• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.10
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• pp.739-744
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• 2008

Turnip yellow mosaic virus (TYMV) is a positive strand RNA virus that infects mainly Cruciferae plants. In this study, the TYMV genome was modified by inserting an extra subgenomic RNA promoter and a multiple cloning site. This modified TYMV was introduced into Nicotiana benthamiana using a Agrobacterium-mediated T-DNA transfer system (agroinfiltration). When a gene encoding $\beta$-glucuronidase or green fluorescent protein was expressed using this modified TYMV as a vector, replication of the recombinant viruses, especially the virus containing $\beta$-glucuronidase gene, was severely inhibited. The suppression of replication was reduced by co-expression of viral silencing suppressor genes, such as tombusviral p19, closteroviral p21 or potyviral HC-Pro. As expected, two subgenomic RNAs were produced from the recombinant TYMV, where the larger one contained the foreign gene. An RNase protection assay revealed that the recombinant subgenomic RNA was encapsidated as efficiently as the genuine subgenomic RNA.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.55-57
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• 2010

Torque teno virus (TTV), a species of Anellovirus, is a non-enveloped single stranded DNA virus with a wide range of animal hosts. The incidence of TTV is quite ubiquitous throughout the world. A total of 235 serum samples obtained from 137 pigs and 98 cattle at slaughterhouses in Korea during April 2005 to May 2005 were tested by TTV-specific PCR as to monitor prevalence of TTV among swine and cattle. As a result, the prevalent rates of TTVs in pigs and cattle were 43.1% and 4.1%, respectively. It seems that TTV infection is quite prevalent in swine population.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.353-356
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• 2004

Rotavirus and Norovirus are major causative agents of acute diarrhea and gastroenteritis. In our study, Each viral RNA was isolated from the feces of patients for viral diarrhea in Korea, respectively. And cDNA library were constructed using RT-PCR. Also, cDNAs encoding VP8 derived from Rotavirus and Capsid protein derived from norovirus were subesequently cloned and expressed in Echerichia coli as a fusion antigen. Molecular weight of fusion antigen was approximately 60kDa. Also, substantial overexpression was accomplished. We yielded egg yolk lgY which is potentially useful in controlling of Rotavirus and Norovirus which are one of the most prevalent pathogenic viruses.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.393-398
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• 2011

Polydnaviruses are a group of double-stranded DNA viruses and are symbiotically associated with some ichneumonoid wasps. As proviruses, the replication of polydnaviruses occurs in the female reproductive organ at the pupal stage. This study analyzed the effects of two developmental hormones, juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroid, on the viral replication of Cotesia plutellae bracovirus (CpBV). All 23 CpBV segments identified contained a conserved excision/rejoining site ('AGCTTT') from their proviral segments. Using quantitative real-time PCR based on this excision/rejoining site marker, initiation of CpBV replication was determined to have occurred on day 4 on the pupal stage. Pyriproxyfen, a JH agonist, significantly inhibited adult emergence of C. plutellae, whereas RH5992, an ecdysteroid agonist, had no inhibitory effect. Although RH5992 had no effect dose on adult development, it significantly accelerated viral replication. The results of immunoblotting assays against viral coat proteins support the effects of the hormone agonists on viral replication.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.26-30
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• 2015

nc886 (=vtRNA2-1, pre-miR-886, or CBL3) is a newly identified non-coding RNA (ncRNA) that represses the activity of protein kinase R (PKR). nc886 is transcribed by RNA polymerase III (Pol III) and is intriguingly the first case of a Pol III gene whose expression is silenced by CpG DNA hypermethylation in several types of cancer. PKR is a sensor protein that recognizes evading viruses and induces apoptosis to eliminate infected cells. Like viral infection, nc886 silencing activates PKR and induces apoptosis. Thus, the significance of the nc886:PKR pathway in cancer is to sense and eliminate pre-malignant cells, which is analogous to PKR's role in cellular innate immunity. Beyond this tumor sensing role, nc886 plays a putative tumor suppressor role as supported by experimental evidence. Collectively, nc886 provides a novel example how epigenetic silencing of a ncRNA contributes to tumorigenesis by controlling the activity of its protein ligand.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.241-260
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• 1995

Transposons, present in the genomes of all living organisms, are genetic element that can change positions, or transpose, within the genome. Most genomes contain several kinds of transposable elements and the molecular details of the mechanisms by which these transposons move have recently been uncovered in many families of transposable elements. Transposition is brought about by an enzyme known as transposaese encoded by the autonomous transposon itself, but, in the unautonomous transposon lacking the gene encoding the transposase, movement occurs only at the presence of the enzyme encoded by the autonomous one. There are two types of transposition events, conservative and replicative transposition. In the former the transposon moves without replication, both strands of the DNA moving together from one place to the other while in the latter the transposition frequently involves DNA replication, so one copy of transposon remains at its original site as another copy insole to a new site. The insertion of transposon into a gene can prevent it expression whereas excision from the gene may restore the ability of the gene to be expressed. There are marked similarities between transposons and certain viruses having single stranded Plus (+) RNA genomes. Retrotransposons, which differ from the ordinary transposons in that they transpose via an RNA-intermediate, behave much like retroviruses and have a structure of integrated retrovial DNA when they are inserted to a new target site. An insertional mutagenesis called transposon-tagging is now being used in a number of plant species to isolate genes involved in developmental and metabolic processes which have been proven difficult to approach by the traditional methods. Attempts to device a transposon-tagging system based on the maize Ac for use in heterologous species have been made by many research workers.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2002

