• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.163-171
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• 2004

Sequences of the large subunit ribosomal (LSD) rDNA D1-D2 region of Alexandrium catenella(=A. sp. cf. catenella) and A. tamarense isolates, which were collected along the Korea coasts, were analyzed to understand their phylogenetic relationships and geographical distributions. All A. catenella and A. tamarense isolates belonged to the A. tamarense/catenella/fundyense complex and were grouped with the North American and temperate Asian ribotypes, respectively, regardless of the presence or absence of a ventral pore in the first apical plate. A consistent and peculiar characteristic that differentiated the Alexandrium isolates was amplification of a second PCR product with a lower molecular weight in addition to the predicted one; ten A. catenella isolates belonging to the temperate Asian ribotype yielded this additional PCR product. Sequence alignment revealed that the shorter PCR product resulted from an unusual large deletion of 87 bp in the LSD rDNA D1 domain. The North American and temperate Asian ribotypes were prevalent along the Korean coasts without geographical separation. Given the high genetic homogeneity among widely distributed Alexandrium populations, each ribotype appeared to be pandemic rather than to constitute a distinct regional population.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제24권6호
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• pp.835-842
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• 2014

Haloperoxidase (HPO, E.C.1.11.1.7) is a metal-containing enzyme oxidizing halonium species, which can be used in the synthesis of halogenated organic compounds, for instance in the production of antimicrobial agents, cosmetics, etc., in the presence of halides and $H_2O_2$. To isolate and evaluate a novel non-metal HPO using a culture-independent method, a cassette PCR library was constructed from marine seawater in Japan. We first isolated a novel HPO gene from Pseudomonas putida ATCC11172 by PCR for constructing the chimeric HPO library (HPO11172). HPO11172 showed each single open-reading frame of 828 base pairs coding for 276 amino acids, respectively, and showed 87% similarity with P. putida IF-3 sequences. Approximately 600 transformants screened for chimeric genes between P. putida ATCC11173 and HPO central fragments were able to identify 113 active clones. Among them, we finally isolated 20 novel HPO genes. Sequence analyses of the obtained 20 clones showed higher homology genes with P. putida or Sinorhizobium or Streptomyces strains. Although the HPO A9 clone showed the lowest homology with HPO11172, clones in group B, including CS19, showed a relatively higher homology of 80%, with 70% identy. E. coli cells expressing these HPO chimeric genes were able to successfully bioconvert chlorodimedone with KBr or KCl as substrate.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제56권4호
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• pp.371-374
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• 2018

A 3-month-old female Maltese puppy was hospitalized with persistent diarrhea in a local veterinary clinic. Blood chemistry and hematology profile were analyzed and fecal smear was examined. Diarrheal stools were examined in a diagnostic laboratory, using multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) against 23 diarrheal pathogens. Sequence analysis was performed using nested PCR amplicon of 18S ribosomal RNA. Coccidian oocysts were identified in the fecal smear. Although multiplex real-time PCR was positive for Cyclospora cayetanensis, the final diagnosis was Cystoisospora ohioensis infection, confirmed by phylogenetic analysis of 18S rRNA. To our knowledge, this the first case report of C. ohioensis in Korea, using microscopic examination and phylogenetic analysis.

• 농업과학연구
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.173-182
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• 2020

Human Astrovirus (HuAstV), known as a waterborne virus, is a group IV positive-sense single-stranded RNA that belongs to Astroviridae. The first outbreak of HuAstV was reported in England in 1975. HuAstV can exist not only among clinical patients but also in various water environments, such as water for agriculture and vegetables. For diagnosis of HuAstV from water samples, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system has been developed. However, the PCR-based diagnostic method has problems in field application, such as reaction time, sensitivity and specificity. For this reason, in this study we developed the loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay (LAMP) system, aimed specifically at HuAstV. Three prepared LAMP primer sets were tested by specificity, non-specificity and sensitivity; one LAMP primer set was selected with optimum reaction temperature. The developed LAMP primer set reaction conditions were confirmed at 62℃, and detection sensitivity was 1 fg/μL. In addition, restriction enzyme HaeIII (GG/CC) was introduced to confirm that the LAMP reaction was positive. As a result, selected LAMP primer set was 100 - 1000 times more specific, rapid, and sensitive than conventional-nested PCR methods. For verification of the developed LAMP assay, twenty samples of cDNA from groundwater samples were tested. We expect that the developed LAMP assay will be used to diagnose HuAstV from various samples.

• 원예과학기술지
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• 제32권4호
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• pp.544-549
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• 2014

Lily symptomless virus (LSV), Lily mottle virus (LMoV), and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) are the most prevalent viruses infecting lilies in Korea. Leaf and bulb samples showing characteristic symptoms of virus infection were collected in 2012, and 80 field samples were analyzed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The infection frequencies were 79% for LMoV, 5% for LSV, and 3% for CMV. The LMoV coat protein gene was amplified and cloned into the pET21d(+) expression vector to develop serological diagnostic tools to detect LMoV. The resulting carboxy-terminal His-tagged coat proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3) by induction with IPTG. The recombinant proteins were purified using Ni-NTA agarose beads and used as an antigen to produce polyclonal antibodies in laying hens. The resulting egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) specifically recognized LMoV from infected plant tissues in immunoblotting assays and had comparable sensitivity to that of a mammalian antibody. In addition, method of immunocapture RT-PCR using this IgY was developed for sensitive, efficient, and rapid detection of LMoV. Based on these results, large-scale bulb tests and detection of LMoV in epidemiological studies can be performed routinely using this IgY. This is the first report of production of a polyclonal IgY against a plant virus and its use for diagnosis.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.279-282
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• 2008

