• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.147-155
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• 2009

Oryza grandiglumis Chitinase IVa (OgChitIVa) cDNA encoding a class IV chitinase was cloned from wild rice (Oryza grandiglumis). OgChitIVa cDNA contains an open reading frame of 867 nucleotides encoding 288 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular weight of 30.4 kDa and isoelectric point of 8.48. Deduced amino acid sequences of OgChitIVa include the signal peptide and chitin-binding domain in the N-terminal domain and conserved catalytic domain. OgChitIVa showed significant similarity at the amino acid level with related monocotyledonous rice and maize chitinase, but low similarity with dicotyledoneous chitinase. Southern blot analysis showed that OgChitIVa genes are present as two copies in the wild rice genome. It was shown that RNA expression of OgChitIVa was induced by defense/stress signaling chemicals, such as jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, and ethephon or cantharidin and endothall or wounding, and yeast extract. It was demonstrated that overexpression of OgChitIVa in Arabidopsis resulted in mild resistance against the fungal pathogen, Botrytis cinerea, by lowering disease rate and necrosis size. RT-PCR analysis showed that PR-1 and PR-2 RNA expression was induced in the transgenic lines. Here, we suggest that a novel OgChitIVa gene may play a role in signal transduction process in defense response against B. cinerea in plants.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.689-697
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• 2015

The tapeworm Taenia solium is an important human zoonotic parasite that causes great economic loss and also endangers public health. At present, an effective vaccine that will prevent infection and chemotherapy without any side effect remains to be developed. In this study, codon usage patterns in the T. solium genome were examined through 8,484 protein-coding genes. Neutrality analysis showed that T. solium had a narrow GC distribution, and a significant correlation was observed between GC12 and GC3. Examination of an NC (ENC vs GC3s)-plot showed a few genes on or close to the expected curve, but the majority of points with low-ENC (the effective number of codons) values were detected below the expected curve, suggesting that mutational bias plays a major role in shaping codon usage. The Parity Rule 2 plot (PR2) analysis showed that GC and AT were not used proportionally. We also identified 26 optimal codons in the T. solium genome, all of which ended with either a G or C residue. These optimal codons in the T. solium genome are likely consistent with tRNAs that are highly expressed in the cell, suggesting that mutational and translational selection forces are probably driving factors of codon usage bias in the T. solium genome.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.170-182
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• 2011

Plants possess multiple resistance mechanisms that protect themselves against pathogen attack. To identify unknown components of the defense machinery in Arabidopsis, gene-expression changes were monitored in Arabidopsis thaliana under 18 different biotic or abiotic conditions using a DNA microarray representing approximately 25% of all Arabidopsis thaliana genes (www.genevestigator.com). Seventeen genes which are early responsive to salicylic acid (SA) treatment as well as pathogen infection were selected and their T-DNA insertion mutants were obtained from SALK institute. To elucidate the role of each gene in defense response, bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000 was inoculated onto individual T-DNA insertion mutants. Four mutants exhibited decreased resistance and five mutants displayed significantly enhanced resistance against Pst DC3000-infection as measured by change in symptom development as compared to wild-type plants. Among them, member of uridin diphosphate (UDP)-glycosyltransferase (UGT) was of particular interest, since a UGT mutant (At1g05680) showed enhanced resistance to Pst-infection in Arabidopsis. In systemic acquired resistance (SAR) assay, this mutant showed enhanced activation of SAR. Also, the enhanced SAR correlated with increased expression of defense-related gene, AtPR1. These results emphasize that the glycosylation of UGT74E2 is a part of the SA-mediated disease-resistance mechanism.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.185-193
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• 2007

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the root nodules is a distinctly beneficial metabolic process in legume plants. Legumes control the nodule number and nodulation zone through a systemic negative regulatory system between shoot and root. Mutation in the soybean NTS gene encoding GmNARK, a CLAVATA1-like serine/threonine receptor-like kinase, causes excessive nodule development called hypernodulation. To examine the effect of nts mutation on the gene expression profile in the leaves, suppression subtractive hybridization was performed with the trifoliate leaves of nts mutant 'SS2-2' and the wild-type (WT) parent 'Sinpaldalkong2', and 75 EST clones that were highly expressed in the leaves of the SS2-2 mutant were identified. Interestingly, the expression of jasmonate (JA)-responsive genes such as vspA, vspB, and Lox2 were upregulated, whereas that of a salicylate-responsive gene PR1a was suppressed in the SS2-2 mutant. In addition, the level of JA was about two-fold higher in the leaves of the SS2-2 mutant than in those of the WT under natural growth conditions. Moreover, the JA-responsive gene expression persists in the leaves of SS2-2 mutant without rhizobia infection in the roots. Taken together, our results suggest that the nts mutation increases JA synthesis in mature leaves and consequently leads to constitutive expression of JA-responsive genes which is irrelevant to hypernodulation in the root.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.167-176
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• 2023

Background: A breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide and among different types of breast cancers, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a poor prognosis. Methods: We investigated the potential of ginsenoside compound K (CK), an active ingredient in the bio-transformed ginsenoside, to be used as a therapeutic ingredient by examining the effects of CK on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cancer-related gene expressions in breast cancer cells. Results: From the results of treating MCF-7, an ER and PR-positive breast cancer cells, and MDA-MB-231 (TNBC) with CK at a concentration of 0-100 µM, the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values for each cell were 52.17 µM and 29.88 µM, respectively. And also, it was confirmed that cell migration was inhibited above the IC50 concentration. In addition, fluorescence analysis of Apoptosis/Necrosis showed that CK induced apoptosis rather than necrosis of breast cancer cells. Through qPCR, it was confirmed that the expression of genes related to apoptosis and cell cycle arrest was increased in CK-treated breast cancer cells, and it acted more effectively on TNBC. However, the expression of genes related to tumor invasion and metastasis is also increased, so it is necessary to consider the timing of application of CK as a potential therapeutic anticancer compound. Conclusions: CK showed a stronger inhibitory effect in TNBC with poor prognosis but considering the high tumor invasion and metastasis-related gene expression, the timing of application of CK should be considered.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.357-361
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• 2008

