• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.652-658
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• 1995

We attempted simultaneous expression of genes coding for endoglucanase and $\beta $-glucosidase from Pseudomonas sp. by using a synthetic two-cistron svstem in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Two-cistron system, 5'--tac promoter-endoglucanase gene--$\beta $-glucosidase gene-- 3', 5'-tac promoter--$\beta $-glucosidase gene--endoglucanase gene--3' and 5'-tac promoter--endoglucanase gene--SD sequence--$\beta $-glucosidase gene--3, were constructed, and expressed in E. coli and S. cerevisiae. The E. coli and S. cerevisiae contained two-cistron system produced simultaneously endoglucanase and $\beta $-glucosidase. The recombinant genes contained the bacterial signal peptide sequence produced low level of endoglucanase and $\beta $-glucosidase in S. cerevisiae transformants: Approximately above 44% of two enzymes was localized in the intracellular fraction. The production of endoglucanase and $\beta $-glucosidase in veast was not repressed in the presence of glucose or cellobiose. The veast strain contained recombinant DNA with two genes hydrolyzed carboxvmethyl cellulose, and these endoglucanase and $\beta $-glucosidase degraded CMC synergistically to glucose, cellobiose and oligosaccharide. This result suggests the possibility of the direct bioconversion of cellulose to ethanol by the recombinant yeast.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.530-533
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• 2002

This paper describes the development of an enzymatic assay system for the identification of specific inhibitors of sortase, a transpeptidase that cleaves surface proteins of Cram-positive bacteria, from Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538p for antibacterial drug discovery. The coding region of the enzyme was amplified with the exception of the N-terminal membrane anchor sequence, cloned into a vector providing His-Patch-thioredoxin-tag at the N-terminus, expressed in Escherichia coli, and purified by metal chelate affinity chromatography. The enzyme activity was determined by quantifying increased fluorescence intensity upon cleavage of synthetic Dabcyl-QALPETGEE-Edans peptide. The results suggest that the developed in vitro assay system call be used in the search for sortase inhibitors In a short period of time.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.172-177
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• 2009

A gene(lsd1) encoding dextranase from Lipomyces starkeyi KSM22 has been previously cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The gene consisting of 1,824 base pairs and encoding a protein of 608 amino acids was then cloned into and secretively expressed in Pichia pastoris under the control of the AOX1 promoter. The dextranase productivity of the P. pastoris transformant(pPIC9K-LSD1, 134,000 U/I) was approximately 4.2-fold higher than that of the S. cerevisiae transformant(pYLSD1, 32,000 U/I) cultured in an 8-1 fermentor. Over 0.63 g/l of active dextranase was secreted into the medium after methanol induction. The dextranase of the P. pastoris transformant, as analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting, showed only one homogeneous band. This dextranase of the P. pastoris transformant showed a broad band near 73 kDa. Rabbit monoclonal antibodies against a synthetic LSD1 peptide mix also recognized approximately 73 kDa.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.175-186
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• 2011

Amyloid fibrils have long been known to be the well known ${\alpha}$-helix to ${\beta}$-sheet transition characterizing the conversion of cellular to scrapie forms of the prion protein. A very short sequence of Yeast prion-like protein, GNNQQNY (SupN), is responsible for aggregation that induces diseases. KSI-fused tandem repeats of SupN vector are constructed and used to express SupN peptide in Escherichia coli (E.Coli). A method for a production, purification, and cleavage of tandem repeats of recombinant isotopically enriched SupN in E. coli is described. This method yields as much as 20 mg/L of isotope-enriched fusion proteins in minimal media. Synthetic SupN peptides and $^{13}C$ Gly labeled SupN peptides are studied by Congo Red staining, Birefringence and transmission electron microscopy to characterize amyloid fibril formation. To get a better understanding of aggregation-structure relationship of 7 residues of Yeast prion-like protein, the change of a conformational structure will be studied by $^{13}C$ solid-state nmr spectroscopy as powder of both amorphous and fibrillar forms.

• 대한치주과학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.45-46
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• 2007

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.507-516
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• 2005

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been isolated and characterized from tissues and organisms representing virtually every kingdom and phylum. Their amino acid composition, amphipathicity, cationic charge, and size allow them to attach to and insert into membrane bilayers to form pores by 'barrel-stave', 'carpet' or 'toroidal-pore' mechanisms. Although these models are helpful for defining mechanisms of AMP activity, their relevance to resolving how peptides damage and kill microorganisms still needs to be clarified. Moreover, many AMPs employ sophisticated and dynamic mechanisms of action to carry out their likely roles in antimicrobial host defense. Recently, it has been speculated that transmembrane pore formation is not the only mechanism of microbial killing by AMPs. In fact, several observations suggest that translocated AMPs can alter cytoplasmic membrane septum formation, reduce cell-wall, nucleic acid, and protein synthesis, and inhibit enzymatic activity. In this review, we present the structures of several AMPs as well as models of how AMPs induce pore formation. AMPs have received special attention as a possible alternative way to combat antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. It may be possible to design synthetic AMPs with enhanced activity for microbial cells, especially those with antibiotic resistance, as well as synergistic effects with conventional antibiotic agents that lack cytotoxic or hemolytic activity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.58-62
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• 1996

