• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.159-167
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• 2014

In eukaryotes, proteins that are secreted into ER are post-translationally modified by N-glycosylation, the patterns of which are significantly different between plant and animal cells. Biotechnology industry has already produced a number of therapeutic glycoproteins in plant cells. However, the aberrant glycosylation of therapeutic recombinant proteins in plant systems can cause immune problems in humans. Therefore, it is important to develop strategies for producing non-glycosylated forms to preserve biological activity and native conformation by a peptide: N-glycanase (PNGase). In this study, we try to isolate PNGase T gene from tomato, which can use as a platform plant for biotechnology industry. We isolated a cDNA (GenBank Accession number KM401550) from tomato leaves with 1,767 bp, which encoded a polypeptide of 588 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 65.8 kDa. We also investigated the expression patterns of PNGase T during fruit ripening of tomato. The transcripts of PNGase T, which were constitutively induced in tomato fruit from green stage, were significantly increased and reached a peak at orange stage. After which, those transcripts were continuously reduced. The expression pattern of PNGase T was coincided well with transcripts profiles of metacaspase gene, LeMCA, and senescence-related gene members of ACC synthase, LeACS2, LeACS4, and LeACS6, for ethylene biosynthesis during fruit ripening. These results suggest that PNGase T is involved in a de-glycosylation process associated with senescence and fruit ripening.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.775-778
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• 2006

Sarabi cows (n = 136) from the Sarabi Breeding Station were genotyped at bovine lymphocyte antigen (BoLA)-DRB3.2 locus by a genotyping system that used the polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood samples. A two-step polymerase chain reaction was carried out in order to amplify a 284 base-pair fragment of target gene. Nested-PCR products were digested with three restriction endonuclease enzymes RsaI, BstYI and HaeIII. Digested fragments were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Twenty-six BoLA-DRB3.2 alleles were identified with frequencies ranging from 0.4 to 15.1%. Six new allele types observed in this study have not been reported previously. Identified alleles include: BoLA-DRB3.$2^*1$, $^*2$, $^*4$, $^*6$, $^*8$, $^*12$, $^*13$, $^*14$, $^*15$, $^*16$, $^*17$, $^*23$, $^*24$, $^*25$, $^*28$, $^*32$, $^*34$, $^*35$, $^*36$, $^*37$, $^*42$, $^*46$, $^*51$, $^*kba$, $^*laa$ and $^*vaa$. Their frequencies were found to be 0.4, 0.4, 0.7, 11.4, 1.1, 1.8, 2.9, 2.2, 4.4, 9.6, 1.1, 13.6, 0.4, 0.4, 1.1, 0.7, 0.4, 6.2, 2.2, 3.7, 1.1, 7.7, 1.5, 15.1, 2.6 and 7.3% respectively. The six most frequent alleles (DRB3.2 $^*6$, $^*16$, $^*23$, $^*46$, $^*kba$ and $^*vaa$) accounted for 64.7% of the alleles in the population of this herd. Numerous studies on this locus, covering different breeds, has revealed the existence of various alleles in this locus, and new investigations have introduced novel alleles. With respect to the high number of the observed alleles in this survey and the novelty of some alleles with no previous record of reporting, it is plausible to conclude that the BoLA-DRB3.2 locus is highly polymorphic in Iranian native Sarabi cows.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.119-127
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• 1999

Phylogenetic analysis was conducted to monitor transmission of HIV and to investigate the genetic structure of primary isolates from 12 HIV-1 subtype A infected Koreans. The individuals infected with subtype A viruses had been diagnosed as HIV-1 seropositives during the period 1987 to 1995 and blood samples have been collected from 1991 to 1997. DNA of each individual was isolated from uncultured or cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells. V3-V5 (0.7 kb) fragment of HIV-1 env gene was amplified by nested polymerase chain reaction and the PCR products were sequenced. The mean value of the divergence of nucleotide of HIV-1 env V3-V5 fragment was $17.0{\pm}4.06%$ ($8.6{\sim}25.8%$) within HIV-1 subtype A isolates from Koreans. This diversity was higher than those of African isolates ($13.7{\pm}2.66%$). In the phylogenetic tree, Korean subtype A isolates were not grouped together, but intermingled into African isolates. The results of this study suggested that HIV-1 subtype A variants be introduced from multiple sites of Africa into Korea and the big genetic diversity of Korea HIV-1 subtype A isolates may be further influenced by the range of geographic locations in which the infection occurred rather than the elapsed time between infection and collection of samples and the disease progression.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.147-152
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• 2020

