• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제27권8호
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• pp.1461-1471
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• 2017

Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) and its non-toxic mutant (LTm) are well-known powerful mucosal adjuvants and immunogens. However, the yields of these adjuvants from genetically engineered strains remain at extremely low levels, thereby hindering their extensive application in fundamental and clinical research. Therefore, efficient production of these adjuvant proteins from genetically engineered microbes is a huge challenge in the field of molecular biology. In order to explore the expression bottlenecks of LTm in E. coli, we constructed a series of recombinant plasmids based on various considerations and gene expression strategies. After comparing the protein expression among strains containing different recombinant plasmids, the signal sequence was found to be critical for the expression of LTm and its subunits. When the signal sequence was present, the strong hydrophobicity and instability of this amino acid sequence greatly restricted the generation of subunits. However, when the signal sequence was removed, abundantly expressed subunits formed inactive inclusion bodies that could not be assembled into the hexameric native form, although the inclusion body subunits could be refolded and the biological activity recovered in vitro. Therefore, the dilemma choice of signal sequence formed bottlenecks in the expression of LTm. These results reveal the expression bottlenecks of LTm, provide guidance for the preparation of LTm and its subunits, and certainly help to promote efficient preparation of this mucosal adjuvant protein.

• 미생물과산업
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.4-8
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• 1986

DNA is a flexible molecule that adopts a variety of conformations. Left-handed helices have been demonstrated in synthetic DNA polymers (reviewed in Ref.1-2) and in segments of DNA restriction fragments (3) and recombinant plasmids (4-8). Other DNA conformations such as cruci forms and bent structures have also been demonstrated. Thus DNA micro heterogeneity has been demonstrated in a variety of systems (9-11). The role of the static and dynamic structures and properties of DNA in gene expression has been reviewed(1,12).

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제27권5호
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• pp.583-589
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• 2009

GTP cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH) is a key enzyme in the de novo synthesis of tetrahydrobiopterin. Previously, the Drosophila melanogaster GTPCH gene has been shown to be expressed from two different promoters (P1 and P2). In our study, the 5'-flanking DNA regions required for P1 and P2 promoter activities were characterized using transient expression assay. The DNA regions between -98 and +31, and between -73 and +35 are required for efficient P1 and P2 promoter activities, respectively. The regions between -98 and -56 and between -73 and -41 may contain critical elements required for the expression of GTPCH in Drosophila. By aligning the nucleotide sequences in the P1 and P2 promoter regions of the Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila virilrs GTPCH genes, several conserved elements including palindromic sequences in the regions critical for P1 and P2 promoter activities were identified. Western blot analysis of transgenic flies transformed using P1 or P2 promoter-lacZ fusion plasmids further revealed that P1 promoter expression is restricted to the late pupae and adult developmental stages but that the P2 promoter driven expression of GTPCH is constitutive throughout fly development. In addition, X-gal staining of the embryos and imaginal discs of transgenic flies suggests that the P2 promoter is active from stage 13 of embryo and is generally active in most regions of the imaginal discs at the larval stages.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.258-265
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• 1997

The effects of medium pH and culture temperature on the expression and secretion of inulinase and invertase were investigated with recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. These cells were obtained by transformation of 2$\mu$-based plasmids pYI10 and pYS10 which contain Kluyveromyces marxianus inulinase gene (INU1A) and S. cerevisiae invertase gene (SUC2), respectively, in the downstream of GAL1 promoter. The expression level and localization of inulinase and invertase were not affected significantly by the initial medium pH: secretion efficiencies of inulinase and invertase into the medium were about 90% and 60%, respectively, in the pH ranges of 4.0 to 6.5. However, the expression and secretion of both enzymes were strongly dependent on the culture temperature. The highest expression (7.7 units/mL) and secretion (6.7 units/mL) of inulinase were observed at 28$\circ$C and 30$\circ$C. As a consequence of decreased localization of inulinase in the periplasmic space, the secretion efficiency increased from 68% at 20$\circ$C, to 95% at 35$\circ$C,. The total expression level and secretion efficiency of invertase increased from 19 units/mL and 55% at 20$\circ$C to 25 units/mL and 68% at 35$\circ$C, respectively. Irrespective of the culture temperature, the invertase activity in the cellular fraction (periplasmic space and cytoplasmic fractions) was kept constant at around 33-45%.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.93-97
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• 2003

