• KSBB Journal
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2007

Although Energy demands of modern society increase rapidly, current energy would be exhausted shortly. Therefore development of bio-ethanol production process from cellulose containing materials was extremly demanded. Therefore development of highly functional cellulase is requisite for this purpose. In this study cellobio-hydrolase (CBH1) gene from Trichorderma reesei was used to increase cellulase activity by directed evolution and highly functional cellobio-hydrolase was obtained and characterized.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.189-194
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• 2013

In a study of hydrogen-producing bacteria, strain T4384 was isolated from rice field samples in the Republic of Korea. The isolate was identified as Enterobacter sp. T4384 by phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequences. Enterobacter sp. T4384 grew at a temperature range of $10-45^{\circ}C$ and at an initial pH range of 4.5-9.5. Strain T4384 produced hydrogen at 0-6% NaCl by using glucose, fructose, and mannose. In serum bottle cultures using a complete medium, Enterobacter sp. T4384 produced 1,098 ml/l $H_2$, 4.0 g/l ethanol, and 1.0 g/l acetic acid. In a pH-regulated jar fermenter culture with the biogas removed, 2,202 ml/l $H_2$, 6.2 g/l ethanol, and 1.0 g/l acetic acid were produced, and the lag-phase time was 4.8 h. Strain T4384 metabolized the hydrolysate of organic waste for the production of hydrogen and volatile fatty acid. The strain T4384 produced 947 ml/l $H_2$, 3.2 g/l ethanol, and 0.2 g/l acetic acid from 6% (w/v) food waste hydrolysate; 738 ml/l $H_2$, 4.2 g/l ethanol, and 0.8 g/l acetic acid from Miscanthus sinensis hydrolysate; and 805 ml/l $H_2$, 5.0 g/l ethanol, and 0.7 g/l acetic acid from Sorghum bicolor hydrolysate.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.186-194
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• 2001

Scrub typhus, caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi infection, is clinically and histopathologically characterized by local as well as systemic inflammatory reactions, indicating that orientiae induce mechanisms that amplify the inflammatory response. To reveal underlying mechanisms of chemoattraction and activation of responding leukocytes, expression of chemokine and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-$\alpha$) genes in murine peritoneal macrophages after infection with the obligate intracellular bacterium Ο.tsutsugamushi was investigated. The genes that were unregulated included macrophage inflammatory proteins l$\alpha$/$\beta$(MIP-l$\alpha$/$\beta$), MIP-2, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1(MCP-1), RANTES (regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted), gamma-interferon-inducible protein 10(IP-10) and TNF-$\alpha$. Peak expression of these chemokines and TNF-$\alpha$ was observed between 1 and 3 h after infection. These responses returned to or approached baseline preinfection levels 6 h after challenge. Semiquantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR analysis revealed dramatic Increases during infection in the steady-state levels of mRNA ceding for the inhibitory subunit of NF-kB (IkB$\alpha$), whose transcription is enhanced by binding of NF-kB within the IkB$\alpha$promoter region. Thus, Ο. tsutsugamushi appears to be a stung inducer of chemokines and TNF-$\alpha$ which may significantly contribute to inflammation and tissue damage observed in scrub typhus by attracting and activating phagocytic leukocytes.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.1411-1422
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• 2021

Lactobacillus acidophilus is a gram-positive, microaerophilic, and acidophilic bacterial species. L. acidophilus strains in the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and other animals have been profiled, but strains found in the canine gut have not been studied yet. Our study helps in understanding the genetic features of the L. acidophilus C5 strain found in the canine gut, determining its adaptive features evolved to survive in the canine gut environment, and in elucidating its probiotic functions. To examine the canine L. acidophilus C5 genome, we isolated the C5 strain from a Korean dog and sequenced it using PacBio SMRT sequencing technology. A comparative genomic approach was used to assess genetic relationships between C5 and six other strains and study the distinguishing features related to different hosts. We found that most genes in the C5 strain were related to carbohydrate transport and metabolism. The pan-genome of seven L. acidophilus strains contained 2,254 gene families, and the core genome contained 1,726 gene families. The phylogenetic tree of the core genes in the canine L. acidophilus C5 strain was very close to that of two strains (DSM20079 and NCFM) from humans. We identified 30 evolutionarily accelerated genes in the L. acidophilus C5 strain in the ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous substitutions (dN/dS) analysis. Five of these thirty genes were associated with carbohydrate transport and metabolism. This study provides insights into genetic features and adaptations of the L. acidophilus C5 strain to survive the canine intestinal environment. It also suggests that the evolution of the L. acidophilus genome is closely related to the host's evolutionary adaptation process.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.122-129
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• 1998

