• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.405-409
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• 2011

The present study demonstrated that valproic acid (VPA) transcriptionally regulates human GM3 synthase (hST3Gal V), which catalyzes ganglioside GM3 biosynthesis in ARPE-19 human retinal pigment epithelial cells. For this, we characterized the promoter region of the hST3Gal V gene. Functional analysis of the 5'-flanking region of the hST3Gal V gene revealed that the -177 to -83 region functions as the VPA-inducible promoter and that the CREB/ATF binding site at -143 is crucial for VPA-induced expression of hST3Gal V in ARPE-19 cells. In addition, the transcriptional activity of hST3Gal V induced by VPA in ARPE-19 cells was inhibited by SP600125, a c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor. In summary, our results identified the core promoter region in the hST3Gal V promoter and for the first time demonstrated that ATF2 binding to the CREB/ATF binding site at -143 is essential for transcriptional activation of hST3Gal V in VPA-induced ARPE-19 cells.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.8
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• pp.529-534
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• 2009

Marbling score (MS) is the major trait that affects carcass quality in beef cattle. In this study, we investigated the association between genetic polymorphisms of the adipose differentiation-related protein gene (ADFP) and carcass traits in Korean cattle (also known as Hanwoo). Using direct DNA sequencing in 24 unrelated Korean cattle, 25 novel polymorphisms were identified within all exons and their flanking regions of ADFP, including the promoter region (1.5 kb). Among them, 21 polymorphic sites were selected for genotyping in the beef cattle (n = 425). Statistical analyses revealed that one promoter polymorphism (c.-56-18A > G) was associated with MS (P = 0.009). The 'A' allele of c.-56-18A > G exerted a lowering effect on MS, e.g., the lowest MS was found in 'A/A' (MS = 2.09 ${\pm}$ 1.23), intermediate in 'A/G' (MS = 2.11 ${\pm}$ 1.31), and the highest in 'G/G' (MS = 2.47 ${\pm}$ 1.47). Our findings suggest that these polymorphisms in ADFP might be important genetic factors involved in carcass quality in beef cattle.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.317-322
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• 2002

To improve conventional yeast one-hybrid screening, we have developed an efficient mammalian one-hybrid system that allows rapid isolation of com-plementary DNAs which are able to induce human p14$^{ARF}$. tumor suppressor gene. A 1.5 kb promoter region of p14$^{ARF}$ was fused to EGFP to generate ARF promoter-EGFP reporter vector. This reporter plasmid was stably trans-fected into NIH3T3 cells for generation of reporter cell line. When the reporter cell line was infected with E2F-1 together with excess amounts of empty vector, the cells that received the positive modulator were readily identifiable by green fluorescence using FACS. The GFP-positive cells were cloned directly from the cultured cells and expanded in bulk culture. The genomic DNAs from GFP-positive cells were prepared and the CDNA insert in integrated retroviral genome was recovered by PCR using primers annealing to the retroviral vector sequences flanking the insert-cloning site. This system should be useful for efficient screening of expression CDNA libraries in mammalian cells to identify novel upstream regulators for spe-cific genes by one-hybrid interaction.ion.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.582-588
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• 1999

A Brevibacterium lactofermentum gene coding for a glucose-specific permease of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system (PTS) was cloned, by complementing an Escherichia coli mutation affecting a ptsG gene with the B. lactofermentum genomic library, and completely sequenced. The gene was identified as a ptsG, which enables an E. coli transformant to transport non-metabolizable glucose analogue 2-deoxyglucose (2DG). The ptsG gene of B. lactofermentum consists of an open reading frame of 2,025 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 674 amino acid residues and a TAA stop codon. The 3' flanking region contains two stem-loop structures which may be involved in transcriptional termination. The deduced amino acid sequence of the B. lactofermentum enzyme $II^{GIe}$ specific to glucose ($EII^{GIe}$) has a high homology with the Corynebacterium glutamicum enzyme $II^{Man}$ specific to glucose and mannose ($EII^{Man}$), and the Brevibacterium ammoniagenes enzyme $II^{GIc}$ specific to glucose ($EII^{GIc}$). The 171-amino-acid C-terminal sequence of the $EII^{Glc}$ is also similar to the Escherichia coli enzyme $IIA^{GIc}$ specific to glucose ($IIA^{GIc}$). It is interesting that the arrangement of the structural domains, IIBCA, of the B. lactofermentum $EII^{GIc}$ protein is identical to that of EIIs specific to sucrose or $\beta$-glucoside. Several in vivo complementation studies indicated that the B. lactofermentum $EII^{Glc}$ protein could replace both $EII^{ Glc}$ and $EIIA^{Glc}$ in an E. coli ptsG mutant or crr mutant, respectively.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.353-356
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• 2014

In August 2013, brown rot was observed on cherry fruits (Prunus avium L.) in Hwaseong city, Korea. Fruit rot first appears as small, circular brown spots that increase rapidly in size causing the entire fruit to rot. Grayish spores appear in tufts on rotted areas. Based on these morphological characteristics, the two isolates were identified as Monilinia fructicola. Molecular analysis of 5.8S subunit and flanking internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) was performed to confirm the identification. The ITS sequences had 100% identity with those of other reference M. fructicola isolates of NCBI GenBank. Pathogenicity was tested using spore suspension inoculation on wounded or unwounded cherry fruits. The lesions were observed on wounded and unwounded fruits after inoculation for 7 days. This is the first report on M. fructicola causing brown rot on cherry fruits in Korea.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.349-356
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• 2007

Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) represent short tandem duplications found within all eukaryotic organisms. To examine the distribution of SSRs in the genome of Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis, SSRs from different genomic regions representing 17.7 Mb of genomic sequence were surveyed. SSRs appear more abundant in non-coding regions (86.6%) than in coding regions (13.4%). Comparison of SSR densities in different genomic regions demonstrated that SSR density was greatest within the 5'-flanking regions of the predicted genes. The proportion of different repeat motifs varied between genomic regions, with trinucleotide SSRs more prevalent in predicted coding regions, reflecting the codon structure in these regions. SSRs were also preferentially associated with gene-rich regions, with peri-centromeric heterochromatin SSRs mostly associated with retrotransposons. These results indicate that the distribution of SSRs in the genome is non-random. Comparison of SSR abundance between B. rapa and the closely related species Arabidopsis thaliana suggests a greater abundance of SSRs in B. rapa, which may be due to the proposed genome triplication. Our results provide a comprehensive view of SSR genomic distribution and evolution in Brassica for comparison with the sequenced genomes of A. thaliana and Oryza sativa.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.170-175
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• 2019

Objective: Uncoupling protein 3 gene (UCP3) is a candidate gene associated with the meat quality of pigs. The aim of this study was to explore the regulation mechanism of UCP3 expression and provide a theoretical basis for the research of the function of porcine UCP3 gene in meat quality. Methods: Bisulfite sequencing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR) were used to analyze the methylation of UCP3 5′-flanking region and UCP3 mRNA expression in the adipose tissue or skeletal muscle of three pig breeds at different ages (1, 90, 210-day-old Putian Black pig; 90-day-old Duroc; and 90-day-old Dupu). Results: Results showed that two cytosine-guanine dinucleotide (CpG) islands are present in the promoter region of porcine UCP3 gene. The second CpG island located in the core promoter region contained 9 CpG sites. The methylation level of CpG island 2 was lower in the adipose tissue and skeletal muscle of 90-day-old Putian Black pigs compared with 1-day-old and 210-day-old Putian Black pigs, and the difference also existed in the skeletal muscle among the three 90-day-old pig breeds. Furthermore, the obvious changing difference of UCP3 mRNA expression was observed in the skeletal muscle of different groups. However, the difference of methylation status and expression level of UCP3 gene was not significant in the adipose tissue. Conclusion: Our data indicate that UCP3 mRNA expression level was associated with the methylation status of UCP3 promoter in the skeletal muscle of pigs.

• BMB Reports
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.403-408
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• 2019

Dorsoventral patterning of body axis in vertebrate embryo is tightly controlled by a complex regulatory network of transcription factors. Ventx1.1 is known as a transcriptional repressor to inhibit dorsal mesoderm formation and neural differentiation in Xenopus. In an attempt to identify, using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-Seq, genome-wide binding pattern of Ventx1.1 in Xenopus gastrulae, we observed that Ventx1.1 associates with its own 5'-flanking sequence. In this study, we present evidence that Ventx1.1 binds a cis-acting Ventx1.1 response element (VRE) in its own promoter, leading to repression of its own transcription. Site-directed mutagenesis of the VRE in the Ventx1.1 promoter significantly abrogated this inhibitory autoregulation of Ventx1.1 transcription. Notably, Ventx1.1 and Xcad2, an activator of Ventx1.1 transcription, competitively co-occupied the VRE in the Ventx1.1 promoter. In support of this, mutation of the VRE down-regulated basal and Xcad2-induced levels of Ventx1.1 promoter activity. In addition, overexpression of Ventx1.1 prevented Xcad2 from binding to the Ventx1.1 promoter, and vice versa. Taken together, these results suggest that Ventx1.1 negatively regulates its own transcription in competition with Xcad2, thereby fine-tuning its own expression levels during dorsoventral patterning of Xenopus early embryo.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.21-25
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• 2004

To identify genes involved in the decolorization of both crystal violet and malachite green, we isolated random mutants generated by transposon insertion in triphenylmethane-decolorizing bacterium, Citrobacter sp. The resulting mutant bank yielded 14 mutants with complete defect in color removal capability of both crystal violet and malachite green. Southern hybridization with a Tn5 fragment as a probe showed a single hybridized band in 5 mutants and these mutants appeared to have insertions at different sites of the chromosome. Tn5-inserted genes were isolated and the DNA sequence flanking Tn5 was determined. From comparison with a sequence database, putative protein products encoded by cmg genes were identified as follows. cmg 2 is MaIC protein in maltose transport system; cmg 6 is transcriptional regulator (LysR-type): cmg 12 is a putative oxidoreductase. The sequences deduced from two cmg genes, cmg 8 and cmg 11, showed no significant similarity to any protein with a known function. Therefore, these results indicate that these two cmg genes encode unidentified proteins responsible for decolorization of both crystal violet and malachite green.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 1988

To obtain information about the structure of the human phenylethanolamin N-methyltransferase (PNMT) and to further define the extent of the evolutionary relationships among PNMT molecules of several spesies, a full length cDNA clone for bovine adrenal PNMT was used to screen a charon 4A genomic library. One phage was isolated and identified, which included the entire PNMT gene. The length of inserted genomic DNA was 13.1-Kilobase (Kb) containing two internal EcoRI sites. Construction of a restriction map and subsequent Southern and dot blot analysis with 5'-and3'-specific cDNA probes allowed the identification of exon-containing fragments. This is the first report of the cloning of gene for human epinephrine synthesizing enzyme.