• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.515-519
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• 2015

Complexes composed of hydrogen tetrachloroaurate (III) trihydrate ($HAuCl_4{\cdot}3H_2O$) and DNA were first formed for the synthesis of gold nanoparticle using a DNA template, which were validated using UV-Vis spectroscopy. The morphology of complexes were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). DNA-mediated gold nanoparticles were synthesized by the chemical reduction of DNA-Au(III) complexes using hydrazine ($N_2H_4$) and sodium borohydride ($NaBH_4$) as reducing agents. The effects of reducing agent types and their concentration on the formation of gold nanoparticles were investigated. The results showed that hydarazine was the most effective for the reduction of DNA-Au(III) complex. The DNA-mediated gold nanoparticles were characterized SEM, particle size analyzer (PSA), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Gold nanoparticles with 55~80 nm in diameter were formed by the aggregation of smaller gold nanoparticles (~nm), which was confirmed in the DNA matrix.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.248-254
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• 2002

Single cell gel electrophoresis assay was carried out to evaluate DNA damage in T-and B-lymphocytes from rats exposed to benzene and the correlation between DNA damage and the level of t,t-muconic acids, which are urinary benzene metabolites, was investigated. In control rats, the mean values of Olive tail moments in T-and B-lymphocytes were 1.507$\pm$0.187 and 1.579$\pm$0.206 respectively. DNA damages of T-lymphocytes in rats exposed for 4 weeks showed the highest Olive tail moments at each benzene concentration examined (2.72-4.351). However this DNA damage was decreased after 6 weeks of exposure (1.74-2.09). DNA damages of B-lymphocytes did not show such differences with exposure time or benzene concentration (1.49-2.07) except at 200 ppm at 4 weeks. T-lymphocytes show significantly more damages than B-lymphocyte upon acute exposure to benzene.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.654-661
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• 2019

The soybean cyst nematode, Heterodera glycines, is a major plant-parasitic nematode that has caused important economic losses to Korea's soybean production. Four species of cyst nematodes, H. schachtii, H. glycines, H. trifolii, and H. sojae, all belong to schachtii group are coexist in field soil in Korea. The rapid identification of the nematode is crucial for preventing crop damage and in decision making for controlling this nematode. This study aimed to develop a species-specific primer set for quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay of H. glycines. The specific primer set (HGF1 and HGR1) for H. glycines was designed based on the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequence of mitochondrial DNA. After optimization, it is possible to identify the H. glycines using a qPCR assay with DNA extracted from a single cyst and single second-stage juvenile (J2). The specificity was confirmed by the absence of SYBR fluorescent signals of three other Heterodera species. A serial dilution of DNA extracted from a single cyst was obtained for the sensitivity test. The result showed that the standard curve of the test had a highly significant linearity between DNA concentration and Ct value (R² = 0.996, slope = -3.49) and that the detection limit concentration of DNA of the primer set was 10 pg of DNA per reaction. Our findings suggested that H. glycines could be distinguished from H. sojae and other Heterodera species when a qPCR assay is used with a specific primer set.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2001

Aucubin, an irdoid g1ucoside, was investigated to determine whether it has a stimulating effect on $\alpha$-amanitin excretion in $\alpha$-amanitin intoxicated rats, and whether there is binding activity to calf thymus DNA. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of $\alpha$-amanitin in rat urine allowed quantitative measurement of the $\alpha$-amanitin concentration with a detection limit of 50${mu}g/ml$. In this system, a group treated with both $\alpha$-amanitin and aucubin showed that o(-amanitin was excreted about 1.4 times faster than in the $\alpha$-amanitin only treated group. Our previous results showed that the toxicity of $\alpha$-amanitin is due to specific inhibition of RNA polymerase activity and the resultant blockage of the synthesis of certain RNA species in the nucleus. However, no significant activity change on RNA polymerase from Hep G2 cells was observed when aucubin was treated with $\alpha$-amanitin at any concentration tested. Nevertheless, aucubigenin inhibited both DNA polymerase (IC50, 80.5${mu}g/ml$) and RNA polymerase (IC50, 135.0${mu}g/ml$) from the Hep G2 cells. The potential of both $\alpha$-amanitin and aucubin to interact with DNA were examined by spectrophotometric analysis. $\alpha$-Amanitin showed no significant binding capacity to calf thymus DNA, but aucubin was found to interact with DNA, and the apparent binding constant ($K_{app}$) and apparent number of binding sites per D7A phosphate ($B_{app}$) were 0.45$0.45{\times}$$10^4$ $M^{-1}$ and 1.25, respectively.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2001

To elucidate the apoptosis mechanism of Trichoplusia ni cell, fundamental studies for apoptosis induction and suppression were performed. Hygromycin B, a known inducer of apoptosis, started the inhibition of T. ni cell growth at $200\;{\mu}/ml$ concentration. Furthermore, at $400\;{\mu}/ml$ concentration, DNA fragmentation was detected on day 2 of incubation. Although both dexamethasone and sodium butyrate inhibited T. ni cell growth, DNA fragmentation was not detected by both treatments. Also, when apoptosis induced T. ni cells with $200\;{\mu}/ml$ hygromycin B were treated with caspase inhibitor (Ac-DEVD-CHO), the apoptotsis was suppressed by 36%. In addition, N-acetylcysteine, another apoptosis repressor, also inhibited the apoptosis of T. ni cells. In order to express the anti-apoptosis gene (bcl-2), T. ni cells were transiently transformed with bcl-2 and its expression was confirmed by western blot analysis. These results showed the potential of developing new insect cell lines with suppressed apoptosis.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.122-127
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• 2005

