• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.60 no.6
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• pp.393-400
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• 2022

Human infection with simian malaria Plasmodium knowlesi is a cause for concern in Southeast Asian countries, especially in Malaysia. A previous study on Peninsular Malaysia P. knowlesi rhoptry associated protein-1 (PkRAP1) gene has discovered the existence of dimorphism. In this study, genetic analysis of PkRAP1 in a larger number of P. knowlesi samples from Malaysian Borneo was conducted. The PkRAP1 of these P. knowlesi isolates was PCR-amplified and sequenced. The newly obtained PkRAP1 gene sequences (n=34) were combined with those from the previous study (n=26) and analysed for polymorphism and natural selection. Sequence analysis revealed a higher genetic diversity of PkRAP1 compared to the previous study. Exon II of the gene had higher diversity (π=0.0172) than exon I (π=0.0128). The diversity of the total coding region (π=0.0167) was much higher than those of RAP1 orthologues such as PfRAP-1 (π=0.0041) and PvRAP1 (π=0.00088). Z-test results indicated that the gene was under purifying selection. Phylogenetic tree and haplotype network showed distinct clustering of Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo PkRAP1 haplotypes. This geographical-based clustering of PkRAP1 haplotypes provides further evidence of the dimorphism of the gene and possible existence of 2 distinct P. knowlesi lineages in Malaysia.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.764-770
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• 2006

Dihydrochalcomycin (GERI-155), produced by Streptomyces sp. KCTC-0041BP isolated from Korean soil, is a 16-membered macrolide antibiotic consisting of two deoxysugar moieties at C-5 and C-20 positions of a branched lactone ring. The cloning and sequencing of a gene cluster for dihydrochalcomycin biosynthesis revealed a 63-kb nucleotide region containing 25 open reading frames (ORFs). The products of all of these 25 ORFs playa role in dihydrochalcomycin biosynthesis and self-resistance against the compounds synthesized. At the core of this cluster lies a 39.6-kb polyketide synthase (PKS) region encoding eight modules in five giant multifunctional protein-coding genes (gerSI-SV). The genes responsible for the biosynthesis of deoxysugar moieties, D-chalcose and D-mycinose, and their modification and attachment were found on either side of this PKS region. The involvement of this gene cluster in dihydrochalcomycin biosynthesis was confirmed by disruption of the dehydratase (DH) domain in module 3 of the PKS gene and by metabolite analysis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1937-1945
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• 2018

Malassezia pachydermatis is a commensal yeast found on the skin of dogs. However, M. pachydermatis is also considered an opportunistic pathogen and is associated with various canine skin diseases including otitis externa and atopic dermatitis, which usually require treatment using an azole antifungal drug, such as ketoconazole. In this study, we isolated a ketoconazole-resistant strain of M. pachydermatis, designated "KCTC 27587," from the external ear canal of a dog with otitis externa and analyzed its resistance mechanism. To understand the mechanism underlying ketoconazole resistance of the clinical isolate M. pachydermatis KCTC 27587, the whole genome of the yeast was sequenced using the PacBio platform and was compared with M. pachydermatis type strain CBS 1879. We found that a ~84-kb region in chromosome 4 of M. pachydermatis KCTC 27587 was tandemly quadruplicated. The quadruplicated region contains 52 protein coding genes, including the homologs of ERG4 and ERG11, whose overexpression is known to be associated with azole resistance. Our data suggest that the quadruplication of the ~84-kb region may be the cause of the ketoconazole resistance in M. pachydermatis KCTC 27587.

• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.262-267
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• 2001

A cDNA coding alkaline phosphatase (AP) homologue was isolated from a cDNA library of Schizosaccharomyces pombe by colony hybridization. The nucleotide sequence of the cloned cDNA appeared to lack the N-terminal coding region. The genomic DNA encoding alkaline phosphatase homologue was isolated from S. pombe chromosomal DNA using PCR. The amplified DNA fragment was ligated into plasmid pRS315 to generate the recombinant plasmid pSW20. The DNA insert was subcloned as two smaller fragments for nucleotide sequencing. The sequence contains 2,789 by and encodes a protein of 532 amino acids with a molecular mass of 58,666 daltons. The S. pombe cells containing plasmid pSW20 showed much higher AP activity compared with the yeast cells with vector only This indicates that the cloned AP gene apparently encodes AP The predicted amino acid sequence of the S. pombe AP shares homology with those of other known APs.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.813-817
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• 2016

