• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.83-91
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• 2018

Advances in bacterial and fungal genome mining uncover a plethora of cryptic secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters. Guided by the genome information, targeted transcriptional derepression could be employed to determine the product of a cryptic gene cluster and to explore its biological role. Monascus spp. are food grade filamentous fungi popular in eastern Asia and several genome data belong to them are now available. We achieved transcription activation of a cryptic fungal polyketide synthase-nonribosomal peptide synthase gene Mpfus1 in Monascus purpureus ${\Delta}MpPKS5$ by inserting Aspergillus gpdA promoter at the upstream of Mpfus1 through double crossover gene replacement. The gene cluster with Mpfus1 show a high similarity to those for the biosynthesis of conjugated polyene derivatives with 2-pyrrolidone ring and the mycotoxin fusarin is the representative member of this group. The ${\Delta}MpPKS5$ is incapable of producing azaphilone pigment, providing an excellent background to identify chromogenic and UV-absorbing compounds. Activation of Mpfus1 resulted in a yellow hue on mycelia and its methanol extract exhibit a maximum absorption at 365 nm. HPLC analysis of the organic extracts indicated the presence of a variety of yellow compounds in the extract. This implies that the product of MpFus1 is metabolically or chemically unstable. LC-MS analysis guided us to predict the MpFus1 product and to propose that the Mpfus1-containing gene cluster encode the biosynthesis of a desmethyl analogue of fusarin. This study showcases the genome mining in Monascus and the possibility to unveil new biological activities embedded in it.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.112-118
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• 2002

Sporulation in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe has been regarded as an important model of cellular development and differentiation. S. pombe cells proliferate by mitosis and binary fission on growth medium. Deprivation of nutrients especially nitrogen sources, causes the cessation of mitosis and initiates sexual reproduction by matting between two sexually compatible cell types. Meiosis is then followed in a diploid cell in the absence of nitrogen source. DNA fragment complemented with the mutations of sporulation gene was isolated from the S. pombe gene library constructed in the vector, pDB 248' and designated as pDB(spo5)1. We futher analyzed six recombinant plasmids, pDB(spo5)2, pDB(spo5)3, pDB(spo5)4, pDB(spo5)5, pDB (spo5)6, pDB(spo5)7 and found each of these plasmids is able to rescue the spo5-2, spo5-3, spo5-4, spo5-5, spo5-6, spo5-7 mutations, respectively. Mapping of the integrated plasmid into the homologous site of the S. pombe chromosomes demonstrated that pDB(spo5)1, and pDB(spu5)Rl contained the spo5 gene. Transcripts of spo5 gene were analyzed by Northern hybridization. Two transcripts of 3.2 kb and 2.5kb were detected with 5kb Hind Ⅲ fragment containing a part of the spo5 gene as a probe. The small mRNA(2.5kb) appeared only when a wild-type strain was cultured in the absence of nitrogen source in which condition the large mRNA (3.2kb) was produced constitutively. Appearance of a 2.5kb spo5-mRNA depends upon the function of the meil, mei2 and mei3 genes.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.158-167
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• 2007

In this study, we have cloned a novel cDNA encoding for a papain-family cysteine protease from the Uni-ZAP XR cDNA library of the polychaete, Periserrula leucophryna. This gene was expressed in Escherichia coli using the T7 promoter system, and the protease was characterized after partial purification. First, the partial DNA fragment (498 bp) was amplified from the total RNA via RT-PCR using degenerated primers derived from the conserved region of cysteine protease. The full-length cDNA of cysteine protease (PLCP) was prepared via the screening of the Uni-ZAP XR cDNA library using the $^{32}P-labeled$ partial DNA fragment. As a result, the PLCP gene was determined to consist of a 2591 bp nucleotide sequence (CDS: 173-1024 bp) which encodes for a 283-amino acid polypeptide, which is itself composed of an 59-residue signal sequence, a 6-residue propeptide, a 218-residue mature protein, and a long 3'-noncoding region encompassing 1564 bp. The predicted molecular weights of the preproprotein and the mature protein were calculated as 31.8 kDa and 25 kDa, respectively. The results of sequence analysis and alignment revealed a significant degree of sequence similarity with other eukaryotic cysteine proteases, including the conserved catalytic triad of the $Cys^{90},\;His^{226},\;and\;Asn^{250}$ residues which characterize the C1 family of papain-like cysteine protease. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the novel gene were deposited into the GenBank database under the accession numbers, AY390282 and AAR27011, respectively. The results of Northern blot analysis revealed the 2.5 kb size of the transcript and ubiquitous expression throughout the entirety of the body, head, gut, and skin, which suggested that the PLCP may be grouped within the cathepsin F-like proteases. The region encoding for the mature form of the protease was then subcloned into the pT7-7 expression vector following PCR amplification using the designed primers, including the initiation and termination codons. The recombinant cysteine proteases were generated in a range of 6.3 % to 12.5 % of the total cell proteins in the E. coli BL21(DE3) strain for 8 transformants. The results of SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis indicated that a cysteine protease of approximately 25 kDa (mature form) was generated. The optimal pH and temperature of the enzyme were determined to be approximately 9.5 and $35^{\circ}C$, respectively, thereby indicating that the cysteine protease is a member of the alkaline protease group. The evaluation of substrate specificity indicated that the purified protease was more active towards Arg-X or Lys-X and did not efficiently cleave the substrates with non-polar amino acids at the P1 site. The PLCP evidenced fibrinolytic activity on the plasminogen-free fibrin plate test.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.25-29
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• 2006