A DNA chip that rapidly and accurately detects the viral genes in rhabdovirus-infected fish was developed. The N, Ml, and G proteins of three rhabdovirus strains, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), and flounder rhabdovirus (HIRRV), were selected for use as probes. The sequences of the corresponding genes were obtained, and probes were prepared by PCR using specific primer sets. The specificity of the probes was confirmed by cross PCR. The prepared probes were spotted on poly-L-lysine- or aminosilane-coated glass slides and hybridized with target DNA under several different conditions in order to determine the optimal hybridization temperature, glass-slide coating, and target cDNA concentration.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.209-213
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• 2003

The objective of this study was to construct the pegylated liposomes containing plasmid DNA with optimal encapsulation efficiency. Plasmid DNA $(pGL2\;clone\;753,\;{\sim}6\;kb)$ was encapsulated by the freeze/thawing method into liposomes composed of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphocholine (POPC), didodecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (DDAB), distearoylphosphatidyl ethanolamine polyethylene glycol 2000 (DSPE-PEG 2000) and DSPE-PEG 2000-male-imide. The liposomes containing plasmid DNA were then extruded through two stacked polycarbonate filters with series of different pore sizes to control the liposome size. The plasmid DNA entrapped in the liposomes was separated from free plasmid DNA by Sephadex CL-4B column chromatography. The decreased pore size of polycarbonate filters resulted in the decreased size of liposomes. The encapsulation efficiency was markedly affected by the cationic lipid (DDAB) concentration, but to a low degree by the size of liposomes and by the amount of plasmid DNA.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.1022-1027
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• 2005

Based on plasmid display technology by the complexes of fusion protein and the encoding plasmid DNA, an in vitro selection method for high affinity DNA-binding protein was developed and experimentally demonstrated. The GAL4 DNA-binding domain (GAL4 DBD) was selected as a model DNA-binding protein, and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was used as an expression reporter for the selection of target proteins. Error prone PCR was conducted to construct a mutant library of the model. Based on the affinity decrease with increased salt concentration, mutants of GAL4 DBD having high affinity were selected from the mutant protein library of protein-encoding plasmid complex by this method. Two mutants of (Lys33Glu, Arg123Lys, Ile127Lys) and (Ser47Pro, Ser85Pro) having high affinity were obtained from the first generation mutants. This method can be used for rapid in vitro selection of high affinity DNA-binding proteins, and has high potential for the screening of high affinity DNA-binding proteins in a sequence-specific manner.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.440-447
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• 2004

In this study the in vitro protective effects of several antioxidant vitamins (vitamin C, $\alpha$-tocopherol, $\beta$-carotene), fruits and vegetables (strawberry, tangerine, orange and 100％ orange juice, carrot juice), on the levels of isolated human lymphocyte DNA damage was measured using Comet assay. Comet assay has been used widely to assess the level of the DNA damage in the individual cells. Lymphocytes were pre-treated for 30 minutes with antioxidant vitamins (10, 50, 100, 500 $\mu$M) or fruits$.$vegetables (10, 100, 500, 1000 $\mu$g/ml), an4 then oxidatively challenged with 100 $\mu$M $H_2O$$_2$ for 5 min at 4$^{\circ}C$. The protective effect of antioxidant vitamins against DNA damage at a concentration of 50 $\mu$M were 50％ in vitamin C, 32％ in $\alpha$-tocopherol, whereas, fJ-carotene showed a 55％ protection at a dose as low as 10 $\mu$M. The inhibitory effects of DNA damage by strawberry, tangerine, orange, orange juices, carrot juices were 50 - 60％ with wide ranges of doses. The results of the present study indicate that most the antioxidant vitamins and fruits$.$vegetables juices produced a significant reduction in oxidative DNA damage.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.22-26
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• 2002

There are a number of ways in which environmental microbiology and microbial ecology will benefit from DNA micro array technology. These include community genome arrays, SSU rDNA arrays, environmental functional gene arrays, population biology arrays, and there are clearly more different applications of microarray technology that can be applied to relevant problems in environmental microbiology. Two types of the applications, bacterial identification chip and functional gene detection chip, will be presented. For the bacterial identification chip, a new approach employing random genome fragments that eliminates the disadvantages of traditional DNA-DNA hybridization is proposed to identify and type bacteria based on genomic DNA-DNA similarity. Bacterial genomes are fragmented randomly, and representative fragments are spotted on a glass slide and then hybridized to test genomes. Resulting hybridization profiles are used in statistical procedures to identify test strains. Second, the direct binding version of microarray with a different array design and hybridization scheme is proposed to quantify target genes in environmental samples. Reference DNA was employed to normalize variations in spot size and hybridization. The approach for designing quantitative microarrays and the inferred equation from this study provide a simple and convenient way to estimate the target gene concentration from the hybridization signal ratio.