Armillifer agkistrodontis (Ichthyostraca: Pantastomida) is a parasitic pathogen, only reported in China, which can cause a zoonotic disease, pentastomiasis. A complete mitochondrial (mt) genome was 16,521 bp comprising 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 1 non-coding region (NCR). A phylogenetic tree drawn with the concatenated amino acid sequences of the 6 conserved PCGs (atp6, cox1-3, and nad2) showed that A. agkistrodontis and Armillifer armillatus constituted a clade Pentastomida which was a sister group of the Branchiura. The complete mt genome sequence of A. agkistrodontis provides important genetic markers for both phylogenetic and epidemiological studies of pentastomids.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.700-706
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• 2000

Iron- and zinc-containing superoxide dismutase (FeZnSOD) and nickel-containing superoxide dismutase (NiSOD) are cytoplamic enzymes in Streptomyces griseus. The sodF gene coding for FeZnSOD was cloned from genomic Southern hybridization analysis with a 0.5-kb DNA probe, which was PCR-amplified with facing primers corresponding to the N-terminal amino acid of the purified FeZnSOD of S. griseus and a C-terminal region which is conserved among bacterial FeSODs and MnSODs. The sodF open reading frame (ORF) was comprised of 213 amino acid (22,430 Da), and the deduced sequence of the protein was highly homologous (86% identity) to that of FeZnSOD of Streptomyces coelicolor. The FeZnSOD expression of exponentially growing S. griseus cell was approximately doubled as the cell growth reached the early stationary phase. The growth-associated expression of FeZnSOD was mainly controlled at the transcriptional level, and the regulation was exerted through the 110 bp regulatory DNA upstream from the ATG initiation codon of the sodF gene.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.3-16
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• 2011

In the bipolar basidiomycete Pholiota nameko, a pair of homeodomain protein genes located at the A mating-type locus regulates mating compatibility. In the present study, we used a DNA-mediated transformation system in P. nameko to investigate the homeodomain proteins that control the clamp formation. When a single homeodomain protein gene (A3-hox1 or A3-hox2) from the A3 monokaryon strain was introduced into the A4 monokaryon strain, the transformants produced many pseudo-clamps but very few clamps. When two homeodomain protein genes (A3-hox1 and A3-hox2) were transformed either separately or together into the A4 monokaryon, the ratio of clamps to the clamp-like cells in the transformants was significantly increased to approximately 50%. We, therefore, concluded that the gene dosage of homeodomain protein genes is important for clamp formation. When the sip promoter was connected to the coding region of A3-hox1 and A3-hox2 and the fused fragments were introduced into NGW19-6 (A4), the transformants achieved more than 85% clamp formation and exhibited two nuclei per cell, similar to the dikaryon (NGW12-163 ${\times}$ NGW19-6). The results of real-time RT-PCR confirmed that sip promoter activity is greater than that of the native promoter of homeodomain protein genes in P. nameko. So, we concluded that nearly 100% clamp formation requires high expression levels of homeodomain protein genes and that altered expression of the A mating-type genes alone is sufficient to drive true clamp formation.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.123-127
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• 2003

A severe disease of muskmelon (Cucumis melo cv. Alsnight) grown on rockwool in a plastic house was characterized by leaf and stem necrosis followed by death of the plants. In 2001, an isolate of Melon necrotic spot virus-MN (MNSV-MN) of the genus Camovirus was identified as the causal agent of the disease on the basis of biological reactions and nucleotide sequence analyses of coat protein (CP) gene. MNSV-MN induced necrotic local lesions on mechanically inoculated leaves and systemic necrotic spots on the upper leaves of melon cvs. Alsnight, Rui III, Party, Imperial, and Seolhang. However, the inoculated leaves of watermelon and cucumber showed only necrotic lesions. DsRNAs extracted from the melon infected with MNSV-MN were separated into three components. Molecular sizes of the dsRNAs were estimated at approximately 4.5, 1.8, and 1.6 kbp. The amplified cDNA products of CP gene for MNSV-MN by RT-PCR showed approximately 1.2 kbp. The amplified DNA was digested to three fragments by MspI treatment. The cDNA of the genomic RNA of MNSV-MN was cloned and the region deduced to encode the CP was sequenced. The CP coding region, located near 3' end of the genome, consisted of 1,170 nucleotides and had the potential to encode a 390 amino acid protein. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of MNSV-MN CP gene were 84.0-94.6% and 90.8-94.9% identical with other MNSV isolates found in the GeneBank database, respectively. This is the first report on the occurrence of MNSV in Korea.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.1-2
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• 2000

