• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.552-559
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• 2003

The FimH subunit of type 1-fimbriated Escherichiu coli (E. coli) has been determined as a major cause for urinary tract infections. Thus, to produce a possible vaccine antigen against urinary tract infections, the fimIH gene was genetically coupled to the ctxa2b gene and cloned into a pMAL-p2E expression vector. The chimeric construction of pMALfimH/ctxa2b was then transformed into E. coli K-12 TB1 and its nucleotide sequence was verified. A fusion protein, based on fusing adhesin to the cholera toxin subunit A2B (CTXA2B), was induced with 0.01 mM isopropyl-${\beta}-D-thiogalactoside$ (IPTG) for 4 h at $37^{\circ}C$ to yield a soluble fusion protein. The fusion protein was then purified by affinity chromatography. The expressed fusion protein was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting using antibodies to the maltose binding protein (MBP) or the cholera toxin subunit B (CTXB), plus the N-terminal amino acid sequence was also analyzed. The orderly-assembled fusion protein was confirmed by a modified $G_{Ml}-ganglioside$ ELISA, using antibodies to adhesin. The results indicated that the purified fusion protein was an adhesin/CTXA2B protein containing E. coli adhesin and the $G_{Ml}-ganglioside$ binding activity of CTXB. Accordingly, this adhesin/CTXA2B protein may be a potential antigen for oral immunization against uropathogenic E. coli.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.277-285
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• 2009

The nucleotide sequence of the Paenibacillus curdlanolyticus B-6 xyn10A gene, encoding a xylanase Xyn10A, consists of 3,828 nucleotides encoding a protein of 1,276 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 142,726 Da. Sequence analysis indicated that Xyn10A is a multidomain enzyme comprising nine domains in the following order: three family 22 carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs), a family 10 catalytic domain of glycosyl hydrolases (xylanase), a family 9 CBM, a glycine-rich region, and three surface layer homology (SLH) domains. Xyn10A was purified from a recombinant Escherichia coli by a single step of affinity purification on cellulose. It could effectively hydrolyze agricultural wastes and pure insoluble xylans, especially low substituted insoluble xylan. The hydrolysis products were a series of short-chain xylooligosaccharides, indicating that the purified enzyme was an endo-$\beta$-1,4-xylanase. Xyn10A bound to various insoluble polysaccharides including Avicel, $\alpha$-cellulose, insoluble birchwood and oat spelt xylans, chitin, and starches, and the cell wall fragments of P. curdlanolyticus B-6, indicating that both the CBM and the SLH domains are fully functioning in the Xyn10A. Removal of the CBMs from Xyn10A strongly reduced the ability of plant cell wall hydrolysis. These results suggested that the CBMs of Xyn10A play an important role in the hydrolysis of plant cell walls.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.1047-1054
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• 2013

Witches' broom of lime is a disease caused by Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia, which represents the most significant global threat to the production of lime trees (Citrus aurantifolia). Conventional disease management strategies have shown little success, and new approaches based on genetic engineering need to be considered. The expression of recombinant antibodies and fragments thereof in plant cells is a powerful approach that can be used to suppress plant pathogens. We have developed a single-chain variable fragment antibody (scFvIMP6) against the immunodominant membrane protein (IMP) of witches' broom phytoplasma and expressed it in different plant cell compartments. We isolated scFvIMP6 from a naïve scFv phage display library and expressed it in bacteria to demonstrate its binding activity against both recombinant IMP and intact phytoplasma cells. The expression of scFvIMP6 in plants was evaluated by transferring the scFvIMP6 cDNA to plant expression vectors featuring constitutive or phloem specific promoters in cassettes with or without secretion signals, therefore causing the protein to accumulate either in the cytosol or apoplast. All constructs were transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana by agroinfiltration, and antibodies of the anticipated size were detected by immunoblotting. Plant-derived scFvIMP6 was purified by affinity chromatography, and specific binding to recombinant IMP was demonstrated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Our results indicate that scFvIMP6 binds with high activity and can be used for the detection of Ca. Phytoplasma aurantifolia and is also a suitable candidate for stable expression in lime trees to suppress witches' broom of lime.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.1 s.38
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• pp.45-50
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• 1986

The involvement of central $_{{\alpha}2}$-adrenoceptors in the development of muricide (mouse-killing behavior) in the olfactoly bulbectomized (OB) rats was strudied. The fractional turnover rate of noradrenaline (NA) in forebrain from OB muricidal rats was significantly lowered than that from sham rats. However, after yohimbine or idazoxan treatment, NA turnover was significantly increased in concert with inhibition of the development of muricide in OB rats. By radioligand binding studies with $[^3H]$ yohimbine, the maximum binding $(B_{max})$ of $[^3H]$ yohimbine to cerebral cortical membrane from OB rats was significantly higher than that from sham rats without change of affinity for agonists and antagonists$(K_i)$. With these results it was suggested that muricidal behavior of OB rats has a close relevance to the hyperactivity of central $_{{\alpha}2}$-adrenoceptor system.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.1472-1482
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• 2017

