• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.179-183
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• 1993

A restricted facultatively methanol-oxidizing bacterium, Methylovorus sp. strain SS1, was isolate dfrom soil samples from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, through methanol-enrichment culture technique. The isolate was nonmotile Gram-negative rod and did not have complex internal membrane system. The colonies were small, pale-yellow, and raised convex with entire margin. The cell did not produce any spores and capsular materials. The cell was obligately aerobic and exhibited catalase, but no oxidase, activity. Plasmid, carotenoid pigment, and poly-.betha.-hydroxybutyric acid were not found. The guanine plus cytosine content of the DNA was 55%. The isolate was found to grow only on methanol methylamine, or glucose. Growth factors were not required. Cells growing on methanol was found to produce extracellular polysaccharides containing glucose, lactose, and fructose. Growth was optimal (t$_{d}$= 1.7) with 0.5%(v/v) methanol at 40.deg.C and pH 6.5. No Growth was observed at over 60.deg.C. Cell-free extracts of the methanol grown cells exhibited the phenazine methosulfate-linked methanol dehydrogenase activity Methanol was found to be assimilate dthrough the ribulose monophosphate pathway.y.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.64-71
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• 2006

To investigate the effects of the nucleotide sequences in Shine-Dalgarno (SD) and the spacer region (SD-ATG) on bovine growth hormone (bGH) gene expression, the expression vectors under the control of the T7 promoter (pT7-7 vector) were constructed using bGH derivatives (bGH1 & bGH14) which have different 5'-coding regions and were induced in E. coli BL21 (DE3). Oligonucleotides containing random SD sequences and a spacer region were chemically synthesized and the distance between the SD region and the initiation codon were fixed to nine bases in length. The oligonucleotides were annealed and fused to the bGH1 and bGH14 cDNA, respectively. When the bGH gene was induced with IPTG in E. coli BL21(DE3), some clones containing only bGH14 cDNA produced considerable levels of bGH in the range of $6.9\%\;to\;8.5\%$ of total cell proteins by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. Otherwise, the bGH was not detected in any clones with bGH1 cDNA. Accordingly, the nucleotide sequences of SD and the spacer region affect on bGH expression indicates that the sequences sufficiently destabilize the mRNA secondary structure of the bGH14 gene. When the free energy was calculated from the transcription initiation site to the +51 nucleotide of bGH cDNA using a program of nucleic acid folding and hybridization prediction, the constructs with values below -26.3 kcal/mole (toward minus direction) were not expressed. The constructs with the original sequence of bGH cDNA also did not show any expression, regardless of the free energy values. Thus, the disruption of the mRNA secondary structure may be a major factor regulating bGH expression in the translation initiation process. Accordingly, the first stem-loop among two secondary structures present in the 5'-end region of the bGH gene should be disrupted for the effective expression of bGH.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.57-70
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• 1990

Characterization and electron microscopic visualization of the plasmid and the gene expression of Escherichia coli were carried out. Transcriptional units of active structural genes were observed after lysis of Escherichia coli cells. The ribosomes attached to the E. coli genome on mRNA molecule as polyribosomes. From this gradient of polyribosome length, we estimated location of mRNA synthesis initiation site. In this experiment, a granule is ofen present which may correspond to a RNA polymerase at the promoter site. pOX1, pOX7, pOX7A, $pOX7{\Delta}1$, pSTP36, pSTP21, pBR322, and pJH12 were visualized by way of electron microscope, and their estimated sizes were determined to be $5.70{\pm}0.08{\mu}m,\;2.15{\pm}0.10{\mu}m,\;2.14{\pm}0.12{\mu}m,\;7.39{\pm}0.08{\mu}m,\;4.03{\pm}0.04{\mu}m,\;1.50{\pm}0.03{\mu}m\;and\;1.25{\pm}0.09{\mu}m$ respectively. One micrometer of measured length corresponded to about 3.0 Kb. Mica-press adsorption method that allows selectivs visualization of the plasmid DNA released in situ from the bacterial cell is rapid and useful for visualization of plasmids. The released plasmid DNA was adsorbed preferently on mica in a divalent cation-free solution. Miller chromatin-spreading method was useful to observe the plasmid and transcripts. BAC method and cytochrome C monolayer were useful to observe the plasmid DNA. Our ability to visualize ultrastructural aspects of the expression of E. coli has given us a unique tool with which to study the regulation the level of an individual gene.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.9-21
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• 2015

