• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2002

We have cloned a cDNA encoding a cysteine proteinase of the Acanthamoeba healui OC-3A strain isolated from the brain of a granulomatous amoebic encephalitis patient. A DNA probe for an A. healui cDNA library screening was amplified by PCR using degenerate oligonucleotide primers designed on the basis of conserved amino acids franking the active sites of cysteine and asparagine residues that are conserved in the eukaryotic cysteine proteinases. Cysteine proteinase gene of A. healui (AhCPI) was composed of 330 amino acids with signal sequence, a proposed pro-domain and a predicted active site made up of the catalytic residues, $Cys^{25},{\;}His^{159},{\;}and{\;}Asn^{175}$. Deduced amino acid sequence analysis indicates that AhCPI belong to ERFNIN subfamily of C 1 peptidases. By Northern blot analysis. no direct correlation was observed between AhCPI mRNA expression and virulence of Acanthamoeba, but the gene was expressed at higher level in amoebae isolated from soil than amoeba from clinical samples. These findings raise the possibility that AhCPI protein may play a role in protein metabolism and digestion of phagocytosed bacteria or host tissue debris rather than in invasion of amoebae into host tissue.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.584-590
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• 2011

Wound inducible P450-Esg cDNA, one of cytochrome P450 gene family, was isolated from shoot of Euiseong garlic cultivar. P450-Esg cDNA possesses highly conserved heme-binding domain in the nucleotide sequence, and 1,419 bp of open reading frame (ORF) coding of 473 amino acids. Based on the nucleotide sequence analysis of P450-Esg homologous from twelve garlic cultivars, two domains, one domain between 472 to 510 bp, and the other between 1,210 to 1,249 bp from start codon (ATG), showed various nucleotide polymorphism among cultivars. Sequence of heme-binding domain in P450-Esg homologous, which is located at the domain between 1,210 to 1,240 bp from start codon, showed various nucleotide polymorphism as well as amino acid sequence polymorphism among twelve garlic cultivars. Anther domain, between 472 to 510 bp from start codon, showed exactly same amino acid sequence in the twelve garlic cultivars, but there were various single nucleotide polymorphism to the cultivars.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2005

cDNA for oxidosqualene cyclase was cloned by a homology-based PCR method and sequenced from Centella asiatica. In a sequences analysis, the putative polypeptide of C. asiatica cycloartenol synthase (CaCYS) deduced from the 2,274 bp nucleotide sequence, consisted of 758 amino acids and had a molecular mass of 86.3 kD. The predicted amino acid sequence exhibited high homology to that of PNX (cycloartenol synthase) from Panax ginseng ($89\%$). Southern blot analysis suggests that CaCYS may be present in one copy of the C. asiatica genome. If methyl jasmonate (MJ) is applied exogenously to plants, not only triterpene saponins are accumulated in tissues, but also it produces effects such as growth inhibition and the promotion of ethylene production. In order to investigate the effect of MJ and thidiazuron (TDZ), a cytokinin that plays a role as an antisenescence agent in several plants, on the level of CaCYS mRNA, we performed northern blot analysis. When MJ is alone treated by adding to culture medium, CaCYS transcripts were inhibited. However, sustained levels of the expression of CaCYS, by adding TDZ to the medium despite MJ treatments, were demonstrated in C. asiatica leaves.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.284-291
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• 2006

In this study, the cDNA of a new peptide from the venom of the scorpion, Buthotus saulcyi, was cloned and sequenced. It codes for a 64 residues peptide (Bsaul1) which shares high sequence similarity with depressant insect toxins of scorpions. The differences between them mainly appear in the loop1 which connects the $\beta$-strand1 to the $\alpha$-helix and seems to be functionally important in long chain scorpion neurotoxins. This loop is three amino acids longer in Bsaul1 compared to other depressant toxins. A comparative amino acid sequence analysis done on Bsaul1 and some of $\alpha$-, $\beta$-, excitatory and depressant toxins of scorpions showed that Bsaul1 contains all the residues which are highly conserved among long chain scorpion neurotoxins. Structural model of Bsaul1 was generated using Ts1 (a $\beta$-toxin that competes with the depressant insect toxins for binding to $Na^+$ channels) as template. According to the molecular model of Bsaul1, the folding of the polypeptide chain is being composed of an anti-parallel three-stranded $\beta$-sheet and a stretch of $\alpha$-helix, tightly bound by a set of four disulfide bridges. A striking similarity in the spatial arrangement of some critical residues was shown by superposition of the backbone conformation of Bsaul1 and Ts1.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.351-360
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• 2002

In the study presented here, identification, purification, and partial characterization of a hemin-regulated protein in Prevotella nigrescens were carried out. The results of this study confirm that the availability of hemin influences the expression of a selected membrane protein as well as the growth rate of P. nigrescens ATCC 33563. The 50 kDa cell envelope associated protein, whose expression is hemin regulated, is considered to be a putative hemin-binding protein from P. nigrescens. Disulfide bonds were not present in this protein, and N'-terminal amino acid sequence analysis revealed that this protein belongs to a new, so far undescribed protein. The 50 kDa protein was found to be rich in hydrophilic amino acids, with glycine comprising approximately 60% of the total amino acids. The study described here is the first to identify, purify, and biochemically characterize a putative hemin-binding protein from P. nigrescens. Work is in progress to further characterize the molecular structure of this protein.

