• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.287-292
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• 2000

Recombinant Aspergillus niger was constructed to express and secrete a biologically active murine granulaocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (mGM-CSF). A 500 bp fragment encoding the signal peptide and terminator of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpd). The hygromycin phosphotrasferase gene (hph) was used as a selection marker for the fungal transformants. An expression vector was introduced into A. niger ATCC 9642, and a Northern blot analysis indicated the presence of a considerable amount of transcripts from the introduced mGM-CSF. The biological activity of recombinant mGM-CSF (rmGM-CSF) isolated from the culture filtrate was confirmend by measuring the proliferationof the GM-CSF dependent FDC-P1 cell line. It appeared that rmGM-CSF was amenable to the proteolytic activity produced by A. niger, since biological actibity was only observed when the transformants were grown in a protease-repressing medium, and the activity of rmGM-CSF dramatically decreased with an increase of age of the culture. The yield of rmGM-CSF, as determined by ELISA. was 640 ng/l of culture filtrate. Accordingly, its specific activity is estimated to be approximately two-and-a-half times higher than that of a commercial preparation from E. coli.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2020

Objectives Depletion of ovarian function after menopause in women induces estrogen deficiency leading to increased fat and decreased muscle mass. In this study, we examined the effect of herbal medicines by measuring hormone expression in muscle tissue of estrogen-deficient rats induced by ovariectomy. Methods Ovariectomy was performed to induce estrogen deficiency, and mice were given herbal prescription (HP) for 6 weeks. Estrogen-deficient rats were divided into two groups: one group (HPH) which were orally administered HP 200 mg/kg and the other group (HPL) administered HP 40 mg/kg. Weight changes in both groups were measured using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). After extraction of the femoral muscles in mice, the expression of the leptin, lipoprotein lipase (LPL), diacyl glycerol acyltransferase (DGAT)1, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator (PGC)-1α, NADH dehydrogenase (NDH), farnesyl diphosphate farnesyltransferase (FDFT)1, lanosterol synthase (LSS), phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT), and peroxiredoxin (Prdx6) were measured using PCR. Results HP increased the expression of leptin, LPL, DGAT1, PGC-1α, NDH, FDFT1, LSS, PEMT, and Prdx6. HP affects body fat metabolism and is effective in improving menopausal obesity and obesity complications caused by estrogen deficiency. However, HP does not affect the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, and thus will not be effective in obesity-related metabolic diseases. Conclusions HP is thought to inhibit weight gain by regulating hormone expression related to glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism in muscle tissue of estrogen-deficient rats.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.214-219
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• 1998

Polymerase chain reaction(PCR) was conducted to obtain the gene encoding glucose oxidase(GOD) from Aspergillus niger(ATCC 2110) and the DNA sequence determined was coincided with published GOD sequence from A. niger. Recombinant transforming vector containing GOD and hygromycin B(hyg.B) resistant gene(hph) was constructed and used for further transformation of A. niger ATCC 2110. Selectivity of hyg.B against A. niger differed depending on which media were used i.e., nutrient-rich media such as potato dextrose agar(PDA) and complete medium(CM) showed only 50% growth inhibition at 400 $\mu$m ml$^-1$ of hyg.B while the minimal media inhibited mycelial growth completely at 200 $\mu$m ml$^-1$ of hyg.B. Twenty to sixty putative transformants were isolated from the hyg.B-containing minimal top agar, transferred successively onto alternating selective and nonselective media for a mitotic stability of hyg.B resistance and, then, single-spored. Among the stable transformants, the transformant(GOD1-6) grown by flask culture showed the considerable increase of extracellular GOD activity, which was estimated to the degree of 50% - 100% comparing to that of wild type. Transformation of tGOD1-6 was resulted from integration of the vectors into heterologous as well as homologous regions of the A. niger genome. Southern blot analysis revealed that there were two independent integrations of vector into fungal genome and one into the GOD gene due to homologous recombination. In addition, GOD activity and sodium gluconate production when tGOD1-6 was fed-batch fermented were enhanced 11 fold and 2.25 fold, respectively, compared to that of the wild type.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.48-53
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• 2010

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was conducted in order to generate DNA insertional mutants of Flammulina velutipes. Agrobacterium tumefaciens AGL-1 harboring pBGgHg was transformed into gill tissues of Flammulina velutipes strain KACC42777. The transformants resistant on hygromycine ($30\;{\mu}g/ml$) were confirmed by PCR. The targeted insertional sites were amplified by inverse PCR and sequenced. To find the phenotype variation of all generated transformants, bottle cultivation which followed by the standard cultivation protocol were conducted. Color variation was observed on the cultivated fruiting bodies. Furthermore, the transformant pool will be used as a good genetic resources for studying gene function.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.219-222
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• 1999

To induce adventitious buds, hypocotyl and cotyledonary explants from 7 to 10 day-old seedlings of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.: two Japanese cultivars of crisphead lettuce and four Korean cultivars of leaf lettuce) were cultured or Murashige and Skoog (MS) and Schenk and Hildebrandt (SH) media supplemented with BA and NAA in the light for five weeks. Cotyledonary explants produced adventitious shoots at greater frequencies than hypocotyl explants. MS medium was more favorable to adventitious shoot formation than HS medium. Combination of 0.5 mg/L BA and 0.1 to 1 mg/L HPh in MS medium led to the greatest frequency (86%) in adventitious shoot formation. Creator than 95% of shoots excised from explants were rooted when cultured on MS basal medium.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.163-168
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• 2003

