• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.sup3
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• pp.299-304
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• 2016

Cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) is a secreted tripartite genotoxin produced by many pathogenic gram-negative bacteria. It is composed of three subunits, CdtA, CdtB and CdtC, and CdtB-associated deoxyribonuclease (DNase) activity is essential for the CDT toxicity. In the present study, to design a novel potentially antitumor drug against lung cancer, the possible mechanisms of cdtB anticancer properties were explored in the A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cell line. A recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1/cdtB was constructed expressing CdtB of human periodontal bacterium Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and investigated for toxic properties in A549 cells and possible mechanisms. It was observed that plasmid pcDNA3.1/cdtB caused loss of cell viability, morphologic changes and induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, measurement of caspase activity indicated involvement of an intrinsic pathway of cell apoptosis. Consequently, the recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1/cdtB may have potential as a new class of therapeutic agent for gene therapy of lung cancer.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.133-142
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• 1993

The effects of genetic and environmental factors on productivity of a cloned protein were studied in recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Plasmid stability and copy level were very high for a $REP^+$ system(at ca. 10 generations, stability: 65-90%, plasmid copy number per cell: 40-200), whereas these were very low for a yep- system(at ca. 10 generations, stability: 30%, plasmid copy number per cell 20). In plasmids containing the $2{\mu}m$ circle genome, a $[cir^o]$ strain was a preferred host cell since the plasmid stability and the copy number in a $[cir^o]$ strain were higher than in a $[cir^+]$strain. Cloned gene expression was dependent on plasmid copy number and stability. The inducer (galactose) level played a very important role in cloned lacZ gene expression, showing that a galactose concentration of 0.8% was sufficient for induction of gene expression. Induction rate was very fast in the case of plasmids exhibiting high stability and copy number by a factor of 4 to 25. The time to reach the peak value of gene expression was longer when galactose was added at the start of fermentation (ca. 26 hours) than at the mid-exponential phase (ca. 6 hours). Glucose repression was reduced by a factor of 2 to 5 as the relative inducer level increased.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 1986.12a
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• pp.525.3-526
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• 1986

For the analysis of fermentation characteristics and productivity of plasmid coded product, car-boxymethylcellulase in a recombinant DNA cell fermentation system, batch and continuous fermentations were carried out using a Bacillus megaterium ATCC 14945 transformed with a plasmid, pCK 108 haboring carboxymethyl cellulase gene. The effects of carbon and nitrogen sources and of temperature and pH on cell growth, product yield, plasmid stability, specific plasmid contents of cell, and gene expression efficiency were carefully studied. These experimental results will be discussed in some details.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2004

More than twenty years have passed since the approval of the first recombinant DNA product for therapeutic use (recombinant human insulin, 1982). However, the biotechnology industry is still facing a shortage of manufacturing capacity due to the increasing demand of therapeutic proteins. This demand has prompted the search for a growing number of biological production systems but, nevertheless, the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli remains one of the most attractive production hosts. This review highlights the most important features and developments of plasmid vector design, emphasizing the different reported strategies for improving the expression and secretion of heterologous proteins using the cellular machinery of E. coli.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.954-958
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• 2009

Effects of controlled- and uncontrolled-pH operations on phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) production by a recombinant Escherichia coli strain were investigated at uncontrolled-pH ($pH_{UC}$) and controlled-pH ($pH_C$) of 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, and 8.5 in bioreactor systems. The results showed that the recombinant PAL activity was improved significantly by controlled pH strategy. Among the $pH_C$ operations, the highest PAL activities were obtained under $pH_C$ 7.5 strategy where cell mass ($OD_{600\;nm}$) and PAL activity was 1.3 and 1.8 fold higher than those of $pH_{UC}$, respectively. The maximum PAL activity reached 123 U/g. The $pH_C$ 7.5 strategy made recombinant plasmid more stable and therefore allowed easier expression of PAL recombinant plasmid, which increased PAL production. It was indicated that the new approach (controlled-pH strategy) obtained in this work possessed a high potential for the industrial production of PAL, especially in the biosynthesis of L-phenylalanine.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.109-120
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• 1995

As the genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) and their recombinant plasmid DNAs could be released into natural environments, their stabilities and impacts to indigenous microorganisls have become very importhant research subjects concerning with environmental and ecological aspects. In this study, the genetically modified E. coli CU103 and its recombinant pCU103 plasmid DNA, in which pcbCD genes involving in degradation of biphenyl and 4-chlorobiphenyl were cloned, were studied for their survival and stability in several different waters established under laboratory conditions. E. coli CU103 and its host E. coli XL1-Blue survived longer in sterile distilled water (SDW) and filtered autoclaved river water (FAW) than in filtered river water (FW). A lot of extracellular DNAs were released from E. coli CU103 by lytic action of phages in FW and the released DNAs were degraded by DNase dissolved in the water. Such effects of the factors in FW on stability of the recombinant pCU103 plasmid were also observed in the results of gel electrophoresis, quantitative analysis with bisbenzimide, and transformation assay. Therefore, the recombinant plasmids of pCU103 were found to be readily liberated from the genetically modified E. coli CU103 into waters by normal metabolic processes and lysis of cells. And the plasmid DNAs were quite stable in waters, but their stabilities could be affected by physicoKDICical and biological factors in non-sterile natural waters.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.89-93
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• 1990

