• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.507-513
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• 1992

Serratia marecescens RH1 isolated from soil samples produced large amount of extracellular proteases. One of the genes encoding an extracellular protease form S. marcescens RH1 was cloned in Escherichia coli by shot gun cloning method. The cloned protease, SSP, was stably expressed by its own promoter and excreted into the extracellular medium from E. coli host (ORF) of 3.135 nucleotides corresponding to 1.045 amino acids (112 kDa). The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence of SSP showed high overall homology (88%) to one of the S. marcescens protease (27), but low homology to other serine protease families. The optimal pH and temperature of the enzyme were pH 9.0 and 45.deg.C respectively. The activity of protease was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), which suggests that the enzyme is a serine protease.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.273-282
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• 2021

Since December 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread rapidly, resulting in a pandemic. The virus enters host cells through angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane protease serine subtype 2 (TMPRSS2). These enzymes are widely expressed in reproductive organs; hence, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could also impact human reproduction. Current evidence suggests that sperm cells may provide an inadequate environment for the virus to penetrate and spread. Oocytes within antral follicles are surrounded by cumulus cells, which rarely express ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Thus, the possibility of transmission of the virus through sexual intercourse and assisted reproductive techniques seems unlikely. Early human embryos express coronavirus entry receptors and proteases, implying that human embryos are potentially vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 in the early stages of development. Data on the expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in the human endometrium are sparse. Moreover, it remains unclear whether SARS-CoV-2 directly affects the embryo and its implantation. A study of the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on pregnancy showed an increase in preterm delivery. Thus, vertical transmission of the virus from mother to fetus in the third trimester is possible, and further data on human reproduction are required to establish this possibility. Based on analyses of existing data, major organizations in this field have published guidelines on the treatment of infertility. Regarding these guidelines, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, reproductive treatment is crucial for the well-being of society and must be continued under suitable regulations and good standard laboratory practice protocols.

• Mycobiology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.160-165
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• 2002

Aspergillus niger has been used as a host to express many heterologous proteins. It has been known that the presence of an- abundant protease is a limiting factor to express a heterologous protein. The protease deficient mutant of A. niger was obtained using UV-irradiation. A total of $1{\times}10^5$ spores were irradiated with $10{\sim}20%$ survival dose of UV, 600 $J/m^2$ at 280 nm, and the resulting spores were screened on the casein-gelatin plates. Ten putative protease deficient mutants showing the reduced halo area around colonies were further analyzed to differentiate the protease deficient mutant from other mutant types. Among ten putative mutants, seven mutants showed significant growth defect on nutrient rich medium and two mutants appeared to be the secretory mutants, which resulted in the impaired secretion of extracellular proteins including proteases. A mutant $pro^--20$ showed reduced halo zone without any notable changes in growth rate. In addition, the starchdegrading and glucose oxidase activities in the culture filtrate of $pro^--20$ mutant showed the similar range as that of the parental strain, which suggested that the $pro^--20$ mutant ought to be the protease deficient mutant rather than a secretory mutant. The reduced proteolytic activity of the $pro^--20$ was demonstrated using SDS-fibrin zymography gel. The reduced extracellular proteolysis was quantified by casein degradation assay and, comparing with the parental strain, less than 30% residual extracellular protease activity was detected in the culture filtrate of the $pro^--20$ mutant. The bio-activity of an exogenously supplemented hGM-CSF(human Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor) in the culture filtrate of $pro^--20$ mutant was detected until eight times more diluted preparations than that of the parental strain.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.199-205
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• 2011