The structural changes in the electron donor side of the PSII reaction center have been monitored since heat treatment ($45^{\circ}C$ for 5 min) of thylakoids is known to decrease the oxygen evolving activity. In heat-treated spinach chloroplast thylakoids, the inhibitory effect of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) on the electron transport activity of the PSII reaction center from diphenyl carbazide to dichlorophenolindophenol became reduced approximately 3.8 times and [$^{14}C$]-labeled DCMU binding on the D1 polypeptide decreased to 25~30% that of intact thylakoid membranes, implying that the conformational changes of the DCMU binding pocket, residing on the D1 polypeptide, occur by heat treatment. The accessibility of trypsin to the $NH_2$-terminus of the cytochrome b-559 ${\alpha}$-subunit, assayed with Western blot using an antibody generated against the synthetic peptide (Arg-68 to Arg-80) of the COOH-terminal domain, was also increased, indicating that heat-treatment caused changes in the structural environments near the stromal side of the cytochrome b-559 ${\alpha}$-subunit, allowing trypsin more easily to cleave the $NH_2$-terminal domain. Therefore, the structural changes in the electron donor side of the PSII reaction center complexes could be one of the reasons why the oxygen evolving activity of the heat-treated thylakoid membranes decreased.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.431-437
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• 2016

The study of antigenic epitopes from Toxoplasma gondii has not only enhanced our understanding of the structure and function of antigens, the reactions between antigens and antibodies, and many other aspects of immunology, but it also plays a significant role in the development of new diagnostic reagents and vaccines. In the present study, T. gondii GRA6 epitopes were identified using bioinformatics tools and a synthetic peptide technique. The potential B cell epitopes of GRA6 predicted by bioinformatics tools concentrated upon 3 regions of GRA6, 1-20 aa, 44-103 aa, and 172-221 aa. Ten shorter peptides from the 3 regions were synthesized and assessed by ELISA using pig sera from different time points after infection. Three of the 10 peptides (amino acids 44-63, 172-191, and 192-211) tested were recognized by all sera and determined to be immunodominant B-cell epitopes of GRA6. The results indicated that we precisely and accurately located the T. gondii GRA6 epitopes using pig sera collected at different time points after infection. The identified epitopes may be very useful for further studies of epitope-based vaccines and diagnostic reagents.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.547-557
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• 2016

This review discusses the status, antimicrobial mechanisms, application, and regulation of natural preservatives in livestock food systems. Conventional preservatives are synthetic chemical substances including nitrates/nitrites, sulfites, sodium benzoate, propyl gallate, and potassium sorbate. The use of artificial preservatives is being reconsidered because of concerns relating to headache, allergies, and cancer. As the demand for biopreservation in food systems has increased, new natural antimicrobial compounds of various origins are being developed, including plant-derived products (polyphenolics, essential oils, plant antimicrobial peptides (pAMPs)), animal-derived products (lysozymes, lactoperoxidase, lactoferrin, ovotransferrin, antimicrobial peptide (AMP), chitosan and others), and microbial metabolites (nisin, natamycin, pullulan, ε-polylysine, organic acid, and others). These natural preservatives act by inhibiting microbial cell walls/membranes, DNA/RNA replication and transcription, protein synthesis, and metabolism. Natural preservatives have been recognized for their safety; however, these substances can influence color, smell, and toxicity in large amounts while being effective as a food preservative. Therefore, to evaluate the safety and toxicity of natural preservatives, various trials including combinations of other substances or different food preservation systems, and capsulation have been performed. Natamycin and nisin are currently the only natural preservatives being regulated, and other natural preservatives will have to be legally regulated before their widespread use.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2017.05a
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• pp.81-81
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• 2017

Nanotechnology is of great importance to molecular biology and medicine because life processes are maintained by the action of a series of molecular nanomachines in the cell machinery. Recent advances in nanoscale materials that possess emergent physical properties and molecular organization hold great promise to impact human health in the diagnostic and therapeutic arenas. In order to be effective, nanomaterials need to navigate the host biology and traffic to relevant biological structures, such as diseased or pathogenic cells. Moreover, nanoparticles intended for human administration must be designed to interact with, and ideally leverage, a living host environment. Inspired by nature, we use peptides to transfer biological trafficking properties to synthetic nanoparticles to achieve targeted delivery of payloads. In this talk, development of nanoscale materials will be presented with a particular focus on applications to three outstanding health problems: bacterial infection, cancer detection, and traumatic brain injury. A biodegradable nanoparticle carrying a peptide toxin trafficked to the bacterial surface has antimicrobial activity in a pneumonia model. Trafficking of a tumor-homing nanoprobes sensitively detects cancer via a high-contrast time-gated imaging system. A neuron-targeted nanoparticle carrying siRNA traffics to neuronal populations and silences genes in a model of traumatic brain injury. Unique combinations of material properties that can be achieved with nanomaterials provide new opportunities in translational nanomedicine. This framework for constructing nanomaterials that leverage bio-inspired molecules to traffic diagnostic and therapeutic payloads can contribute on better understanding of living systems to solve problems in human health.