To improve the stability of recombinant pBR322-trip$^+$ plasmid (pLTW24) in E. coli culture, a positive selection system was devised. A DNA fragment containing pheW$^+$ gene (a structural gene for tRNA$^{phe}$ was isolated and inserted into the pBR322-trip$^+$ plasmid(pLTP24). A temperature sensitive host strain. LC901-pheS$^{-ts}$, was constructed for this plasmid by transducing pheS$^{-ts}$ allele (phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase) to E. coli LC901 using P1kc bacteriophage. The LC901-pheS$^{-ts}$ cells were unable to grow at a restrictive temperature when they had lost the pBR322 :: pheW$^+$ (pLTP24) plasmid. The effects of pheW$^+$ gene on the plasmid stability and the expression level of trip$^+$ gene in LC901-pheS$^{-ts}$ strain were investigated. The proportion of Trip$^+$ colonies among LC901-pheS$^{-ts}$ strain carrying plasmid pLTP24 was 99%, whereas that of LC901 strain carrying plasmid pLTW24 was 7% at the end of 20 generations. After 100 generations of growth, the strain LC901-pheS$^{-ts}$ carrying plasmid pLTP24 showed little loss of plasmids. While the majority of plasmid pLTW24 in LC901 strain were lost in the same period. The activities of tryptophan synthetase (T. Sase) and anthranilate synthetase (A. Sase) in LC901 strain carrying pLTW24 were about 1.2 times and 1.8 times respectively of those in LC901-pheS$^{-ts}$ strain carrying pLTP24.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.370-372
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• 1995

A Phaffia rhodozyma chromosomal fragment (approximately 3.8 kb) capable of functioning as an origin for the replication of a kanamycin resistance ($Km^r$) plasmid in S. cerevisiae was isolated by the use of origin search plasmid, pHN134. In S. cerevisiae, transformation frequencies using the plasmid pHN134 containing an autonomously replicating sequence of P. rhodozyma was 450-580 CFU/$\mu g$ DNA. The stability of the recombinant plasmid were 16-19$\%$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.161-168
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• 2000

Plasmid pLEX3 isolated from the recombinant cosmid library of Zoogloea ramigera 115 was found to be responsible for the restoration of the rugose colony phenotype. To confirm the essential region responsible for the complementation, subclones were constructed from plasmid pLEX3 and transformed into mutant strain Z. ramigera 115SLR. The recombinant plasmids pLEX10 and pLEX11 were shown to complement the slime-forming property of Z. ramigera 115SLR. In a compositional analysis of the exopolysaccharides from Z. ramigera 115, Z. ramigera 115SLR, and Z. ramigera 115SLR harboring plasmid pLEX11, the exopolysaccharides showed a similar composition with glucose, galactose, and side chain groups. The complete nucleotide sequence of the 3.25kb genocim DNA insert in plasmid pLEX11 was determined and its analysis identified two open reading frames which could encode two proteins. The gene products derived form the two open reading frames were confirmed by and in vivo transcription using a T7-RNA polymerase. The ORF1 produced a 30 kDa protein, whereas the ORF2 was found responsible for the complementation of the morphological mutation and produced a 14 kDa protein. An in vivo gene expression of plasmid pTEX10 showed another open reading frame encoding a 50 kDa protein. The gene products form ORF1 and ORF2 are regarded as novel proteins which do not show any homology with other proteins.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.222-228
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• 2001

Vibrio metschnikovii strain RH530 is a non-pathogenic, industrially-important alkaline protease producer which has been isolated from wastewater. In this paper, we report on the transformation of this strain by using the method of electroporation. A field strength of $7.5\;kVcm^{-1}$ and $25\;{\mu}F$, and using a 0.2-cm cuvette, appeared to be the optimal conditions for electroporation of the cells with the recombinant pSBCm plasmid carrying the vapK alkaline protease gene and the ColE1 replicon. Cells were subjected to osmotic shock in order to remove extracelluar DNase, and adding 200 mM of sucrose to electroporation buffer cells showed an increased transformation efficiency. Maximum efficiency of transformation was obtained at an early exponential growth phase. Using all of the conditions mentioned above, we routinely obtained a transformation efficiency of more than $10^4{({\mu}g\;plasmid\;DNA)}^{-1}$. The stability of the plasmid pSBCm in V. metschnikovii RH530 was 25% after 18h of growth (27 generations) in the medium without antibiotic selection. The insertion of the par locus to the pSBCm increased the stability of the plasmid up to 42% without selective pressure. The increase in plasmid stability was accompanied by the increase in the productivity of alkaline protease in the recombinant V. metschnikovii strain RH530. Determining optimal conditions for the transformation of the industrially-important, nonpathogenic Vibrio strain, and the improvement of plasmid stability by introducing the par locus into the high copy number plasmid vector, will allow the development of procedures involved in the genetic manipulation of this strain, particularly for its use in the production of industrial enzymes such as alkaline protease.