Using tetrameric ${\beta}$-galactosidase as a model protein, anchoring motives were screened in Bacillus subtilis spore display system. Eleven spore coat proteins were selected considering their expression levels and the location in the spore coat layer. After chromosomal single-copy homologous integration in the amyE site of Bacillus subtilis chromosome, cotE and cotG were chosen as possible spore surface anchoring motives with their higher whole cell ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity. PAGE and Wester blot of extracted fraction of outer layer of purified spore, which express CotE-LacZ or CotG-LacZ fusion verified the existence of exact size of fusion protein and its location in outer coat layer of purified spore. ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity of spore with CotE-LacZ or CotG-LacZ fusion reached its highest value around 16~20 h of culture time in terms of whole cell and purified spore. After intensive spore purification with lysozyme treatment and renografin treatment, spore of BJH135, which expresses CotE-LacZ, retained only 1~2% of its whole cell ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity. Whereas spore of BJH136, which has cotG-lacZ cassette in the chromosome, retained 10~15% of its whole cell ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity, proving minor perturbation of CotG-LacZ, when incorporated in the spore coat layer of Bacillus subtilis compared to CotE-LacZ. Usage of Bacillus subtilis WB700, of which 7 proteases are knocked-out and thereby resulting in 99.7% decrease in protease activity of the host, did not prevent the proteolytic degradation of spore surface expressed CotG-LacZ fusion protein.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.1350-1355
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• 2004

The sprA and sprB genes, encoding the 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 S. griseus and were overexpressed in various strains of S. griseus. When the sprT gene was introduced into S. griseus, trypsin activity increased 2-fold in the A-factor deficient mutant strain, S. griseus HH1, and increased 4-fold in the wild strain, S. grise us IFO 13350. However, there was no detectable increase of chymotrypsin activity in the transformants of S. griseus with either sprA or sprB, in contrast to the results obtained from S. lividans as a heterologous host. To solve the negative gene dosage effects in S. griseus, either the sprA or the sprB genes with their own ribosome binding sites were linked to the downstream of the entire sprT gene, and the coexpression efficiency was examined in S. lividans and S. griseus. The transformants of S. lividans with either pWHM3-TA (sprT+sprA) or pWHM3­TB (sprT+sprB) showed 3-fold increase of trypsin activity over that of the control, however, only the transformant of pWHM3-TB demonstrated 7-fold increase in chymotrypsin activity, indicating that the pWHM3-TB has a successful construction for the overexpression of chymotrypsin in Streptomyces. When the coexpression vectors were introduced into S. griseus IFO 13350, the trypsin level sharply increased by more than 4-fold, however, the chymotrypsin level did not increase. These results strongly suggest that the overexpression of the sprA and sprB genes is tightly regulated in S. griseus.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.133-142
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• 1998

A 40 kDa cysteine protease was purified from the crude extract of adult worms of GMnnophalloines seoi by two consecutive steps: Sephacryl S-200 HR and DEAE- Sephacel chromatography. Enzyme activities were completely inhibited by cysteine protease inhibitors, L-lorans-epoxysuccinylleucylamido (4-guanidino) butane (E-64) and iodoacetic acid, strongly suggesting that the purified enzyme belongs to the cysteine family of proteases. The enzyme was maximally acive at pH 4.5 in 0.1 M of buffer, and its activity was greatly potentiated in the presence of 5 mM dithiothreitol. The protease degraded macromolecules with differential capabilities : it degraded extracellular matrix proteins, such as collagen and fibronectin, with a stronger activity against collagen than fibronectin . However, the enzyme digested hemoglobin and human immunoglobulins only slightly. leaving them nearly intact after an overnight reaction. Our results suggest that the cysteine protease of G. seoi adults is potentially significant in the nutrient uptake from the host intestine.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.217-223
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• 2004

A cathepsin L-like cysteine protease, v-cath, encoded by the baculovirus has been shown to playa role in host liquefaction. We have identified a v-cath gene in the silkworm virus, Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) K1 strain. The 969 bp v-cath has an open reading frame of 323 amino acids. A putative cleavage site and catalytic sites were conserved in BmNPV-K1 v-cath. The predicted three-dimensional structure of BmNPV-K1 v-cath revealed that the overall fold of BmNPV-K1 v-cath is similar to that of other proteases of the papain family. The deduced amino acid sequence of BmNPV-K1 v-cath showed 98% and 97% protein sequence identity to BmNPV T3 strain and to Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus, respectively. The BmNPV-K1 v-cath differed at 4 amino acid positions from BmNPV T3. The v-cath gene in BmNPV-K1 genome is located on the EcoRV 6 kb and XhoI 9 kb fragments. Northern hybridization analysis of BmNPV K1 v-cath gene revealed that it is expressed late in infection.