• Development and Reproduction
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.143-153
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• 2018

The large extracellular domain of glycoprotein hormone receptors is a unique feature within the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) family. After interaction with the hormone, the receptor becomes coupled to Gs, which, in turn stimulates adenylyl cyclase and the production of cAMP. Potential phosphorylation sites exist in the C-terminal region of GPCRs. The experiments described herein represent attempts to determine the functions of the eel follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (eelFSHR). We constructed a mutant of eelFSHR, in which the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail was truncated at residue 614 (eelFSHR-t614). The eelFSHR-t614 lacked all potential phosphorylation sites present in the C-terminal region of eelFSHR. In order to obtain the eelFSHR ligand, we produced recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone ($rec-eelFSH{\beta}/{\alpha}$) in the CHO-suspension cells. The expression level was 2-3 times higher than that of the transient expression of eelFSH in attached CHO-K1 cells. The molecular weight of the $rec-eelFSH{\beta}/{\alpha}$ protein was identified to be approximately 34 kDa. The cells expressing eelFSHR-t614 showed an increase in agonist-induced cAMP responsiveness. The maximal cAMP responses of cells expressing eelFSHR-t614 were lower than those of cells expressing eelFSHR-wild type (eelFSHR-WT). The $EC_{50}$ following C-terminal deletion in CHO-K1 cells was approximately 60.4% of that of eelFSHR-WT. The maximal response in eelFSHR-t614 cells was also drastically lower than that of eelFSHR-WT. We also found similar results in PathHunter Parental cells expressing ${\beta}$-arrestin. Thus, these data provide evidence that the truncation of the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail phosphorylation sites in the eelFSHR greatly decreased cAMP responsiveness and maximal response in both CHO-K1 cells and Path-Hunter Parental cells expressing ${\beta}$-arrestin.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.211-215
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• 2006

AfsR2 is a global regulatory protein involved in the stimulation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis in various Streptomyces species including avermectin-producing S. avermitilis. Among several AfsR2-dependent genes identified from the comparative proteomics, the polyribonucleotide nucleotidyltransferase (PNP) and the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) genes were previously proposed to regulate the actinorhodin production in S. lividans upon afsR2 over-expression positively and negatively, respectively. To show the biological significance of the PNP and GPD genes in the S. avermitilis strains, these two genes were functionally expressed in both the wild-type and the avermectin-overproducing mutant strains. The PNP gene expression stimulated secondary metabolite production in the wild-type S. avermitilis ATCC31267, but not in the avermectin-overproducing S. avermitilis ATCC31780. Interestingly, the GDP gene expression stimulated secondary metabolite production by 4-fold in the wild-type S. avermitilis ATCC31267 and by 2.5-fold in the avermectin-overproducing S. avermitilis ATCC31780, respectively. These results suggest that the biological significance of the afsR2-dependent PNP and GPD gene expressions on antibiotic biosynthetic regulation could be significantly different depending on Streptomyces species.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.45-49
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• 1998

Two kinds of Mutants of Corynebacterium glutamicum, which were resistant to branched chain amino acid analogues, were obtained for L-leucine production; C. glutamicum LT26 resistant to 4-azaleucine and $\alpha$-amino-$eta$-hydroxyvaleric acid, and from which C. glutamicum LT3811-70 resistant to DL-4-thiaisoleucine were derived. Accumulation of L-leucine in the culture broths of these mutant strains, C. glutamicum LT26 and LT3811-70, were much higher than those of their parent strains even though they were non-auxotrophic mutants. Enzymatic analyses were performed to measure the activities of $\alpha$-acetohydroxy acid synthase (AHAS) and $\alpha$-isopropylmalate synthase (IPMS), which were the key enzymes for the L-isoleucine, L-valine and L-leucine biosynthetic pathways branching from a common precursor. In C. glutamicum LT26 and LT3811-70, AHAS and IPMS were found to be derepressed and desensitized to L-leucine. In addition, in C. glutamicum LT3811-70, IPMS was further more derepressed by L-leucine and AHAS was more desensitized by L-isoleucine and L-valine compared to its parent strain, C. gIEitamicum LT26.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.159-164
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• 1981

