• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.563-569
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• 2004

The DNA sequence of the chitosanase gene (choK) from $\beta$-Proteobacterium KNU3 showed an 1,158-bp open reading frame that encodes a protein of 386 amino acids with a novel 74 signal peptide. The degenerated primers based on the partial deduced amino acid sequences from MALDI- TOF MS analyses yielded the 820 bp of the PCR product. Based on this information, double inverse PCR cloning experiments, which use the two specific sets of PCR primers rather than single set primers, identified the unknown 1.2 kb of the choK gene. Subsequently, a 1.8 kb of full choK gene was cloned from another PCR cloning experiment and it was then subcloned into pGEM T-easy and pUC18 vectors. The recombinant E. coli clone harboring recombinant pUC18 vector produced a clear halo around the colony in the glycol chitosan plates. The recombinant ChoK protein was secreted into medium in a mature form while the intracellular ChoK was produced without signal peptide cleavage. The activity staining of PAGE showed that the recombinant ChoK protein was identical to the chitosanase of wild-type. The comparison of deduced amino acid sequences of choK revealed that there is 92% identity with that of Sphingobacterium multivorum chitosanase. Judging from the conserved module in other bacterial chitosanases, chitosanase of KNU3 strain (ChoK) belongs to the family 80 of glycoside hydrolases.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.202-207
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• 2010

Plant growth promoting fungi (PGPF) are well known for the production of useful secondary metabolites. However, limited information is available on the gibberellin (GA) production capacity of PGPF of endophytic origin. In the current study, 15 fungal endophytes were isolated from the roots of Crown daisy, and then screened on Waito-c rice, in order to identify plant growth promoting fungi. The fungal isolate MH7 significantly increased the shoot length (12.1 cm) of Waito-c in comparison with control treatment (7.9 cm). In a separate experiment, the culture filtrate (CF) of MH7 significantly promoted the growth attributes of Crown daisy. The MH7 CF was analyzed for gibberellins and it contained all physiologically active gibberellins ($GA_1$, 1.37 ng/ml; $GA_3$, 5.88 ng/ml; $GA_4$, 8.62 ng/ml; and $GA_7$, 2.05 ng/ml) in conjunction with physiologically inactive $GA_9$ (0.83 ng/ml), $GA_{12}$ (0.44 ng/ml), $GA_{15}$ (0.74 ng/ml), $GA_{19}$ (1.16 ng/ml), and $GA_{20}$ (0.98 ng/ml). The CF of MH7 produced higher amounts of $GA_3$, $GA_4$, $GA_7$, $GA_9$, and $GA_{12}$ than wild-type Fusarium fujikuroi, which was used as a control for GA production. The fungal isolate MH7 was later identified as a new strain of Penicillium on the basis of its morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of the 188 rDNA sequence.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.147-154
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• 2009

The carboxylesterase-encoding gene(bioHs) of a newly isolated strain, Serratia sp. SES-01, was cloned from the genomic DNA library by detecting formation of transparent halo around the colony on LB-tributyrin agar plates. The amino acid sequence of BioHs was highly similar to the members of the BioH enzyme family involved in the biotin biosynthetic pathway; it showed the highest similarity(91%) with that of Serratia proteamaculans. To compare BioHs with other BioH enzymes, the relatively well-known bioHe gene of E. coli was cloned with PCR. After we achieved high-level expression of soluble BioHs and BioHe through the exploration of different culture conditions, the purified BioHs and BioHe enzymes were characterized in terms of specificity, activity, and stability. BioHe was generally more robust to a change in temperature and pH and an addition of organic solvents than BioHs. The two enzymes exhibited a strong preference for carboxylesterase rather than for thioesterase and were optimal at relatively low temperatures($20-40^{\circ}C$) and alkaline pHs(7.5-9.0). The results in this study strongly suggested that both the BioHs and BioHe enzymes would be potential candidates for use as a carboxylesterase in many industrial applications.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.185-195
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• 1997

