• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.486-489
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• 1996

A simple, rapid, specific and sensitive method for the detection of serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique without conventional RNA extraction was developed. HCV template RNA from serum was obtained by boiling the serum at $95^{\circ}C$ for 2 min, cooling rapidly in ice and removing the proteins by cetrifugation. RT-PCR amplifications including the reverse transcription and first PCR amplification were performed in one vessel containing both of reverse transcriptase and Taq DNA polymerase. The detection of HCV RNA from $10^{-3}{\mu}l$. serum was possible with this method. The suitability of this method for clinical analysis was evaluated by assaying HCV RNA in 225 patient samples including anti-HCV antibody negatives (13 samples) and positives (212 samples) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test (ELISA). Detections of HCV RNA with this method were in 4 of 13 anti-HCV antibody negative samples (30.8%) and 95 of 212 positive samples (44.8%). The present method can be completed in 1 hr and has a wide range of application for the clinical utilities to determine the viral RNAS.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.469-474
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• 1996

A rapid and sensitive method has been developed to detect hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV) by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique with primers specific for the surface and core regions in capillary thermal cycler within 80 min. The lower limit for detection by present PCR method is $10^{-5}$ pg of recombinant HBV DNA which is equivalent to that determined by one round of PCR amplification and Southern blot hybridization analysis. When boiled HBV positive serum was serially diluted 10-fold, HBV DNA was successfully determined in $1{\mu}l-10^{-3}$ of serum. HBV DNA was detected by present method in 69 clinical samples including HBsAg positives and negatives by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). When serum samples were amplified by nested PCR using surface and core region primers, HBV DNAs were detected in 37 of 69 samples (53.6%) and 18 of 69 samples (26.1%), respectively. These results can inform the infectious state of HBsAg positive pateints. A simple and rapid nested PCR protocol by using boiled serum as DNA template has been described for the clinical utility to determine HBV DNA in human serum.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.123-129
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• 2021

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase is a key enzyme for PHA production in microorganisms. The class IV PHA synthase is composed of two subunits: PhaC and PhaR. The PhaR subunit, which encodes the phaR gene, is only present in class IV PHA synthases. Therefore, the phaR gene is used as a biomarker for bacteria that contain a class IV PHA synthase, such as some Bacillus spp. The phaR gene was developed to screen phaR-containing Bacillus spp. The phaR screening method involved two steps: phaR gene amplification by PCR and phaR amplicon detection using a DNA lateral flow assay. The screening method has a high specificity for phaR-containing Bacillus spp. The lowest amount of genomic DNA of B. thuringiensis ATCC 10792 that the phaR screening method could detect was 10 pg. This novel screening method improves the specificity and sensitivity of phaR gene screening and reduces the time and cost of the screening process, which could enhance the opportunity to discover good candidate PHA producers. Nevertheless, the screening method can certainly be used as a tool to screen phaR-containing Bacillus spp. from environmental samples.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2009

The gene encoding Thermus thermophilus HJ6 DNA polymerase (Tod) was cloned and sequenced. The open reading frame (ORF) of the Tod gene was composed of 2,505 nucleotides and encoded a protein (843 amino acids) with a predicted molecular weight of 93,795 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence of Tod showed 98% and 86% identities to the Thermus thermophilus HB8 DNA pol and Thermus aquaticus DNA pol, respectively, The Tod gene was expressed under the control of the bacteriophage $\lambda$ promoters PR and PL on the expression vector pJLA503 in Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3) codon plus. The expressed enzyme was purified by heat treatment, $HiTrap^{TM}$ Q column, and $HiPrep^{TM}$ Sephacryl S-200 HR 26/60 column chromatographies. The optimal temperature and pH for DNA polymerase activity were found to be $75{\sim}80^{\circ}C$ and 9.0, respectively. The optimal concentrations of $Mg^{2+}$ and $Mn^{2+}$ were 2.5 mM and 1 mM, respectively. The enzyme activity was activated by divalent cations, and was inhibited by monovalent cations. The result of the PCR experiment with Tod DNA polymerase indicates that this enzyme might be useful in DNA amplification and PCR-based applications.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.179-188
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• 2017