Alternative or complementary medicine plays an important role in health care system. Ginseng, being one of the most popular oriental herbs, is believed to contain various steroid hormone activity. Ginseng has been demonstrated pharmacological effect in the cardiovascular, endocrine, central nervous, and immune system. Our objective was to study that total saponin might mediate some of their actions by binding to the steroid hormone receptor, as they share many of the actions of steroid hormone in various physiological system. Using total saponin from Panax Ginseng, we have studied the possibility of total saponin being a potential estrogen receptor, androgen receptor, and retinoic acid receptor ligand. Total saponin activated the transcription of both the estrogen and androgen responsive luciferase reporter plasmids at a concentration of 100$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml in COS cells transiently transfected with the corresponding receptor and hormone responsive receptor plasmids. And total saponin caused a concentration-dependent stimulation of estrogen receptor. Total saponin increased the expression of estrogen responsive c-fos proto-oncogene at the protein level in MCF7 cells at 24 h treatment as examined by Western analysis. The c-fos induction was used as a specific marker of estrogen responsiveness. This activation was inhibited by the specific estrogen receptor antagonist, ICI 182,780. However, total saponin failed to activate the retinoic acid receptor in COS cells transiently transfected with the corresponding receptor and retinoic acid responsive reporter plasmids. These results show that total saponin is capable of activating estrogen and androgen receptors.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.210-214
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• 2007

The 90-kDa heat shock protein (HSP90) normally functions as a molecular chaperone participating in folding and stabilizing newly synthesized proteins, and refolding denatured proteins. The HSP90 inhibitor geldanamycin (GA) occupies the ATP/ADP binding pocket of HSP90 so inhibits its chaperone activity and causes subsequent degradation of HSP90 client proteins by proteasomes. Here we show that GA reduces the level of endogenous c-Jun in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells in a time and dose dependent manner, and that this decrease can be reversed by transfection of HSP90 plasmids. Transfection of HSP90 plasmids in the absence of GA increases the level of endogenous c-Jun protein, but has no obvious affect on c-Jun mRNA levels. We also showed that HSP90 prolongs the half-life of c-Jun by stabilizing the protein; the proteasome inhibitor N-benzoyloxycarbonyl (Z)-Leu-Leu-leucinal (MG132) blocks the degradation of c-Jun promoted by GA. Transfection of HSP90 plasmids did not obviously alter phosphorylation of c-Jun, and a Jun-2 luciferase activity assay indicated that over-expression of HSP90 elevated the total protein activity of c-Jun in HEK293 cells. All our evidence indicates that HSP90 stabilizes c-Jun protein, and so increases the total activity of c-Jun in HEK293 cells.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제29권11호
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• pp.1042-1048
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• 2006

Plasmid DNA vaccines encoding the hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface and hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope antigens, respectively, were constructed, and attempt were made to find the possibility of a divalent vaccine against HBV and HCV. The expression of each plasmid in Cos-1 cells was confirmed using immunocytochemistry. To measure the induced immune response by these plasmids in vivo, female BALB/c mice were immunized intramuscularly with $100\;{\mu}g$ of either both or just one of the plasmids. Anti-HBV and HCV-specific antibodies and related cytokines were evaluated to investigate the generation of both humoral and cellular immune responses. As a result, specific anti-HBV and anti-HCV serum antibodies from mice immunized with these plasmids were observed using immunoblot. The levels of IL-2 and RANTES showing a $Th_{1}$ immune response were significantly increased, but there was no change in the level of IL-4 ($Th_{1}$ immune response) in any of the immunized groups. Compared with each plasmid DNA vaccine, the combined vaccine elicited similar immune responses in both humoral and cell-mediated immunities. These results suggest that the combined DNA vaccine can induce not only comparable immunity experimentally without antigenic interference, but also humoral and $Th_{1}$ dominant cellular immune responses. Therefore, they could serve as candidates for a simultaneous bivalent vaccine against HBV and HCV infections.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제27권5호
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• pp.601-608
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• 2009

