• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.168-172
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• 2002

Budding yeasts maintain an effective system to regulate intracellular pH in response to environmental pH fluctuation. In a previous study we reported that SHC1 plays a role in cell growth at alkaline condition, not at acid pH. We constructed a null mutant deleted an entire open reading frame for SHC1. To test whether the retardation in cell growth was caused by the absence of intracellular pH buffering capacity, we measured intracellular pH with a pH-sensitive fluorescent dye, C.SNARE. The intracellular pH of the mutant cell was much higher than that of wild-type cells, indicating that the mutant cells lack some types of buffering capacity. We also investigated the level of $Na^＋ and K^＋$ content with atomic mass spectroscopy after alkali shock. Wild-type cell showed a higher level of intracellular K^＋$ content, whereas there was no difference in $Na^＋$ level. The result suggested that K^＋$ is more important in the regulation of intracellular pH in yeasts.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.79-91
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• 2021

γ-Glutamylcysteine synthetase (Gcs1) and glutathione reductase (Glr1) activity maintains minimal levels of cellular methylglyoxal in Candida albicans. In glutathione-depleted Δgcs1, we previously saw that NAD(H)-linked methylglyoxal oxidoreductase (Mgd1) and alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh1) are the most active methylglyoxal scavengers. With methylglyoxal accumulation, disruptants lacking MGD1 or ADH1 exhibit a poor redox state. However, there is little convincing evidence for a reciprocal relationship between methylglyoxal scavenger genes-disrupted mutants and changes in glutathione-(in)dependent redox regulation. Herein, we attempt to demonstrate a functional role for methylglyoxal scavengers, modeled on a triple disruptant (Δmgd1/Δadh1/Δgcs1), to link between antioxidative enzyme activities and their metabolites in glutathione-depleted conditions. Despite seeing elevated methylglyoxal in all of the disruptants, the result saw a decrease in pyruvate content in Δmgd1/Δadh1/Δgcs1 which was not observed in double gene-disrupted strains such as Δmgd1/Δgcs1 and Δadh1/Δgcs1. Interestingly, Δmgd1/Δadh1/Δgcs1 exhibited a significantly decrease in H2O2 and superoxide which was also unobserved in Δmgd1/Δgcs1 and Δadh1/Δgcs1. The activities of the antioxidative enzymes erythroascorbate peroxidase and cytochrome c peroxidase were noticeably higher in Δmgd1/Δadh1/Δgcs1 than in the other disruptants. Meanwhile, Glr1 activity severely diminished in Δmgd1/Δadh1/Δgcs1. Monitoring complementary gene transcripts between double gene-disrupted Δmgd1/Δgcs1 and Δadh1/Δgcs1 supported the concept of an unbalanced redox state independent of the Glr1 activity for Δmgd1/Δadh1/Δgcs1. Our data demonstrate the reciprocal use of Eapx1 and Ccp1 in the absence of both methylglyoxal scavengers; that being pivotal for viability in non-filamentous budding yeast.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.502-510
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• 2009

Although the Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit (LTB) has already been expressed in several different systems, including prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, studies regarding the synthesis of LTB into oligomeric structures of pentameric size in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been limited. Therefore, this study used a functional signal peptide of the amylase 1A protein from rice to direct the yeast-expressed LTB towards the endoplasmci reticulum to oligomerize with the expected pentameric size. The expression and assembly of the recombinant LTB were confirmed in both the cell-free extract and culture media of the recombinant strain using a Western blot analysis. The binding of the LTB pentamers to intestinal epithelial cell membrane glycolipid receptors was further verified using a GM1-ganglioside enzyme-linked inmmunosorbent assay (GM1-ELISA). On the basis of the GM1-ELISA results, pentameric LTB proteins comprised approximately 0.5-2.0% of the total soluble proteins, and the maximum quantity of secreted LTB was estimated to be 3 mg/l after a 3-day cultivation period. Consequently, the synthesis of LTB monomers and their assembly into biologically active aligomers in a recombinant S. cerevisiae strain demonstrated the feasibility of using a GRAS microorganism-based adjuvant, as well as the development of carriers against mucosal disease.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.359-365
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• 1986

Exponentially growing cells of S. cerevisiae were cultivated in the concomitant presence of $2{\times}10^{-3}\;M$ paraquat for 12 hours. Cellular growth became slower as the time passed and then, it was completely inhibited after 6 hours of cultivation. More than 70 percent of the yeast cells were killed with in 12 hours of paraquat treatment. It was observed that size of the yeast cell varied from $4.5{\times}5.5{\um}m$ to $2.5{\times}3.5{\um}m$ in diameter, while that of control was uniform. The number of budding cells became rare, Cell wall of the paraquat treated cell was thinner$(0.15{\mu}m)$ than that of control cell$(0.20{\mu}m)$. Outer part of the cell wall had higher density than inner part. Membrane structures such as plasma membrane and mitochondria was decomposed during the paraquat treatment for 12 hours.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.487-494
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• 2016