Reinforced Calcium-alginate gel entrappment method for enzyme immobilization is described with an example of penicillin amidase from Bacillus megaterium KFCC 10029, a partially constitutive mutant of B. megaterium ATCC 14945. Penicillin amidase recovered from the fermentation broth by adsorption on celite is mixed with alginate and gelatin solution, and cast into a pellet or noodle form by coagulation in calcium salt solution followed by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde. Optimum pH and temperature of the immobilized enzyme preparation were 8.0 and 6$0^{\circ}C$, respectively. Kinetic constants such as Km value and the inhibition constant of 6-APA and phenylacetic acid were 2.6 mM, 7.4 mM and 21.2 mM, respectively. The enzyme leakage from the adsorbent during operation was successfully prevented owing to the increase of physical strength of gel coat. The half lives in a column reactor were 6 and 30 days at the respective temperature of 4$0^{\circ}C$ and 3$0^{\circ}C$, which were the 6-8 fold increased values as compared with those of without entrappment. The results highly recommended the use of reinforced Calcium-alginate gel entrappment method for the enhancement of physical strength and the operational stability of alginate gel entrapped enzyme.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.18
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• pp.37-56
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• 2010

This paper focalizes on the 'evolution' of monster animation and . Actually, Many characters' 'Evolution' is a very powerful convention of Japanese genre animation. Lots of young people feel a huge pleasure about character's evolution. It is a fantastic spectacle to boys and girls. The first characteristic point of characters' evolution is growing-up body to an adult. For example, magical girls genre shows a woman's sexy body. This scene gives a sexual fantasy to young girl spectators, a voyeuristic visual pleasure to young boy spectators. The second point is that a transforming-body gains some super power or magical power. The third point is that a great many characters is in one text. In , characters' numbers go on increasing through 6 ways-hybrid type, mutant-reiteration type, metamorphosis type, simple-grownup type, narrative type, multiple evolution type. The evolution of has to pay attention to only one transforming way. Most Digimon characters are becoming to a human-weapons cyborg. In my opinion, this is very dangerous phenomenon with a political ideology.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.207-208
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• 2000

Since trichloroethylene (TCE), dichloroethylene (DCE), and vinyl chloride (VC) arise from anaerobic degradation of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and TCE, there is interest in creating aerobic remediation systems that avoid the highly toxic VC and cis-DCE which predonominate in anaerobic degradation. However, it seemed TCE could not be degraded aerobically without an inducing compound (which also competitively inhibits TCE degradation). It has been shown that TCE induces expression of both the toluene dioxygenase of p. putida F1 as well as toluene-p-monooxygenase of P.mendocina KRI. We investigated here the ability of PCE, TCE, and chlorinated phenols to induce toluene-o-xylene monooxygenase (ToMO) from P.stutzeri OX1. ToMO has a relaxed regio-specificity since it hydroxylates toluene in the ortho, meta, and para positions; it also has a broad substrate range as it oxidizes o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene, toluene, benzene, ethylbenzene, styrene, and naphthalene; chlorinated compounds including TCE, 1, 1-DCE, cis-DCE, trans-DCE, VC, and chloroform : as well as mixtures of chlorinated aliphatics (Pseudomonas 1999 Maui Meeting). ToMO is a multicomponent enzyme with greatest similarity to the aromatic monooxygenases of Burkholderia pickettii PKO1 and P.mendocina KR1. Using P.sturzeri OX1, it was found that PCE induces P.mendocina KR1 Using P.situtzeri OX1, it was found that PCE induces ToMO activity measured as naphthalene oxygenase activity 2.5-fold, TCE induces 2.3-fold, and toluene induces 3.0 fold. With the mutant P.stutzeri M1 which does not express ToMO, it was also found there was no naphthalene oxygenate activity induced by PCE and TCE; hence, PCE and TCE induce the tow path. Using P.putida PaW340(pPP4062, pFP3028) which has the tow promoter fused to the reporter catechol-2, 3-dioxygenase and the regulator gene touR, it was determined that the tow promoter was induced 5.7-, 7.1-, and 5.2-fold for 2-, 3-, 4-chlorophenol, respectively (cf. 8.9-fold induction with o-cresol) : however, TCE and PCE did not directly induce the tou path. Gas chromatography and chloride ion analysis also showed that TCE induced ToMO expression in P.stutzeri OX1 and was degraded and mineralized. This is the first report of significant PCE induction of any enzyme as well as the first report of chlorinated compound induction of the tou operon. The results indicate TCE and chlorinated phenols can be degraded by P.stutzeri OX1 without a separate inducer of the tou pathway and without competitive inhibition.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2003

