• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.479-486
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• 2014

To evaluate their potential utility as an ornamental organism, novel transgenic marine medaka Oryzias dancena strains with a highly vivid fluorescent phenotype were established through transgenesis of a cyan fluorescent protein gene (cfp) driven by the endogenous fast skeletal myosin light chain 2 gene (mlc2f) promoter. The transgenic marine medaka strains possessed multiple copies of transgene integrants and passed their fluorescent transgenes successfully to subsequent generations. Transgenic expression in skeletal muscles at both the mRNA and phenotypic levels was, overall, dependent upon transgene copy numbers. In the external phenotype, an authentic fluorescent color was dominant in the skeletal muscles of the transgenic fish and clearly visible to the unaided eye. The phenotypic fluorescent color presented differentially in response to different light-irradiation sources; the transgenics displayed a yellow-green color under normal daylight or white room light conditions, a strong green-glowing fluorescence under ultraviolet light, and a cyan-like fluorescence under blue light from a light-emitting diode.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.91-95
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• 2002

Background: In order to characterize human antibodies with specificity for mite allergens at the molecular level, a scFv phage display library was constructed using peripheral blood mononuclear lymphocytes from an asthma patient allergic to mite as Ig gene sources. Methods: Immunoglobulin $V_H$ and V gene fragments were obtained by polymerase chain reaction, and randomly combined in pCANTAB-5E vector. The resulting human scFv phage display library had $3{\times}10^4$ independent clones, and biopanning was performed with house dust mite extracts. Results: Four scFv clones specific for house dust mite extract were isolated. Immunoblot assay showed that our clones reacted to 25 kDa and 50~60 kDa proteins with unknown identity in mite extracts. Sequence analysis indicated that two clones (b7 and c15) are identical, and all clones belong to human $V_H3$ subgroup. On the other hand, light chain usage was different in that two clones (a2 and b7 / c15) belonging to V ${\kappa}4$ subgroup, but a4 used V ${\kappa}1$ light chain gene. Conclusion: Our approach should facilitate provision of useful information on the antibody responses against allergens at the molecular level in humans.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.437-445
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• 2018

${\alpha}$-Iso-cubebene (ICB) is a dibenzocyclooctadiene lignin contained in Schisandra chinensis (SC), a well-known medicinal herb that ameliorates cardiovascular symptoms, but the mechanism responsible for this activity has not been determined. To determine the role played by ICB on the regulation of vascular tone, we investigated the inhibitory effects of ICB on vascular contractile responses by adrenergic ${\alpha}$-receptor agonists. In addition, we investigated the role on myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation and cytosolic calcium concentration in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). In aortic rings isolated from C57BL/6J mice, ICB significantly attenuated the contraction induced by phenylephrine (PE) and norepinephrine (NE), whereas ICB had no effects on KCl (60 mM)-induced contraction. In vasculatures precontracted with PE, ICB caused marked relaxation of aortic rings with or without endothelium, suggesting a direct effect on VSMC. In cultured rat VSMC, PE or NE increased MLC phosphorylation and increased cytosolic calcium levels. Both of these effects were significantly suppressed by ICB. In conclusion, our results showed that ICB regulated vascular tone by inhibiting MLC phosphorylation and calcium flux into VSMC, and suggest that ICB has anti-hypertensive properties and therapeutic potential for cardiovascular disorders related to vascular hypertension.

• BMB Reports
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• 제42권11호
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• pp.731-736
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• 2009

The generation of functional recombinant antibodies from hybridomas is necessary for antibody engineering. However, this is not easily accomplished due to high levels of aberrant heavy and light chain mRNAs, which require a highly selective technology that has proven complicated and difficult to operate. Herein, we attempt to use an alkaline phosphate (AP)-fused form of single-chain variable fragment (scFv) for the simple identification of a hybridoma-derived, functional recombinant antibody. As a representative example, we cloned the scFv gene from a hybridoma-producing mouse IgG against branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase complex-E2 (BCKD-E2) into an expression vector containing an in-frame phoA gene. Functional recombinant antibodies were easily identified by conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) by employing scFv-AP fusion protein, which also readily serves as a valuable immuno-detective reagent.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.49-55
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• 2001

We have developed four chicken hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies to induce a protective immune response against the chicken disease avian coccidiosis, caused by the intestinal parasite Eimeria acervulina. Huwever, since the amount of antibodies secreted from these hybridomas is too low or sometimes they lost their ability to produce antibodies, the hybridoma method is not satisfactory in the production of large amounts of chicken monoclonal antibodies. To bypass these problems, we applied the antibody engineering technology using polymerase chain reaction. We cloned and determined the sequences of variable domains of the four chicken monoclonal antibodies, namely, 2-1, 5D11, 13C8 and 8C3. The sequences comparison to germline sequences skewed that the gene con version mechanism might contribute to developing diversification of heavy and λ-light chains in chicken antibodies. Several pseudogene families regarded as donors in gene conversion were identified at each framework region and the complementarily determining region of λ-light chains. In addition, as expected, numerous changes of nucleotide sequences such as nucleotide substitution, insertion and deletion were found predominantly in complementarity determining regions, which are likely to be somatic hypermutations as a result of affinity maturation in antibody-producing cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.287-291
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• 2003

