• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.466-473
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• 2013

Gene expression is regulated by a wide range of mechanisms at the DNA sequence level. In addition, gene expression is also regulated by epigenetic mechanisms through DNA methylation, histone modification, and ncRNA. To understand the regulation of gene expression at the epigenetic level, we constructed aging related gene database and analyzed epigenetic properties that are focused on DNA methylation. The DNA methylation of promoter or upstream region of the genes induces to repress the gene expression. We compared and analyzed distribution between whole human genes and aging related genes in the epigenetic properties such as CGI distribution, methylation motif pattern, and TFBS (transcription factor binding site) distribution. In contrast to methylation motif pattern, CGI and TFBS distributions are positively correlated with epigenetic regulation of aging related gene expression. In this study, the epigenetic data about DNA methylation of the aging genes will provide us to understand phenomena of the aging and epigenetic mechanism for regulation of aging related genes.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.345-351
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• 2005

To access the natural products of uncultured microorganisms, we constructed and screened the metagenomic DNA libraries by using a cosmid vector and DNA inserts isolated directly from soil. Initial screening of the libraries in Escherichia coli resulted in the isolation of several clones that produce a dark brown color when grown in LB medium. One of the positive clones, designed pYS85C, was transposon mutagenized and the DNA surrounding the transposon insertions in cosmids that no longer conferred the production of brown pigment to E. coli was sequenced. Annotation of the pYS85C sequence obtained from the transposon mutagenesis experiment indicated a single 393 amino acid open reading frame (ORF) with a molecular mass of about 44.5 kDa, predicted to be a 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenases (HPPDs), was responsible for the observed brown pigment. In a BLAST search against deposited sequence, the translated protein from this ORF showed moderate-level identity (>60%) to the other known HPPDs and was most conserved in the C-terminal region of the protein. These results show that genes involved in natural product synthesis can be cloned directly from soil DNA and expressed in a heterologous host, supporting the idea that this technology has the potential to provide novel natural products from the wealth of environmental microbial diversity and is a potentially important new tool for drug discovery.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 2000

Blunt-end DNA fragments can be inserted in two different orientations. Conventionally, their directions are determined by restriction enzyme digestion or by DNA sequencing, however, these methods are often limited in their use due to the lack of appropriate enzyme sites or large sample numbers, respectively. In the present study, a novel strategy and the corresponding protocol for the simple determination of insert orientation is introduced. Using conventional sequencing primers and PCR primers that have been used for amplification of the insert, single clones, which have inserted the fragment in the desired orientation, were easily identified by this PCR-based method. The fidelity of this system was confirmed by cloning of a tar urocortin cDNA, which is a recently discovered neuropeptide. Recombinant clones identified by this method were further shown to be fully functional, and using these, for the first time, urocortin was recombinantly expressed in eukaryotic cells.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.156-164
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• 2013

Actinomycetes produce diverse secondary metabolites which have the primary importance in medicine, agriculture and food production, and key to this is their ability to interact with other organisms in natural habitats. In this study, we have investigated the taxonomical and functional diversity of actinomycetes in fecal sample of rhinoceros beetle larvae (Allomyrina dichotoma L.) by using culture-dependent and -independent approaches. For the culture-independent approach, the community DNA was extracted from the sample and 16S rRNA genes of actinomycetes were amplified using actinomycetes-specific PCR primers. Thirty-seven clones were classified into 15 genera and 24 species of actinomycetes. For the culture-dependent approach, 53 strains were isolated from larval feces, of which 27 isolates were selected based on morphological characteristics. The isolates were classified into 4 genera and 14 species, and 24 isolates (89%) were identified as the genus Streptomyces. Many of the representative isolates had antimicrobial activities against plant pathogenic fungi and Gram-positive bacteria. In addition, most of the isolates (78%) showed biochemical properties to hydrolyze cellulose and casein. The results demonstrated that diverse and valuable actinomycetes could be isolated from insect fecal samples, indicating that insect guts can be rich sources for novel bioactive compounds.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.133-140
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• 2015