Radiation technique in agriculture was initiated to develop mutant rice. Seeds of Daechungbyeo rice were irradiated with 250 Gy gamma ray for the purpose of inducing and selecting rice variants. Some quantitative traits of the variants in M$_{8}$ generation were evaluated and RAPD analysis was carried out. Variants showed a wider range of agronomic characteristics in both a positive and a negative direction compared with their original variety. The new mutants were characterized by an increased or decreased in plant height, lodging resistance and shorter panicle. RAPD analysis showed that polymorphic bands were presented in most of the primers. In comparison with the original variety, variants were classified into four groups through UPGMA analysis. Among mutants no. 91, 139, 140 and 141 was ranked as salt tolerance and the proline content of these mutants was more increased than that of original variety. The lines of 139, 140 and 141 had the highest genetic distance as compared to original variety in the dendrogram. It is expected that such variants will be useful not only for studying molecular genetics but also for breeding research and genetic analysis.s.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.285-291
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• 2007

This study describes conditions for the mass production of activation-tagged mutant hairy root lines of ginseng by cocultivation with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Because it is not currently possible to produce progeny from transgenic ginseng, a loss-of-function approach for functional genomics cannot be appliable to this species. A gain-of-function approach is alternatively the choice and hairy root production by cocultivation of A. rhizogenes would be most practical to obtain a large number of mutants. Various sources of explants were subjected to genetic transformation with various strains of A. rhizogenes harboring the activation-tagging vector pKH01 to determine optimum conditions for the highest frequency of hairy root formation on explants. Petiole explants cocultivated with A. rhizogenes R1000 produced hairy roots at a frequency of 85.9% after 4 weeks of culture. Conditions for maximum growth or branching rate of hairy roots were also investigated by using various culture media. Petiole explants cultured on half strength Schenk and Hildebrandt medium produced vigorously growing branched roots at a rate of 2.6 after 4 weeks of culture. A total of 1,989 lines of hairy root mutants were established in this study. These hairy root lines will be useful to determine functions of genes for biosynthesis of ginsenosides.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.264-270
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• 2017

Brassinosteroid (BR), a plant steroid hormone, plays a critical role in the growth and developmental processes through its canonical signaling and crosstalk with various internal and external signaling pathways. Recent studies have revealed the essential interplay mechanisms between BR and ABA during seed germination and early seedling establishment. However, molecular mechanisms for this important signaling crosstalk are largely unknown. To understand the crosstalk between BR-mediated signaling pathways and ABA functions during early seedling development, we carried out a comparative genome-wide transcriptome analysis with an Agilent Arabidopsis $4{\times}44K$ oligo chip. We selected and compared the expression patterns of ABA response genes in ABA-insensitive bes1-D mutant with wild type seedlings on which ABA was exogenously applied. As a result, we identified 2,353 significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ABA-treated bes1-D and wild type seedlings. GO enrichment analysis revealed that ABA signaling, response, and metabolism were critically down-regulated by BR-activated signaling pathways. In addition, the genome-wide transcriptome analysis data revealed that BR-regulated signaling pathways were tightly connected to diverse signal cues including abiotic/biotic stress, auxin, ROS etc. In this study, we newly identified the molecular mechanisms of BR-mediated repression of ABA signaling outputs. Also, our data suggest that interplay among diverse signaling pathways is critical for the adaptive response of the plant to various environmental factors.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.1018-1023
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• 2012

Snail is a zinc finger transcription factor that induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which promotes tumor invasion and metastasis by repressing E-cadherin expression. In addition, Snail restricts the cellular apoptotic response to apoptotic stimuli or survival factor withdrawal; however, its molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. In this study, we have investigated the mechanism underlying Snail-mediated chemoresistance to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), one of the most widely used anti-cancer drugs. When Snail was overexpressed by doxycycline (DOX) in MCF-7 #5 cells, it inhibited 5-FU-induced apoptotic cell death and switched the cell death mode to necrosis. Snail expression, either by DOX treatment in MCF-7 #5 cells or by the transfection of Snail expression vectors pCR3.1-Snail-Flg, phosphorylation-resistant pCR3.1-S104, and 107A Snail-Flg in MCF-7 cells specifically induced PTEN down-regulation/inactivation and Akt/PKB activation, without affecting ERK1/2 activity. In addition, Snail prominently suppressed 5-FU-induced increases in p53 levels. These findings demonstrate that Snail switches 5-FU-induced apoptosis to necrosis through the activation of Akt/PKB and the down-regulation of p53 levels.