• Animal cells and systems
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.181-185
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• 1999

Xenopus oocyte is one of the widely used heterologous expression systems of ion channels for electrophysiological studies. Here we describe a new method in which cRNA produced by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in vitro transcription is injected to express ion channels in oocytes. This method enables us (1) to eliminate all or a part of the untranslated region of the cDNA and to replace it with a known sequence which helps increase the expression level in oocytes, and (2) to use the PCR product for in vitro transcription without subcloning. Using this method, the expression level of one of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) $\alpha$$_{6}$ subtype in oocytes was systematically increased by more than 100-fold, which was confirmed both by the $\alpha$-Bungarotoxin ($\alpha$,/TEX>Bgt) binding assay and the current measurement.t.

• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.167-172
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• 1997

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mutant CH117, shows a drug-hypersensitivity (dhs) to cycloheximide, bleomycin, actinomycin D, 5-fluorouracil. nystatin, nigericin and several other antibiotics. CH 117 was also temperature-sensitive (ts). being unable to grow at $37^{\circ}C$ and secreted more invertase and acid phosphatase into the medium than the parent yeast. CH117 grows very slowly and the cell shape is somewhat larger and more sensitive to zymolyase than the wild type cells. Light microscopic and electron microscopic observation also revealed abnormality of the mutant cell wall. These characteristics indicate that CH117 has a defect in an essential component of the cell surface and that the cell wall which performs barrier functions has become leaky in the mutant. We screened a genomic library of wild type yeast for clones that can complement the mutation of CH117. A plasmid, pCHX1, with an insert of 3.6 kilobases (kbs) could complement the dhs and ts of CH117. Deletion and subcloning of the 3.6 kb insert showed that a gene for the complementation of mutant phenotypes was located in 1.9 kbs Puvll-Hindlll fragment.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.6-11
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• 1993

An autonomously replicating sequence (Kf-ARS1) of Kluyveromyces fragilis was cloned from the genomic library which was constructed using pHN134 as a cloning vector to make a new host-vector system for the production of heterologous protein from K. fragilis as a host. The cloning vector pHN134 was composed of $Km^r, Ap^r$ and multiple cloning site in LacZ . A clone carrying Kf-ARS1 was isolated and the recombinant plasmid was designated as pIKD102. The cloned fragment was 2.3 kb (EcoRI/EcoRI) in length. Subcloning experiment showed that the region for ARS activity was 1.5 kb (SalI/EcoRI) fragment. It was shown that the Kf-ARS1 was active in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces fragilis.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.408-414
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• 1996

The SecY is a central component of the protein export machinery that mediate the translocation of secretory proteins across the plasma membrane, and has been known to be rate-limiting factor of secretion in Escherichia coli. In order to study the extracellular protein secretion in Gram-positive microorganism, we have, constructed strains harboring more than one copy of the gene for SecY. Firstly, the gene, for B. subtilis SecY and its promoter region was subcloned into pDH32 and the chimeric vector was inserted into amyE locus by homologous recombination. Secondly, low copy number vector, pCED6, was also used for subcloning the secY gene and for constructing a strain which harbors several copies of secY. The KH1 cell which harbor two copies of secY on the chromosome excreted more extracellular proteins than the wild type PB2. Moreover, the KH2 cells which harbor several copies of secY in pCED6 vector excreted more extracellular proteins than the KH1 cells. Here, we found that the capacity of protein secretion is partly controlled by the number of secY and it is suggested that SecY has also an important role in protein secretion in B. subtilis, a gram positive microorganism, as like in E. coli. This will promote the use of B. subtilis as a host for the expression of useful foreign gene and excretion of precious proteins.

• BMB Reports
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.508-512
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• 2002

Phospholipase C-gamma-2 ($PLC{\gamma}2$) activation is a key signaling event for many cell functions. In order to delineate the pathways that lead to $PLC{\gamma}2$ activation, we devised a quick method for obtaining sufficient $PLC{\gamma}2$. We obtained the full-length cDNA for human $PLC{\gamma}2$ and expressed it in E. coli using the expression vector pT5T. To enhance the protein expression, tandem AGG-AGG arginine codons at the amino acid positions 1204-1205 were replaced by CGG-CGG arginine codons. The protein expression was detected in a Western blot analysis by both anti-$PLC{\gamma}2$ antibodies and the antibodies that are raised against the tripeptide epitope (Glu-Glu-Phe) tag that are genetically-engineered to its carboxyl terminal. Crude lysates that were prepared from bacteria that express $PLC{\gamma}2$ were found to catalyze the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5 bisphosphate. Similar to previous reports on $PLC{\gamma}2$ that is isolated from mammalian tissue, the recombinant enzyme was $Ca^{2+}$ dependent with optimal activity at 1-10 uM $Ca^{2+}$.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.497-501
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• 1999