We have examined the correlation between the physicochemical and microbiological environment variables for the different layers of oak forest soil in Mt. Gyeryong, Korea. The result shows that there is a high correlation in the environment variables between the soil parameters of the fermented (F) layer and humus (H) layer. In particular, the pH level in the F layer shows a high correlation with C and N, while the various organic acids of the H layer turns out to be closely correlated with soil bacteria density. As we evaluated phylogenetic characteristics of bacterial populations by DGGE analysis with DNA extracted. Total of 175 bands including 43 bands from litter (L) layer, 42 bands from F layer, 43 bands from H layer and 47 bands from rhizosphere (A) layer were selected as the major DGGE band of oak forest soil. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences, 175 DGGE bands were classified into 32 orders in 7 phylum. The heat map was analyzed in order to compare the quantity of the base sequences of each order and based on the clustering of the different layers of oak forest soil, the result confirms that the F layer and H layer belong to a different cluster from that of L layer and A layer. Furthermore, it also showed that approximately 50% of the total microbial population in different layers is ${\alpha}$-proteobacteria, which indicates that they belong to the dominant system group. In particular, Rhizobiales, Burkholderiales and Actinobacteriales were observed in all the seasons and layers of oak forest soil, which confirms that they are the indigenous soil bacterial community in oak forest soil.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.2 s.103
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• pp.108-116
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• 2003

To investigate bacteria with algal Iytic activities against Anabaena cylindrica when water blooming occurs and to study enzyme profiles of alga-Iytic bacteria, various bacterial strains were isolated from surface waters and sediments in eutrophic lakes or reservoirs in Korea. Abacterial strain AK-07 was characterized and identified as Acinetobacter johnsonii based on its16S rDNA base sequence. When AK-07 was co-cultivated with A. cylindrica, bacterial cells propagated to $8\;{\times}\;10^8$ cfu $ml^{-1}$ and Iyses algal cells. However, culture filtrates of AK-07 did not exhibit algal Iytic activities. That suggesting the enzymes on the surfaces of the bacterium might be effective algal Iytic agents to cause Iyses of cells. Acinetobacter johnsonii AK-07 exhibited high degradation activities against A. cylindrica, and formed alginase, caseinase, lipase, fucodian hydrolase, and laminarinase. Moreover, glycosidases for example ${\beta}$-galatosidase, ${\beta}$-glucosidase, ${\beta}$-glucosaminidase, and ${\beta}$-xylosidase, which hydrolyzed ${\beta}$-0-glycosidic bonds, were found in cell-free extracts of A. johnsonii AK-07. Other glycosidase such as ${\alpha}$-galctosidases, ${\alpha}$-N-Ac-galctosidases, ${\alpha}$-mannosidases, and ${\alpha}$- L-fuco-sidases, which cleavage ${\alpha}$-0-glycosidic bondsare not detected. In the results, enzyme systemsof A. johnsonii AK-07 were very complex to do-grade cell walls of cyanobacteria. The polysaccharides or peptidoglycans of A. cylindrica maybe hydrolyzed and metabolized to a range of easily utilizable monosaccharides or other low molecular weight organic substances by strain AK-07 of A. johnsonii.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.118-122
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• 2019

Oxytocin (Oxt) and vasopressin (Avp) are mainly synthesized in neuronal cells of the hypothalamus and are released from the posterior pituitary. The structure and sequences of Oxt and Avp genes imply that they are closely related and that they are the result of a duplication event during evolution. A previous study suggested that a small regulatory microRNA (miRNA), miR-24, regulated Oxt after binding. However, it is not clear whether this miRNA can modulate Avp simultaneously. The aim of the present study was to investigate putative targeting miRNAs of Avp, including miR-24. Targeted candidate miRNA oligonucleotides were transfected into COS-7 cells to elucidate the binding activity of miRNAs and Avp using dual-luciferase assays. The luciferase assay showed that only miR-24 displayed elevated binding activity with Avp as compared to a control and other candidate miRNAs. Transfection with seed mutants of Avp and miR-24 inhibitors clearly showed that miR-24 can directly bind to the Avp gene. These results provide new insight into the regulatory mechanism of neurohypophysial hormones by a single miRNA.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.382-388
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• 2018

