• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• 제5권4호
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• pp.253-262
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• 2000

Aspergillus is considered to be an attractive host for heterologous protein production because of its safety and ability to secrete large amounts of proteins. In order to obtain high productivity, thus far promoters of amylases have been most widely used in A. oryzae. Recent progress in cloning and expression analysis, including EST sequencing, revealed that glycolytic genes represent some of those most strongly expressed in A. oryzae. Therefore, promoters of glycolytic genes could be important alternatives to promoters of amylases because lower amounts of proteases are produced in the presence of glucose. Several A. oryzae transcription factors responsible for the induction and/or maximum expression of many industrially important genes encoding amylases and proteases have been cloned and characterized. In addition to the transcriptional regulatory factors, the gene encoding the largest subunit of RNa polymerase II, constituting the basic transcription machinery, has also been cloned from A. oryzae. This recently acquired understanding of the details of transcriptional regulatory mechanisms and factors will facilitate engineering flexible controls for the expression of proteins important for the fermentation industries.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제13권6호
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• pp.892-896
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• 2003

High-level expression of the lipase B26 gene from Bacillus pumilus was achieved using Bacillus subtilis Chungkookjang isolated from the Korean traditional fermented bean paste, Chungkookjang. For the secretory production of recombinant lipase B26 in a Bacillus host system, pLipB26 was constructed by ligating the lipase B26 gene into the recently designed Escherichia coli-Bacillus shuttle vector, pLipSM, and that was then transformed into B. subtilis Chungkookjang. Among the various vector, medium, and host combinations, B. subtilis Chungkookjang harboring the pLipB26 exhibited the highest lipase activity in PY medium, and B. subtilis Chungkookjang secreted two times more enzymes than B. subtilis DB 104 under the same condition. When B. subtilis Chungkookjang harboring the pLipB26 was cultured in a 5-1 jar-fermentor containing 21 of a PY medium, the maximum lipase activity (140 U/ml) and production yield (0.68 g/l) were obtained during the late exponential phase from a cell-free culture broth. Although B. subtilis Chungkookjang also secreted extracellular proteases at the late exponential phase, these results suggested the potential of B. subtilis Chungkookjang as a host for the secretory production of foreign proteins.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제26권5호
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• pp.450-455
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• 1998

Alkaline protease를 대량생산하는 Aspergillus oryzae를 만들기 위하여 A. oryzae의 alkaline pretense 유전자 alpA를 고발현시키는 plasmid pTAalp를 제조하고 이 plasmid로 A. oryzae M-2-3 균주를 형질전환시켰다. 16개의 형질전환체를 얻어 이들의 protease생산성을 skim milk 분해에 의한 halo 형성능에 의하여 확인하였다. 또한 protease 생산성이 증가한 형질전환체는 pTAalp가 multi-copy로 염색체 안에 integration되어 있음을 Southern blot에 의하여 확인하였고, 이들의 배양액을 polyacrylamide gel전기영동에 의하여 분석한 결과, 형질전환체 No. 14에서는 전체 분비단백질의 80-90%가 alkaline protease 임을 알 수 있었다. 간장원료 분해실험의 결과 No. 14에 의한 원료분해액은 간장 양조용 대조균에 의한 분해액보다 TN이 증가하였으며 원료분해율도 1.4-1.5배로 증가되었다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제11권6호
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• pp.1077-1086
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• 2001

The sprA and sprB gene encoding chymotrypsin-like proteases Streptomyces griseus protease A (SGPA) and Streptomyces griseus protease B (SGPB) and the sprT gene that encodes Streptomyces griseus trypsin (SGT) were cloned from Streptomyces griseus ATCC10137 and overexpressed in Streptomyces lividans TK24 as a heterologous host. The chymotrypsin activity of tole culture broth measured with the artificial chromogenic substrate , N-succinyl-ala-ala-pro-phe-p-nitroanilide, was 10, 14 and 14 units/mg in the transformants haboring the sprA, sprB and sprD genes, respectively. The growth of S. lividans reached the maximum cell mass after 4 days of culture, yet SGPA and SGPD production started in the stationary phase of cell growth and kept increasing for up to 10 days of culture in an R2YE medium. The trypsin activity of the culture broth measured with the artificial chromogenic substrate , N-${\alpha}$-benzoyl-DL- arginine-p-nitroanilide , was 16 units/mg and SGT production started in the stationary phase of cell growth and kept increasing for up to 10 days of culture in an R2YE medium. The introduction of the sprA gene into S, lividans TK24 triggered the biosynthesis of pigmented antibiotics, actinorhodin and undecylprodigiosin, and induced significant morphological changes in the colonies in Benedict, R2YE, and R1R2 media. In addition, the introduction of the sprT gene also induced morphological changes in the colony shape without affecting the antibiotic production, thereby implying that certain proteases would appear to play very important and specific roles in secondary-metabolites formation and morphological differentiation in Streptomyces.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.249-262
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• 2021

