• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.404-413
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• 1999

Methanopyrus kandleri is a hyperthermophilic methanogen that represents one of the most heat-resistant organisms: the maximum growth temperature of M. kandleri is $110^{\circ}C$. A random sequence analysis of the genomic DNA of M. kandleri has been performed to obtain genomic information. More than 200 unique sequence tags were obtained and compared with the sequences in the GenBank and PIR databases. About 30% of the analyzed tags showed strong sequence similarity to previously identified genes involved in various cellular processes such as biosynthesis, transport, methanogenesis, or metabolism. When statistics relating to the frequency of codons were examined, the sequenced open reading frames showed highly biased codon usage and a high content of charged amino acids. Among the identified genes, a homologue of the catalytic subunit of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH) that reduces $CO_2$ to CO was cloned and sequenced in order to examine its detailed gene structure. The cloned gene includes consensus promoters. The amino acid sequence of the cloned gene shows a strong homology with the CODH genes from methanogenic Archaea, especially in the presumed binding sites for Fe-S centers.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.418-423
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• 2000

Oka strain VR-795 (Varicella Zoster Virus, VZV) of American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) has been used for chickenpox vaccine production. In order to use this strain for vaccine production, the strain must be identified and its stability must be confirmed. The identification of the Oka strain has been confirmed using Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) and DNA sequence analysis of glycoprotein-II (gp-II). The amino acid sequences of Oka deduced from the DNA sequence of gp-II have changed at three amino acids against Ellen and at one amino acid against Webster. To prove the stability of the Oka strain during the passage, RFLP and DNA sequence analyses were also used with 11, 15 and 23 times of virus passage. We found that the Oka strain was stable at passages of up to 23 times, based on the RFLP and DNA sequence analyses. The confirmed Oka strain was renamed as BR-Oka for the purposes of chickenpox vaccine production.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.175-182
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• 2007

The lysozyme II gene of cabbage butterfly Artogeia rapae was cloned from fat body of the larvae injected with E. coli and its nucleotide sequence was determined by the RACE-PCR. It has an open reading frame of 414 bp nucleotides corresponding to 138 amino acids including a signal sequence of 18 amino acids. The estimated molecular weight and the isoelectric point of the lysozyme II without the signal peptide were 13,649.38 Da and 9.11, respectively. The A. rapae lysozyme II (ARL II) showed the highest identity (81%) in the amino acid sequence to Manduca sexta lysozyme among other lepidopteran species. The two catalytic residues ($Glu^{32}$ and $Asp^{50}$) and the eight Cys residue motifs, which are highly conserved among other c-type lysozymes in invertebrates and vertebrates, are also completely conserved. A phylogenetic analysis based on amino acid sequences indicated that the ARL II was more closely related to M. sexta, Hyphantria cunea, Heliothis virescens, and Trichoplusia ni lysozymes. The ARL II gene was expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda 21 insect cells and the recombinant ARL II (rARL II) was purified from cell-conditioned media by cation exchange column chromatography and reverse phase FPLC. The purified rARL II was able to form a clear zone in lysoplate assay against Micrococcus luteus. The lytic activity was estimated to be 511.41 U/mg, 1.53 times higher than that of the chicken lysozyme. The optimum temperature for the lytic activity of the rARL II was $50^{\circ}C$, the temperature dependency of the absolute lytic activity of rARL II was higher than that of the chicken lysozyme at low temperatures under $65^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.117-124
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• 1995

A gene (xynA) encoding the endo-xylanase (E.C.3.2.1.8) from Bacillus stearothermophilus was cloned in E. coli, and its complete nucleotide sequence was determined. The xynA gene consists of a 636 base pairs open reading frame coding for a protein of 212 amino acids with a deduced molecular weight of 23, 283 Da. A putative signal sequence of 27 amino acid residues shows the features comparable with the Bacillus signal sequences; namely, the signal contains a positively charged region close to the N-terminus followed by a long hydrophobic string. The coding sequence is preceded by a possible ribosome binding site with a free energy value of -16.6 kcal/mol and the transcription initiation signals are located further upstream. The translation termination codon (TAA) at the 3 end of the coding sequence is followed by two palindrome sequences, one of which is thought to act as a terminator. The xynA gene has a high GC content, especially in the wobble position of codons (64%). Comparison of the primary protein sequence with those of other xylanases shows a high homology to the xylanases belonging to family G.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.113-116
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• 1998

A cDNA clone coding for ribosomal protein 46 (rp46) which is a component of 60S ribosomal large subunit has been identified from Drosophila melanogaster. A cDNA clone encoding S. cerevisiae rp46 was used as a probe to screen a Drosophila larvae cDNA library. The DNA sequence analysis revealed that the cDNA coding for Drosophils rp46 contains a complete reading frame of 153 nucleotides coding for 51 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence showed 71-75% homology with those of other eukaryotic organisms. Northern blot analysis showed that about 1-kb rp46 transcripts are abundant throughout fly development. Whole mount embryonic mRNA in situ hybridization also showed no preferential distribution of the transcripts to any specific region. The chromosomal in situ hybridization revealed that the identified gene is localized at position 60C on the right arm of the second polytene chromosome with a possibility of single copy.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.723-727
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• 2005

