• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.120-125
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• 1995

.betha.-galactosidase activity of Escherichia coli cells containing operon fusion nhaA'-'lacZ was monitored to study the regulation of expression of nhaA gene under various conditions. The expression of the fusion was enhanced only by chemicals containing Na$^{+}$ or Li$^{+}$. This Na$^{+}$ or Li$^{+}$. This Na$^{+}$(Li$^{+}$)-specific enhancement of .betha.-galactosidase activity represented the increase in the rate of synthesis of .betha.-galactosidase rather than the decrease in the breakdown rate. The induction pattern was influenced by copy numbers of the gene. Induction by Na$^{+}$ or Li$^{+}$ was concentration and time dependent, reaching maximum 5-6 fold induction after 2 hours at 0.4-0.5 M for Na$^{+}$ or at 0.25-0.35 M for Li$^{+}$, Although the expression was induced at much lower concentration of Na$^{+}$ at alkaline pH values than at neutral pH in the presence of Na$^{+}$, alkaline pH itself did ot induced the expression of the fusion in the absence of Na$^{+}$. Temperature shift and growth phase of culture did not affect the level of induction.he level of induction.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1492-1495
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• 2008

Successful control of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola, the causal agent of bacterial leaf streak, requires a specific and reliable diagnostic tool. A pathovar-specific PCR assay was developed for the rapid and accurate detection ofthe plant pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola in diseased plant. Based on differences in a membrane fusion protein gene of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola and other microorganisms, which was generated from NCBI (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) and CMR (http://cmr.tigr.org/) BLAST searches, one pair of pathovar-specific primers, XOCMF/XOCMR, was synthesized. Primers XOCMF and XOCMR from a membrane fusion protein gene were used to amplity a 488-bp DNA fragment. The PCR product was only produced from 4 isolates of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola among 37 isolates of other pathovars and species of Xanthomonas, Pectobacterium, Pseudomonas, Burkholderia, Escherichia coli, and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. dianthi. The results suggested that the assay detected the pathogen more rapidly and accurately than standard isolation methods.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.149-155
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• 2008

We have isolated and characterized Agrius convolvuli cDNA encoding a c-type lysozyme. The cDNA sequence encodes a processed protein of 139 amino acid residues with 19 amino acid residues amino-terminal signal sequence and 120 amino acid residues mature sequence. The amino acid residues responsible for the catalytic activity and the binding of the substrate are conserved. Agrius lysozyme has a high identity to Manduca sexta. Recombinant A. convolvuli lysozyme was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) pLysS cells for pGEX 4T-1 expression vector. Their optimal conditions for the fusion protein expression and purification were screened. Lysozyme gene amplified with primers ACLyz BamHI and ACLyz XhoI was ligated into the pGEX 4T-1 vector, which contained the glutathione S-transferase(GST) gene for fusion partner. The fusion protein was induced by IPTG and identified by SDS-PAGE analysis. Molecular weight of the fusion protein was estimated to be about 45 kDa. Recombinant lysozyme, fused to GST, was purified by glutathion-Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography. Western blot analysis of this protein revealed an immunoreactivity with the anti-Agrius lysozyme.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.262-274
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• 2007

Purpose : Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) play an important role in the formation of cartilage and bone, as well as regulating the growth of chondroblasts and osteoblasts. In this study, we investigated whether recombinant human BMP adenoviruses are available for ex vivo gene therapy, using human fibroblasts and human bone marrow stromal cells in an animal spinal fusion model. Materials and Methods : Human fibroblasts and human bone marrow stromal cells were transduced with recombinant BMP-2 adenovirus (AdBMP-2) or recombinant BMP-7 adenovirus (AdBMP-7), referred to as AdBMP-7/BMSC, AdBMP-2/BMSC, AdBMP-7/HuFb, and AdBMP-2/HuFb. We showed that each cell secreted active BMPs by alkaline phosphatase staining. Since AdBMP-2 or AdBMP-7 tranducing cells were injected into the paravertebral muscle of athymic nude mice, at 4 weeks and 7 weeks, we confirmed that new bone formation occurred by induction of spinal fusion on radiographs and histochemical staining. Results : In the region where the AdBMP-7/BMSC was injected, new bone formation was observed in all cases and spinal fusion was induced in two of these. AdBMP-2/BMSC induced bone formation and spinal fusion occurred among one of five. However, in the region where AdBMP/HuFb was injected, neither bone formation nor spinal fusion was observed. Conclusion : The osteoinductivity of AdBMP-7 was superior to that of AdBMP-2. In addition, the human bone marrow stromal cells were more efficient than the human fibroblasts for bone formation and spinal fusion. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that AdBMP-7/BMSC would be the most useful approach to ex vivo gene therapy for an animal spinal fusion model.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.689-693
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• 2006

Pbh1, from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, is a baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) repeat (BIR) domain-containing protein. Its unique encoding gene was previously found to be regulated by nitric oxide and nitrogen starvation. In the current work, the Pbh1-lacZ fusion gene was used to elucidate the transcriptional regulation of the pbh1 gene under various carbon sources. When fermentable carbon sources, such as glucose (at a low concentration of 0.2 %), sucrose (2.0 %) and lactose (2.0 %), were the sole carbon source, the synthesis of $\beta$-galactosidase from the Pbh1-lacZ fusion gene was reasonably enhanced. However, the induction by these fermentable carbon sources was abolished in the Pap1-negative S. pombe cells, implying that this type of induction of the pbh1 gene is mediated by Pap1. Ethanol (2.0%), a nonfermentable carbon source, was also able to enhance the synthesis of $\beta$-galactosidase from the fusion gene in wild-type cells but not in Pap1-negative cells. The results indicate that the S. pombe pbh1 gene is up-regulated under metabolic oxidative stress in a Pap1-dependent manner.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.359-364
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• 1996