Cancer, a serious public health problem in worldwide, results from an excessive and uncontrolled proliferation of the body cells without obvious physiological demands of organs. The gastrointestinal tract, including the esophagus, stomach and intestine, is a unique organ system. It has the highest cancer incidence and cancer-related mortality in the body and is influenceed by both genetic and environmental factors. Among the various chemical elements recognized in the nature, some of them including zinc, iron, cobalt, and copper have essential roles in the various biochemical and physiological processes, but only at low levels and others such as cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic, and nickel are considered as threats for human health especially with chronic exposure at high levels. Cadmium, an environment contaminant, cannot be destroyed in nature. Through impairment of vitamin D metabolism in the kidney it causes nephrotoxicity and subsequently bone metabolism impairment and fragility. The major mechanisms involved in cadmium carcinogenesis could be related to the suppression of gene expression, inhibition of DNA damage repair, inhibition of apoptosis, and induction of oxidative stress. In addition, cadmium may act through aberrant DNA methylation. Cadmium affects multiple cellular processes, including signal transduction pathways, cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Down-regulation of methyltransferases enzymes and reduction of DNA methylation have been stated as epigenetic effects of cadmium. Furthermore, increasing intracellular free calcium ion levels induces neuronal apoptosis in addition to other deleterious influence on the stability of the genome.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.1142-1149
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• 2004

Streptococcus mutans has the capacity of inducing dental caries. Thus, to develop a novel way of preventing dental caries, a cell wall hydrolase-producing strain was isolated and its characteristics were investigated. Among 200 alkalophilic strains isolated from soil, 8 strains exhibited lytic activities against Streptococcus mutans. However, strain YU5215 with the highest cell wall hydrolase activity was selected for further study. Strain YU5215 was identified as a novel strain of Bacillus based on analyzing its 16S rDNA sequence and Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, and thus designated as Bacillus mutanolyticus YU5215. The optimal conditions for the production of the cell wall hydrolase from Bacillus mutanolyticus YU5215 consisted of glucose ($0.8\%$), yeast extract ($1.2\%$), polypeptone ($0.5\%$), $K_{2}HPO_{4}\;(0.1\%$), $MgSO_{4}{\cdot}7H_{2}O$ ($0.02\%$), and $Na_{2}CO_{3}\;(1.0\%$) at pH 10.0. Bacillus mutanolyticus YU5215 was cultured at 30^{circ}C for 72 h to produce the cell wall hydrolase, which was then purified by acetone precipitation and CM-agarose column chromatography. The molecular weight of the lytic enzyme was determined as 22,700 Da by SDS-PAGE. When the cell wall peptidoglycan of Streptococcus mutans was digested with the lytic enzyme, no increase in the reducing sugars was observed, while the free amino acids increased, indicating that the lytic enzyme had an endopeptidase-like property. The amino terminus of the cell wall peptidoglycan digested by the lytic enzyme was determined as a glutamic acid, while the lytic site of the lytic enzyme in the Streptococcus mutans peptidoglycan was identified as the peptide linkage of L-Ala and D-Glu.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.675-683
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• 2013

Purpose: Nineteen articles were analyzed to gather opinions and nursing implications about NIPT recently launched. Methods: Nineteen articles were selected from EBSCO (eBook business collection), Google Scholar, and two Korean academic d-bases with key words 'prenatal screening testing', 'prenatal genetic diagnostic testing', NIPT or 'cell free DNA (cfDNA)'. Authors developed a framework for analyzing the 19 articles including opinions and suggestions for future implications. Results: Eleven articles written by the first author affiliated with medicine or genetics, viewed NIPT as promising because of safety, accuracy, early detectability and cost effectiveness. Articles written by journalists or authors affiliated with history and ethics were concerned with the possible risk of ELSI (ethical, legal, social issues), erratic interpretation of test results, and lack of genetic counseling service. Conclusion: With consideration of Korean clinical, and legal circumstances, not only pregnant women and families but also health professionals must prepare for clinical NIPT implications including updating prenatal genetic testing, counseling services, protecting ELSI and amulticultural team approach.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.440-445
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• 2000