This study was carried out to isolate the possible anti-tumor promoters from the citrus peel (Citrus natsudaidai Hayata). We fractionated the cold-pressed oil of citrus peel by column chromatography, HPLC and TLC. The analysis on column chromate-graphy yielded seven peaks $(F-I{\sim}F-VII)$, all of which showed single spot on TLC analysis ($R_f$ for $F-I{\sim}VIII$; 0.31, 0.13, 0.13, 0.78, 0.79, 0.69 and 0.84). Among the seven fractions, three fractions (F-I, -II and F-IV) were re-analyzed on HPLC, also showing single peak except for one fraction (F-IV) which was divided two peaks. The retention times $(R_f)$ of F-I and F-II was 3 min. and 2.5 min., respectively, but these of two peaks from F-IV were 2 min. and 4.5 min., respectively. Since the area of the latter peak (4.5 min.) was very smaller than that of the former one (2 min.), it is considered that the latter one did not appear on TLC analysis. The inhibitory effect on tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate(TPA)-induced Epstein-Barr virus activation in Raji cells was tested for the seven fraction obtained. It decreased in order of F-VI (82.3+1.3%) > F-I (80.4+1.6%) > F-II (77.2+0.9%) > F-III (75.0+1.2%) > F-IV (74.1=1.0%) > F-V (71.0+1.1%) > F-VII (70.2+1.2%). These results imply that some constiuents contained in citrus peels have the inhibitory activity of TPA-induced tumor promotion.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.247-265
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• 1998

To determine the sequence and expression of the VP7 gene of Korean isolates (CAU-9), viral RNA was purified and used for cDNA amplification by RT-PCR. The VP7 cDNA was cloned, sequenced, and expressed using baculovirus expression system. The result showed that the sequence homologies CAU-9 compared with foreign isolated strains Wa, 417, TMC-II, 95B and SA11 were ranged from 74.0% to 95.1 % of nucleotide sequence and 35% to 43% of amino acid sequence, respectively. High homology of CAU-9 was observed in Japanease isolates 417 (nucleotide sequence homology was 95.1% and amino acid sequence homology was 43%). To express VP7 gene, the VP7 cDNA was cloned into pCR-Bac vector and inserted into the genome of baculovirus adjacent to the polyhedrin promoter by cotransfection of Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells with wild type baculovirus DNA. In antigenic analysis of Sf9 cells inoculated with the recombinant VP7, immunofluorescence assay revealed positive for viral antigens. In metabolic labeling of Sf9 cell lysates infected with recombinant baculoviruses, it was revealed that the protein of 34 kDa was expressed. The limited study of expressed VP7 protein inoculated with guinea pigs failed to elicit neutalizing antibody. As a results, the sequence analysis and expression of VP7 protein of rotavirus CAU-9 isolated from an infant in Korea could permit the conformation and development of virus like particles which may be useful in designing vaccine strategy.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.323-329
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• 2007

Transgene expression was analyzed in tomato plants. Four lines of neomycin phosphotransferase II gene (NPTII) and the trehalose biosynthetic fusion gene (TPSP) transformed $T_0$ plants showed kanamycin resistance on selection medium. However, the analysis of phenotype (kanamycin resistance) and mRNA expression in $T_1$ plants indicated that the expression of the NPTII and TPSP transgenes was down-regulated to an undetectable level in two independent lines 1 and 11. Southern analysis demonstrated that the lines 1 and 11 had multicopies of the transgenes, whereas the typical transgenic lines 2 and 10 had 1 or 2 copies. DNA methylation analysis using methylation sensitive enzyme detected accumulated CpG DNA methylation on TPSP coding region and CaMV35S promoter region in the line 11, but not the typical transgenic line 2. These results suggest that multicopy transgene in plants is attributed to down-regulation of the transgene expression via transcriptional gene silencing.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2017