The most effective way to control newly emerging infectious disease, such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, is to strengthen preventative or therapeutic public health strategies before the infection spreads worldwide. However, global health systems remain at the early stages in anticipating effective therapeutics or vaccines to combat the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. While maintaining social distance is the most crucial metric to avoid spreading the virus, symptomatic therapy given to patients on the clinical manifestations helps save lives. The molecular properties of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been quickly elucidated, paving the way to therapeutics, vaccine development, and other medical interventions. Despite this progress, the detailed biomolecular mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 infection remains elusive. Given virus invasion of cells is a determining factor for virulence, understanding the viral entry process can be a mainstay in controlling newly emerged viruses. Since viral entry is mediated by selective cellular proteases or proteins associated with receptors, identification and functional analysis of these proteins could provide a way to disrupt virus propagation. This review comprehensively discusses cellular machinery necessary for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Understanding multifactorial traits of the virus entry will provide a substantial guide to facilitate antiviral drug development.

• 한국미생물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국미생물학회 2001년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.39-45
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• 2001

Extremophiles are unique microorganisms that are adapted to survive in ecological niches such as high or low temperatures, extremes of pH, high salt concentrations and high pressure. These unusual microorganisms have unique biochemical features which can be exploited for use in the biotechnological industries. Due to the high biodiversity of extremophilic archaea and bacteria and their existence in various biotopes a variety of biocatalysts with different physicochemical properties have been discovered. The extreme molecular stability of their enzymes, membranes and the synthesis of unique organic compounds and polymers make extremophiles interesting candidates for basic and applied research. Some of the enzymes from extremophiles, especially hyperthermophilic marine microorganisms (growth above $85^{\circ}C$), have already been purified in our laboratory. These include the enzyme systems from Pyrococcus, Pyrodictium, Thermococcus and Thermotoga sp. that are involved in polysacharide modification and protein bioconversion. Only recently, the genome of the thermoalkaliphilic strain. Anaerobranca gottschalkii has been completely sequenced providing a unique resource of novel biocatalysts that are active at high temperature and pH. The gene encoding the branching enzyme from this organism was cloned and expressed in a mesophilic host and finally characterized. A novel glucoamylase was purified from an aerobic archaeon which shows optimal activity at $90^{\circ}C$ and pH 2.0. This thermoacidophilic archaeon Picrophilus oshimae grows optimally at pH 0.7 and $60^{\circ}C$. Furthermore, we were able to detect thermoactive proteases from two anaerobic isolates which are able to hydrolyze feather keratin completely at $80^{\circ}C$ forming amino acids and peptides. In addition, new marine psychrophilic isolates will be presented that are able to secrete enzymes such as lipases, proteases and amylases possessing high activity below the freezing point of water.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.229-246
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• 1997