High production of milk and its components are necessary to allow maximal growth of developing piglets. In this study, transgenic pigs were produced containing the $\alpha$-lactalbumin gene, whose product is a potential limiting component in the production of milk. Two lines of transgenic pigs were produced to analyze the effects that overproduction of the milk protein $\alpha$-lactalbumin may have on milk production and piglet growth. Transgenic pigs were produced through microinjection of the bovine $\alpha$-lactalbumin gene. The gene construct contained 2.0 kb of 5 flanking region, the 2.0 kb coding region and 329 bp of 3 flanking region. Sows hemizygous for the transgene produced as much as 0.9 g of bovine $\alpha$-lactalbumin per liter of pig milk. The production of the bovine protein caused approximately a 50 % increase in the total $\alpha$-lactalbumin concentration in pig milk throughout lactation. The concentration of bovine $\alpha$-lactalbumin was highest on day 0 and 5 of lactation and decreased as lactation progressed. The ratio of bovine to porcine $\alpha$-lactalbumin changed during the sow's lactation. This ratio was 4.3 to 1 on day 0 of lactation, but by day 20 of lactation the ratio was 0.43 to 1. This suggested that the bovine transgene and the endogenous porcine gene were under slightly different control mechanisms. The higher level of total $\alpha$-lactalbumin present on day 0 of lactation was correlated with higher lactose percentage on day 0 in transgenic sows (3.8 %) as compared to controls (2.6 %) (P < 0.01). Although there was also a trend for higher lactose percentage in transgenic sows on day 5 and 10 of lactation, no significant differences were observed. These data suggest that $\alpha$-lactalbumin is limiting early in lactation of swine. Furthermore, higher concentrations of $\alpha$-lactalbumin early in lactation may boost milk output.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.321-333
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• 2000

High production of milk and its components are necessary to allow maximal growth of developing piglets. In this study, transgenic pigs were produced containing the $\alpha$ -lactalbumin gene, whose product is a potential limiting component in the production of milk. Two lines of transgenic pigs were produced to analyze the effects that overproduction of the milk protein $\alpha$ -lactalbumin may have on milk production and piglet growth. Transgenic pigs were produced through microinjection of the bovine $\alpha$ -lactalbumin gene. The gene construct contained 2.0 kb of 5'flanking region, the 2.0 kb coding region and 329 bp of 3'flanking region. Sows hemizygous for the trans gene produced as much as 0.9 g of bovine $\alpha$-lactalbumin per liter of pig milk. The production of the bovine protein caused approximately a 50% increase in the total $\alpha$ -lactalbumin concentration in pig milk throughout lactation. The concentration of bovine $\alpha$ -lactalbumin was highest on day 0 and 5 of lactation and decreased as lactation progressed. The ratio of bovine to porcine $\alpha$ -lactalbumin changed during the sow's lactation. This ratio was 4.3 to 1 on day 0 of lactation, but by day 20 of lactation the ratio was 0.43 to 1. This suggested that the bovine transgene and the endogenous porcine gene were under slightly different control mechanisms. The higher level of total $\alpha$-lactalbumin present on day 0 of lactation was correlated with higher lactose percentage on day 0 in transgenic sows (3.8%) as compared to controls (2.6%) (P＜0.01). Although there was also a trend for higher lactose percentage in transgenic sows on day 5 and 10 of lactation, no significant differences were observed. These data suggest that $\alpha$ -lactalbumin is limiting early in lactation of swine. Furthermore, higher concentrations of $\alpha$ -lactalbumin early in lactation may boost milk output.