• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.2589-2593
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• 2013

Gene therapy using nonviral gene delivery carriers has focused on the development and modification of synthetic carriers such as liposomes and polymers. Most polymers that are commercially used are taking advantage of their polycationic character which allows not only strong ligand-DNA affinity but also competent cell penetration. Despite the relatively high transfection efficiencies, high cytotoxicity is continuously pointed out as one of the major shortcomings of polycationic polymers such as PEI. Studies on the utilization of peptides have therefore been carried out recently to overcome these problems. For these reasons, the human transcription factor Hph-1, which is currently known as a protein transduction domain (PTD), was investigated in this study to evaluate its potential as a gene delivery carrier. Although its transfection efficiency was about 10-fold lower than PEI, it displayed almost no cytotoxicity even at concentrations as high as $100{\mu}M$. Hph-1 was oxidatively polymerized to yield poly-Hph-1. The cell viability of poly-Hph-1 transfected U87MG and NIH-3T3 cells was almost as high as the control (untreated) groups, and the transfection efficiency was about 10-fold higher than PEI. This study serves as a preliminary evaluation of Hph-1 and encourages further investigation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.333-336
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• 2001

An isolated phbC gene from Alcaligenes latus was reintroduced into the parent A. latus through the transformation process, and the effect of the amplified phbC gene on the biosynthesis of P(3-hydroxybutyrate-3-hydroxyvalerate) [P(3HB-3HV)] and P(3-hydroxybutyrate-4-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB-4HB)] in the transformant A. latus was investigated. The biosynthesis rate and content of the above copolymers increased up to 1.3-fold after enforcing its own phbC gene, and the molar fractions of 3HV and 4HB in P(3HB-3HV) and P(3HB-4HB) also changed remarkably from 35.0 to 48.0% and from 34.0 to 56.0%, respectively, showing a critical role of PHB synthase which catalyzes the polymerizing reactions between eiher 3HV or 4HB from precursor compounds and 3HB.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.822-829
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• 2011

Evidence shows that probiotic bacteria can undergo substantial structural and morphological changes in response to environmental stresses, including antibiotics. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of penicillin G (0.015, 0.03, and 0.06 mg/l) on the morphology and adhesion of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356, including the colony morphotype, biofilm production, hydrophobicity, $H_2_O2$ formation, S-layer structure, and slpA gene expression. Whereas only smooth colonies grew in the presence of penicillin, rough and smooth colony types were observed in the control group. L. acidophilus ATCC 4356 was found to be hydrophobic under normal conditions, yet its hydrophobicity decreased in the presence of the antibiotic. No biofilm was produced by the bacterium, despite testing a variety of different culture conditions; however, treatment with penicillin G (0.015-0.06 mg/l) significantly decreased its production of $H_2_O_2$ formation and altered the S-layer protein structure and slpA gene expression. The S-protein expression decreased with 0.015 mg/l penicillin G, yet increased with 0.03 and 0.06 mg/l penicillin G. In addition, the slpA gene expression decreased in the presence of 0.015 mg/l of the antibiotic. In conclusion, penicillin G was able to alter the S-layer protein production, slpA gene expression, and certain physicochemical properties of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.8-14
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• 2014

Telomerase plays a pivotal role in the pathology of aging and cancer by maintaining genome integrity, controlling cell proliferation, and regulating tissue homeostasis. Telomerase is essentially composed of an RNA component, Telomerase RNA or TERC, which serves as a template for telomeric DNA synthesis, and a catalytic subunit, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). The canonical function of TERT is the synthesis of telomeric DNA repeats, and the maintenance of telomere length. However, accumulating evidence indicates that TERT may also have some fundamental functions that are independent of its enzymatic activity. Among these telomere-independent activities of hTERT, the role of hTERT in gene transcription has been investigated in detail. Transcriptional regulation is a fundamental process in biological systems. Several studies have shown a direct involvement of hTERT in gene transcription. This mini-review will focus on the role of hTERT in gene transcription regulation, and discuss its possible mechanisms.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.313-318
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• 2006

A thermophilic bacterium producing the extracellular cellulase was isolated from soybean paste, and the isolate WL-12 has been identified as Bacillus licheniformis on the basis on its 16S rRNA sequence, morphology and biochemical properties. A gene encoding the cellulase of B. licheniformis WL-12 was cloned and its nucleotide sequence was determined. This cellulase gene, designated celA, consisted of 1,551 nucleotides, encoding a polypeptide of 517 amino acid residues. The gene product contained catalytic domain and cellulose binding domain. The deduced amino acid sequence was highly homologous to those of cellulases of B. licheniformis, B. subtilis and B. amytoliquefaciens belonging to the glycosyl hydrolase family 5. When the celA gene was highly expressed using a strong B. subtilis promoter, the extracellular cellulase was produced up to 7.0 units/ml in B. subtilis WB700.

• Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Korea Conference
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• 1987.07a
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• pp.391-401
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• 1987

Plant chloroplast DNA exists as an unique circular structure in which large single copy(LSC) region and small single copy (SSC) region are separated by large inverted repeat sequences (IRS). It has been known that the unique existence of inverted repeat sequences in chloroplast DNA has no relation with the stability of the chloroplast DNA, but causes the inversion between inverted repeat its biological significance has not been understood so far. In rice, several gene clusters have been cloned and sequenced which contain ribulose-5-biophosphate car-boxylase large subunit (rbcL). Especially, one rbcL gene is linked with rp12 gene which is located in the IRS region in one of the gene clusters. By comparison of nucleotide sequence, the two genes are found to be linked through 151 bp repeat sequence which is homologous to the rp123 gene in IRS region. The repeat sequence is found to be located 3' downstream of rfcL gene and near psbA gene in LSC region. The existence of these repeat sequences and the presence of gene clusters caused by the gene rearrangement thorough the repeat sequence provide a possible which is found to be dispersed chloroplast DNA provide the model system to explaine the heterogeneity of the chloroplast DNA in rice in term of gene rearrangement.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.251-258
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• 2022

Innovative genome editing techniques developed in recent decades have revolutionized the biomedical research field. Liver is the most favored target organ for genome editing owing to its ability to regenerate. The regenerative capacity of the liver enables ex vivo gene editing in which the mutated gene in hepatocytes isolated from the animal model of genetic disease is repaired. The edited hepatocytes are injected back into the animal to mitigate the disease. Furthermore, the liver is considered as the easiest target organ for gene editing as it absorbs almost all foreign molecules. The mRNA vaccines, which have been developed to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, have provided a novel gene editing strategy using Cas mRNA. A single injection of gene editing components with Cas mRNA is reported to be efficient in the treatment of patients with genetic liver diseases. In this review, we first discuss previously reported gene editing tools and cases managed using them, as well as liver diseases caused by genetic mutations. Next, we summarize the recent successes of ex vivo and in vivo gene editing approaches in ameliorating liver diseases in animals and humans.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.170-170
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• 2002

College of Pharmacy, Ewha womans University, Seoul, 120-750, Korea 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is the most potent halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon congener that induces expression of several genes including CYP1A1. Exposure to TCDD results in many toxic actions such as carcinogenesis, hepatotoxicity, immune suppression, and reproductive and developmental toxicity. Dramatic differences in dioxin toxicity have been observed between the sexes of some animal species, suggesting hormonal modulation of dioxin action. Many studies have been reported and propose several mechanisms of anti-estrogenic effects of TCDD. In contrast, the effect of estrogen on the regulation of CYP1A1 are not clear at present. There are several reports showing conflicting results. It seems that induction/inhibition of CYP1A1 may be dependent on cell-type and concentration. The purpose of this study was to investigate the regulation of TCDD-induced CYP1A1 gene expression by estradiol and its metabolites. We examined whether estradiol and its metabolites altered TCDD-mediated induction of CYP1A1 enzyme activity. 17 ${\beta}$ estradiol and 16 ${\alpha}$ estriol at non cytotoxic concentrations caused a significant concentration dependent decline of TCDD-induced EROD activity To determine whether reduced EROD activity reflected altered CYP1A1 mRNA expression, we measured CYP1A1 mRNA level by RT-PCR. And to examine whether estradiol and its metabolites have effects on TCDD-induced CYP1A1 gene expression at the transcription level, we also peformed transient transfection with an AhR responsive reporter plasmid containing the 5' flanking region of the human CYP1A1 gene to examine whether estradiol and its metabolites have effects on TCDD-induced CYP1A1 gene expression at the transcription level.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1714-1723
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• 2012

${\beta}$-Glucosidase is necessary for the bioconversion of glycosidic phytochemicals in food. Two Bifidobacterium strains (Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis SH5 and B. animalis subsp. lactis RD68) with relatively high ${\beta}$-glucosidase activities were selected among 46 lactic acid bacteria. A ${\beta}$-glucosidase gene (bbg572) from B. lactis was shotgun cloned, fully sequenced, and analyzed for its transcription start site, structural gene, and deduced transcriptional terminator. The structural gene of bbg572 was 1,383 bp. Based on amino sequence similarities, bbg572 was assigned to family 1 of the glycosyl hydrolases. To overexpress bbg572 in Bifidobacterium, several bifidobacteria expression vectors were constructed by combining several promoters and a terminator sequence from different bifidobacteria. The maximum activity of recombinant Bbg572 was achieved when it was expressed under its own promoter and terminator. Its enzyme activity increased 31-fold compared with those of its parental strains. The optimal pH for Bbg572 was pH 6.0. Bbg572 was stable at $37-40^{\circ}C$. It hydrolyzed isoflavones, quercetins, and disaccharides with various ${\beta}$-glucoside linkages. Bbg572 also converted the ginsenosides Rb1 and Rb2. These results suggest that this new ${\beta}$-glucosidase-positive Bifidobacterium transformant can be utilized for the production of specific aglycone products.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.1093-1098
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• 2004

An open reading frame encoding CadC, consisting of 526 amino acids, was identified from the upstream region of the Vibrio vulnificus cadBA operon. The deduced amino acid sequences of the cadC were 22 to 78% similar to those reported from other Enterobacteriaceae. Functions of cadC gene on acid tolerance were assessed by comparing acid tolerances of V. vulnificus and its isogenic mutant, whose cadC gene was inactivated by allelic exchanges. The results demonstrated that the gene product of cadC contributes to acid tolerance of V. vulnificus, and that its contribution is dependent on prior exposure of cells to moderately acidic pH. The cellular level of cadB and cadA transcripts decreased in the cadC mutant, indicating that CadC exerts its effect on acid tolerance of V. vulnificus by enhancing the expression of cadBA in a pH-dependent manner.