Malaria is a potent burden on public healthcare worldwide due to requiring rapid diagnosis and treatment. Nowadays, prompt diagnosis with rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) has been widely accepted as an effective diagnostic technique in malaria-endemic countries, primarily due to their easy operation, fast output, and straightforward interpretation. The global availability and use of RDTs have gradually grown over recent decades as field-applicable diagnostic tests for the reliable confirmation of malaria infection and proper case management. This study was conducted to evaluate diagnostic performance of 3 commercially available malaria RDT kits : BIOCREDIT^TM Malaria Ag Pf(pLDH), Malaria Ag Pf(pLDH/pHRPII), and Malaria Ag Pf/Pv(pLDH/pLDH) (where pLDH and pHRPII stand for plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase and histidine-rich protein 2, respectively) for the specific detection of Plasmodium falciparum. A total of 1,129 blood samples including 95 blood samples, confirmed as vivax malaria infection by microscopic examinations and a nested-PCR method, were tested for falciparum malaria infection. The overall sensitivity and specificity of Malaria Ag Pf(pLDH/pHRPII), Malaria Ag Pf/Pv(pLDH/pLDH), and Pf(pLDH) for P. falciparum were 99.0% and 100%, 95.8% and 100%, and 100% and 100%, respectively. It is proposed that the 3 RDT kits perform reliable level of diagnostic accuracy of detection for P. falciparum parasites.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.185-211
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• 2002

We have found many beneficial effects of the long-tenn intake of Korean red ginseng (KRG) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type-I infected patients, including the maintenance of CD4+ T cell count for 10 years with KRG only and the delayed development of resistance mutation to ZDV. In this study, to investigate whether KRG-intake could affect the clinical progression and nef gene variation, we determined 200nef sequences from 70 patients. Follow-up period was $8.8{\pm}2.9$ years and annual decrease in CD4+T cell was $41{\pm}57/ul.$ Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing were perfonned with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained at times during the study period. First, there was a significant correlation between survival duration and duration of KRG-intake $(36.8{\pm}38$ months)(P=0.000). There were significant correlations between the last NefProg score and CD4+ T cell count (r= 0.208, P<0.05) and annual decrease in CD4+ T cell count (r =0.346, P<0.01) in 70 patients. In addition, there were significant correlations between KRG-intake and annual decrease (r= 0.323, P<0.01), and the CD4+ T cell count itself (r=0.229, p<0.05). Furthennore, there was also a mild significance between the NefProg score and the duration of KRG-intake in only SP and RP (n=30, r=-0.281, P=0.067). In addition, we detected various defects in 21 patients $(30.0\%),$ not including 5 premature stop codons. Ten $(12.5\%)$ patients showed repeated deletion of an amino acid. Four of 10 patients were gross deletions and they were treated with KRG for more than 20 months. The number of patients with repeated gross deletions was significantly higher in the order of slow progressors $(18\%)$, typical progressors($3\%$), and rapid progressors($0\%$) (P<0.05). We also observed that long-tenn intake of KRG might make the change from A or D to T at position 54 and decrease NefProg score. Taken together, our results show clear evidence that the long-term intake of KRG has effects on nef gene variation as well as definite clinical usefulness.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.6
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• pp.609-617
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• 2020