One of the major allergenic proteins in common buckwheat (Fagopyrum elculentum) was found to be a BW10KD. In this work, allergenic BW10KD genomic DNAs from the native common buckwheat 'Pyeongchang' and Tartarian buckwheat 'Clfa47' were cloned by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and their nucleotide sequences were determined. In addition, a novel PCR assay targeting the allergenic BW10KD gene was developed to detect and differentiate both buckwheat species in food. The nucleotide sequences of the BW10KD genomic DNA from 'Pyeongchang' and 'Clfa47' were 94% identical. Base differences in the nucleotide sequences of the BW10KD genes are probably useful as a molecular marker for species-specific identification. The 'Pyeongchang'-specific primer set 154PF/400PR and the 'Clfa47'-specific primer set 154DF/253DR generated 247 and 100 bp fragments in singleplex PCR, respectively. A duplex PCR assay with 2 species-specific primer sets simultaneously differentiated the 'Pyeongchang' and 'Clfa47' in a single reaction. The PCR assay also successfully allowed for the rapid detection of buckwheat ingredients in foods.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.68.1-68
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• 2003

When plants are infected by plant pathogens, typical disease symptom termed lesion, appears in compatible interaction. Whereas, in incompatible interactions, only small speck of lesions are visible on the leaf surfaces. Hypersensitive response (HR) of plant which is the result of infection by incompatible pathogens, is a well known defense response inducing rapid cell death resulting in complete resistance. However, some rice mutants show spontaneous disease symptoms during the growth stages without interaction with pathogens. We investigated the spontaneous cell death mutant called Blast Lesion Mimic(BLM) generated by EMS mutation, on the relationship with the hypersensitive response as well as resistant characteristics. Accumulation of phenolic compounds were detected around the lesions as lesions develop on leaf surface. Activation of PR gene was detected before the lesion appeared, and that result indicates the defense-related response are started earlier than lesion formation. The BLM mutant showed resistant response to inoculation of Magnaporthe grisea KJ201 with which the wild type Hwacheong is totally susceptible. Informations on the formation of spontaneous lesions and detail analysis of lesion mimic mutants and related genes are very limited to date. It is really important to understand the phenomenon of the defense-related lesion formation for developing resistant cultivar for rice blast pathogens

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.360-363
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• 2006

Efficacy of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR) Bacillus vallismortis strain EXTN-1 has been proved in eliciting induced systemic resistance(ISR) in several crops. The present paper described the beneficial effects of EXTN-1 in potato as increase in yield and chlorophyll content, and plant protection against Potato Virus Y and X(PVY & PVX). EXTN-1 induced systemic resistance to the plants resulting in significant disease suppression in the field. Also the plants under treatment with EXTN-1 had higher chlorophyll content. The bacterized plants had significantly higher yields over the untreated control plants. The strain induced activation of defense genes, PR-1a and PDF 1.2 in transgenic tobacco model, which indicated the possible role of both SA, and JA pathways in EXTN-1 mediated plant protection against crop diseases.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3035-3041
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• 2016

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy of women worldwide. In the past it was considered as disease of older middle aged women, but the incidence of BC in young females is growing in recent years concordant with studies in Pakistan. In this paper, we reviewed the mutant functions of tumor suppressor genes (BRCA1, BRCA2, p53, ATM and PTEN), epigenetic transformation and involvement of estrogen receptors in development of breast cancer. We further reviewed the current situation of BC in Pakistan that depicts a higher incidence in young females. According to SKMCH and RC data, age group 45-49 years is more prone to BC with high rate of incidence 45.42%. A few studies explored the high expression of ER, PR and HER-2/neu in Pakistani females. Moreover, presence of BRCA1 (c.1961dupA) mutation in Pakistani shows concordance with data in different areas of world. But we are unable to find an authentic study that can explore epigenetic based transformation of breast tumors in Pakistan. This area of research needs more attention to explore the complete picture of BC in Pakistan.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.201-208
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• 2013

Drought stress is one of the major yield affecting factor for pepper plant. The effects of PGPRs were analyzed in relation with drought resistance. The PGPRs inoculated pepper plants tolerate the drought stress and survived as compared to non-inoculated pepper plants that died after 15 days of drought stress. Variations in protein and RNA accumulation patterns of inoculated and non-inoculated pepper plants subjected to drought conditions for 10 days were confirmed by two dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and differential display PCR (DD-PCR), respectively. A total of six differentially expressed stress proteins were identified in the treated pepper plants by 2D-PAGE. Among the stress proteins, specific genes of Cadhn, VA, sHSP and CaPR-10 showed more than a 1.5-fold expressed in amount in B. licheniformis K11-treated drought pepper compared to untreated drought pepper. The changes in proteins and gene expression patterns were attributed to the B. licheniformis K11. Accordingly, auxin and ACC deaminase producing PGPR B. licheniformis K11 could reduce drought stress in drought affected regions without the need for overusing agrochemicals and chemical fertilizer. These results will contribute to the development of a microbial agent for organic farming by PGPR.