Bacterial cytochrome P450 (CYP) steroid hydroxylases are effectively useful in the pharmaceutical industry for introducing hydroxyl groups to a wide range of steroids. We found a putative CYP steroid hydroxylase (BaCYP106A2) from the bacterium Bacillus sp. PAMC 23377 isolated from Kara Sea of the Arctic Ocean, showing 94% sequence similarity with BmCYP106A2 (Bacillus megaterium ATCC 13368). In this study, soluble BaCYP106A2 was overexpressed to evaluate its substrate-binding activity. The substrate affinity ($K_d$ value) to 4-androstenedione was $387{\pm}37{\mu}M$. Moreover, the crystal structure of BaCYP106A2 was determined at $2.7{\AA}$ resolution. Structural analysis suggested that the ${\alpha}8-{\alpha}9$ loop region of BaCYP106A2 is intrinsically mobile and might be important for initial ligand binding. The hydroxyl activity of BaCYP106A2 was identified using in vitro enzyme assays. Its activity was confirmed with two kinds of steroid substrates, 4-androstenedione and nandrolone, using chromatography and mass spectrometry methods. The main products were mono-hydroxylated compounds with high conversion yields. This is the second study on the structure of CYP106A steroid hydroxylases, and should contribute new insight into the interactions of bacterial CYP106A with steroid substrates, providing baseline data for studying the CYP106A steroid hydroxylase from the structural and enzymatic perspectives.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.28-31
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• 2017

The mutation rate of proline in the position 197 (Pro197) in acetohydroxy acid synthase (AHAS) is highest among sulfonylurea (SU) herbicide-resistance mutants. Therefore, it is significant to investigate the resistance mechanism for the mutation and to develop the herbicides specific to the mutants. SU herbicide resistance mechanism of the mutants, 197Ser, 197Thr and 197Ala, in AHAS were targeted for designing new SU-herbicide. We did molecular dynamics (MD) simulation for understanding SU herbicide-resistance mechanisms of AHAS mutants and designed new herbicides with docking and MD evaluations. We have found that mutation to 197Ala and 197Ser enlarged the entrance of the active site, while 197Thr contracted. Map of the root mean square derivation (RMSD) and radius gyrations (Rg) revealed the domain indicating the conformations for herbicide resistant. Based on the enlarging-contracting mechanism of active site entrance, we designed new herbicides with substitution at the heterocyclic moiety of a SU herbicide for the complementary binding to the changed active site entrances of mutants, and designed new herbicides. We confirmed that our screened new herbicides bonded to both AHAS wild type and mutants with higher affinity, showing more stable binding conformation than the existing herbicides.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.2717-2721
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• 2011

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are a subfamily of nuclear receptors (NRs). Human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (hPPAR${\gamma}$) has been implicated in the pathology of numerous diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and cancer. ELISA-based hPPAR${\gamma}$ activation assay showed that biapigenin increased the binding between hPPAR${\gamma}$ and steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1) by approximately 3-fold. In order to confirm that biapigenin binds to hPPAR${\gamma}$, fluorescence quenching experiment was performed. The results showed that biapigenin has higher binding affinity to hPPAR${\gamma}$ at nanomolar concentrations compared to indomethacin. Biapigenin showed anticancer activity against HeLa cells. Biapigenin was noncytotoxic against HaCa T cell. All these data implied that biapigenin may be a potent agonist of hPPAR${\gamma}$ with anticancer activity. We will further investigate its anticancer effects against human cervical cancer.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.98-107
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• 2017

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act as regulators of gene expression by binding to the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of target genes. They perform important biological functions in the various species. Among many miRNAs, miR-21-3p is known to serve vital functions in development and apoptosis in olive flounder. Using genomic and bioinformatic tools, evolutionary conservation of miR-21-3p was examined in various species, and expression pattern was analyzed in olive flounder. Conserved sequences (5'-CAGUCG-3') in numerous species were detected through the stem-loop structure of miR-21-3p. Thus, we analyzed target genes of miR-21-3p. Among them, 3' UTR region of PPIL2 gene indicated the highest binding affinity with miR-21-3p based on the minimum free energy value. The PPIL2 gene showed high expression levels in testis tissue of the olive flounder, whereas miR-21-3p showed rather ubiquitous expression patterns except in testis tissue, indicating that miR-21-3p seems to control the PPIL2 gene expression in a complementary repression manner in various tissues of olive flounder. Taken together, this current study contributes to infer the target gene candidates for the miR-21-3p using bioinformatics tools. Furthermore, our data offers important information on the relationship between miR-21-3p and target gene for further functional study.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.260-265
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• 2005

In this work, molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) using the template of the N-CBZ (carbobenzyloxy)-L-phenylalanine, MAA and 4-VPY as a monomer, EGDMA as a crosslinker and AIBN as an initiator were considered. The prepared polymer particles $(Ca.\;25-35\;{\mu}m)$ were packed into a chromatographic column $(3.9\;\times\;150\;mm)$. The chromatographic characteristics of the retention on the MIP were experimented with acetonitrile as a mobile phase at the flow rate of mobile phase, 0.5 ml/min. The retention factors and resolutions of chiral racemate of the N-CBZ-D, L-phenylalanine were measured. The results showed that the retention factor and resolution by the two co-monomer imprinting polymer were higher than the single monomer imprinting polymers, which indicated an increase in the affinity of the MIP with the sample as a result of the cooperation effect of the binding sites.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.707-712
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• 2012

Human glutamate dehydrogenase isozymes (hGDH1 and hGDH2) have been known to be inhibited by palmitoyl-CoA with a high affinity. In this study, we have performed the cassette mutagenesis at six different Cys residues (Cys59, Cys93, Cys119, Cys201, Cys274, and Cys323) to identify palmitoyl-CoA binding sites within hGDH2. Four cysteine residues at positions of C59, C93, C201, or C274 may be involved, at least in part, in the inhibition of hGDH2 by palmitoyl-CoA. There was a biphasic relationship, depending on the levels of palmitoyl-CoA, between the binding of palmitoyl-CoA and the loss of enzyme activity during the inactivation process. The inhibition of hGDH2 by palmitoyl-CoA was not affected by the allosteric inhibitor GTP. Multiple mutagenesis studies on the hGDH2 are in progress to identify the amino acid residues fully responsible for the inhibition by palmitoyl-CoA.