This study describes a phytoplasmal disease occurring in Petunia leaves grown in the glasshouse of the National Horticultural Research Institute, Suwon, Korea. Abnormal growth like flattened stem with flower malformation or phyllody was observed from the plant. The DNA extracted from the diseased leaves was amplified using a universal primer pair of P1/P6 derived from the conserved 16S rRNA gene of Mollicutes giving the expected polymerase chain reaction(PCR) product of 1.5 kb. In the nested PCR assays, the expected DNA fragment of 1.1 kb was amplified with the specific primer pair R16F1/R16R1 that was designed on the basis of aster yellows(AY) phytoplasma 16S rDNA sequences. The 1.1 kb PCR products were cloned and nucleotide sequences were determined, and the sequences of the cloned 168 rRNA gene were deposited in the GenBank database under the accession no. of EU267779. Analysis of the homology percent of the 168 rDNA of PFS-K showed the closest relationship with Hydrangea phyllody phytoplasma(AY265215), Brassica napus phytoplasma(EU123466) and AY phytoplasma CHRY(AY180956). Phytoplasma isolated from the diseased Petunia was designated as Petunia flat stem phytoplasma Korean isolate(PFS-K) in this study. Flattened stem occurring in Petunia was confirmed as infection of AY group of phytoplasma by determination of 16S rRNA gene sequences of phytoplasma and microscopic observation of phytoplasma bodies. This is the first report on the phytoplasmal disease in Petunia in Korea.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.59-65
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• 2001

To clarify for the presence of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) in Korea before 1986, in which the virus was first isolated, materials collected from chicken diagnostic consignments between 1980 and 1985 and propagated in chicken embryos or cell cultures were screened by the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) targeted to the nucleocapsid gene of the virus. Among 11 samples examined, one sample (IBV-SNU80108) submitted in 1980 showed specific PCR product (281 bp). When the amplified product was sequenced, together with IBV vaccine virus H120 strain, and compared with the data for ten other IBV strains derived from the GeneBank, identities between IBV-SNU80108 and other strains in nucleotide and amino acid sequences ranged 96.3% to 63.7% and 96.4% to 69%, respectively. IBV-SNU80108 was distinct from H120 strain by showing 91.9% and 92.9% identities in the respective sequences. This data suggested that IBV genetically distinctive from other foreign IBV strains might be present before 1986 in Korea.

• 원예과학기술지
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.323-332
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• 2017

Homology-specific transcriptional and post-transcriptional silencing, an intrinsic mechanism of gene regulation in most eukaryotes, can be induced by anti-sense, co-suppression, or hairpin-based double-stranded RNA. Hairpin-based RNA interference (RNAi) has been applied to analyze gene function and genetically modify crops. However, RNAi vector construction usually requires high-cost cloning steps and large amounts of time, or involves methods that are protected by intellectual property rights. We describe a more effective method for generating intron-spliced RNAi constructs. To produce intron-spliced hairpin RNA, an RNAi cassette was ligated with the first intron and splicing sequences of the Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis histone deacetylase 1 gene. This method requires a single ligation of the PCR-amplified target gene to SpeI-NcoI and SacI-BglII enzyme sites to create a gene-specific silencing construct. We named the resulting binary vector system pKHi and verified its functionality by constructing a vector to silence DIHYDROFLAVONOL 4-REDUCTASE (DFR), transforming it into tobacco plants, and confirming DFR gene-silencing via PCR, RT-qPCR, and analysis of the accumulation of small interfering RNAs. Reduction of anthocyanin biosynthesis was also confirmed by analyzing flower color of the transgenic tobacco plants. This study demonstrates that small interfering RNAs generated through the pKHi vector system can efficiently silence target genes and could be used in developing genetically modified crops.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.383-386
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• 2005

In 2003 typical phytoplasma symptoms of witches' broom and flower malformation were observed on statice (Limonium sinuatum) plants grown at commercial greenhouses in Busan, South Korea. The DNA extracted from the infected leaves was amplified using universal primer pair of Pl/P6 derived from conserved 16S rRNA gene of Mollicutes giving the expected Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product of 1.5 kb. In the nested PCR assays, the expected DNA fragment of 1.1 kb was amplified with the specific primer pair 16Fl/Rl that was designed on the basis of aster yellows (AY) phytoplasma 16S rDNA sequences. The 1.1 kb PCR products were cloned and nucleotide sequences were determined. The sequences were identical to that of Onion yellows OY phytoplasma (GenBank accession no. D12569) isolated from Onion in Japan. Electron microscopy of thin sections of leaf veins showed phytoplasma bodies in the phloem. Statice witches' broom symptom occurred on statice in commercial greenhouses in Korea was confirmed as infection of AY phytoplasma by transmission electron microscopy observation, and by determination of 16S rRNA gene sequences of phytoplasma.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제58권5호
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• pp.589-592
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• 2020

Cyclospora cayetanensis is an apicomplexan protozoan and is one of the most common pathogens causing chronic diarrhea worldwide. Eight stool samples with diarrheal symptom out of 18 Korean residents who traveled to Nepal were obtained, and examined for 25 enteropathogens including 16 bacterial species, 5 viral species, and 4 protozoans in stool samples as causative agents of water-borne and food-borne disease. Only C. cayetanensis was detected by nested PCR, and 3 PCR-positive samples were sequenced to confirm species identification. However, the oocysts of C. cayetanensis in fecal samples could not be detected by direct microscopy of the stained sample. As far as we know, this is the first report of a group infection with C. cayetanensis from a traveler visiting Nepal, and the second report of a traveler's diarrhea by C. cayetanensis imported in Korea.