• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.45.1-45.13
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• 2021

Background: Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is an infectious disease caused by the peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) that mainly produces respiratory symptoms in affected animals, resulting in great losses in the world's agriculture industry every year. Single-domain variable heavy chain (VHH) antibody fragments, also referred to as nanobodies, have high expression yields and other advantages including ease of purification and high solubility. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to obtain a single-domain antibody with good reactivity and high specificity against PPRV. Methods: A VHH cDNA library was established by immunizing camels with PPRV vaccine, and the capacity and diversity of the library were examined. Four PPRV VHHs were selected, and the biological activity and antigen-binding capacity of the four VHHs were identified by western blot, indirect immunofluorescence, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analyses. ELISA was used to identify whether the four VHHs were specific for PPRV, and VHH neutralization tests were carried out. ELISA and western blot analyses were used to identify which PPRV protein was targeted by VHH2. Results: The PPRV cDNA library was constructed successfully. The library capacity was greater than 2.0 × 10⁶ cfu/mL, and the inserted fragment size was approximately 400 bp to 2000 bp. The average length of the cDNA library fragment was about 1000 bp, and the recombination rate was approximately 100%. Four single-domain antibody sequences were selected, and proteins expressed in the supernatant were obtained. The four VHHs were shown to have biological activity, close affinity to PPRV, and no cross-reaction with common sheep diseases. All four VHHs had neutralization activity, and VHH2 was specific to the PPRV M protein. Conclusions: The results of this preliminary research of PPRV VHHs showed that four screened VHH antibodies could be useful in future applications. This study provided new materials for inclusion in PPRV research.

• 한국균학회지
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• 제49권4호
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• pp.455-467
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• 2021

Macrofungi are valuable resources as novel drug candidates, new biomaterials, and edible materials. Recently, genetic approaches pertaining to macrofungi have been continuously growing for their identification, molecular breeding, and genetic engineering. However, purification and amplification of fungal DNA is challenging because of the rigid cell wall and presence of PCR inhibitory metabolites. Here, we established a direct PCR method to provide a rapid and efficient method for PCR-grade macrofungal DNA preparation applicable to both conventional PCR and real-time PCR. We first optimized the procedure of lysis and PCR using the mycelia of Lentinula edodes, one of the most widely consumed macrofungal species. Lysates prepared by neutralizing with (NH₄)₂SO₄ after heating the mycelia in a mixture of TE buffer and KOH at 65℃ for 10 min showed successful amplification in both conventional and real-time PCR. Moreover, the addition of bovine serum albumin to the PCR mixture enhanced the amplification in conventional PCR. Using this method, we successfully amplified not only internal transcribed spacer fragments but also low-copy genes ranging in length from 500 to 3,000 bp. Next, we applied this method to 62 different species (54 genera) of macrofungi, including edible mushrooms, such as Pleurotus ostreatus, and medicinal mushrooms such as Cordyceps militaris. It was found that our method is widely applicable to both ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. We expect that our method will contribute to accelerating PCR-based approaches, such as molecular identification, DNA marker typing, gene cloning, and transformant screening, in macrofungal studies.

• 한국환경성돌연변이발암원학회지
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.303-311
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• 2002