It were reported that antifungal mechanism of Enterobacter cloacae is a volatile ammonia that produced by the strain in soil, and the production of ammonia is related to the bacterial urease activity. A powerful bacterium SH14 against soil-borne pathogen Fusarium solani, which cause root rot of many important crops, was selected from a ginseng pathogen suppressive soil. The strain SH14 was identified as Bacillus subtilis by cultural, biochemical, morphological method, and $API^{circledR}$ test. From several in vitro tests, the antifungal substance that is produced from B. subtilis SH14 was revealed as heat-stable and low-molecular weight antibiotic substance. In order to construct the multifunctional biocontrol agent, the urease gene of Bacillus pasteurii which can produce pathogenes-suppressive ammonia transferred into antifungal bacterium. First, a partial BamH I digestion fragment of plasmid pBU11 containing the alkalophilic B. pasteurii l1859 urease gene was inserted into the BamH I site of pEB203 and expressed in Escherichia coli JM109. The recombinant plasmid was designated as pGU366. The plasmid pGU366 containing urease gene was introduced into the B. subtilis SH14 with PEG-induced protoplast transformation (PIP) method. The urease gene was very stably expressed in the transformant of B. subtilis SH14. Also, the optimal conditions for transformation were established and the highest transformation frequency was obtained by treatment of lysozyme for 90 min, and then addition of 1.5 ${mu}g$/ml DNA and 40% PEG4000. From the in vitro antifungal test against F. solani, antifungal activity of B. subtilis SH14(pGu366) containing urease gene was much higher than that of the host strain. Genetical development of B. subtilis SH14 by transfer of urease gene can be responsible for enhanced biocontrol efficacy with its antibiotic action.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.123-136
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• 2004

Objectives : The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the effects of Woohwangcheongsim-won (WC) on the in vitro neuronal development and alteration in gene expression in a hypoxia model using cultured rat cortical cells. Methods : E/sub 18/ rat cortical cells were grown in a neurobasal medium containing B27 supplement and various concentration of WC. Initial development of growth cone was investigated by phase-contrast microscopy, while dendritic spine formation and synaptogenesis were investigated by immunocytochemistry with SynGAPα(a postsynaptic marker) and synaptophysin (presynaptic marker) antibodies. Alteration in gene expression was analyses by microarray using rat 5K-TwinChips. Results : WC suppressed the development of growth cones and WC increased the number of dendritic spines at 20 and 50㎍/mL concentration but there was no statistical significance. Instead, it significantly decreased the number at 100㎍/mL. The expression of anti-apoptosis gene Bcl2-like 1 (Bcl211) increased (Global M=0.46), while Akt1 decreased. Proapoptosis genes Bad and PDCD2 increased. The expression of hemoglobin alpha 1 (probably neuroglobin) increased (Global M=0.93). The expression of antioxidants such as catalase, heme oxygenase (HO), and PRKAG2 gene increased. The expression PKC gene increased. The expression of retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) increased significantly (Global M=1.0). Conclusions : These data suggest that WC trends to suppress cellular activity slightly in normoxia and increases the expression of apoptosis-, antioxidation-, oxygen capture-related genes in hypoxia, but increases Bcl111 that anti-apoptosis gene, on the other hand increases Bad, PDCD2 that pro-apoptosis genes, too..