Thirty lactating Javanese thin-tail ewes (12 ewes had been injected, prior to mating, with 700 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin, and 18 ewes with saline as a control) were used to evaluate the effect of superovulation on milk production during lactation and mammary chemical indices at the end of lactation. Thirteen ewes (9 control and 4 superovulated ewes) were fed at low and the other 17 ewes (9 control and 8 superovulated ewes) were fed at high quality ration. Superovulated ewes, either fed at low or high quality ration, had dramatically higher milk yields (57%). At the end of lactation, superovulated ewes had higher mammary dry fat-free tissue, mammary DNA concentration, total mammary DNA and RNA contents than nonsuperovulated ewes. Superovulation did not affect mammary RNA and collagen concentrations, and total collagen content. Ration quality did not significantly increase milk production during lactation and mammary chemical indices at the end of lactation. The observed increase in milk production in the superovulated ewes was probably due to the increased mammary secretory cell number and their synthetic activities during lactation as a result of the increased endogenous hormonal stimulation of mammary growth and development during pregnancy.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2014.10a
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• pp.44-44
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• 2014

Yeasts were isolated from wild flowers of some islands and mountains such as Jeju-do, Ulleungdo, Yokjido, Seonyudo and Gyejoksan, Oseosan, Beakamsan and Deogyusan in Korea and were identified by comparison of nucleotide sequences for PCR-amplified D1/D2 region of 26S rDNA or internal transcribed pacer(ITS) 1 and 2 including 5.8S rDNA using BLAST. Seventy two yeast strains of two hundred eighty nine species were isolated from wild flowers in islands and mountains, Korea. Among them, Cryptococcus species were isolated the most dominantly, and Metschnikowia reukaufii were also isolated thirty species, 10.3% of total strains. Twenty-three species including Cryptococcus aureus were overlapped between yeast strains of the islands and mountains. Some physiological functionality of the culture broth and cell-free extracts from two hundred eighty nine yeast strains were determined. The supernatant of Candida sp. 78-J-2 showed antioxidant activity of 22.5%, and supernatant of Metschnilowia reukaufii SY44-6 showed anti-gout xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of 49.6% and whitening tyrosinase inhibitory activity of 38.4%, respectively.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.20 no.2 s.91
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• pp.112-115
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• 2005

E. coli in combination with bacteriophage $\lambda$ was used to overcome the intrinsic plasmid instability that is frequently found in recombinant fermentation especially in long-term operation. In order to enhance the stability and productivity, the bacteriophage ${\lambda}NM1070$ was used in this study. It is a $\lambda$ mutant, which is deficient in the synthesis of protein related to DNA packaging and cell lysis. The ${\lambda}NM1070$ is also a temperature-sensitive mutant. To optimize the production of recombinant protein in this temperature-sensitive system, the temperature effects on growth and cloned gene expression were investigated for stable and efficient recombinant gene expression. The induction to the lytic state was not complete at $36^{\circ}C$ while the temperature above $40^{\circ}C$ induced the lytic state completely. However, the productivity was decreased at $42^{\circ}C$ by temperature inhibition. The L-free cell concentration increased with the increase of temperature until $40^{\circ}C$. In conclusion, ${\lambda}NM1070$ has the optimal temperature at $38^{\circ}C$ for stability and at $40^{\circ}C$ for expression.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2012

Suspension culture is a useful tool for culturing embryonic stem (ES) cells in large-scale, but the stability of pluripotency and karyotype has to be maintained $in$ $vitro$ for clinical application. Therefore, we investigated whether the chromosomal abnormality of ES cells was induced in suspension culture or not. The ES cells were cultured in suspension as a form of aggregate with or without mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), and 0 or 1,000 U/ml leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) was treated to suspended ES cells. After culturing ES cells in suspension, their karyotype, DNA content, and properties of pluripotency and differentiation were evaluated. As a result, the formation of tetraploid ES cell population was significantly increased in suspension culture in which ES cells were co-cultured with both MEFs and LIF. Tetraploid ES cell population was also generated when ES cells were cultured alone in suspension regardless of the existence of LIF. On the other hand, the formation of tetraploid ES cell population was not detected in LIF-free condition, in which MEFs were included. The origin of tetraploid ES cell population was turned out to be E14 ES cells and not MEFs by microsatellite analysis and the basic properties of them were still maintained despite ploidy-conversion to tetraploidy. Furthermore, we identified the ploidy shift from tetraploidy to near-triploidy as tetraploid ES cells were differentiated spontaneously. From these results, we demonstrated that suspension culture system could induce ploidy-conversion generating tetraploid ES cell population. Moreover, optimization of suspension culture system may make possible mass-production of ES cells.