Botulinum neurotoxin type A (BONT/A) is an extremely potent toxin, which is produced by Clostridium botulinum. The light chain of this protein (BONT/A LC), which is known as a zinc endopeptidase, cleaves SNAP-25 involved in the exocytosis process. In this work, the expression of recombinant BoNT/A LC in E. coli is described. The BONT/A LC gene of C. botulinum contains a high frequency of the arginine AGA and isoleucine ATA codons that are rarely used in genes of E. coli, hampering the translation of recombinant protein. The argD and ilex tRNA genes were cloned into pACYC184 vector, resulting in pAAD131X plasmid. The translational stress of the toxin gene related to codon bias was reversed by fupplernentation of the AGA arginyl tRNA of T4 phage and AUA isoleucyl tRNA of E. coli. This system may be applicable for the expression of a variety of AT-rich heterologous genes in E. coli.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.25-30
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• 2010

We employed a new and improved differential display reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR) method, which involves annealing control primers (ACPs), to identify the genes that are specifically or prominently expressed in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) juveniles (35 days post-hatch; dph) compared to larval-stage (dph 21) flounder. Using 60 ACPs, we identified eight differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) searches revealed eight known genes. Gene expression levels were confirmed by RT-PCR. Phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) was highly expressed at 21 dph, while nephrosin, myosin light chain (MLC), myosin heavy chain (MHC), carboxypeptidase A, chymotrypsin B, fish-egg protein, and matrix protein were expressed at 35 dph. PGI, MLC, and MHC expression was further analyzed by RT-PCR. The differentially expressed genes identified in this study may provide insights into the molecular basis of development in olive flounder.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.413-418
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• 2006

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is blown as one of the inherited disorder of peripheral nervous system. Recently, it was found that point mutations in the neurofilament light subunit (NF-L) gene cause CMT. Neurofilaments (NFs) are heteropolymers consist of NF-L, NF-M and NF-H. To assess the relationship between CMT and NF-L mutation in cellular level, we performed phenotypic analysis of the mutant NF-L (E397K) using cultured cell lines. Vimentin-deficient human adrenal carcinoma SW13 (Vim-) cells have a potential to form the intermediate filaments when the cells are expressing both NF-L and NF-M. Our results show that co-expression of wild type NF-L with NF-M showed intermediate filament formation in SW13 (Vim-) cells, while E397K with NF-M did not. This result means that E397K mutant lost its ability to form the intermediate filament in vivo, and further suggests that the E397K mutation is closely related to CMT.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.45-48
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• 2003

We have previously cloned and characterized the complete fibroin L-chain gene from one of the silkworm races Baekok-Jam (Bombyx mori) and found two variable regions (I, intron 2 ~ exon 3; II, intron 6) with the primer sets designed to cover these variable regions. We tested the utility of these regions as genetic markers among silkworm races. For the purpose of study, Japanese race (Jam 123), Chinese race (Jam 124) and their F$_1$hybrid Baekok-Jam were used. The PCR product size of region I was 787 bp in Jam 123, 770 bp in Jam 124 and 768 bp in Baekok-Jam. The size of region II was 470 bp in Jam 123, 428 bp in Jam 124 and 429 Up in Baekok-Jam. In the extended experiment, Jam 125 (Japanese race), Jam 126 (Chinese race) and their F$_1$hybrid Daeseong-Jam were also analyzed. The sizes of region I and II in Jam 125, Jam 126 and Daeseong-Jam were similar to those of Jam 123, Jam 124 and Baekok-Jam. DNA sequence divergence between the two geographic races of Jam 123 or Jam 125 and Jam 124 or Jam 126 was substantial. The result suggests that the fibroin L-chain gene of F$_1$hybrids were inherited from Chinese races. These results are concordant with cocoon shapes of tested animals, and suggested that Baekok-Jam or Daeseong-jam is more closely related to Jam 124 or Jam 126 than to Jam 123 or Jam 125. Taken these data together, the primer sets designed from two variable regions of fibroin L-chain gene would be highly useful, as the genetic markers for silkworm races, at least in Japanese and Chinese races, although an extended study including more geographic races is required.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.211-217
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• 2004

For discrimination of ductal and ascinar cells, we isolated a single-chain variable domain fragment (scFv) antibody against ductal cells of salivary gland using phage display technique. From the spleen of a mouse immunized with ductal cell lysate, total RNA was prepared and used as a template for cDNA synthesis of antibody genes. The scFv genes were constructed with variable domain genes of heavy and light chain and were introduced into pCANTAB5E to construct phage scFv library. The phage particles specific for acinar cells were screened by subtraction using immunotubes coated with acinar and ductal cell lysate and enzyme-linked immunoabsorbance assay (ELISA). The characteristics of the scFv were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and the result indicated that the isolated scFv has the specificity against ductal cells of salivary glands and tubules of kidney. And the scFv has an unique binding activity specific for Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The nucleotide sequence of isolated scFv gene was determined and revealed that V/sub H/ belongs to the mouse H-chain family subgroup IB and V/sub L/ to the mouse L-chain family subgroup III.