• Title/Summary/Keyword: Genetic cluster

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Essential role of tryptophan residues in toxicity of binary toxin from Bacillus sphaericus

  • Kunthic, Thittaya;Promdonkoy, Boonhiang;Srikhirin, Toemsak;Boonserm, Panadda
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.44 no.10
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    • pp.674-679
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    • 2011
  • Bacillus sphaericus produces mosquito-larvicidal binary toxin composed of BinA and BinB. While BinB is expected to bind to a specific receptor on the cell membrane, BinA interacts to BinB or BinB receptor complex and translocates into the cytosol to exert its activity via unknown mechanism. To investigate functional roles of aromatic cluster in BinA, amino acids at positions Y213, Y214, Y215, W222 and W226 were substituted by leucine. All mutant proteins were highly produced and their secondary structures were not affected by these substitutions. All mutants are able to insert into lipid monolayers as observed by Langmuir-Blodgett trough and could permeabilize the liposomes in a similar manner as the wild type. However, mosquito-larvicidal activity was abolished for W222L and W226L mutants suggesting that tryptophan residues at both positions play an important role in the toxicity of BinA, possibly involved in the cytopathological process after toxin entry into the cells.

A Genome-wide Scan for Selective Sweeps in Racing Horses

  • Moon, Sunjin;Lee, Jin Woo;Shin, Donghyun;Shin, Kwang-Yun;Kim, Jun;Choi, Ik-Young;Kim, Jaemin;Kim, Heebal
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.28 no.11
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    • pp.1525-1531
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    • 2015
  • Using next-generation sequencing, we conducted a genome-wide scan of selective sweeps associated with selection toward genetic improvement in Thoroughbreds. We investigated potential phenotypic consequence of putative candidate loci by candidate gene association mapping for the finishing time in 240 Thoroughbred horses. We found a significant association with the trait for Ral GApase alpha 2 (RALGAP2) that regulates a variety of cellular processes of signal trafficking. Neighboring genes around RALGAP2 included insulinoma-associated 1 (INSM1), pallid (PLDN), and Ras and Rab interactor 2 (RIN2) genes have similar roles in signal trafficking, suggesting that a co-evolving gene cluster located on the chromosome 22 is under strong artificial selection in racehorses.

Genetic and Physiological Characterization of Oxytetracycline-Resistant Bacteria from Giant Prawn Farms

  • Heepngoen, Pimpak;Sajjaphan, Kannika;Ferguson, John A.;Sadowsky, Michael J.
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.18 no.2
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    • pp.199-206
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    • 2008
  • Four hundred and thirteen oxytetracycline-resistant bacteria were recovered from six freshwater giant prawn farms with a history of oxytetracycline use. Most oxytetracycline-resistant isolates were Gram-negative bacteria. Six groups of oxytetracycline-resistant bacteria were classified using cluster analysis based on a comparison of levels of oxytetracycline resistance. Complex fingerprint patterns were obtained for 71 isolates studied. In general, the band patterns of isolates from different ponds were very similar, and the data indicated that the isolates were closely related. The exploration for cross-resistance found that most of the 71 oxytetracycline-resistant isolates were also resistant to tetracycline and chlortetracycline, but had a relatively low resistance to doxycycline. Many isolates showed higher chlortetracycline resistance than oxytetracycline resistance. Additionally, the oxytetracycline-resistant isolates were examined for the presence of tetracycline resistance (tet) genes. Fifty percent of the isolates carried one of the 14 known tet genes examined. The most common determinants were TetA and TetD. However, TetB, TetC, TetE, TetK, TetL, and TetM were also found with various frequencies.