Biotinylation of recombinant proteins is a powerful tool for the detection and analysis of proteins of interest in a large variety of assay systems. The recent development of in vivo biotinylation techniques in E. coli has opened new possibilities for the production of site-specifically biotinylated proteins without the need for further manipulation after the isolation of the recombinantly expressed proteins. In the present study, a novel vector set was generated which allows the convenient cloning and expression of proteins of interest fused with an N-terminal in vivo biotinylated thioredoxin (TRX) protein. These vectors were derived from the previously reported pBIOTRX vector into which was incorporated part of the pBluescript II+phagemid multiple cloning site (MCS), amplified by PCR using a pair of sophisticated oligonucleotide primers. The functionality of these novel vectors was examined in this system by recombinant expression of rat transforming growth factor-$\beta$. Western-blot analysis using TRX-specific antibodies or peroxidase-conjugated streptavidin confirmed the successful induction of the fusion protein and the in vivo conjugation of biotin molecules, respectively. The convenience of molecular subcloning provided by the MCS and the effective in vivo biotinylation of proteins of interest makes this novel vector set an interesting alternative for the production of biotinylated proteins.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.146-151
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• 1998

The aminoglycoside multiple-resistance determinant from Streptoalloteichus hindustanus was cloned into Streptomyces lividans and named nbrB. The 1.2-kb ApaI- BclI fragment encompassing nbrB was located within a 2.6-kb ApaI fragment by successive subcloning experiments. The complete DNA nucleotide sequence of 1.2-kb containing nbrB was determined. The sequence contains an open reading frame that putatively encodes a polypeptide of 281 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 30,992. The deduced amino acid sequence of nbrB shows identities of 85.1% to kgmB of S. tenebrarius, 59.6% to sgm of Micromonospora zionensis, and 57.7% to grm of M. rosea. The similarity of nbrB to kgmB suggests that nbrB encodes a 16S rRNA methylase similar to that encoded by kgmB and that both genes might be derived from a common ancestral gene.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.237-242
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• 1992

In order to clone the gene coding for alkaline phosphatase in the yeast Kluyveromyces fragilis, a genomic library was constructed using the yeast-E. coli shuttle vector pHN114 as a cloning vector. From the genomic library, a clone carrying the gene was isolated and the plasmid was designated as pSKH101. A restriction enzyme map was made using this plasmid. Subcloning experiments and complementation studies showed that alkaline phosphatase was active only in the original 3.1 kb insert. Southern hybridization analysis confirmed that the cloned DNA fragment was derived from K. fragilis genomic DNA. Using a minicell experiment, the product of the cloned gene was identified as a protein with a molecular weight of 63 KDa. A 0.6 kb HindIII fragment, which showed promoter activity, was isolated using the E. coli promoter-probe vector pKO-1.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.160-164
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• 1989

A 5.7Kb EcoRI fragment containing alkaline amylase gene of Bacillus sp. AL-8 obtained in the previons experiment (10) was transformed in B. subtilis via plasmid pUB110. The enzymatic proper-ties of the amylase produced by the transformants were Identical to those of the donor strain. Thus, the alkaline amylase activity from the transformant was maximum at pH 10 and 5$0^{\circ}C$. And the enzyme was very stable over the ranges of alkaline pH. In order to determine the location of the alkaline amylase gene within the 5.7Kb DNA fragment, the fragment was subcloned in E. coli. It was found that the alkaline amylase gene was located k EcoRI fragment of 3.7Kb.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.48-51
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• 1992

Achromobacter xylosoxidans KF701 and Pseudomonas putida (NAH7) were significantly different in degradative capability of aromatic compounds including benzoates, biphenyls, and naphthalene. However, both of the bacterial strains can grown on catechol as the sole carbon and energy source. Catechol 2, 3-dioxygenase gene for naphthalene oxidation or biphenyl oxidation was cloned into Escherichia coli HB 701. A E. coli HB 101 clone containing catechol 2, 3-dioxygenase gene from P. putida (NAH7) contains a recombinant plasmid with 3.60kb pBR322 and 6-kb insert DNA. Another E. coli HB101 clone containing catechol 2, 3-dioxygenase gene from A. xylosoxidans KF 701 has a recombinant plasmid with 4.4kb pBR322 and 10-kb insert DNA. Physical maps of the recombinant plasmids were constructed, and catechol 2, 3-dioxygenase gene in the recombinant plasmide was further localized and subcloned int M13. The cloned-catechol 2, 3-dioxygenase game products were identified as yellow bands on nondenaturaing polyacrylamide gel after electrophoresis followed by activity staining with catechol solution.