White-rot basidiomycetes are the organisms that decompose lignin most efficiently, and Trametes villosa is a promising species for ligninolytic enzyme production. There are several publications on T. villosa applications for lignin degradation regarding the expression and secretion of laccase and manganese peroxidase (MnP) but no reports on the identification and characterization of lignin peroxidase (LiP), a relevant enzyme for the efficient breakdown of lignin. The object of this study was to identify and partially characterize, for the first time, gDNA, mRNA, and the corresponding lignin peroxidase (TvLiP) protein from T. villosa strain CCMB561 from the Brazilian semiarid region. The presence of ligninolytic enzymes produced by this strain grown in inducer media was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by spectrophotometry, qPCR, and dye fading using Remazol Brilliant Blue R. The spectrophotometric analysis showed that LiP activity was higher than that of MnP. The greatest LiP expression as measured by qPCR occurred on the $7^{th}$ day, and the ABSA medium (agar, sugarcane bagasse, and ammonium sulfate) was the best that favored LiP expression. The amplification of the TvLiP gene median region covering approximately 50% of the T. versicolor LPGIV gene (87% identity); the presence of Trp199, Leu115, Asp193, Trp199, and Ala203 in the translated amplicon of the T. villosa mRNA; and the close phylogenetic relationship between TvLiP and T. versicolor LiP all indicate that the target enzyme is a lignin peroxidase. Therefore, T. villosa CCMB561 has great potential for use as a LiP, MnP, and Lac producer for industrial applications.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.116-121
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• 2010

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) promote the development of brain and vision of the fetus, relieve inflammation, inhibit oral dysplasia of rumor cell, decrease the incidence of cardiovascular disease and regulate arrhythmia. ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase is the rate-limited enzyme in the desaturation process. This study reports the cloning, characterization and tissue expression of a ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase gene in the chicken. PCR primers were designed based on the predicted sequence of chicken ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase (accession number: XM421053) and used to isolate a cDNA fragment of 1,323 bp from chicken liver. Based on the 1,323 bp fragment an EST (BI390105) was obtained by BLAST. The EST and 5'nd of the 1,323 bp fragment were partially overlapped. Gene specific primers derived from the EST were used for amplification of the 5'nd. Another gene-specific primer derived from the 1,323 bp fragment was used for amplification of the 3'nd by 3'ACE. Then the three overlapping cDNA sequences obtained were assembled with DNAMAN software and a full-length ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase of 2,153 bp was obtained. The full-length cDNA contained an ORF of 1,335 bp with a 5'ntranslated region of 147 nucleotides followed by an ATG initiation codon. Stop codon TGA was at position 1,481-1,483 bp. The deduced amino acids shared an homology above 77% with bovine, mice, orangutan, rat and human. The protein sequence had three histidine-rich regions HDFGH (HisI region), HFQHH (HisII region) and HH (HisIII region), a cytochrome $b_{5}$-like domain containing a heme-binding motif and two transmembrane domains. Sequence analysis of the chicken genomic DNA revealed that the coding sequence of chicken ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase included 12 exons and 11 introns. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that the ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase expression levels were in turn liver, spleen, pancreas, lung, breast muscle, heart, and abdominal fat. The expression of ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase in liver was significantly higher than that in breast muscle (p<0.01). The expression of ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase in lung was significantly higher than that in abdominal fat (p<0.01). This is the first clone of chicken ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.146-150
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• 2003

This study was carried out to obtain basic information on breeding using PCR-aided RFLP technology which can identify the variation inter- and intra-species of ginseng in the level of DNA. It was intended to investigate banding pattern on psbA and rbeL genes of chloroplast DNA in ginseng after treating with restriction enzymes. To isolate psbA and rbcL genes of chloroplast, both psbA-N, psbA-C primer and rbcL-N, PX-1 primer were used. As a result, 1,008 bp band of psbA gene and 1,336 bp band of rbcL gene were appeared, which was optimal and expected molecular weight. In addition, primers to isolate atpB, rpoB, trnL, and trnF genes were used, resulting in the expected 1366, 900, 1500 and 1008 bp bands. Genes of psbA and rbcL isolated by PCR were cut by restriction enzymes, Sau3A, TaqI, AluI, HaeIII, and RFLP pattern was investigated. KG line and other species of ginseng were cut by TaqI treatment, and bands were located in 800 bp. The treatment treated by AluI also showed the same 800 bp band in KG line and other species. In HaeIII treatment, 500 bp of faint bands were shown in case of KG line, whereas any bands were not observed in other species. All chloroplast genes formed bands by PCR amplification. However, it was not evident to distinguish intra-or inter-species of ginseng after restriction enzyme treatment. Therefore, more restriction enzyme treatment or sequence comparison method should be considered for further experiment.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.857-863
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• 2017