Methylation of CpG islands in the promoter region of genes acts as a significant mechanism of epigenetic gene silencing in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). DNA methylation markers are particularly advantageous because DNA methylation is an early event in tumorigenesis, and the epigenetic modification, 5-methylcytosine, is a stable mark. In the present study, we assessed the genome-wide preliminary screening and were to identify novel methylation biomarker candidate in HNSCC. Genome-wide methylation analysis was performed on 10 HNSCC tumors using the Methylated DNA Isolation Assay (MeDIA) CpG island microarray. Validation was done using immunohistochemistry using tissue microarray of 135 independent HNSCC tumors. In addition, in vitro proliferation, migration/invasion assays, RT-PCR and immunoblotting were performed to elucidate molecular regulating mechanisms. Our preliminary validation using CpG microarray data set, immunohisto-chemistry for HNSCC tumor tissues and in vitro functional assays revealed that methylation of the Homeobox B5 (HOXB5) and H6 Family Homeobox 2 (HMX2) could be possible novel methylation biomarkers in HNSCC.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.111-118
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• 2016

MiR399f plays a crucial role in maintaining phosphate homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana. Under phosphate starvation conditions, AtMYB2, which plays a role in plant salt and drought stress responses, directly regulates the expression of miR399f. In this study, we found that miR399f also participates in plant responses to abscisic acid (ABA), and to abiotic stresses including salt and drought. Salt and ABA treatment induced the expression of miR399f, as confirmed by histochemical analysis of promoter-GUS fusions. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing miR399f (miR399f-OE) exhibited enhanced tolerance to salt stress and exogenous ABA, but hypersensitivity to drought. Our in silico analysis identified ABF3 and CSP41b as putative target genes of miR399f, and expression analysis revealed that mRNA levels of ABF3 and CSP41b decreased remarkably in miR399f-OE plants under salt stress and in response to treatment with ABA. Moreover, we showed that activation of stress-responsive gene expression in response to salt stress and ABA treatment was impaired in miR399f-OE plants. Thus, these results suggested that in addition to phosphate starvation signaling, miR399f might also modulates plant responses to salt, ABA, and drought, by regulating the expression of newly discovered target genes such as ABF3 and CSP41b.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.383-388
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• 2009

The dehydration responsive element binding protein 2C (DREB2C) is a dehydration responsive element/C-repeat (DRE/CRT)-motif binding transcription factor that induced by mild heat stress. Previous experiments established that overexpression of DREB2C cDNA driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter (35S:DREB2C) resulted in increased heat tolerance in Arabidopsis. We first analyzed the proteomic profiles in wild-type and 35S:DREB2C plants at a normal temperature ($22^{\circ}C$), but could not detect any differences between the proteomes of wild-type and 35S: DREB2C plants. The transcript level of DREB2C in 35S: DREB2C plants after treatment with mild heat stress was increased more than two times compared with expression in 35S:DREB2C plants under unstressed condition. A proteomic approach was used to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying thermotolerance in 35S:DREB2C Arabidopsis plants. Eleven protein spots were identified as being differentially regulated in 35S:DREB2C plants. Moreover, in silico motif analysis showed that peptidyl-prolyl isomerase ROC4, glutathione transferase 8, pyridoxal biosynthesis protein PDX1, and elongation factor Tu contained one or more DRE/CRT motifs. To our knowledge, this study is the first to identify possible targets of DREB2C transcription factors at the protein level. The proteomic results were in agreement with transcriptional data.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.81-85
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• 2015

Since the banning of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs), the death of livestock has been increased, thus there is a strong demand for AGP-alternatives. Modulation of gut microbiota has been reported to affect host physiological functions and suggested to be a novel approach for developing AGP-alternatives. However, little has been understood about livestock gut microbiota compared to that of humans. We conducted preliminary study provide fundamental information regarding to regional differences in swine gut microbiota. Swine fecal samples were obtained from farms in Jeju (n=40), Gwangju (n=28), and Haenam (n=30). MiSeq was used to sequence 16S rRNA V4 region, and Mothur pipeline (Schloss et al., 2009) was used for data processing. A total of 5,642,125 reads were obtained and 3,868,143 reads were remained after removing erroneous reads. Analysis of taxonomic composition at the phylum level indicated greater abundance of Firmicutes among Jeju swine, and cluster analysis of distribution of operational taxonomic units also showed regional differences among swine gut microbiota. In addition, correlation analysis between non-metric multidimensional scaling and abundance of phyla suggested that the phyla Actinobacter, Verrucomicrobia, Firmicutes, and Fibrobacteres were driving factors for the regional differences. Livestock gut microbiota may be affected by diet and practices in farms. Our results indicated significant regional differences in swine gut microbiota, suggesting that future livestock gut microbiota studies should be designed with the regional differences in mind.