The 2-deoxystreptamine and paromamine are two key intermediates in kanamycin biosynthesis. In the present study, pSK-2 and pSK-7 recombinant plasmids were constructed with two combinations of genes: kanABK, and kanABKF and kacA respectively from kanamycin producer Streptomyces kanamyceticus ATCC12853. These plasmids were heterologously expressed into Streptomyces lividans TK24 independently and generated two recombinant strains named S. lividans SK-2/SL and S. lividans SK-7/SL, respectively. ESI/ MS and ESI-LC/MS analysis of the metabolite from S. lividans SK-2/SL showed that the compound had a molecular mass of 163 $[M+H]^+$, which corresponds to that of 2-deoxystreptamine. ESI/MS and MS/MS analysis of metabolites from S. lividans SK-7/SL demonstrated the production of paromamine with a molecular mass of $324[M+H]^+$. In this study, we report the production of paromamine in a heterologous host for the first time. This study will evoke to explore complete biosynthetic pathways of kanamycin and related aminoglycoside antibiotics.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.301-306
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• 1989

Zymomonas mobilis ATCC 10988로부터 분리된 chromosomal DNA를 제한효소 Sau3Al으로 부분 절단한 후 이를 BamHI으로 완전 절단하여 alkaline phosphatase를 처치한 pUC9과 ligation하여 Escherichia coli JM83을 형질전환시키는데 사용하였다. 알코올 탈수소 효소활성을 나타내는_대장균 형질전환체를 선별하기 위해 allyl alcohol을 사용하였는데 이 때 allyl alcohol을 함유한 LB 한천 배지에서 자라지 못하는 두개의 clones을 얻었다. 이들 clones으로부터 분리한 plasmids를 여러가지 제한효소로 처리하여 agarose gel 전기영동으로 분석한 결과 2.6kb 크기의 동일한 DNA 조각을 공유하고 있음이 밝혀졌으며 이들 plasmids를 함유하고 있는 대장균 형질전환체와 Z. mobilis에서 생성된 효소를 각기 polyacrylamide gel 전기영동한 후 효소활성을 염색하고 또한 알코올 기질특이성을 조사한 결과 이들 plasmids 가 Z. mebilis 의 alcohol dehydrogenase II 유전자를 함유하고 있음이 밝혀졌다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.330-337
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• 2018

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including naphthalene, are widely distributed in nature. Naphthalene has been regarded as a model PAH compound for investigating the mechanisms of bacterial PAH biodegradation. Pseudomonas sp. AS1 isolated from an arseniccontaminated site is capable of growing on various aromatic compounds such as naphthalene, salicylate, and catechol, but not on gentisate. The genome of strain AS1 consists of a 6,126,864 bp circular chromosome and the 81,841 bp circular plasmid pAS1. Pseudomonas sp. AS1 has multiple dioxygenases and related enzymes involved in the degradation of aromatic compounds, which might contribute to the metabolic versatility of this isolate. The pAS1 plasmid exhibits extremely high similarity in size and sequences to the well-known naphthalene-degrading plasmid pDTG1 in Pseudomonas putida strain NCIB 9816-4. Two gene clusters involved in the naphthalene degradation pathway were identified on pAS1. The expression of several nah genes on the plasmid was upregulated by more than 2-fold when naphthalene was used as a sole carbon source. Strains have been isolated at different times and places with different characteristics, but similar genes involved in the degradation of aromatic compounds have been identified on their plasmids, which suggests that the transmissibility of the plasmids might play an important role in the adaptation of the microorganisms to mineralize the compounds.