This study evaluated the concentrations of urinary metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in industrial waste incineration workers. The effect of genetic polymorphisms of xenobiotic metabolism enzymes on urinary concentration of PAH metabolites was assessed. And, aromatic DNA adduct levels were also determined in total white blood cells. Fifty employees were recruited from a company handling industrial wastes located in Ansan, Korea: non-exposed group (n=21), exposed group (n=29). Sixteen ambient PAHs were determined by GC/MSD (NIOSH method) from personal breathing zone samples of nine subjects near incinerators. Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene glucuronide (1-OHPG), a major pyrene metabolite, was assayed by synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy after immunoaffinity purification using monoclonal antibody 8E11 (SFS/IAC). Multiplex PCR was used for genotyping for GSTMI/TI and PCR-RFLP for genotyping of CYP1A1 (MspI and Ile/Val). PAH-DNA adducts in peripheral blood WBC were measured by the nuclease P1-enhanced postlabeling assay. Smoking habit, demographic and occupational information were collected by self-administered questionnaire. The range of total ambient PAH levels were 0.00-7.00 mg/㎥ (mean 3.31). Urinary 1-OHPG levels were significantly higher in workers handling industrial wastes than in those with presumed lower exposure to PAHs (p=0.006, by Kruskal-Wallis test). There was a statistically significant dose-response increase in 1-OHPG levels with the number of cigarettes consumed per day (Pearson correlation coefficient=0.686, p<0.001). Urinary 1-OHPG levels in occupationally exposed smoking workers were highest compared with non-occupationally exposed smokers (p=0.053, by Kruskal-Wallis test). Smoking and GSTMI genotype were significant predictors for log-transformed 1-OHPG by multiple regression analysis (overall model R²=0.565, p<0.001), whereas smoking was the only significant predictor for log-transformed aromatic DNA adducts (overall model R²=0.249, p=0.201). Aromatic DNA adducts was also a significantly correlation between log transferred urinary 1-OHPG levels (pearson's correlation coefficient=0.307, p=0.04). However, the partial correlation coefficient adjusting for Age, Sex, and cigarette consumption was not significant (r=0.154, p=0.169). The significant association exists only in individuals with the GSTMI null genotype (pearsons correlation coefficient=0.516, p=0.010; partial correlation coefficient adjusting for age, sex, and cigarette consumption, r=0.363, p=0.038). Our results suggest that the significant increase in urinary 1-OHPG in the exposed workers is due to higher prevalence of smokers among them, and that the association between urinary PAH metabolites and aromatic DNA adducts in workers of industrial waste handling may be modulated by GSTMI genotype. There results remain to be confirmed in future larger studies.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.73-81
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• 1988

$\alpha$-Amylase (EC.3.2.1.1) of Neurospora crassa (ATCC9279) was cloned in E. coli HB101 using shotgun method, and the enzymes isolated from both N. crassa and E. coli were compared. Chromosomal DNA isolated from the spores of N. crassa was partially digested with PstI restriction endonuclease and rejoined to pBR322 which had been digested with the same enzyme. The resulting recombinant DNA were introduced into E. coli HB101 which had competancy by treating with $CaCl_{2}$. As the result, about 8000 colonies which showed tetracycline resistance were selected and two of the colonies which had 13.5Kb recombinant plasmid exhibit starch degrading activity on starch-containing plate when treated with D-cycloserine. $\alpha$-Amylases from both N.crassa and E. coli were isolated by using ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose ion exchange column chromatography and Bio-Gel P150 gel foltration column. As the result, about 81.3 fold and 5.6 fold purifications in specific activities were obtained respectively, and specific activities of the gel filtrates were 6.1u/mg and 85u/mg respectively. The properties of both enzymes were compared and they showed quite the similar patterns in optimal temperature, optimal pH and had same molecular weight about 100,000 daltons on gel filtration method. Optimal temperatures for both enzymes were $70^{\circ}C$ and optimal pH were about 6 and 10.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제12권6호
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• pp.890-894
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• 2002

A xylanase-producing Trichoderma strain was isolated from soil. Xylanase from Trichoderma strain SY was purified 21-fold to an apparent homogeneity, with a $17.4\%$ yield. The optimum pH and temperature were determined to be 5.5 and $50^{\circ}C$, respectively, and its molecular weight was 21-kDa by SDS-PAGE. The corresponding gene, named xyl, was cloned by RT-PCR. DNA blot analysis of xyl showed that this gene is present as a single copy. The amino acid sequence of the Xyl protein showed similarity to those of other xylanases derived from various fungi. mRNA of xyl was highly expressed when this fungus was grown on cellulose or xylan as a sole carbon source, but undetectable when grown on sucrose. Extracts of Escherichia coli cells expressing xyl were found to have xylanase activity. It was confirmed that xyl from this isolate encodes xylanase.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.350-355
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• 2010

Among human antimicrobial peptides (hAMPs), DCD-1L has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity over a wide pH range and in high salt concentrations. It offers a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics. The 458-bp-long dermcidin cDNA was amplified by PCR using a human fetal cDNA library as a template. The 147-bp fragment of the MDCD-1L gene encoding an additional methionine residue was subcloned into the pTYB11 vector. Recombinant MDCD-1L was expressed as an intein fusion protein in E. coli, and then purified by affinity chromatography using chitin beads. A small peptide with a molecular mass of about 5 kDa was detected by tricine gel electrophoresis. The recombinant MDCD-1L peptide was purified from the gel and its amino acid sequence was determined by nanoLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis. The initiating amino acid, methionine, remained attached to the N-terminal region of recombinant MDCD-1L. Purified MDCD-1L showed antimicrobial activity against a Micrococcus luteus test strain.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.423-427
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• 2004