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Paf1 complex consists of five proteins, and they are structurally and functionally well conserved in yeast, fruit fly, plants, and human. With binding to RNA polymerase II from transcription start site to termination site, Paf1 complex functions as a platform for recruiting many types of transcription factors to RNA polymerase II. Paf1 complex contributes to H2B ubiquitination and indirectly influences on H3K4 di- and tri-methylation by histone crosstalk. But the individual effects of five components in Paf1 complex on these two histone modifications including H2B ubiquitination and H3K4 methylation largely remained to be identified. In this study, we constructed the single-gene knockout mutants of each Paf1 complex component and observed H3K4 mono-, di-, and trimethylation as well as H2B ubiquitination in these mutants. Interestingly, in each ${\Delta}paf1$, ${\Delta}rtf1$, and ${\Delta}ctr9$ strain, we observed the dramatic defect in H3K4 monomethylation, which is independent of H2B ubiquitination, as well as H3K4 di- and trimethylation. However, the protein level of Set1, which is methyltransferase for H3K4, was not changed in these mutants. This suggests that Paf1 complex may directly influence on H3K4 methylation by directly regulating the activity of Set1 or the stability of Set1 complex in an H2B ubiquitination independent manner.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2013

During meiosis, genetic recombinants are formed by homologous recombination accompanying with the programmed double-strand breaks (DSBs) and strand exchanges between homologous chromosomes. The mechanism is generated by recombination intermediates such as single-end invasions (SEIs) and double-Holliday junctions (dHJs), and followed by crossover (CO) or non-crossover (NCO) products. Our study was focused on the analysis of meiotic recombination intermediates (DSBs, SEIs, and dHJs) and final recombination products (CO and NCO). We identified these meiotic recombination intermediates using DNA physical analysis under HIS4LEU2 "hot spot" system in budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. For DNA physical analysis, when the hot spot locus is recognized by restriction enzyme from synchronous meiotic cells, the fragmented DNA that are forming recombination intermediates can be detected and quantified through Southern hybridization analysis. Our study suggests that this system can analyze the structural change of recombination intermediates during DSB-SEI transition, double-Holiday junctions and crossover/non-crossover products in meiosis.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.28-36
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• 2001

These studies were carried out to understand the mechanisms of genes which are related in cell cycle progression at G1/S phase. Mutants involved in cell cycle progression and regulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae were isolated and characterized. To isolate new mutants, we screened the sensitivity to ciclopirox olamine (CPO) which inhibits the cell cycle traverse at or very near the G1/S phase boundary in HeLa cell and budding yeast. As results, we isolated 30 mutants and named cos(ciclopirox olamine sensitivity: cos27∼cos57) mutants. To determine the phenotype of mutants, we examined the sensitivity to methyl-methane sulfonate (MMS) and hydroxyurea (HU). Several mutants were sensitive to MMS and HU. According to these Phenotypes, cos mutants were grouped into four. Group I mutants are cos27, cos28, cos32, cos33, cos36, cos37, cos40, cos42, cos46, cos50, cos52 and cos53 which show MMS, HU sensitivities and might act at a checkpoint pathway during S phase. Group II mutants are cos43 and cos48 which show MMS sensitivities and might act at a checkpoint pathway during Gl or G2 phase. Group III mutants are cos35, cos47, cos54, cos55 and cos56 which show HU sensitivities and might act at a progress pathway during S phase. Finally, Group IV mutants are cos29, cos30, cos31, cos34, cos38, cos39, cos41, cos44, cos45, cos49, cos51 and cos57 which show only CPO sensitivities. Moreover, we examined the terminal phenotype of mutants under fluorescent microscope and then found one of S phase checkpoint related mutant(cos37). Furthermore, we constructed the heterozygote strain between mutant and wild type haploid strains to study their genetic analysis of cos mutants.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.360-367
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• 2014

Candida albicans is an opportunistic and the most prevalent fungal pathogen that can cause superficial and systemic infections in immunocompromised patients. C. albicans can promote the transition from budding yeast to filamentous form, generating biofilms. Infections associated with C. albicans biofilms are frequently resistant to conventional antifungal therapy. Therefore, the development of more effective antifungal drugs related with biofilm formation is required urgently. The roots of Rheum undulatum have been used for medicinal purposes in Korea and China traditionally. The aim of present study was to evaluate the effect of R. undulatum extract upon preformed biofilms of 12 clinical C. albicans isolates and the antifungal activities. Its effect on preformed biofilms was evaluated using XTT reduction assay, and metabolic activity of all tested strains was reduced significantly ($49.4{\pm}6.0%$) at 0.098 mg/ml R. undulatum. The R. undulatum extract blocked the adhesion of C. albicans biofilms to polystyrene surfaces, and damaged the cell membrane integrity of C. albicans which was analyzed by CFDA, AM, and propidium iodide double staining. It caused cell lysis which was observed by Confocal laser scanning and phase contrast microscope after propidium iodide and neutral red staining, respectively. Membrane permeability was changed as evidenced by crystal violet uptake. The data suggest that R. undulatum inhibits biofilm formation by C. albicans, which can be associated with the damage of the cell membrane integrity, the changes in the membrane permeability and the cell lysis of C. albicans.