Molecular characterization of avian rotavirus isolated in Korea

  • Wang, Jun-Hui;Koo, Bon-Sang;Mo, In-Pil;Kang, Shien-Young
    • Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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    • v.36 no.1
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    • pp.23-30
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    • 2013
  • An avian rotavirus (AvRV-2) was isolated from feces of broilers suffering from acute gastroenteritis in 2011. It was the first avian rotavirus isolated in Korea. To investigate the molecular characteristics of AvRV-2, the VP4, VP6, VP7 and NSP4 gene nucleotide sequences were determined and compared with those of rotavirus strains available in the GenBank database. The phylogenetic tree of VP7 gene showed that AvRV-2 had a high degree of nucleotide sequence homology (93.4% to 94.7%) with those of rotaviruses belonging to genotype G19 cluster. The phylogenetic tree of the VP4 gene revealed a high degree of nucleotide sequence homology (95.8% to 95.9%) with genotype P[30] rotaviruses isolated from chickens. The VP6 and NSP4 gene nucleotide sequences showed the highest identities with those of avian strains with 95.3% to 96.4% and 90.3% to 92.2%, respectively. Genetic characterization of the VP4, VP6, VP7 and NSP4 showed that AvRV-2 strain was most closely related to chicken rotavirus strains from Germany and Japan. Comparative nucleotide sequences and phylogenetic analysis indicated that avian rotavirus isolated from broilers belonged to genotype G19P[30] and it was the first report on avian rotavirus infection in Korea.

Societal Implications of Biotechnology and GMOs in Agriculture (생명공학과 GMOs의 농업에 대한 사회적 함의)

  • Lim, Hyung-Baek
    • Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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    • v.11 no.1
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    • pp.175-189
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    • 2004
  • There are many assertions related to biotechnology and genetically modified organisms(GMOs). Some experts have asserted that GM foods could be dangerous and that there is no reliable evidence that have been demonstrated safe through appropriate tests, and the others asserted these foods are as safe and nutritions as their conventional counterparts. The objectives of this study was to study an societal implications of biotechnology and GMOs in agriculture. To keep the balance in mind the researcher examined not only usefulness but also harmfulness of GMOs, along with the developmental process of biotechnology industry. It was observed that basically, multinational corporations developed GMOs to maximize their profit, and strengthened their control on agriculture and food through GMOs, as observed in alliance among big multinational corporations' food chain cluster and systems. Under the situation, farmers were losing their status as independent producer and were becoming propertied labor for multinational corporation through contract farming. If these trends continuous in the future, multinational corporations will have the control of genetic resources, these may bring about reduction of bio-diversity, thus may lead the opposite direction to eco-friendly agriculture. If multinational corporations' tendency to suppress the latent harmfulness for the profit continuous further, this may lead the degradation phase of farming and agriculture, thus leading negative socio-economic effects as well as culture and religion.

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Characterization of C-P Lyase gene cluster by in vivo $^{31}$ P-NMR spectroscopy

  • Lee, Ki-Sung;Kwak, In-Young
    • Journal of Microbiology
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    • v.33 no.4
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    • pp.328-333
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    • 1995
  • $\^$31/ P-NMR experiment was performed to detect phophonates (Pn) utilization and degradation in the several different C-P lyase mutants of E. coli and in E. aerogenes and the recombinants. The relative peak intensity (RPI) for the standard samples of 0.5 mM methylphosphonate (MPn) and 1.0 mM aminoethylphosphonate in glucose-MOPS medium showed 0.5 : 1.0 ratio. In the case of BW14329 (.DELTA.phnC-P, .delta.phoA), RPI did not change significantly after 24 hrs culturing, which means it nearly could not utilize Pn. In vivo $\^$31/ P-NMR spectrum of E. aerogens (BWKL 16627) during 3 hrs starvation showed two intense peaks at 0-2 ppm and at near-10 ppm which indicate intracellular orthophosphate (Pi) and pyrophosphate (PPi), respectively. Both of them might be released by degradation of inorganic polyphosphate pool. When MPn is supplied to the medium as an unique P source, Pi content in the cell has the constant, but PPi seems to be slightly decreased. Recombinants (BWKL 16954) grew slower than E. aerogenes in the glucose-MOPS media with various P sources. In vivo $\^$31/ P-NMR spectrum of recombinant did not show any intense signal in the cell. Surprisingly, under the cultivation adding with MPn, a few intense peaks in the region of Pi AND phospate monoester were detected.

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Violetonostoc minutum gen. et sp. nov. (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria) from a rocky substrate in China

  • Cai, Fangfang;Peng, Xin;Li, Renhui
    • ALGAE
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    • v.35 no.1
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    • pp.1-15
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    • 2020
  • Two strains isolated from a subtropical region in China, were morphologically identified as a Nostoc-like species, but its taxonomic identity was unknown. In this study, these two strains were taxonomically and phylogenetically characterized based on polyphasic approach combining morphological and genetic characteristics. Though both were virtually indistinguishable from Nostoc in field and cultured material, these two strains were phylogenetically distinct from Nostoc based on 16S rRNA phylogeny. The 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer rRNA secondary structure of these strains showed the unique pattern of D1-D1', Box-B, and V3 helix, which distinguished them from other Nostoc-like heterocytous genera. A unique cluster separated from Nostoc sensu stricto supports the establishment of Violetonostoc gen. nov. with the type species as Violetonostoc minutum sp. nov.