A routine system based on particle bombardment of embryogenic callus for recovery of fertile transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants was developed. Embryogenic callus was established within 2-3 months from calli derived from mature seeds of Korean rice cultivar, Nagdongbyeo. The callus was bombarded with the plasmid pRQ6 containing the $\beta$-glucuronidase gene (gusA) and hygromycin phosphotransferase gene (hph, conferring resistance to hygromycin B), both driven by CaMV 35S promoter. Placement of cells on an osmoticum-containing medium (0.2 M sorbitol and 0.2 M mannitol) 4 hrs prior to and 16 hrs after bombardment resulted in a statistically significant increase with 3.2-fold in transient expression frequency gusA. In five independent experiments, the average frequency of transformation showing GUS activities was $8.86\%$. A large number of morphologically normal, fertile transgenic rice plants were obtained. Integration of foreign gene into the genome of $R_0$ transgenic plants was confirmed by Southern blot analysis. GUS and HPT were detected in $R_1$ progeny and Mendelian segregation of these genes was observed in $R_1$ progeny.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.385-395
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• 2016

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess exposure to VOCs and PAHs and the health effects on volunteers who participated in an oil spill cleanup in Yeosu. Methods: Atmospheric VOCs were evaluated in the vicinity of the accident site and questionnaire surveys were conducted to identify personal characteristics and acute health symptoms of clean-up workers seven days after the accident. The levels of metabolites of VOCs (t,t-MA, HA, PGA, MA, MHA) and PAHs (2-NAP, 1-OHP, 2-HF, 1-HPH), oxidative stress markers (TABARS, 8-OHdG) in the urine of workers were analyzed. Their correlation was determined by multiple regression analysis with SAS ver. 9.4. Results: Although the concentration of atmospheric VOCs in the residential areas were low at the time of survey, the levels of VOCs and PAHs metabolites in clean-up workers were higher than those in the control group after clean-up activities. The levels of urinary VOC and PAH metabolites were significantly increased after clean-up compared to those measured before participation. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) concentrations were also increased and showed significant correlations with those of metabolites of benzene. Conclusion: This study shows that oil spill clean-up activities affect exposure to VOCs and PAHs and the health of clean-up workers. The results suggest the need for check-ups of participants in oil spill cleaning work.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.85-93
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• 2016

We already reported that genetically engineered resveratrol-enriched rice (RR) showed to down-regulate skin melanogenesis. To be developed to increase the bioactivity of RR using calli from plants, RR was adopted for mass production using plant tissue culture technologies. In addition, high-pressure homogenization (HPH) was used to increase the biocompatibility and penetration of the calli from RR into the skin. We aimed to develop anti-melanogenic agents incorporating calli of RR (cRR) and nanoparticles by high-pressure homogenization, examining the synergistic effects on the inhibition of UVB-induced hyperpigmentation. Depigmentation was observed following topical application of micro-cRR, nano-calli of normal rice (cNR), and nano-cRR to ultraviolet B (UVB)-stimulated hyperpigmented guinea pig dorsal skin. Colorimetric analysis, tyrosinase immunostaining, and Fontana-Masson staining for UVB-promoted melanin were performed. Nano-cRR inhibited changes in the melanin color index caused by UVB-promoted hyperpigmentation, and demonstrated stronger anti-melanogenic potential than micro-cRR. In epidermal skin, nano-cRR repressed UVB-promoted melanin granules, thereby suppressing hyperpigmentation. The UVB-enhanced, highly expressed tyrosinase in the basal layer of the epidermis was inhibited by nano-cRR more prominently than by micro-cRR and nano-cNR. The anti-melanogenic potency of nano-cRR also depended on pH and particle size. Nano-cRR shows promising potential to regulate skin pigmentation following UVB exposure.

• Mycobiology
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.491-497
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• 2021

An endolichenic fungus Xylaria grammica EL000614 produces grammicin, a potent nematicidal pyrone derivative that can serve as a new control option for root-knot nematodes. We optimized an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) protocol for X. grammica to support genetic studies. Transformants were successfully generated after co-cultivation of homogenized young mycelia of X. grammica with A. tumefaciens strain AGL-1 carrying a binary vector that contains the bacterial hygromycin B phosphotransferase (hph) gene and the eGFP gene in T-DNA. The resulting transformants were mitotically stable, and PCR analysis showed the integratin of both genes in the genome of transformants. Expression of eGFP was confirmed via fluorescence microscopy. Southern analysis showed that 131 (78.9%) out of 166 transformants contained a single T-DNA insertion. Crucial factors for producing predominantly single T-DNA transformants include 48 h of co-cultivation, pretreatment of A. tumefaciens cells with acetosyringone before co-cultivation, and using freshly prepared mycelia. The established ATMT protocol offers an efficient tool for random insertional mutagenesis and gene transfer in studying the biology and ecology of X. grammica.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.303-307
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• 2006

We describe here an efficient in vitro propagation method of Silene acaulis subsp. arctica (Caryophyllaceae), one of the higher arctic angiosperms, through the multiple shoot regeneration after callus induction from the radicle. The seeds of S. acaulis subsp. arctica collected from Svalbard, the Norwegian Arctic, were germinated and calli were induced from the radicle on solid MS media supplemented with 0.25mg/L 2,4-D and 1mg/L $GA_3$ at both $10{\pm}1^{\circ}C\;and\;23{\pm}1^{\circ}C$ Two weeks after callus induction, the multiple shoots were efficiently regenerated on the MS media supplemented with 0.25 g/L BA and 0.05mg/L HPh. The total biomass increment of regenerated shoots increased most efficiently of S. acaulis subsp. afctica was showed the maximum efficiency in at $23{\pm}1^{\circ}C$ on 1/2 MS salt strength. The multiple regenerated plantlets of S. acaulis subsp. arctics were grown to normal plants on soil.