In this study, the SELEX method was used to screen for and select aptamers with high selectivity and affinity for Streptococcus mutans, which is the causative agent of dental caries. Aptamers are single stranded oligonucleotides of DNA or RNA with high selectivity and affinity for target molecules because of their specific three-dimensional structures that are used to collect biometric information. When compared to antibodies in vitro, aptamers are more advantageous because of their ease of use in the screening process, low cost, chemical stability, and lack of restrictions on the target molecules. We sorted DNA aptamers, which contain 44 bp or 38 bp primer sequences in 5' and 3', 39 bp random sequences in the middle.We then analyzed the character and affinity to S. mutans. Aptamers of specific oligonucleotides that combine with S. mutans were selected and these results are selectively fused to S. mutans. The results confirmed that DNA aptamers can be used for rapid diagnosis and treatment of dental caries caused by bacteria of the oral cavity, namely S. mutans.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.202-212
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• 2005

Purpose: Transfusion transmitted virus (TTV) is a newly discovered virus and to date the contribution of TTV to liver disease remains unclear. Little is known about the frequency of TTV infection in children in Korea. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and genotypic distribution of TTV carried by healthy children and patients with hepatitis in Korea. Methods: Eighty eight of healthy children and three groups of patients with hepatitis-14 patients with chronic hepatitis B, 12 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 25 patients with hepatitis of unknown etiology-were tested. TTV DNA was detected by semi-nested PCR using primer sets generated from N-22 region and from 5' noncoding region (NCR) of the viral genome. PCR products derived from 8 patients with hepatitis and from 11 healthy children were sequenced and a phylogenetic tree was constructed. Results: TTV was found by PCR with N22 primer in 11.3% of healthy children, 28.5% of children with hepatitis B, 25% of children with hepatitis C, 24% of children with hepatitis of unknown etiology. TTV DNA was found by PCR with 5'NCR primer in 32.9% of healthy children, 71.4% of patients with chronic hepatitis B, in 50% of patients with hepatitis C and in 48% of patients with hepatitis of unknown etiology. TLMV DNA was found in 48.9% of healthy children, 21.4% of patients with hepatitis B, 16.6% of patients with hepatitis C, 40% of patients with hepatitis of unknown etiology. Among the sequenced isolates, 10(52%) belonged to genotype 1 (G1) and others belonged to genotype 2 (G2) or genotype 3 (G3). Among the G1 sequences, 7 were grouped as G1a. Conclusion: TTV infection was common in healthy children and in patients with hepatitis. But, the prevalence of TTV DNA by 5'NCR primer was relatively high in patients with hepatitis B and there may be some association between TTV and hepatitis B virus infection. G1 was the major genotype of the studied population.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.79-85
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• 2016

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze genetic mutations, clinical manifestations, and treatment of patients with benign HPA in Korea. Methods: This case series study involved ten HPA patients who were referred to our hospital because of high phenylalanine concentration. We investigated their demographic features, clinical manifestations, and mutations of the PAH gene through direct DNA sequencing. Results: Among ten patients with benign HPA, two pairs of patients were related (father-daughter, mother-daughter relationship) cases, and all of them showed no specific clinical manifestations or notable past history. Their plasma phenylalanine levels ranged between 1.2 and 4.2 mg/dL. In the tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) loading test, all patients were nonresponsive to BH4. In the confirmation test of PAH mutation analysis, we identified eleven different alleles out of twelve. The most common allele was R53H (c.158G> A). In addition, two novel PAH gene mutations, V423A (c.1268T>C) and V51A (c.152T>C), were identified. Although the patients did not receive any pharmacologic treatment or continuous phenylalanine restriction dietary therapy, their neurocognitive development was normal. Moreover, on serial outpatient follow-up tests, all patients maintained phenylalanine levels below 6 mg/dL. Conclusion: This study is the first in Korea to analyze benign HPA patients. All patients with benign HPA could maintain phenylalanine levels below 6 mg/dL with normal neurocognitive development, without continuous therapy. Therefore, performing mutation analysis and distinguishing benign HPA from phenylketonuria (PKU) are important to help improve life quality in patients with benign HPA by avoiding unnecessary lifelong therapy.