Implantation is a most important biological process during pregnancy whereby conceptus establishes its survival as well as maintenance of pregnancy. During the periimplantation period, both uterine endometriurn and conceptus synthesize and secrete a host of growth factors and cytokines which mediate the actions of estrogen and /or progesterone and also exert their steroid-independent actions. Growth factors expressed by the materno-conceptal unit en masse have important roles in cell migration, stimulation or inhibition of cell proliferation, cellular differentiation, maintenance of pregnancy and materno-conceptal communications in an autorcrine /paracrine manner. The present review focuses on the role of the intrauterine IGF system during periimplantation conceptus development. The IGF system comprises of IGF- I and IGF- II ligands, types I and II IGF receptors and six or more IGF-binding proteins(IGFBPs). IGFs and IGFBPs are expressed and secreted by uterine endometrium with tissue, pregnancy stage and species specificities under the influence of estrogen, progesterone and other growth factor(s). Conceptus also synthesizes components of the IGF system beginning from a period between 2-cell and blastocyst stages. Maternal IGFs are utilized by both maternal and conceptal tissues; conceptus-derived growth factors are believed to be taken up primarily by conceptus. IGFs enhance the development of both maternal and conceptal compartments in a wide range of biological processes. They stimulate proliferation and differentiation of endometrial cells and placental precursor cells including decidual transformation from stromal cells, placental formation and the synthesis of some steroid and protein hormones by differentiated endometrial cells or placenta. It is also well-documented in a number of experimental settings that both IGFs stimulate preimplantation embryo development. In slight contrast to these, prenatal mice carrying a null mutation of IGF and /or IGF receptor gene do not exhibit any apparent growth retardation until after implantation. Reason (s) for this discrepancy between the knock-out result and the in vitro ones, however, is not known. IGFBPs, in general, are believed to inhibit IGF action within the materno-conceptal unit, thereby allowing endometrial stromal cell differentiation as well as dampening ex cessive placental invasion into maternal tissue. There is evidence, however, indicating that IGFBP can enhance IGF action depending on environrnental conditions perhaps by directioning IGF ligand to the target cell. There is also a third possibility that certain IGFBPs and their proteolytic fragments may have their own biological activities independent of the IGF. In addition to IGFBPs, IGFBP proteases including those found within the uterine tissue or lumen are thought to enhance IGF bioavailability by degrading their substrates without affecting their bound ligand. In this regard, preliminary results in early pregnant pigs suggest that a partially characterized IGFBP protease activity in uterine luminal fluid enhances intrauterine IGF bioavailability during conceptus morphological development. In summary, a number of in vitro results indicate that IGFs stimulates the development of the rnaterno-conceptal unit during the periimplantation period. IGFBPs appear to inhibit IGF action by sequestering their ligands, whereas IGFBP proteases are thought to enhance intrauterine bioavailability of IGFs. Much is remaining to be clarified, however, regarding the roles of the individual IGF system components. These include in vivo evidence for the role of IGFs in early conceptus development, identification of IGF-regulated genes and their functions, specific roles for individual IGFBPs, identification and characterization of IGFBP proteases. The intrauterine IGF club house thus will be paying a lot of attention to forthcoming results in above and other areas, with its door wide-open!

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제52권6호
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• pp.595-603
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• 2014

Trichomonas vaginalis secretes a number of proteases which are suspected to be the cause of pathogenesis; however, little is understood how they manipulate host cells. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) regulates cell growth, cell proliferation, cell motility, cell survival, protein synthesis, and transcription. We detected various types of metalloproteinases including GP63 protein from T. vaginalis trophozoites, and T. vaginalis GP63 metalloproteinase was confirmed by sequencing and western blot. When SiHa cells were stimulated with live T. vaginalis, T. vaginalis excretory-secretory products (ESP) or T. vaginalis lysate, live T. vaginalis and T. vaginalis ESP induced the mTOR cleavage in both time-and parasite load-dependent manner, but T. vaginalis lysate did not. Pretreatment of T. vaginalis with a metalloproteinase inhibitor, 1,10-phenanthroline, completely disappeared the mTOR cleavage in SiHa cells. Collectively, T. vaginalis metallopeptidase induces host cell mTOR cleavage, which may be related to survival of the parasite.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.230-233
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• 1999

A plasmid vector was constructed for the expression and secretion of Bacillus macerans cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) in Bacillus subtilis. The vector, pUBACGT, was composed of the ribosome-binding sequence, signal sequence, and cgt gene from B. macerans under the control of amyR2, the promoter of amyE gene coding for $\alpha$-amylase from B. subtilis var. natto. Bacillus subtilis LKS88, a mutant strain lacking genes for an amylase and two proteases, was used as a host for the transformation of the plasmid vector. The transformants were selected on kanamycin-containing Luria-Bertani plates. The starch hydrolyzing activity was observed on the starch-containing plates by the iodine method and cyclodextrin-forming activity was detected in the culture medium. A SDS-PAGE analysis showed that most of the expressed CGTase in the recombinant B. subtilis was secreted into the medium at a high expression level.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제13권5호
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• pp.731-737
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• 2003

Mucinase complex from V. parahaemolyticus ATCC 17802 was purified 6-fold with 0.4% yield by two sequential steps of Q-Sepharose and Superdex 200HR column chromatographies. Partially purified mucinase complex showed at least 8 times higher mucin-degrading activity than the culture filtrates. The mucinase complex also showed gelatin-and-casein-hydrolyzing activities, which demonstrates that the protein is a complex compound containing several proteases. The optimum pH and temperature of partially purified mucinase complex for mucin degradation was 8.0 and $35^{\circ}C$, respectively. The partially purified mucinase complex showed high cytotoxic activity on vero cells when examined by MTT assay and microscopic observations. Cytotoxicity was significantly increased in proportion to the concentration of the mucinase complex. Mouse experiments revealed that the jejunum, ileum. and large intestinal tissues were damaged by the injection of the mucinase complex. In particular, the reduction of the goblet cells in the large intestine was remarkable. Collectively, these data suggest that the mucinase complex partially purified from V. parahaemolyticus ATCC 17802 contributes to the adhesion and invasion of V. parahaemolyticus into the host intestinal tract.