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.270-274
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• 2013

The bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, has played an important role as one of the alternative pollinators since the outbreak of honeybee collapse disorder. Recently, pathogens and parasites such as viruses, bacteria and mites, which affect the life span and fecundity of their host, have been discovered in B. terristris. In order to detect the microsporidian pathogen, Nosema spp. in the field populations of B. terristris, we collected adults and isolated their genomic DNA for diagnostic PCR. The PCR primers specific for Nosema spp. were newly designed and applied to gene amplification for cloning. Only small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene of N. ceranae was successfully amplified among examined genes and sequenced, which indicates that N. ceranae mainly infects the examined field population of B. terristris. To detect of SSU rRNA gene, two regions of SSU rRNA gene were selected by primary PCR analysis and further analyzed in quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that SSU rRNA of N. ceranae was detected at concentration as low as $0.85ng/{\mu}l$ genomic DNA. This result suggests that the detection via qRT-PCR can be applied for the rapid and sensitive diagnosis of N. ceranae infection in the field population as well as risk assessment of B. terristris.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.62-67
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• 2019

We studied the effect of several sex-related steroid hormones (serotonin, progesterone and ${\beta}$-estradiol) for 6 days on the induction of sexual reproduction for the mass production of resting eggs in the marine rotifer Brachionus rotundiformis. The highest mix rate of 20.6% appeared with the ${\beta}$-estradiol ($E_2$) treatment on the third day. The number of resting eggs was highest with $E_2$ treatment, followed by that of the serotonin treatment group. In addition, we investigated the effect of the hormones on the expression pattern of the genes related to sexual reproduction in the rotifer. NrbP, SRY, Cyclin and MrpmB genes were up-regulated with all the hormone treatments. As a result, ${\beta}$-estradiol was more effective than the other hormone treatments to produce resting eggs in B. rotundiformis. We suggest that the sexual reproduction-related genes in the rotifer are the NrbP, SRY, Cyclin and MrpmB genes. Further study is required to determine the optimum concentration of $E_2$ for the effective production of resting eggs in the rotifer.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.551-563
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• 2022

L-asparaginase (E.C. 3.5.1.1) purified from bacterial cells is widely used in the food industry, as well as in the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In the present study, the Burkholderia pseudomallei L-asparaginase gene was cloned into the pGEX-2T DNA plasmid, expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) pLysS, and purified to homogeneity using Glutathione Sepharose chromatography with 7.26 purification fold and 16.01% recovery. The purified enzyme exhibited a molecular weight of ~33.6 kDa with SDS-PAGE and showed maximal activity at 50℃ and pH 8.0. It retained 95.1, 89.6%, and 70.2% initial activity after 60 min at 30℃, 40℃, and 50℃, respectively. The enzyme reserved its activity at 30℃ and 37℃ up to 24 h. The enzyme had optimum pH of 8 and reserved 50% activity up to 24 h. The recombinant enzyme showed the highest substrate specificity towards L-asparaginase substrate, while no detectable specificity was observed for L-glutamine, urea, and acrylamide at 10 mM concentration. THP-1, a human leukemia cell line, displayed significant morphological alterations after being treated with recombinant L-asparaginase and the IC₅₀ of the purified enzyme was recorded as 0.8 IU. Furthermore, the purified recombinant Lasparaginase improved cytotoxicity in liver cancer HepG2 and breast cancer MCF-7 cell lines, with IC₅₀ values of 1.53 and 18 IU, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.353-362
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• 2007

A total of 1,354 samples was collected from bovine and porcine carcass from January 2005 to December 2006 in a slaughter house. Twenty five strains(1.8%) of Listeria monocytogenes were isolated from 1,354 samples using selective media. Ten(1.4%) L monocytogenes were isolated from the 677 of bovine carcasses, and 15(2.2%) were isolated from the 677 of porcine carcasses. Among 15 L mono-cytogenes from porcine, 11 siolates were serovars 1/2c, followed by 1/2b (3 strains, 20.0%) and 1/2a(1 strain) Out of 10 bovine samples, positive cases in 1/2a were 9 strains (90.0%), 1/2b were 1 strains(10.0%). PCR primers were selected to amplify a 520-base pair(bp) DNA fragment from the listeolysin O gene (hlyA) of L mono-cytogenes. A 520-bp product was detected in PCR with DNA from L monocytogenes, but not from the other Listeria species tested. A total of 25 L monocytogenes strains were analysed by PFGE after digestion with Apa I. PFGE analysis of genomic DNA showed the $14{\sim}18$ fragments ranging in size from 30 to 550 kb, resulting in 14 patterns.