Genotyping Based on Polymerase Chain Reaction of Enterobacter sakazakii Isolates from Powdered Infant Foods

  • Choi, Suk-Ho;Choi, Jae-Won;Lee, Seung-Bae
    • Food Science and Biotechnology
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    • v.17 no.6
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    • pp.1171-1177
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    • 2008
  • This study was undertaken to classify Enterobacter sakazakii isolates from 13 powdered infant formula products, 25 powdered weaning diet products, and 33 weaning diet ingredients on polymerse chain reaction (PCR) methods. The numbers of the isolates from 1 powdered infant formula product, 7 powdered weaning diet products, and 6 weaning diet ingredients were 1, 14, and 8, respectively. The contaminated ingredients were 1 rice powder, 2 millet powders, 2 vegetable powders, and 1 fruit and vegetable premix. PCR with the primer of repetitive extragenic palindromic element (REP-PCR) and random amplification of polymorphic DNA(RAPD) were effective in discriminating among the isolates, but tRNA-PCR and PCR with the primer of l6S-23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS-PCR) were not. Some of E. sakazakii isolates from vegetable powders, fruit and vegetable premix, and millets powders were classified into the clonal groups based on the DNA patterns in the REP-PCR and RAPD analysis. A close genetic relationship among the isolates from some of the powdered weaning diet products and the rice powder was also detected in the cluster analysis based on the DNA patterns in RAPD.

Complete mitochondrial genome of freshwater goby Rhinogobius cliffordpopei (Perciformes, Gobiidae): genome characterization and phylogenetic analysis

  • Zhong, Liqiang;Wang, Minghua;Li, Daming;Tang, Shengkai;Zhang, Tongqing;Bian, Wenji;Chen, Xiaohui
    • Genes and Genomics
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    • v.40 no.11
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    • pp.1137-1148
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    • 2018
  • Freshwater gobies Rhinogobius cliffordpopei and R. giurinus are invasive species with particular concern because they have become dominant and were fierce competitors in the invaded areas in Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau (southwest of China). Information about genetic characteristics of R. giurinus have been published, but there were still no relevant reports about R. cliffordpopei. In present study, the complete mitochondrial genome of R. cliffordpopei was determined, which was 16,511 bp in length with A+T content of 51.1%, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, 2 ribosomal RNAs, and a control region. The gene composition and the structural arrangement of the R. cliffordpopei complete mtDNA were identical to most of other teleosts. Phylogenetic analyses placed R. cliffordpopei in a well-supported monophyletic cluster with other Rhinogobius fish. But the phylogenetic relationship between genus Rhinogobius and Tridentiger remained to be resolved.

Phenotypes of allergic diseases in children and their application in clinical situations

  • Lee, Eun;Hong, Soo-Jong
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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    • v.62 no.9
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    • pp.325-333
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    • 2019
  • Allergic diseases, including allergic rhinitis, asthma, and atopic dermatitis, are common heterogeneous diseases that encompass diverse phenotypes and different pathogeneses. Phenotype studies of allergic diseases can facilitate the identification of risk factors and their underlying pathophysiology, resulting in the application of more effective treatment, selection of better treatment responses, and prediction of prognosis for each phenotype. In the early phase of phenotype studies in allergic diseases, artificial classifications were usually performed based on clinical features, such as triggering factors or the presence of atopy, which can result in the biased classification of phenotypes and limit the characterization of heterogeneous allergic diseases. Subsequent phenotype studies have suggested more diverse phenotypes for each allergic disease using relatively unbiased statistical methods, such as cluster analysis or latent class analysis. The classifications of phenotypes in allergic diseases may overlap or be unstable over time due to their complex interactions with genetic and encountered environmental factors during the illness, which may affect the disease course and pathophysiology. In this review, diverse phenotype classifications of allergic diseases, including atopic dermatitis, asthma, and wheezing in children, allergic rhinitis, and atopy, are described. The review also discusses the applications of the results obtained from phenotype studies performed in other countries to Korean children. Consideration of changes in the characteristics of each phenotype over time in an individual's lifespan is needed in future studies.