The FBJ murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (FosB) gene is located at chromosome 19, and encodes 43 Kda protein. Functionally, the FosB gene is important for differentiation, development, and pathogenesis. Furthermore, the FosB gene is suggested as possible biomarker for tracing disease prognosis. In this study, we constructed plasmid containing a FosB promoter region and evaluate its promoter activity. We analyzed the putative promoter region in FosB genomic DNA using bioinformatics program, and we found important regulatory elements in 1 Kb upstream from transcription start site (TSS). Therefore, we performed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification on region from-1,555 upstream to +73 of the FosB genomic DNA, and PCR product was inserted into TA vector to create the $TA-1^{st}FosBp$ plasmid. We then prepared the primer sets, which contain a restriction enzyme site for Kpn1 and Nhe1, in order to reinsert into the TA vector to prepare $TA-2^{nd}FosBp$ plasmid. It was finally subcloned into pGL3-luc vector after enzyme cutting. To evaluate whether the cloned plasmid is useful in cell based experiment, we performed luciferase assay with pGL3-FosBp-luctransfection. FosB promoter activity was increased compared to empty vector, and this activity was significantly increased by treatment of doxorubicin and taxol. We obtained consistent data on regulation of FosB gene expression after anticancer drug treatment using Western blot analysis. The results suggest that promoter cloning of the human FosB gene is very useful for studying gene expression and analyzing biomarkers.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1192-1198
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• 2004

Sasang Constitutional Medicine is a major branch of Korean Traditional Medicine. The differences of disease susceptibility to be shown in Sasang constitution may be due to genetic factors. Therefore, I examined interrelationship among cerebral infarction (CI), apolipoprotein E (apo E) gene polymorphism, and Sasang constitutional classification. Apo E is a key protein modulating the highly atherogenic apoB containing lipoproteins and is a candidate gene for the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). The ε2 and/or ε4 alleles were the first to be implicated in premature CAD, which resulted in this polymorphism being extensively studied. I investigated the association between apo E genotype and CI by case-control study in a Korean population. I also classified CI patients and control group into groups according to Sasang Constitutional Medicine. 218 CI patients and 379 controls without CI were examined. Apo E genotype was determined by 8% polyacrylamide gel separation after DNA amplification. A frequency of apo E ε3/ε3 in the apo E genotype distribution was higher in the CI patients compared with that in controls. Also, it was widely known that Taeumin was easily attacked with CI, but there was no association between apo E polymorphim and Taeumin. However, the Taeumin constitution did not enhance the relative risk for CI in the subjects with apo E ε2 and/or ε4 alleles. No differences in the apo E genotypes frequencies were observed in the Taeumin compared with that in the other constitutions. In addition, I investigated whether the DD(deletion/deletion) or ID(insertion/deletion) genotype of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene, a candidate gene for CI, was associated with CI, Taeumin constitution, and apo E polymorphism. As a result, the frequency of Taeumin constitution was significantly higher in CI patients with both apo E ε3/ε4 and ACE ID/DD genotypes than in the remaining Sasang constitutions. In summary, it was concluded that the apo E polymorphism is a major risk factor for CI in Koreans and the ACE ID/DD genotype enhanced the relative risk for CI in the subjects with apo E ε3/ε4 genotype and Taeumin constitution.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.155-161
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• 2017

A gene coding for the xylanase predicted from the partial genomic sequence of Paenibacillus woosongensis was cloned by PCR amplification and sequenced completely. This xylanase gene, designated xyn11B, consisted of 1,071 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 356 amino acid residues. Based on the deduced amino acid sequence, Xyn11B was identified to be a modular enzyme, including a single carbohydrate-binding module besides the catalytic domain, and was highly homologous to xylanases belonging to glycosyl hydrolase family 11. The SignalP4.1 server predicted a stretch of 26 residues in the N-terminus to be the signal peptide. Using DEAE-Sepharose and Phenyl-Sepharose column chromatography, Xyn11B was partially purified from the cell-free extract of recombinant Escherichia coli carrying a copy of the P. woosongensis xyn11B gene. The partially purified Xyn11B protein showed maximal activity at $50^{\circ}C$ and pH 6.5. The enzyme was more active on arabinoxylan than on oat spelt xylan and birchwood xylan, whereas it did not exhibit activity towards carboxymethylcellulose, mannan, and para-nitrophenyl-${\beta}$-xylopyranoside. The activity of Xyn11B was slightly increased by $Ca^{2+}$ and $Mg^{2+}$, but was significantly inhibited by $Cu^{2+}$, $Ni^{2+}$, $Fe^{3+}$, and $Mn^{2+}$, and completely inhibited by SDS.