Plasmodium vivax reemerged in 1993. It has been sustained for more than 25 years and become one of the important indigenous parasitic diseases in northern and western parts of the Republic of Korea near the demilitarized zone. In particular, relapse is a significant concern for the control of malaria, as short- and long-term incubation periods vary among those infected in Korea. In this study, the prevalence of asymptomatic carriers was examined among residents of high endemic areas of vivax malaria during nonseasonal transmission of mosquitoes. Blood samples from 3 endemic regions in northwestern Korea were evaluated by microscopic examination, rapid diagnostic testing, and nested PCR to identify asymptomatic patients carrying malaria parasites in the community. However, no positive malaria case among residents of endemic areas was detected. Additionally, serological analysis was carried out to measure antibodies against 3 antigenic recombinant proteins of P. vivax, merozoite surface protein 1-19, circumsporozoite surface protein-VK210, and liver-stage antigen (PvLSA-N), by the protein array method. Interestingly, seropositivity of sera between previous exposure and samples without exposure to malaria was significantly higher using the PvLSA-N antigen than the other antigens, suggesting that PvLSA-N can be used as a serological marker to analyze the degree of exposure for malaria transmission in endemic areas. This indicates a very low asymptomatic carrier prevalence during the nonmalaria season in the endemic areas of Korea.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.153-161
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine the appearance of norovirus in the water for food in food service institutions and the influence of physicochemical and microbial factors of norovirus in order to work out basic data to predict the detection of norovirus. Among 82 samples of water for food in food service institutions, norovirus appeared in 7 samples and the rate of appearance was 8.5%. As for the type of norovirus, one samples contained GI type (genotype GI-6) and six samples contained GII type (genotype GII-2, GII-4, GII-12). In the regression model of prediction of norovirus, the rate of appearance was correlated with $NH_3$-N, total solids and the consumption of $KMnO_4$, out of such variables as $NH_3$-N, total solids, the consumption of $KMnO_4$, depth, chloride and total colony counts, and its contribution rate for effectiveness was 78.60%. In order to examine the influential factor of environment upon the detection of norovirus, Pearson's correlation analysis was carried out. The predictable regression formula for appearance rate of norovirus was expressed as -1.818 + 42.677 [$NH_3$-N] + 0.023 [total solids] + 0.762 [consumption of $KMnO_4$] -0.009 [depth] -0.146 [chloride] + 0.007 [total colony counts] (R = 0.904, $R^2$ = 0.818, adjusted $R^2$ = 0.786, p < 0.05). The most influential factors upon the detection of norovirus were $NH_3$-N, total solids and the consumption of $KMnO_4$. In other words, when the measured values of $NH_3$-N, total solids and the consumption of $KMnO_4$ were higher, the possibility of appearance of norovirus increased.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.471-477
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• 1999

Background : Smoking and high-risk occupation have been known to be the risk factors of lung cancer. The carcinogen-metabolizing enzymes in human body such as glutathione S-transferase M1, T1 and N-acetyltransferase 1 have also been regarded as risk factors in many cancers, because the activities of those enzymes play a role in metabolizing the carcinogen. A case-control study was conducted to evaluate the genetic polymorphism of GSTM1, T1 and NAT1 in lung carcinogenesis in Korean men. Methods : The histologically proven lung cancer cases were recruited from Seoul National University Hospital. The patients of more than 40-year-old with the nonmalignant urinary tract diseases were recruited as controls from the same hospitals. The informations of demographical characteristics and smoking were obtained by interview or chart review and the genetic polymorphisms of GSTM1, T1 and NAT1 were determined by PCR-based assay. The statistical analyses were performed by linear logistic regression. Results : The number of case-control was 118 and 150, respectively. The smoking history was significantly higher in the lung cancer patients than the controls. The prevalence of GSTM1 null-type was statistically higher(OR=2.25 ; 95% CI=1.12-4.51) in squamous cell carcinoma than other genotypes, but other histologic types were not The prevalence of GSTT1 null-type were not statistically higher than other genotypes in all histologic types. The fast acetylator of NAT1 was more prevalent than normal(OR=2.13 ; 95% CI=1.04-4.40) in all lung cancer patients. Conclusion : The null-type of GSTM1 and fast acetylator of NAT1 are associated with development of lung cancer in Korean men.