• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.201-206
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• 2003

Two lymphoid-specific proteins, RAG1 and RAG2, are required for the initiation of the V(D)J recombination in vitro. The V(D)J cleavage that is mediated by RAG proteins at the border between the coding and signal sequences results in the production of a hairpin at the coding end and a double-stranded break at the signal end. Two hairpin coding ends are re-opened, modified, and sealed; whereas, the signal ends are directly ligated. Here I report that only RAG1 can carry out a distinct endonucleolytic activity in vitro using an oligonucleotide substrate that is tethered by a short single-stranded DNA. The purified RAG1 protein alone formed a nick at the near position to the recombination signal sequence. This endonucleolytic activity was eliminated by immunoprecipitation using the RAG1-specific antibody, and required the 3'-hydroxy group. All of the RAG1 mutants that were incapable of the nick and hairpin formation in the V(D)J cleavage analysis also showed this new endonucleolytic activity. This suggests that the nicking activity that was observed might be functionally different from the nick formation in the V(D)J cleavage.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.151-156
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• 2002

Fucoidan is a kind of polysaccharides in brown seaweeds. For the past years have been extensively studied due to their numerous biological activities : anticancer, anticoagulant, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory and antiviral. In this study, we h ave extracted fucoidan from the Korean brown seaweeds and examined it's anticancer activities for employed SV40 DNA replication assay, RPA-ssDNA binding assay of replication protein A(RPA: known as human single-stranded DNA-binding protein essential for DNA rep-lication) and MCF7 cell growth inhibition assay. In addition to, we found that chemically sulfated fucoidan'santicancer activity is more higher than natural and desulfated fucoidan. It seem that fucoidan's sulfate group affect on DNA replication, cause of decrease RPA's DNA binding activity. These results suggests that sulfated fucoidan from Korean brown seaweeds have anticancer activity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.102-107
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• 2023

Genome editing using CRISPR-associated technology is widely used to modify the genomes rapidly and efficiently on specific DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced by Cas9 endonuclease. However, despite swift advance in Cas9 engineering, structural basis of Cas9-recognition and cleavage complex remains unclear. Proper assembly of this complex correlates to effective Cas9 activity, leading to high efficacy of genome editing events. Here, we develop a CRISPR/Cas9-RAD51 plasmid constitutively expressing RAD51, which can bind to single-stranded DNA for DSB repair. We show that the efficiency of CRISPR-mediated genome editing can be significantly improved by expressing RAD51, responsible for DSB repair via homologous recombination (HR), in both gene knock-out and knock-in processes. In cells with CRISPR/Cas9-RAD51 plasmid, expression of the target genes (cohesin SMC3 and GAPDH) was reduced by more than 1.9-fold compared to the CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid for knock-out of genes. Furthermore, CRISPR/Cas9-RAD51 enhanced the knock-in efficiency of DsRed donor DNA. Thus, the CRISPR/Cas9-RAD51 system is useful for applications requiring precise and efficient genome edits not accessible to HR-deficient cell genome editing and for developing CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout technology.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.310-313
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• 2014

We report a way to improve the ability of graphene to operate as a gas sensor by applying single stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The sensitivity and recovery of the DNA-graphene sensor depending on the different DNA sequences are analyzed. The different sensor responses to reactive chemical vapors are demonstrated in the time domain. Because of the chemical gating effect of the deposited DNA, the resulting devices show complete and rapid recovery to baseline unlike the bare graphene at room temperature. The application of the pattern recognition technique can increase the potential of DNA-graphene sensors as a chemical vapor classifier.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.117-121
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• 1998

Bacteriophage SC 921 of Lactobacillus plantarum, isolated from kimchi, showed high lytic effects at 0.2 M.O.I. level. The phage particle contained 4 major proteins (48, 34, 32, 29 kDa). Intact DNA of phage SC 921 is a double stranded linear molecule, and the genomic size is approximately 66.5 kilobase pairs (kbp). Restriction analysis of the genome showed that Sma I gave single site cut and Xba I gave 2 site cuts, while Cla I, Kpn I, and EcoR I formed 4, 5, and 6 cuts, respectively. Hind III digested phage DNA to many fragments. A restriction map of genomic DNA was constructed using the restriction endonuclease Kpn I, Sma I, and Xba I. Bacteriophage SC 921 was compared with B2 phage which had been reported to infect Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014(KCCM l1322). Bacteriophage SC 921 differs from B2 phage at least in thr size of its genome and phage particle proteins.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.141-147
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• 2016