We have cloned cDNAs encoding toxin from the spider, Araneus ventricosus, and constructed a recombinant baculovirus expressing the insecticidal toxin. The cDNAs encoding toxin were cloned from the cDNA library of A. ventricosus. Sequence analysis of the cDNAs encoding the toxin of A. ventricosus revealed that the 240 bp cDNA for AvTox-1 and 192 bp cDNA for AvTox-2 have an open reading frame of 80 and 64 amino acid residues, respectively. The deduced protein sequence of the toxin genes of AvTox-1 and AvTox-2 was aligned to that of the snack Anemonia sulcata and scorpion Centruroides limpidus limpidus, respectively. Northern blot analysis indicated that AvTox-2 toxin gene showed a fat body-spe-cific expression pattern at the transcriptional level. Furthermore, we have explored the possibility of improving baculovirus by incorporating the A. vontricosus toxin gene into Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus genome under the control of polyhedrin promoter, The AvTox-2 toxin gene was expressed as approximately 5.8 kDa band in the recombinant baculovirus-injected silkworm larvae. Bioassays with the recombinant virus expressing AvTox-2 on 5th instar silkworm larvae demonstrated a decrease in the time to kill $(LT_{50} days)$ compared to wild-type BmNPV-Kl $(LT_{50} 6.72 days)$ in the injection of 10 viruses. These results indicate that A. ventricosus toxin is a novel member of the spider toxin family, suggesting that the toxin gene can be used in recombinant baculoviruses to reduce insect feeding damage and increase the speed of insect kill.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6929-6933
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• 2013

Background: Multiple etiologies have been hypothesized for prostate cancer, including genetic defects and infectious agents. A recently reported gamaretrovirus, xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) has been reported to be detected in prostate cancer. However, this virus has not been detected in similar groups of patients in other studies. Herein, we sought to detect XMRV in prostate cancers and benign controls in Sanandaj, west of Iran. Materials and Methods: In a case-control study, genomic DNA was extracted from formalin fixed and paraffin embedded prostate tissues from a total of 163 Iranian patients. We developed a conventional and a nested PCR assay using primers targeting to an env specific sequence of XMRV. PCR assays were carried out on 63 prostate cancers and 100 benign prostate hyperplasias. Results: Beta-actin sequences were successfully detected in the DNA extracts from all prostate tissues, confirming DNA extraction integrity. We did not detect XMRV in samples either from prostate cancers or benign prostate hyperplasias using XMRV specific primers. Conclusions: We conclude that in our population XMRV does not play a role in genesis of prostate cancer.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.215-218
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• 2007

The occurrence and relative incidence of viruses including Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), Papaya rings pot virus (PRSV), and Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV), Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV), Kyuri green mottle mosaic virus (KGMMV), and Melon necrotic spot virus (MNSV) were surveyed from main melon (Cucumis melo L.) production areas in Jeonnam province during 2000-2002. Virus disease incidences of melon cultivating fields were 0% and 11% in spring and fall 2000; 40%, 2.1%, and 8.8% in spring, summer, and fall 2001; and 6.3 % in spring 2002 in main cultivated areas in Jeonnam province, respectively. Field disease incidences of melon virus infections were 0% and 18.8% in spring and fall 2000; 50%, 38.5%, and 82.6% in spring, summer, and fall 2001; and 47.4% in spring 2002, respectively. Total of 101 melon samples showing typical disease symptoms were collected from 2000 to 2002 and tested for virus infection by RT-PCR. Potyvirus-specific DNA fragments for WMV, ZYMV, and PRSV were amplified from 46, 5, and 4 samples, respectively. MNSV specific DNA fragment was amplified from 18 samples. CMV-specific DNA fragment was detected from only 3 samples.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3305-3308
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• 2013

Background: The role of inflammation in prostate diseases is suggested by the presence of inflammatory cells within the prostate in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa) patients. In addition, bacterial and viral infection may lead to chronic and recurrent inflammation of the prostate. The human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are a family of sexually transmitted viruses which have been implicated in the aetiology of cervical cancer and several other malignancies. This study evaluated the frequency of HPV infection in individuals with prostatic disease in Iran. Materials and Methods: The study included formalin fixed paraffin- embedded tissue samples of 196 primary prostate cases, including 29 PCa and 167 BPH samples. HPV DNA was purified and amplified through MY09/MY11 and GP5+/GP6+ primers with nested PCR. All patients were interviewed using a questionnaire to collect demographic information. Results: Nested PCR showed that HPV DNA was found in 17.2 percent of PCa samples and 4.8 percent of BPH samples (not significant). Conclusions: Our data do not support a significant role of HPV infection in prostatic disease in Iranian patients, but demographic data indicated a probable association between presence of HPV DNA and risk of inflammation in prostate tissue which might lead to prostate carcinoma. Further studies are required to elucidate any roles of HPV infection in prostatic disease.