequences (right-to-left and left-to-right) and forces (10 Ncm and 20 Ncm) were assessed with ten stone casts made from parallel condition by the splinted technique. Deformation data were analyzed using paired t-test at the .01 level of significance. Conclusions. Within the limitations of this study, the following conclusions could be drawn. 1. Frameworks bent toward the inferior side on all casts made by both direct unsplinted and splinted impression techniques in both parallel and divergent conditions. 2. There was no statistically significant difference of accuracy between the direct unsplinted and splinted impression techniques in both parallel and divergent conditions (P>.01). 3. There was no statistically significant difference of stress according to screw tightening sequences in casts made by the splinted impression technique in parallel condition (P>.01). 4. Greater tightening force resulted in greater stress in casts made by the splinted impression technique in parallel condition (P<.01).

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.245-257
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• 2002

The gene encoding the HN protein from the CBP-1 strain, a heat stable Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolated from diseased pheasants in Korea, was characterized by reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and the nucleotide and amino acid sequences were analyzed following cloning of the HN gene. In all of the NDV strains studied, a 1.75 kb size cDNA fragment for the HN gene was generated by RT-PCR and smaller specific band sizes harboring the internal portions of the HN gene were also detected by using four pairs of primers. The RT-PCR was sensitive enough to detect viral transcripts when the virus titer was above 25 hemagglutination units. The amplified 1.75 kb cDNA was cloned into a BamHI site of the pVL1393 Baculo transfer vector. The nucleotide sequences of the 1,758 bp HN gene from the CBP-1 strain were determined by the dye terminator cyclic sequencing method. The gene sequences were compared among the strains of CBP-1, Texas GB, Beaudette C, LaSota, B1 and Ulster. The homology of the CBP-1 HN gene to other HN variants was 97.8% to Texas GB, 98.4% to Beaudette C, 95.4% to LaSota, 95.6% to B1 and 90.2% to Ulster. As the deduced 577 amino acid sequences were compared among the strains, the homology for CBP-1 HN appeared to be 96.7% to Texas GB, 97.9% to Beaudette C, 95.5% to LaSota, 95.5% to B1 and 92.7% to Ulster. It was evident that the amino acid sequences included 5 sites for N-asparagine linked glycosylation and 12 cysteine residues. The three conserved leucine residues within the predicted transmembrane domain of the HN protein are amino acid 30, 37 and 44. The three antigenic sites on the HN protein of NDV are amino acids 347(Glu), 481(Asn) and 495(Glu). These data indicate that the genotype of the CBP-1 strain is more closely associated with the strains of Texas GB and Beaudette C than it is for the LaSota, B1 and Ulster strains.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.264-271
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• 2006

Two fibrinolytic enzymes were purified from the culture supernatant of Fomitella fraxinea mycelia by ion-exchange and gel filtration chromatographies, and were designated as F. fraxenia proteases 1 and 2 (FFP1 and FFP2). The apparent molecular masses of the enzymes were estimated to be 32 kDa and 42 kDa, respectively, by SDS-PAGE and gel filtration chromatography. Both enzymes had the same optimal temperature ($40^{\circ}C$), but different pH optima (10.0 and 5.0 for FFP1 and FFP2, respectively). FFP1 was relatively stable at pH 7.0-9.0 and temperature below $30^{\circ}C$, whereas FFP2 was very stable in the pH range of 4-11 and temperature below $40^{\circ}C$. FFPI activity was completely inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and aprotinin, indicating that this enzyme is a serine protease. The activity of FFP2 was enhanced by the addition of $CO^{2+}$ and $Zn^{2+}$ and inhibited by $Cu^{2+},\;Ni^{2+}$, and $Hg^{2+}$. Furthermore, FFP2 activity was strongly inhibited by EDTA and 1,10-phenanthroline, implying that the enzyme is a metalloprotease. Both enzymes readily hydrolyzed fibrinogen, preferentially digesting the $A{\alpha}$- and $B{\beta}$-chains of fibrinogen over ${\gamma}$-chain. FFP1 showed broad substrate specificity for synthetic substrates, but FFP2 did not. $K_{m}$ and $V_{max}$ values of FFP1 for a synthetic substrate, N-succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-pNA, were 0.213 mM and 39.68 units/ml, respectively. The first 15 amino acids of the N-terminal sequences of both enzymes were APXXPXGPWGPQRIS and ARPP(G)VDGQ(R,I)SK(L)ETLPE, respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.331-338
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• 2012

A novel gene coding for an endo-${\beta}$-1,4-mannanase (manA) from Bacillus subtilis strain G1 was cloned and overexpressed in P. pastoris GS115, and the enzyme was purified and characterized. The manA gene consisted of an open reading frame of 1,092 nucleotides, encoding a 364-aa protein, with a predicted molecular mass of 41 kDa. The ${\beta}$-mannanase showed an identity of 90.2-92.9% ${\leq}95%$) with the corresponding amino acid sequences from B. subtilis strains deposited in GenBank. The purified ${\beta}$-mannanase was a monomeric protein on SDS-PAGE with a specific activity of 2,718 U/mg and identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The recombinant ${\beta}$-mannanase had an optimum temperature of $45^{\circ}C$ and optimum pH of 6.5. The enzyme was stable at temperatures up to $50^{\circ}C$ (for 8 h) and in the pH range of 5-9. EDTA and most tested metal ions showed a slightly to an obviously inhibitory effect on enzyme activity, whereas metal ions ($Hg^{2+}$, $Pb^{2+}$, and $Co^{2+}$) substantially inhibited the recombinant ${\beta}$-mannanase. The chemical additives including detergents (Triton X-100, Tween 20, and SDS) and organic solvents (methanol, ethanol, n-butanol, and acetone) decreased the enzyme activity, and especially no enzyme activity was observed by addition of SDS at the concentrations of 0.25-1.0% (w/v) or n-butanol at the concentrations of 20-30% (v/v). These results suggested that the ${\beta}$-mannanase expressed in P. pastoris could potentially be used as an additive in the feed for monogastric animals.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.643-654
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• 2021

Phytophthora capsici is one of the most destructive hemibiotrophic pathogens; it can cause blight in chili peppers, and secrete various effector proteins to infect the plants. These effectors contain an N-terminal conserved RXLR motif. Here, we generated full-length RXLR effector coding genes using primer pairs, and cloned them into the pGR106 vector for in planta expression. Two of these genes, PcREK6 and PcREK41 (P. capsici RXLR effector from the Korea isolate), were further characterized. PcREK6 and PcREK41 genes showed that they encode effector proteins with a general modular structure, including the N-terminal conserved RXLR-DEER motif and signal peptide sequences. PcREK6 and PcREK41 expressions were strongly induced when the chili pepper plants (Capsicum annuum) were challenged with P. capsici. These results provide molecular evidence to elucidate the virulence or avirulence factors in chili pepper. Our results also showed that two effectors induce hypersensitive response (HR) cell death when expressed in chili leaves. Cell death suppression assays in Nicotiana benthamiana revealed that most effectors could not suppress programmed cell death (PCD) triggered by Bcl-associated X (BAX) or Phytophthora infestans elicitin (INF1). However, PcREK6 fully suppressed PCD triggered by BAX, while PcREK41 partially suppressed PCD triggered by INF1 elicitin. These results suggest that PcREK effectors from P. capsici interact with putative resistance (R) proteins in planta, and different effectors may target different pathways in a plant cell to suppress pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) or effector-triggered immunity (ETI).