Sequence comparison of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of human caliciviruses (HuCVs) from Korean children with gastroenteritis revealed significant genetic variation among them. cDNA clones were produced from the HuCVs collected from pediatric population during a period of 1987-1994. The application of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using primers directed to the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase region within ORF1 of Norwalk virus (NV) showed that 13.7% of HuCVs yielded PCR products of similar size to the NV prototype, NV8FIIa/68/US, with exceptions of HuCV 185/87/Korea and HuCV 1115/90/Korea. Computer analyses showed that the PCR products had a continuous protein encoding frame on the positive strand, and contained GLPSG and YGDD amino acid motifs at the predicted distance from primers. Alignment of the amino acid sequences of HuCVs with previously published sequences for Snow Mountain agent (SMA), NV, and Sapporo/82/Japan indicated that these strains can be divided into four major genogroups. There were 10 (45%) SMA-like CVs, one (4.5%) NV-like HuCVs, two (9%) Sapporo-like HuCVs, and nine (41%) unidentified HuCVs. This fourth genogroup should be investigated further. HuCV 185/87/Korea and HuCV 1115/90/Korea, Sapporo-like CVs, were genetically distinct from previously characterized HuCVs and more closely related to known animal CVs. One of the animal CV-like strain, HuCV 185/87/Korea, showed nucleotide and amino acid homology of only 67% and 73% with the prototype Sapporo/82/Japan. Further characterization of animal and human CV genomes and studies of possible cross-transmission of CVs from animals to humans are likely to be beneficial in understanding the epidemiology of HuCVs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.788-797
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• 2001

The usefulness of three PCR methods were evaluated for the epidemiological typing of Staphylococcus aureus: an enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequence PCR (ERIC-PCR), repetitive extragenic palindromic element PCR (REP-PCR), and 16S-23S intergenic spacer PCR (ITS-PCR). The analysis was performed using a collection of S. aureus strains comprised of 6 reference and 79 isolates from patients with various diseases. Among the 85 S. aureus strains tested, 6 references and 6 isolates were found to be susceptible to methicillin, whereas the remaining 73 isolates were resistant to it. PCR methods are of special concern, as conventional phenotypic methods are unable to clearly distinguish among methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains. The ability of the techniques to detect different unrelated types was found to be as follows: ERIC-PCR, 19 types; REP-PCR, 36 types; and ITS-PCR, 14 types. On the basis of combining the ERIC, REP, and ITS fingerprints, the 85 S. aureus strains were grouped into 56 genetic types (designated G1 to G56). The diversities for the 85 S. aureus strains, calculated according to Simpson\`s index, were 0.88 for an ERIC-PCR, 0.93 for a REP-PCR, and 0.48 for an ITS-PCR, and the diversity increased up to 0.97 when an ERIC-PCR and REP-PCR were combined. The above discrimination indices imply that the genetic heterogeneity of S. aureus strains is high. Accordingly, this study demonstrates that DNA sequences from highly conserved repeats of a genome, particularly a combination of ERIC sequences and REP elements, are a convenient and accurate tool for the subspecies-specific discrimination and epidemiologic tracking of S. aureus.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.199-204
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• 2002

A microsporidium, from cabbage white bntteflies, Pieris rapae, collected in Korea, was purified and characterized according to its gene structure, spore morphology and pathogenicity. From the observation of the isolate by SEM and TEM, the endospores, exospores and nuclei, about 12 polar filament coils of the polar tube and posterior vacuoles were all identified. The nucleotide sequence was determined for a portion of genomic DNA which spans the V4 variable region of the small subunit rRNA gene. Comparison with the GenBank database for 15 other microsporidia species suggests that this isolate is most closely related to Nosema species. The pathogenicity against cabbage white butterflies was quantified by inoculating variable doses of spores to the second instar larvae. Peroral inoculation at a dosage of 10$\^$8/ spores/ml resulted in the death of all larvae prior to adult eclosion, but at lower spore dosages of 10$\^$4/-10$\^$5/ spores/ml, many adults successfully emerged. The median lethal dose (LD$\_$50/) was deter-mined to be 4.6$\times$10$\^$6/ spores/ml and the isolate also transmitted transovarially to the progeny eggs at a frequency of 92%.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.126-130
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• 1998