• Mycobiology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.327-332
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• 2015

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) gene is known to be expressed in plants, and is involved in the differentiation, growth and synthesis of secondary metabolites. However, its expression in fungi remains to be explored. To understand its expression in mushroom fungi, the PAL gene of the edible mushroom Flammulina velutipes (Fvpal) was cloned and characterized. The cloned Fvpal consists of 2,175 bp, coding for a polypeptide containing 724 amino acids and having 11 introns. The translated amino acid sequence of Fvpal shares a high identity (66%) with that of ectomycorrhizal fungus Tricholoma matsutake. Distinctively, the Fvpal expression in the mycelium was higher in minimal medium supplemented with L-tyrosine than with other aromatic amino acids. During cultivation of the mushroom on sawdust medium, Fvpal expression in the fruit body correspondingly increased as the mushroom grew. In the fruiting body, Fvpal was expressed more in the stipe than in the pileus. These results suggest that F. velutipes PAL activity differs in the different organs of the mushroom. Overall, this is first report to show that the PAL gene expression is associated with mushroom growth in fungi.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.495-501
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• 2022

Leucine dehydrogenase (LDH, EC 1.4.1.9) catalyzes the reversible deamination of branched-chain L-amino acids to their corresponding keto acids using NAD⁺ as a cofactor. LDH generally adopts an octameric structure with D4 symmetry, generating a molecular mass of approximately 400 kDa. Here, the crystal structure of the LDH from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa-LDH) was determined at 2.5 Å resolution. Interestingly, the crystal structure shows that the enzyme exists as a dimer with C2 symmetry in a crystal lattice. The dimeric structure was also observed in solution using multiangle light scattering coupled with size-exclusion chromatography. The enzyme assay revealed that the specific activity was maximal at 60℃ and pH 8.5. The kinetic parameters for three different amino acid and the cofactor (NAD⁺) were determined. The crystal structure represents that the subunit has more compact structure than homologs' structure. In addition, the crystal structure along with sequence alignments indicates a set of non-conserved arginine residues which are important in stability. Subsequent mutation analysis for those residues revealed that the enzyme activity reduced to one third of the wild type. These results provide structural and biochemical insights for its future studies on its application for industrial purposes.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.484-491
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• 1998

Acetylation of lysine residues within the aminoterminal domains of the core histones plays a critical role in chromatin assemhly as well as in regulation of gene expression. To study the biochemical function of histone acetylation, we have cloned a cDNA encoding the catalytic subunit of human histone acetyltransferase, Hat1. Analysis of the predicted amino acid sequence of human Hat1 revealed an open reading frame of 419 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 49.5 kDa and an isoelectric point of 5.5. The amino acid sequence of human Hat1 is homologous to those of known and putative Hat1 proteins from various species throughout the entire open reading frame. The recombinant human Hat1 protein expressed in bacteria possesses histone H4 acetyltransferase activity in vitro. Both RbAp46 and RbAp48, which participate in various processes of histone metabolism, enhance the histone acetyltransferase activity of the recombinant human Hat1, indicating that they are both able to functionally interact with the human Hat1 in vitro.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.439-448
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• 2003

The VP2 gene of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) Chinju which was previously detected in Chinju, Korea was cloned and sequenced to establish the information for the development of genetically engineered vaccines and diagnostic reagents against IBDV. The nucleotide sequence of the entire Chinju VP2 gene consisted of 1,356 bases long encoding 452 amino acids in a single open reading frame (ORF). It consisted of 368 adenine (27.1%), 363 cytosine (26.8%), 339 guanine (25.0%) and 286 thymine (21.1%) residues. The predicted $M_r$ of the Chinju VP2 protein was 48 kDa, and the protein contained 13 phosphorylation sites by protein kinase C, casein kinase II or tyrosine kinase, whereas 3 asparagine-linked glycosylation sites were recognized. The nucleotide sequence of Chinju VP2 ORF had a very close phylogenetic relationship with 98-99% homology to that of the very virulent IBDVs (vvIBDVs) HK46, OKYM, D6948, UK661, UPM97/61 and BD3/99. Also, the Chinju VP2 protein revealed a very close phylogenetic relationship with 99-100% homology to that of these vvIBDVs. The Chinju VP2 protein had 100% amino acid identity in the variable region of residues 206-360 with that of the D6948, HK46, OKYM and UK661, as well as 100% identity in two hypervariable regions of residues 212-224 and 314-324 with those of the D6948, HK46, OKYM, UK661, UPM97/61 and BD3/99. The amino acid sequence of the chinju VP2 protein contained a serine-rich heptapeptide of SWSASGS as in these vvIBDVs.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2001

We have cloned and characterized an immediate early-1 gene, iel, which is activated immediately upon entrance of the viral genome into the cell nucleus, from Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) K1 strain. This gene encodes a protein 584 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 67 kDa. The promoter and coding regions of BmNPV-K1 ie1 showed high homology with Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus and BmNPV T3 strain. The BmNPV-K1 ie1 was different from amino acid sequence at 4 positions in BmNPV T3. The location of ie1 gene in the BmNPV-K1 genome was confirmed by Southern blot analysis and its expression patterns at the transcriptional level in the infected cells were confirmed by Nerthern hybridization analysis.