Rad51 is a key component of homologous recombination (HR) to repair DNA double-strand breaks and it forms Rad51 recombinase filaments of broken single-stranded DNA to promote HR. In addition to its role in DNA repair and cell cycle progression, Rad51 contributes to the reprogramming process during the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells. In light of this, we performed reprogramming experiments to examine the effect of co-expression of Rad51 and four reprogramming factors, Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc, on the reprogramming efficiency. Co-expression of Rad51 significantly increased the numbers of alkaline phosphatase-positive colonies and embryonic stem cell-like colonies during the process of reprogramming. Co-expression ofRad51 significantly increased the expression of epithelial markers at an early stage of reprogramming compared with control cells. Phosphorylated histone H2AX (${\gamma}H2AX$), which initiates the DNA double-strand break repair system, was highly accumulated in reprogramming intermediates upon co-expression of Rad51. This study identified a novel role of Rad51 in enhancing the reprogramming efficiency, possibly by facilitating mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition and by regulating a DNA damage repair pathway during the early phase of the reprogramming process.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.328-336
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• 2022

Aptamers are short, chemically synthesized, single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotides that fold into unique three-dimensional structures. In this study, we aim to determine the antibiofilm activity and binding specificity of the six polyclonal DNA aptamers (S15K3, S15K4, S15K6, S15K13, S15K15, and S15K20) on Staphylococcus aureus BPA-12 and Escherichia coli EPEC 4. Aptamer S15K6 showed the highest percentage of antibiofilm activity against S. aureus BPA-12 (37.4%) as shown by the lowest OD570 value of 0.313. Aptamer S15K20 showed the highest percentage of antibiofilm activity against E. coli EPEC 4 (15.4%) as shown by the lowest OD570 value of 0.515. Aptamers S15K13 and S15K20 showed antibiofilm activities against both S. aureus BPA-12 and E. coli EPEC4, and thus potentially have broad reactivity. Furthermore, based on the binding capacity and Kd values from our previous study, the binding specificity assay of selected polyclonal DNA aptamers (S15K3 and S15K15) against S. aureus BPA-12, E. coli EPEC 4, S. aureus BPA-6, S. agalactiae, E. coli MHA-6, and Listeria monocytogenes were performed using qPCR. Aptamers S15K3 and S15K15 showed specific binding to S. aureus BPA-12, E. coli EPEC 4, S. aureus BPA-6, and S. agalactiae, but could not bind to E. coli MHA-6 and L. monocytogenes. Therefore, this study showed that the polyclonal DNA aptamers have antibiofilm activity and were able to bind to S. aureus BPA-12 and E. coli EPEC 4 bacteria.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.234-237
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• 2015

Aptamers, composed of single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotides that interact with target molecules through a specific three-dimensional structure, are selected from pools of combinatorial oligonucleotide libraries. With their high specificity and affinity for target proteins, ease of synthesis and modification, and low immunogenicity and toxicity, aptamers are considered to be attractive molecules for development as anticancer therapeutics. Two aptamers - one targeting nucleolin and a second targeting CXCL12 - are currently undergoing clinical trials for treating cancer patients, and many more are under study. In this mini-review, we present the current clinical status of aptamers and aptamer-based cancer therapeutics. We also discuss advantages, limitations, and prospects for aptamers as cancer therapeutics. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(4): 234-237]

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.193-193
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• 2004

Gene targeting is an in situ manipulation of endogenous gene with precise manner by the introduction of exogenous DNA. The process of gene targeting involves a homologous recombination reaction between the targeted genomic sequence and an exogenous targeting vector. In elucidating the function of many genes, gene targeting has become the most important method of choice. (omitted)

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.61-74
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• 2002

One of the major aims in studying plant viruses is to minimise the development of symptoms in infected plants. With the advent of in vitro transcript mediated research on plant viruses, substantial progress has been made. This article describes the biology of a plant specific RNA virus, Johnsongrass mosaic virus (JGMV), important to Australian sorghum and corn agriculture and, in particular, at a molecular level which of the RNA sequences in its genome that make it possible for the virus to move from cell to cell, and eventually spread systemically throughout the entire plant. The JGMV has caused considerable yield losses in maize and sorghum over a number of years in Australia. Incidents where 100% of the crop has been infected are on record. The use of this virus is convenient under laboratory conditions because it can be readily transmitted by mechanical inoculation with infected leaf sap, which obviates the need for maintaining aphid colonies. The JGMV is a single stranded positive sense RNA virus.