A noninsecticidal strain, Bacillus thuringiensis NTB-88, isolated from Korean soil, had a typical bipyramidal parasporal inclusion and its serotype is identical to B. thuringiensis subspmorrisoni (H8a8b). To elucidate differences between insecticidal and noninsecticidal strains, we compared strain NTB-88 to other toxic B. thuringiensis subsp. morrisoni strains (HD-12 and PG-14). Restriction endonucleases digested plasmid DNA patterns showed that strain NTB-88 was different from lepidopteran-toxic strain, HD-12, but it was similar to dipteran-toxic strain, PG-14. The gene type of strain NTB-88 was different from those of other insecticidal strains, Furthermore, the NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of crystal protein of strain NTB-88 had no relation to those of the previously known $\delta$-endotoxins in other toxic strains as well as HD-12 and PG-14 strains. Therefore, the noninsecticidal crystal protein in strain NTB-88 is novel and its property is different from insecticidal ones.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.28-32
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• 2009

Background : The most frequently reported risk factors for head and neck suamous cell carcinoma are smoking and alcohol. But in a recent overview, human papilloma virus(HPV) infection was revealed the important carcinogenic factor in oropharyngeal cancer. We aimed to clarify whether HPV directly effects on the oncogenesis and biologic behavior of hean and neck squamous cell carcinoma by comparison with infection prevalence, and physical status of virus. Material and Method : We used HPV genotyping DNA chip(Biocore, Korea, Seoul) arrayed by multiple oligonucleotide probes of L1 sequence of 26 types of HPV and HPV genotypes are identified by fluorescence scanner. The copy numbers of HPV E2 and E6 open reading frames(ORF) were assessed using a TaqMan-based 5'-exonuclease quantitative real-time PCR assay. The ratio of E2 to E6 copy numbers was calculated to determine the physical status of HPV-16 viral gene. Results : We observed a significant difference in HPV prevalence between tonsillar cancer group and control group(73.1% vs. 11.6%), and most of the HPVs were type 16(87.2%) and integrated(94.1%) state. In terms of oral tongue cancer, we demonstrate that 30.5% has integrated HPV-16 in cancer tissue. But Glottic cancer only 1% is related to HPV-16 integration. Conclusion : This study revealed significant relationship of HPV prevalence with oropharyngeal and oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma. Most of HPV were 16 type and integrated or mixed, HPV-16 integration could be directly related to the carcinogenesis.

• Journal of Apiculture
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.281-293
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• 2017

Sacbrood virus (SBV) is one of the main pathogenic RNA viruses of honeybee. SBV is found worldwide and many local strains have been reported, such as kSBV, cSBV, and wSBV. In this study, SBV-specific DNA fragments were cloned and sequenced by reverse-transcription PCR from 4 populations of A. mellifera, 4 sequences from 1 population belonged to the 2134D51 genotype (349 nucleotides, nt) and 12 sequences from 3 populations belonged to the 2100D0 genotype (400 nt) among the 16 determined sequences. A total of 87 points of mismatches were found by comparison with the most similar sequences in GenBank. Seventeen single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were detected, and 6 SNP-patterns in the 2100D0 genotype and 2 SNP-patterns in the 2134D51 genotype were identified based on SNP positions. In SNP-pattern 2, 10 SNPs were detected, but only 2 SNPs were found in SNP-pattern7. Meanwhile, one SNP-pattern was found from one RNA-sample, multi SNP-patterns were detected from other RNA-samples. Large numbers of SNP variants indicate that vast numbers of point-mutations on SBV have occurred since SBV invaded Korea and that SNP smay have been introduced individually over time. Thorough analysis of SNP variants will not only define the local infection-route, but also the relationships between SNP-pattern and SBV-pathogenic abilities.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.152-158
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• 2022

A cryopreservation is an essential tool for preservation of germplasm. In this study, the possibility for cryopreservation of embryogenic cells of Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) in liquid nitrogen (-196℃) was evaluated. The effects of glycerol and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at different concentrations (5%, 10% and 20%) as cryoprotectants on regrowth of cryopreserved E. senticosus embryogenic cells were tested. There was significant effect of cryoprotectants on regrowth of embryogenic cells (p=0.0019). The highest and lowest fresh mass gain were achieved when embryogenic cells were frozen with 10% DMSO and 5% glycerol (138.2±5.9 and 61.3±14.6, respectively). The effect of the cryoprotectants on the frequency embryo germination was tested. There was no significant difference between glycerol and DMSO (p=0.846). Three different concentrations of cryoprotectants did not significantly affect the frequency embryo germination (p=0.534). Finally, the genetic fidelity of the plantlets regenerated from non-cryopreserved and cryopreserved embryogenic cells was tested by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) analysis. RAPD and ISSR analysises showed that there was no genetic variation among regenerants.