Seventy-six animals including cattle, sheep, horses, 6 species of zoo animals were employed for collection of fresh feces in order to detect verotoxigenic Esherichia coli (VTEC) by safe, quick and sensitive PCR-based molecular methods. Bacterial cell disruption with bead-beating followed by bacterial DNA purification with hydroxyapatide chromatography and gel filtration allowed DNA preparation from animal feces with high recovery and purity. A mountain goat was firstly shown by PCR and sequencing to shed verotoxin 2 gene (vt2) that was used to generate vt2 probe and second primer set for nested PCR to attempt more sensitive detection. Most sensitive nested PCR revealed that 45% of tested cattle and 47% of tested zoo animals were VTEC-positive, while least sensitive normal PCR detected VTEC from none of these animals except a mountain goat. Moderately sensitive detection by PCR in combination with hybridization suggested that the VTEC density varied between the VTEC-positive cattle.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제23권6호
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• pp.872-877
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• 2013

In a previous study, we isolated and reported a second species of the Saccharophagus genus, Saccharophagus sp. strain Myt-1. In the present study, an alginate lyase gene (algMytC) from the genomic DNA of Myt-1 was cloned and characterized. The DNA sequence fragment obtained contained an open reading frame of 1,032 bp that encoded a protein of 343 amino acids with an estimated molecular mass of 37.6 kDa and a pI of 6.60. The deduced protein, AlgMytC, had the conserved amino acid sequences (RTELREM, QIH, YFKAGVYNQ) of the polysaccharide lyase family 7. A BLAST homology search indicated that AlgMytC shared an amino acid sequence identity of 95.9% with alg7A of S. degradans 2-40. The cloned and purified AlgMytC protein showed optimal activity at $40^{\circ}C$, and retained more than 90% of its total activity even after treatment at $25^{\circ}C$ for 24 h. AlgMytC was very alkaliphilic with an optimal pH of 9.0, and more than 90% of its activity was retained in the pH range 8.5-10.0. Moreover, AlgMytC was stable over a wide pH range. The activity of AlgMytC was also stable in the presence of various detergents.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.149-155
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• 2008

We have isolated and characterized Agrius convolvuli cDNA encoding a c-type lysozyme. The cDNA sequence encodes a processed protein of 139 amino acid residues with 19 amino acid residues amino-terminal signal sequence and 120 amino acid residues mature sequence. The amino acid residues responsible for the catalytic activity and the binding of the substrate are conserved. Agrius lysozyme has a high identity to Manduca sexta. Recombinant A. convolvuli lysozyme was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) pLysS cells for pGEX 4T-1 expression vector. Their optimal conditions for the fusion protein expression and purification were screened. Lysozyme gene amplified with primers ACLyz BamHI and ACLyz XhoI was ligated into the pGEX 4T-1 vector, which contained the glutathione S-transferase(GST) gene for fusion partner. The fusion protein was induced by IPTG and identified by SDS-PAGE analysis. Molecular weight of the fusion protein was estimated to be about 45 kDa. Recombinant lysozyme, fused to GST, was purified by glutathion-Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. Western blot analysis of this protein revealed an immunoreactivity with the anti-Agrius lysozyme.

• 한국해양바이오학회지
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• 제2권4호
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• pp.238-244
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• 2007

Nowadays many people are concerned about being healthy, and many dairy products are taken as health supplementary foods. Among dairy products, kefir, also called as Tibet mushroom, is a yogurt fermented by kefir grain, which is a mixture of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts. Although there are many empirical evidences that kefir is very influential for human body, the exact reason is not definitively discovered. Therefore, it would be useful to understand characteristics of a kefir grain and to categorize bacteria in a kefir grain. In this paper, molecular biological apparatus such as PCR, electrophoresis, PCR purification, DNA sequencing were used to identify and classify the species of lactic acid bacteria and yeast in a kefir grain. We used PCR-based identification method using 16S rRNA primer and Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) primer. We identified 6 different species which were selected on different medium. In addition, observation with scanning electron microscope (SEM) enabled us to grasp an external shape of the kefir grain. Although we found a limited number of microbial species, more intensive research are needed for extensive identification of microorganism species in Korean kefir grain.