Ghrelin is a novel growth-hormone-releasing acylated peptide, which has been purified and identified in rat stomach. In the present study, the full-length sequence of bovine ghrelin cDNA was cloned by RT-PCR. The bovine ghrelin cDNA sequence derived in the present study included a 348 bp open reading frame and a 137 bp 3'UTR. The putative amino acid sequence of bovine prepro-ghrelin consisted of 116 amino acids, which contained the 27-amino acid ghrelin. The sequence analysis of the bovine ghrelin gene revealed that an intron existed between Gln$^{13}$ and Arg$^{14}$ of ghrelin. This exon-intron boundary matched the GT-AG rule of the splicing mechanism. Compared with rats, which have two tandem CAG sequences in the 3'end of intron, bovine ghrelin genome has only one CAG sequence. Therefore, although rats can produce 28 amino acid-ghrelin and 27 amino acid-des-Gln$^{14}$-ghrelin by alternative splicing, ruminant species, including bovines, might be able to produce only one type of ghrelin peptide, des-Gln$^{14}$-ghrelin. The influence of aging on plasma ghrelin concentration was also examined. Plasma ghrelin concentration increased after birth to approximately 600 days of age, and then remained constant.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.134-142
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• 1994

The neucleotide sequences of the xylA gene encoding $\beta $-xylosidase of Bacillus stearothermophilus and is its flanking regions were datermined. Three open reading frame(ORFs) were found, one of which(ORF1) appeared to code for the $\beta $-xylosidase. The 1830 base pair ORF1 encoded 609 amino acids starting from a TTG initiation codon. The molecular weight deduced from the nucleotide sequence(68 KD) was in agreement with that estimated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the purified enzyme(66 KD). The Shine-Dalgarno sequence(5'-AGGAGG-3') was found 11 bp upstream of the initiation codon. Further 15 bp upstream, there observed a potential transcription initiation signals. The putative -10 sequence(CATAAT) and -35 sequence(TTGTTA) coresponded closely to the consensus sequences for Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase with major sigma factor. The guanine-plus-cytosine content of the coding region of the xylA gene was 56mol% while that of the third position of the codons was 63 mol%. Based on the comparison with the amino acid sequences of several other carbohydrate degrading enzymes, two conserved regions, possibly participating in the catalytic mechamism of $\beta $-xylosidase xylA, were identified in 278-298 and 329-350 regions of the translated xylA gene. The nucleotide sequence of the xylA was found to exhibit no homology to any other genes so far reproted.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.264-269
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• 1994

To determine the nucleotide sequence of the ds RNA segment B containing the RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene of the DRT strain of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (lPNV), the cDNA of the ds RNA segment B of the DRT strain of IPNV was synthesized using the reverse transcriptase (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and its cDNA nucleotide sequence was determined. The DRT segment B was 2, 783 bp long and contained only a single long open reading frame (ORF) of 2, 535 bp in length. This ORF nucleotides encoded the VPl protein, the putative RdRp of IPNV. The VPl protein comsisted of 845 amino acids. The molecular weight of the RdRp, as deduced from the nucleotide sequence, is 94, 426. The nucleotide sequence of the ORF of the DRT showed 89.7% homology to the Jasper strain, but 80.8% to the Sp strain. The amino acid sequence of the ORF of the DRT sho.wed 97.6% homology to the Jasper strain, but 88.7% to the Sp strain. The conserved GTP-binding motif was detected in VPl protein.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.1935-1939
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• 2006

The gene encoding the extracellular medium-chain-length poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) (MCL-PHA) depolymerase of Pseudomonas luteola Ml3-4, $phaZ_{plu}$, was cloned and analyzed. It was found to be 849 bp, with a deduced protein of 282 amino acids, and was revealed to have a typical leader peptide at its N terminus. The amino acid sequence of $PhaZ_{plu}$ revealed relatively low identity (69 to 72%) with those of other Pseudomonas MCL-PHA depolymerases. In comparison with the amino acid sequences of all available MCL-PHA depolymerases, the depolymerase was found to consist of three domains in sequential order; signal peptide, an N-terminal substrate binding domain, and a catalytic domain, indicating that $PhaZ_{plu}$ belongs to the type IV depolymerases family. The enzyme also contained Asn as an oxyanion hole amino acid.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.86-90
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• 2000

We have earlier reported on the cloning and identification of bft-k from an enterotoxigenic strain of Bacteroides fragilis 419, which was isolated from the blood of a Korean patient who suffered from systemic infections [4,5]. The bft-k gene encodes a 397-amino-acids metalloprotease enterotoxin, and the protein has been identified as a new isoform of B. fragilis enterotoxins (BFTs), which are cytopathic to intestinal epithelial cells to induce fluid secretion and tissue damage in ligated intestinal loops [4, 6, 18, 20]. This report describes the cloning and sequencing of the enterotoxin pahogenicity islet of B. fragilis 419 which contains the bft-k gene. the cloned enterotoxin pathogenicity islet was found to have 6,045 bp in length and to contain 120bp direct repeats near its end. In the pathogenicity islet, in addition to the BFR-K, two putative open reading frames (ORFs) were identified; (1) the t-3 gene encoding a 396-amino-acids protein of a putative metalloprotease; (2) the third gene encoding an ORF of a 59-amino-acids protein, whose function has not yet beenn characterized. The expression of the t-3 gene in B. fragilis 419 was verified by western blot analysis.