By both in vitro hydroxylamine mutagenesis of the wild type 3-phosphoglycerate kinase gene (PGK) promoter DNA and insertion of the leu2-d gene, we have created yeast expression vectors potentially useful for production of eukaryotic genes in yeast. The guanine (G) to adenine (A) change at the -3 position from the ATG start codon of the PGK promoter-based vector rendered a 6~7 times elevated expression of the adjacent eukaryotic gene, and insertion of the leu2-d gene in the vector containing the mutated PGK promoter further enhanced the expression of the gene. When expression of the AIDS virus HIV1-gagP17 gene in a lacZ fusion form was examined with this new vector, a 15 times higher level of expression than that from the original PGK promoter was observed. Northern and Southern analysis showed that this elevated expression is due to the production of a high copy number of mRNA by leu2-d gene functioning and by efficient translation of the produced mRNA. Thus, the vector that contained the A at the -3 position from the ATG start codon in the promoter region and the leu2-d gene shows increased expression capability and will be potentially useful for production of eukaryotic genes in yeast.

• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.371-378
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• 2001

The Glycoprotein D (gD) gene of the HSV-1 strain F was cloned, sequenced, recombinated into the HcNPV (Hyphantria cunea nuclear polyhedrosis virus) expression vector and expressed in insect cells. The gD gene was located in the 6.43 kb BamHI fragment of the strainF. The open reading frame (ORF) of the gD gene was 1,185 by and codes 394 amino acid residues. Recombinant baculoviruses, GD-HcNPVs, expressing the gD protein were constructed. Spodoptera frugiperda cells, infected with the recombinant virus, synthesized a matured gX-gD fusion protein with an approximate molecular weight of 54 kDa and secreted the gD proteins into the culture media by an immunoprecipitation assay The fusion gD protein was localized on the membrane of the insect cells, seen by using an immunofluorescence assay The deduced amino acid sequence presents additional characteristics compatible with the structure of a viral glycoprotein: signal peptide, putative glycosylation sites and a long C-terminal transmembrane sequence. These results indicate the utility of the HcNPV-insect cell system for producing and characterizing eukaryotic proteins.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.959-965
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• 2013

Monascus species have been used to produce fermented rice called Monascus-fermented rice (MFR). To improve a Monascus strain via activation of secondary metabolite (SM) gene clusters for use in the production of MFR, we overexpressed an ortholog of the laeA gene, which encodes a global positive regulator of secondary metabolism under the control of the strong heterologous Aspergillus nidulans alcA promoter in Monascus pilosus. The OE::laeA transformant produced more SMs, including those not detected under uninduced conditions. MFR produced using the M. pilosus OE::laeA strain contained 4 times more monacolin K, a cholesterol-lowering agent, than MFR produced using the wild-type strain. In addition, pigment production was remarkably increased, and the antioxidant activity was increased as well. The results from this study suggest that Monascus species, which are important industrial fermentative fungi in Asia, can be improved for the production of functional foods by overexpressing the laeA gene.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.19-23
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• 2000

A novel recombinant baculovirus Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (ACNPV) producing the green fluorescent polyhedra was constructed and characterized. The recombinant virus was stably produced fluorescent polyhedra in the infected cells and the morphology of the polyhedra was nearly similar to that of wild-type AcNPV. For the production of the fluorescent polyhedral the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene was introduced under the control of polyhedrin gene promoter of AcNPV by translational fusion in the front and back of intact polyhedrin gene. The recombinant baculovirus was named as CXEP, As expected, the 93 kDa fusion protein was expressed in the CXEP-infected cells. Interestingly, however, the cells infected with CXEP also showed a 33 kDa protein band as cells infected with wild-type AcNPV. The results of Southern blot analysis and plaque assay suggested that two types of baculoviruses expressing the GFP fusion protein or only native polyhedrin were formed through homologous recombination between two polyhedrin genes in the same orientation. Thus, this system can be applied for the production of recombinant polyhedra with foreign gene product of diverse interest.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.995-1000
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• 2010

A novel deoC gene was identified from Paenibacillus sp. EA001 isolated from soil. The gene had an open reading frame (ORF) of 663 base pairs encoding a protein of 220 amino acids with a molecular mass of 24.5 kDa. The amino acid sequence was 79% identical to that of deoxyribose 5-phosphate aldolase (DERA) from Geobacillus sp. Y412MC10. The deoC gene encoding DERA was cloned into an expression vector and the protein was expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant DERA was purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and then characterized. The optimum temperature and pH of the enzyme were $50^{\circ}C$ and 6.0, respectively. The specific activity for the substrate deoxyribose 5-phosphate (DR5P) was $62\;{\mu}mol/min/mg$. The $K_m$ value for DR5P was determined to be 145 mM with the $k_{cat}$ value of $3.2{\times}10^2/s$ from Lineweaver-Burk plots. The EA001 DERA showed stability toward a high concentration of acetaldehyde (100 mM).